The Young Reporter Vol. 52 Issue 3

December 2019 / Issue 3

THE INTERNATIONAL ISSUE

RWANDA LEARNS TO TEACH ABOUT GENOCIDE The fight for the mountain gorillas • HK social worker and his quest to help minorities

In This Issue

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08

12

16

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Rwanda’s tourism jump big win for the environment

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Rwanda fights for the mountain gorillas

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Rwanda learns to teach genocide, not only remember

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Social worker hopeful looking at future of ethnic minorities

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Singaporean support for HK protest wanes amid spiralling violence

Letter from the Editor It was the fact that we have a large numbers of reporters on exchange abroad which gave us the idea to create an international issue dedicated to expeditions and travelling. But as a significant portion of the team left the city due to campus safety concerns, we find ourselves collaborating across countries and continents to complete this series of stories, making it our most international issue in every sense.

To reflect the intensity of the local unrest, we have explored the hardships faced by Hong Kong’s ethnic minorities through a social worker and by Singaporean exchange students who are profoundly saddened to see local campuses being turned into war zones.

We also have a series of stories about Rwanda after a team went on an expedition through African jungles and Rwandese museums. Once a country torn by genocide, we examined how Rwanda has healed from trauma and preserved their culture and history.

As I part with our beloved student publication after two years of involvement, a new team will be taking over under a new editor to continue to bring forth excellent stories and make progress. May our new team rise to the occasion and overcome unforeseen challenges as they arise in the coming year.

Editor-in-Chief

Reporters

Katherine Li

Acacia Redding Alec Lastimosa Bella Huang Carine Chow Carol Mang Carol Yuan Cassie Zhang Cherry Lee Clara Ip Eurus Yiu Han Xu Haywood Man Hongshun Wong Jay Ganglani Kawai Wong Kylan Goh Liony Xue Mark Chen Mereen Santirad Moon Lam Nicole Ko Olivia Tam Ronald Fan Samuel Mo Suey So Sunny Sun Yanni Chow

Deputy Editors

Anna Kam Phoebe Lai Rachel Yeo Wallis Wang Advisers

Jenny Lam Robin Ewing Editors

Amy Ho Brison Li Cara Li Fifi Tsui Hailey Man Jo Ng Karen Kwok King Woo Maisy Mok Nadia Lam Oasis Li Stephanie Ma Tomiris Urstembayeva Vanessa Yung Vimvam Tong William Tsui Yetta Lam

Art Directors

Elaine Soh Hailey Man Maisy Mok Oasis Li Stephanie Ma Tomiris Urstembayeva

I wish everyone a meaningful and safe New Year’s holiday.

The Young Reporter Volume 52 No. 3

Sincerely, Katherine Li Editor-in-chief

Printer

Department of Journalism School of Communication Hong Kong Baptist University

04 HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

Rwanda’s tourism jump big win for the environment

Reported by Sunny Sun and Liony Xue Edited by Robin Ewing

Akagera National Park is home to a variety of antelopes including bushbucks, topis, oribis, water-buck, roan antelope, duiker, bohor reedbuck, klipspringer, impala and world largest antelope – the cape eland.

Rwanda seems to have hit upon a win-win model for economic growth: conserve wildlife and nature to bring in the tourist dollars.

So far it’s working. Rwanda is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

In 2017, tourism brought in US$438 million (HK$34 billion), much of that paid in permits to visit the country’s

mountain gorillas and spent on services for other nature tourism.

Mainly an agricultural nation, tourism contributes to 12.7% of the country’s GDP, according to The Telegraph.

The 1994 genocide devasted lands and local wildlife. The mountain gorillas’ habitat in the Volcanos National Park was a battle ground. Forests

were cleared for firewood.

Refugees living in what is today’s Akagara National Park killed all the lions to protect their cows.

