January 1999

Deconstructing Leung Kwok Hung

     Anti-Beijing, "anti-capitalism" and "pro-democracy", "Activist", "revolutionist", "Marxist", and "veteran protester". All the above are impressions most Hong Kong people have towards Leung Kwok Hung. Constantly seeing him on the front page with a clenched fist, do you really know what kind of a person he is?

     Walking into Leung's 300-foot room where he is living alone, the first thing that strikes you is the books. Thousands of books are neatly put on bookshelves, most of them talk about Marxism and societal affairs.

     Born in an era when student movements were at their peak, Leung began to realize the existence of social injustices when he was just a primary schoolboy. "Initially, I worshipped Mao Zedong. Yet after the Lam Biu Incident, I found his ideology problematic," he said.

     "At that time, people were ruled either by colonialism, capitalism or one-party domination. There was a general hope for the rise of a system built on the consensus of the majority."

     That is why Leung resorted to Trotskyism, a topic he talked about for the next 30 minutes of the interview.

     "As capitalism cannot bring a better future to mankind, it should be abolished and replaced by an international socialist democratic system. Actually, our society now is full of too much injustices, suppression and exploitation. If mankind cannot find a way to solve these problems by the end of this century, human culture may suddenly vanish and barbarism may flourish again.

     "Every individual in the world is unique and different. That's why they should be granted equal opportunities and the right to tap their potentials to the full."

     Leung was the only child of his parents, who did not live with him. Being a fosterling, there was nothing better to spend time on than reading. With such experiences, it was not surprising to find Leung so critical about social injustices. In addition, knowing the tragic past of his mother (about which he declined to tell more), Leung has deep sympathy towards women, especially those who came from the rural area.

     Leung has always been a destitute laborer. Thus, as he said, it was impossible for him to stand in the shoes of the affluent and fight for their rights.

     "Few people around the world are leading a decent life. We are not conscious about this fact only because it has always been easier living in Hong Kong. You think Indonesians really want to carry out those riots and rapes? While condemning their behavior, we have to bear in mind that the main culprit should be the abusive system instead.

     "Capitalism has nothing worth mentioning. It abruptly changed the nature of everything. A slight drop of a major share involves more money than that earned by all the people of a remote island. Isn't this ridiculous?"

     "If you can afford a high-tech video camera, would you bother using a low-quality recorder? Demonstration is the only way that can provide a large and visible forum for the poor to express themselves. Different from tycoons who are surrounded by the media whenever they go, lower-class people can hardly attract media attention.

     "There is a saying that if there was a pivot, the Earth can be raised. With no other channel to express my opinions, what else can I do apart from demonstrating?

     "Every time I finish petitioning, I feel satisfied and accomplished, just like the others who have watched a great movie. Nevertheless, it is pitiful that Chinese people, or maybe I should say the Orientals as a whole, have no respect for the opinions of the minorities who are regarded as weird and problematic.

     "After the Provisional Legislative Council was set up, one of the English Channels invited me for an interview together with Mrs. Rita Fan. Although I have fixed up a time for them, the whole thing was called off just because Mrs. Fan declined the interview. That was totally unfair! If Mrs. Fan chose not to come, advantages should be on my side.

     "There were newspaper reports saying that I stole money. Out of courtesy and basic journalistic principles, reporters concerned should have asked me for confirmation prior to publication. Yet they did not.

     "The media in Hong Kong bends in front of money and power. They cannot remain independent and objective. Individuals are not given equal grounds to speak their minds. Even if I was crazy, I should be allowed to make a point.

     "I know I am good at talking and writing. If given the chance to debate openly, I am fully confident that I can beat my opponents.

     "With different perceptions, journalists often do not publish matters I regard as important. They like to ask questions like, 'Do you have a girl-friend?' Well, that's fine. If they ask, I'll answer. However, I don't want myself to become a commodity or to be stereotyped."

     "I am the only full-time worker of the April 5th Action Group. I have to do odd jobs to sustain my living. That includes writing in football columns during the World Cup period. In other times, I do more physical or manual jobs.

     "After the economic recession, it is increasingly arduous for me to find temporary jobs. It is true that I am living in constant anxiety and tension, worrying about monthly living expenses. However, Hong Kong is not a place people have to starve to death. In view of my economic difficulties, friends always buy me dinners, appliances and even clothes.

     "Reading books, listening to music, travelling around and watching movies are all my hobbies. However, 'no money no talk', I have to cut off all these."

     "Frankly speaking, I am unhappy as I cannot find a girl-friend."

     Serious? "Just kidding, but generally speaking, I am not that happy. At least, I have to worry about my living.

     "Although I know demonstrations doesn't change much, I would be happy as long as I can contribute to the socialist movement. In my opinion, men can be very simple and it is not my concern to become someone great.

     "It will be a difficult task if you ask me to find a person to hate. Undoubtedly, I detest the present social system, but that has nothing to do with individuals. That's why I enjoy getting along with people, without regarding the system. This is one of the reasons why I would like to be the coach of a football team. This job involves frequent dealings with others and I can have authority over the players.

     "Seeing me joining all those demonstrations, my mother is worried but understanding. She knows that I am not doing something wrong and disreputable, though it may not be a wise choice doing so."

     "I don't think that I deserve an epitaph, but receiving one from my dearest would be great.

     "There are so many heroes in this world. It would be redundant to think about one"s position in history. This is not to say that I do not care about my reputation. I sincerely hope that no one will label me as a 'professional demonstrator';." You may not remember the name "Leung Kwok Hung", but you will always remember "Cheung Mo", meaning "longhair". Swinging his spine-long black hair and wearing a T-shirt bearing the image of South American revolutionist Che Guevara, he can definitely leave a unique impression.

     Leung said: "We all have divergent senses of beauty. I think long hair is more beautiful." Applying the same theory, shouldn"t we be more tolerant about dissidents?

Get to know Cheung Mo...

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