Welcome to episode 17 of RFA Insider, where Eugene and Amy sit down with RFA Cantonese and attempt a speed run of what’s happened in Hong Kong over the last 10 years since the Umbrella Movement.
Off Beat
Cantonese Service journalist Kelis Wong joins Eugene and Amy in the studio this week to tackle their many questions surrounding the 10-year anniversary of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement, a series of pro-democracy demonstrations in 2014 that laid the groundwork for the massive 2019 protests that would lead to a narrowing of Hong Kong’s freedoms, including those of the press.
How did the Umbrella Revolution begin, and how did it influence the widely covered events of 2019, where millions of Hong Kongers took to the streets in the territory’s largest demonstration? What is the difference between the National Security Law and Article 23, and how did these laws lead to an exodus of foreign media, including Radio Free Asia? How are Hong Kongers living differently in the aftermath of these pro-democracy protests and passage of significant legislation? Tune in to find out!
Podcast Free Asia
Eugene’s former podcast co-host Rob of Café Seoul sends in a suggestion that the crew discuss not only Asian leaders’ horoscopes, but also their Chinese zodiac animals, blood type and Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) types. Rob also weighs in on the Paris Olympics’ recent name mix-up with North and South Korea, sharing that his professor once read an analysis of North Korea that referred to the country’s founder, Kim Il Sung, as “Mr. Sung.”
The Rundown
Kicking things off in North Korea, flood victims in a northern province of the country are facing repercussions for failing to save portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Eugene explains that every North Korean household is expected to display portraits of the previous two leaders in a prominent position in the home, and moreover, are expected to recuse these portraits at risk of their own lives in emergency situations. Residents told RFA that the government investigated survivors of the recent flood and exiled those who prioritized other possessions, such as food, clothing or electronics, to rural areas. Those who lost their Workers' Party membership cards in the disaster also faced consequences ranging from demotion to expulsion on the spot.
In France, two Parisian art museums received protests and petitions from the local Tibetan community after they removed the term "Tibet" from their exhibitions. Museum goers noticed that the Musée du Quai Branly replaced all mentions of "Tibet" with "Xizang," the romanized Chinese name, in its exhibition text. Last year, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs began using "Xizang" in place of "Tibet" on official diplomatic documents; many Tibetans interpreted this move as China's attempt to rewrite Tibet's history and further reduce its legitimacy. The Musée Guimet also received backlash for renaming its Nepal-Tibet section as "Himalayan World." More than 700 Tibetans and supporters took to the streets in Paris to protest, resulting in the Musée du Quai Branly apologizing and promising to identify all relevant artifacts as from "Tibet" within three weeks.