But today, ecologically protected areas are conducive to the restoration of forests, the repopulation of animals and the conservation of their habitat. Lions have been reintroduced to Akagara and now there are more than 20. The

The Gorilla Guardians Village is a traditional cultural village that allows tourists to experience local Rwandas’ life through taking part in a traditional intore dance, firing arrows, and grinding seeds.

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mountain gorilla population is the highest it has been since the 1960s.

Anyone who illegally cuts trees in protected areas can be imprisoned up to two years or fined up to 2 million francs (HK$17,317), according to local newspaper The New Times.

About 10% of tourism revenue goes back into the community to support parks, schools, hospitals, hotels, roads, artists and farmers, the chief executive officer of the Rwanda Development Board said at a conference last year.

Jean d’Amour Mbonyinshuti, a reporter, says his newspaper regualrly publishes envrionmental stories.

“As for Virunga National Park, 30% of we made from tourism all go to the community,” said Mugugu Mungarulire, a local tour guide. He also said after seeing the development, people are more willing to move from the forests to other areas.

Rwanda was criticised last year for spending £30 million (HK$299 million) to have its brand printed on Arsenal football team shirt sleeves.

But the country defended its move saying that already British visitors are up more than 20%.

Mugugu Mungarulire, a local tour guide, says he always stops his car to pick up trash.

Poaching, once a major problem in the parks, has decreased significantly. At the Gorilla Guardians cultural village former poachers and young people teach

Primary school teachers in Rwanda are required to give environment conservation.The idea of “Don’t cut down a tree” has been created as a song that is sung among students.

traditional village life to tourists and give musical and dance performances.

The founder of the village, Edwin Sabuhoro, educated poachers on the importance of conservation and helped set them up in jobs craft makers, farmers, traders and employees of national parks.

“Hunting was the only way to get food and money before.

But now we can afford our lives, so we don’t need to poach anymore,” said Barora Leonidas, a former poacher for more than 30 years who has been performing in the village since 2005.

Jean d’Amour Mbonyinshuti, a reporter at The New Times, the largest English newspaper in Rwanda, said they publish numerous environmental stories every week.

“The government started recently to privatise all the forests and encouraged private companies to manage them,” said Mr. Mbonyinshut. “Original land owners are joining associations to manage forests and investigate more productively.”

Primary school teachers in Rwanda are required to teach environmental conservation, Mr. Mbonyinshut said.

“Don’t cut down a tree” has been turned into a children’s song.

Mr. Mungarulire said if he says a plastic bottle on the street, he stops the car to pick it up. “Kids will pass the awareness to their family,” said Mr. Mungarulire. “When they saw their father cutting down the trees, they will tell him what they are doing is wrong.”

“Once people get to know that, you will solve 30% of the problem,” said Mr. Mungarulire. “It is not about the laws, it is about me. How it getting to me and make me

08 HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

RWANDA THE MOUNTAIN

FIGHTS FOR

GORILLAS Reported by By Anna Kam and Phoebe Lai Edited by Robin Ewing

Award-winning biopic Gorillas in the Mist, released in 1988, features primatologist Dian Fossey’s fight to protect mountain gorillas from poachers. It was the first film to bring mountain gorillas and the dangers they face in their natural habitats in East Africa to the attention of the world.

Thirty years after Gorillas in the Mist, once again gorillas captured the world’s attention when a photo of two gorillas posing for a selfie with African ranger Mathieu Shamavu went viral last month. The two animals hilariously mimic human postures while looking directly into the camera.

“Give my gorillas the protection they are entitled to,” said actress Sigourney Weaver, who played Ms. Fossey in the film, in an iconic scene where she helps a gorilla in her lap drink water.

The photo was taken at a gorilla orphanage in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the gorillas are being raised after poachers killed their parents.

While poaching continues to be a problem in violence-plagued Congo, neighbouring Rwanda’s current gorilla population is the highest since the 1960s.

The fight against poaching, the regulation of tourism and scientific research have all contributed to conservation in the country that is building on a legacy left by Ms. Fossey, who was murdered in Rwanda in 1985.

Ex-poacher village and Dian Fossey’s reesarch centre continue conservation work for mountain gorillas.

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The mountain gorilla, commonly known as the silverback and a subspecies of the eastern gorilla, is found in only two places on earth, high up in the bamboo forests of the Virunga mountains that span the borders of Rwanda, Uganda, the DRC and in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.

to US$1,500 (HK$11,759). At the Gorilla Guardians’ Village, a cultural village founded near the Volcanos National Park in Rwanda by former park warden Edwin Sabuhoro in 2006, former and would-be poachers teach visitors about traditional village life, music and dance as an alternative source of income.

After facing near extinction, mountain gorillas were last year moved from “critically endangered” to “endangered,” with a population estimated to be a little over 1,000.

Mr. Sabuhoro, who initially worked undercover to catch poachers, heard devastating stories of poverty from the people he arrested and decided to help.

To see the gorillas in Rwanda, guided tracking tours can be booked through the Volcanos National Park, which limits visitors to 96 per day, spread across 12 gorilla families.

He first used up his savings to rent land for the poachers to farm.

In 2017, the government raised the price of the permit

Then he set up Rwanda Ecotours and the cultural village to employ ex-poachers and give them an incentive to conserve wildlife.

Some poachers kill gorillas for meat, but others accidently injure or kill gorillas while trying to catch antelope, wild pigs or buffalo with traps and snares, according to The International Gorilla Conservation Programme. Sometimes baby gorillas are sold to zoos.

“We didn’t eat the gorillas. When the gorillas were caught in our traps, we cut it and let it go away,” said Twagirimana Innocent, the son of an ex-poacher, who used to accompany his father to hunt animals when he was younger and now works as a tour guide in the village.

“They stole babies and sold them to poachers from Uganda and other neighbouring countries, each for US$2,000,” said Mr. Innocent.

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International is a charity for the protection of endangered mountain gorillas.

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“They kept them in farms as pets; some did sell them to zoos,” he added.

Last June, a leaked letter showing the attempted sale of critically endangered wildlife, including a dozen mountain gorillas, from the Institute in Congo for the Conservation of Nature, to two zoos in eastern China.

The document sparked outrage among wildlife protection and civil society groups such as Born Free and Conserv Congo.

It eventually led to an online petition to prevent the export of the animals, which has been signed by over 9,000 people.

“ They stole babies and sold them to poachers from Uganda and other neighbouring countries, each for US$2,000.

Mr. Twagirimana Innocent Son of an ex-poacher

”

Barora Leonidas, around 80 years old, who was a poacher for at least 30 years, lost two of his front teeth when he was poaching as a boy because he was kicked in the face by an buffalo, he said. He now works in the village as an entertainer.

“When choosing being hungry and poaching a baby gorilla, of course the locals will choose to sell the baby gorilla,” he said.

Infant orphan gorillas are especially vulnerable to stress and malnutrition in captivity, according to the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education center, an NGO in Kenya.

At the Karisoke Research Center, founded by Ms. Fossey near Rwanda’s Volcanoes

Barora Leonidas was a poacher for 30 years and now works at the Gorilla Guardians cultural village. He lost his front teeth when he was kicked in the face by an buffalo when poaching, he said.

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Mountain gorilla guide Francois Bigirimana imitates a gorilla at the visitor centre. Mr. Bigirimana is the most experienced guide at the park and worked with Dian Fossey on her research.

National Park, Laban Kayitete, an intern biologist, said gorillas can be harmed or even killed, even if they are only a “bycatch”.

Veronica Vecellio, the center’s Gorilla Program Senior Advisor and Regional Public Relations Director, said in an email there are at most two cases of monitored gorillas being mistakenly captured in snares from poachers each year. In the past five years, there are a total of five gorillas caught in snares.

Most monitored gorillas caught will survive because researchers from the centre will intervene with veterinarians to remove the snare, but it is possible that a gorilla would not survive the ordeal if rescue comes late, she said. “If we don’t see them and the rope

gets too tight they may die,” Ms. Vecellio said.

In July 2012, female juvenile gorilla, Ngwino, in Rwanda, did not survive her infected injury when the team of gorilla doctors finally removed the rope snare that had been on her left ankle five days after the incident.

According to the online report from gorilla doctors, the rope snare has caused severe damage to the tissue of Ngwino’s left foot.

Ms. Vecellio said, they were unable to remove the snare immediately at scene because the group was in a deep ravine.

Various exhibits that show the snares made by poachers

and lists of initiatives to stop poachers from catching gorillas mistakenly are on display at the Research Center.

A mountain gorilla’s genes are 98% similar to human DNA and as they live near cities, they face the danger of disease, human-wildlife conflict and poaching. Visitors who have recently been sick are not allowed to visit gorillas.

Ideally, conservationists “work with the community leaving near the park to provide alternatives of the use of natural resources and education to teach the importance to protect the environment,” Ms. Vecellio said.

12 SOCIETY

25 YEARS LATER:

Rwanda learns to teach genocide, not only remember Reported by Rachel Yeo and Vimvam Tong Edited by Robin Ewing Serge Rwigamba was 13 when his parents were killed in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis and moderate Hutus that left more than a million dead in Rwanda. He grew up an orphan supported by government assistance.

Now, Mr. Rwigamba, 38, works as a visitor engagement officer at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where 250,000 victims, including his parents, are buried. “I still have to face a lot of other consequences left

by the genocide: trauma, troubles in personality, educational challenges,� Mr. Rwigamba, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, said.

Around 35% of Rwandan genocide survivors are estimated to suffer from trauma and other mental health problems, according to a study by Rwanda Mental Health.

But though many like Mr. Rwigamba continue to confront the horrors of genocide 25 years later, most of

Rwanda’s more than 12 million people are too young to have lived through or remember the genocide.

In the 2012 census, 62% of the population was under 25, most of them children of survivors, and the current median age is 19.6, based on UN data.

On April 7, the country entered 100 days of mourning to commemorate the genocide that happened 25 years ago. But the real challenge the country faces is not

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how to remember the past, but how to teach it. Vivian Irabizi, 22, a student interning at the local English paper The New Times, met her father for the first time when she was 14. After the genocide, her parents fled to Congo and were separated, each thinking the other had died.

Her mother came back to Rwanda and gave birth to her, raising her as a single parent.

Now, even though her family has been reunited, she still carries emotional pain over the lost years.

“Today I have a father. I struggled to call him “father”.

I used to call “fa……” and then would burst into tears,” she said.

After the genocide, Rwandans no longer classify themselves as Tutsi or Hutu, they are simply known as Rwandans. Ms. Irabizi said that the young generation should be active to learn and unite themselves as “all Rwandans”.

Educating the young about a tragedy that they did not experience is challenging, many older survivors say.

D’Artagnan Habintwali, who was five during the genocide and is now a guide at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, said that it can be difficult for teachers in the classroom, even though programmes are

Vivian Irabizi, 22, is one of more than 60% of the population born after the genocide.

in place to help educators.

“Sometimes the teachers were not comfortable and they would skip the chapter of the genocide or will only summarise it,” Mr. Habintwali said.

“But after trainings and workshops, teachers have opened up and talked about their experiences. In Rwanda, there is a saying, ‘if you have a sickness, it’s better to talk about it than hide it’.”

Adolphe Nimbona, a 30-yearold tour guide and driver, said it is difficult to teach the genocide because some of the students’ parents might have participated.

Mr. Nimbona said he and his mother survived with help from their Hutu friend.

Without “hope, safety, food, way to hide”, Mr. Nimbona recalled that “about 15

soldiers came in to my home and started to shoot the back of some of our group mates with guns.”

“There is no hope. Everything is destroyed. The house was broken down. No people we can meet again, my friends, uncles, cousins,” he said.

The Kigali Genocide Memorial is one of six in the city with many smaller memorials scattered around the country.

It is also the largest memorial and calls itself a place of remembering and learning.

Mr. Nimbona said he will help young people know the truth of the genocide, encouraging people to face up to the past and then move forward.

“People bring the devil inside to make something happen, to teach people about forgiving. You can’t make anger every time,” he said.

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Mr. Rwigamba said he also chooses to forgive.

“It’s hard for some people to face the prejudices after the genocide. The perpetrators live in guilt. They were guilty about what their parents did,” he said.

He tells visitors in the memorial that moving forward needs everyone’s understanding. “Because the world grows up as a union. Prejudice does not help anyone,” he said.

Mr. Habintwali said that changing mindsets and promoting harmony will help the next generation to learn from past mistakes.

“In Rwanda, the genocide happened because our grandfathers dreamed of the genocide. If today we dream of a better place, a better Rwanda, then our children will be in a better place in a good country,” he said.

D’Artagnan Habintwali, a guide at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, says young people in Rwanda dream of a better place.

Serge Rwigamba survived the genocide but grew up without his parents and siblings.

Because of the genocide, he still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder to this day.

“

In Rwanda, the genocide happened because our grandfathers dreamed of the genocide. If today we dream of a better place, a better Rwanda, then our children will be in a better place in a good country.

D’Artagnan Habintwali

�

Kigali Genocide Memorial guide

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16 SOCIETY

Social worker hopeful looking at future of ethnic minorities Reported by Yanni Chow Edited by King Woo

Among the South Asians lingering outside Chungking

Mansions, social worker Jeffrey Andrews is the only one not handing out coupons to a curry house, or persuading passers-by to stay at the guest houses. Mr. Andrews works with those in need inside a building notorious for its unhygienic and dangerous environment.

With his dark skin and short curly hair, Mr. Andrews blends into the Chungking crowd. As the smiling 34-year-old made his way through the twists and turns of the building, nearly everyone recognised him.

Shop owners greeted him and more dark skinned peers shook his hands with gratitude.

“There are over a hundred countries represented here.

It’s like a big family,” said Mr. Andrews, who is ethnically Indian, while waiting for the lift up to his office.The doors opened on the 16th floor and there was extra flight of stairs to his office.

Mr. Andrews has been serving ethnic minorities and refugees at Christian Action, a charitable organisation that serves the city’s disadvantaged and abandoned, for ten years. He is the

first registered ethnic minority social worker in Hong Kong.

Discrimination against people of colour is not uncommon in Hong Kong. They are often perceived as dangerous, undereducated, and poor.

The Equal Opportunities commission handled 132 complaints related to race discrimination in 2018. Mr. Andrews is deeply passionate about promoting and educating people about ethnic minorities, which make up 8% of the city’s population, according to the Census and Statistics Department.

Located at the heart of the busiest district of Hong Kong, Chungking Mansions is home to people representing over a hundred nationalities.

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“It is unfair to focus on the identity of South Asians when one of us does something bad. It has been tiring having to defend our name and do publicity work to keep up the reputation,” said the frustrated Mr. Andrews after the Jimmy Sham incident.

Mr Sham, an activist, was reportedly attacked by men of South Asian descent with hammers in mid-October. Mr. Sham later asked people not to take revenge by targeting ethnic minorities.

To combat negative stereotypes of ethnic minorities, Mr. Andrews organized a Chungking Mansions tour on October 25 after handing out water to protesters during a march the previous Sunday.

The intention is to welcome local Chinese and show them what life is like for the people inside the seemingly intimidating building. The response was overwhelming, with over 1,300

people visiting and interacting with the inhabitants.

Selina Ip, a local tenant at Chungking Mansions, was amazed by the long queues and business boost at her own restaurant. She thanked Mr. Andrews for organizing the tours.

“There is a long history of discrimination against ethnic minorities. I’m glad that Jefferey organised tours to give us a chance to clear the misunderstanding up,” said the 46-year-old restaurant owner whose husband is from Ghana, Africa.

Gordon Mathews, chair of the Department of Anthropology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the author of Ghetto at the Center of the World: Chungking Mansions, Hong Kong, also applauded Mr. Andrews.

“The locals are showing more acceptance to ethnic minorities

than I’ve ever seen. What Jeffrey and his peers have done is beautiful,” Mr. Mathews said.

Mr. Andrews is pleased to see how the Hong Kong people have opened up to different ethnic groups, much more so, he believed, then they used to.

“I went to segregated local schools. I was not allowed to learn with the locals. Instead, we the ethnic minorities had lessons separately. We were taught French as a second language instead of Chinese. I learned my Cantonese on the football pitch, I’ve had a hard time blending in,” he said.

Mr. Andrews believes that language barrier is a big problem leading to discrimination towards ethnic minorities. He has seen many cases where miscommunication is the cause of unfairness.

The social worker now speaks fluent Cantonese, English, Hindu and a bit of Tamil. His language proficiency has made

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Vivek Mahbubani, an Indian comedian, is an advocate for ethnic minorities, along with Jeffrey Andrews.

him a perfect bridge between his clients and the authority.

“I still cannot read Chinese though, I need to rely on others to help my clients too,” said Mr. Andrews as he picked a real estate agent name card from the pile of paperwork on his desk, not knowing what is written on it.

His phone kept buzzing with occasional phone calls seeking his advice and counselling.

He admitted that the work is tiresome, but he remains passionate.

Jeffrey Andrews at the rooftop of Chungking Mansions.

“The most rewarding part of the experience is when you

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Gordon Mathews has been observing Chungking Mansions for years, even after writing his book, Ghetto at the Center of the World: Chungking Mansions, Hong Kong.

see the change in people’s lives and know that you did it.” Many thank you cards are pinned on his board and hand drawn portraits of him are stacked behind his desk.

To maintain a work-life balance, he enjoys playing Xbox and singing karaoke with his friends. Next to his workspace, there is a television and a cozy sofa frequented by his friends of different races.

Vivek Mahbubani, who often conducts interviews and

promotes ethnic minorities with Mr. Andrews, believes his work can inspire the next generation of ethnic minorities advocates.

“He got the empowerment that made people interested in knowing more about him, and he has put into practice the saying of “actions speak louder than words,” said the Indian comedian.

Mr. Andrews got married recently, but he is not in a rush to have children yet.

“

“At the moment, I cannot stop what I’m doing. Promoting ethnic minorities and making the society really bonding, is my priority,” he said with determination.

Mr. Andrews made his way up a dark spiral staircase to the rooftop of Chungking Mansions. From there, he surveyed the magnificent Tsim Sha Tsui skyline. Located in the heartbeat of Hong Kong, he felt the community deserves more credit.

”

As a locally born ethnic minority, it is my responsibility to make Hong Kong a truly world class city.

Jeffery Andrews

Social worker of Christian Action

20 POLITICS

Singaporean support for HK protest wanes amid spiralling violence

Samuel Lim, a former exchange student from Singapore, believes that cancelling the exchange programme in Hong Kong is a wise decision. But he feels sorry for students who did not get a chance to enjoy Hong Kong like he did.

Reported by Elaine Soh Edited by Rachel Yeo

Singaporean students, Nicholas Teo and Samuel Lim, 24, recalled their happy memories during their exchange experience at Hong Kong Baptist University. They met new students from all walks of life, and ventured out into the beautiful city and outlying islands.

But their one semester in Hong Kong was marred by crippling chaos shortly after they left.

“For me, it is really sad because just a few months after I left, my school became a warzone. The school holds a lot of memories [for me] because that is where I met my friends and where we hung out,” said Mr. Lim, who was initially supportive of the movement, but was now unsure if the destruction caused by protesters was doing more harm to the region or helpful in advancing their goals.

Singaporeans are showing more nuanced responses to the demonstrations that culminated in an intense stand-off at Polytechnic University campus

in the third week of November.

Some Singaporeans believe that Hong Kong protesters have gone astray from the initial purpose of the protest while others continue to be empathetic as the movement precipitated into a major political crisis.

Mr. Teo, a final-year student from Nanyang Technological University, was deeply concerned with the political turmoil and the safety of his Hong Kong friends.

“It started out very nicely. The protesters stood in solidarity and were unified in voicing

out their unhappiness. But it is devastating now. They are just fighting fire with fire and there is no end to this. It’s like a cycle and the use of weapons is getting more dangerous on both ends.” Mr. Teo added, “normal bystanders like some of my local friends are getting affected and that is when I think it needs to stop.”

The majority of Singaporeans find it hard to sympathise with Hong Kong protesters because they cannot imagine having their freedom revoked. Many cannot understand what is at stake for young people in Hong Kong.

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According to data analytics company Milieu, 32% of 1,055 Singaporeans surveyed four months ago supported the Hong Kong protest. But by November, support fell to 19%. Meanwhile, support for the Hong Kong government rose to 32%. Nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents blamed the protesters for the escalation of the protest, 17% blamed the Hong Kong government, and 21% believed the Chinese government was responsible. A third (34%) of the respondents did not think that any one party was solely responsible for the escalation.

Nicholas’s father, Richard Teo, 63, pitied the protesters and viewed the Hong Kong government as responsible for the demonstrations. He compared this protest with the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, and implied that the government’s disregard for police brutality is akin to murdering its own citizens.

“At first I wondered why they were so stupid to risk getting caught by fighting the police because the police are armed, but I came to realise that they are not out to kill the police. They just wanted to bring Hong Kong to its knees; they just want to create havoc,” Mr. Teo explained.

Nicholas Teo, a former exchange student from Singapore, is saddened by Hong Kong’s situation and fears for the safety of his close friends in Hong Kong who are affected by the protests.

“Some of my pro-China friends made comments such as “the more they die, the better” in a group chat between some Singaporean friends. How can the Hong Kong police do that? Killing Chinese is killing your own citizens. This can never be justified. These people were defenseless. I cannot understand why Carrie Lam cannot see that police brutality is the biggest problem now.”

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In Singapore, support for Hong Kong protesters fell significantly over the past six months.

In August, Singapore universities pulled out of their exchange programmes in Hong Kong after Singapore’s education ministry advised that all trips to Hong Kong should stop for the time being. The cancellation came on a short notice and many students were all set to embark on their journey to Hong Kong.

“It was a huge disappointment for us because the exchange programme is a big thing in NUS, and after the cancellation, everything felt very abrupt and rushed. School had already started for my friends so it took me awhile to settle down and continue my semester in

Singapore,” said a 21-yearold student who wishes to be known as Amelia, for fear of any public backlash. She had planned to go on an exchange at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Despite the disappointment, many young Singaporeans believe it is a wise move for the Singapore government and schools to cancel the exchanges.

“I am relieved that I didn’t go because schools there are affected as well, and if I went, my school term will probably be affected and my graduation will be delayed,” Amelia said.

Samuel said that he felt sorry for the Singaporean students.

“They didn’t get to experience the Hong Kong I experienced, which is a melting pot of people from all walks of life, but for now, safety is of the utmost importance. So I think it’s a wise decision because you don’t really know what will happen.”

“Hopefully in the future, the Hong Kong government will be considerate and have the foresight to expect protests like this when implementing a new policy because the people of Hong Kong have shown that they are capable of destroying their city in order to achieve their goals,” said Mr. Lim.

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