Though Hong Kong, British crown colony 1841–1997, served as both contact area between China and the West and refuge for Chinese dissidents, its citizens never got universal suffrage. After World War II Hong Kong became a trading centre, but after China regained control in 1997 the economic importance has diminished. Hong Kong now suffers from serious restrictions on civil rights and freedom.
The past ten years regular protests against restrictions culminated in 2019, when up to two million people – a quarter of the population – participated in the demonstrations. In 2020 a national security law was introduced in Hong Kong that applies retroactively and has led to draconic closures of media, trade unions and NGO:s and to hard self-censorship. What possibilities are there for freedom of expression in Hong Kong today? For writers, artists, activists and academics? What happens to Hong Kong identity? How will history be written, and what role does literature and language play?
Fredrik Fällman associate professor in sinology, University of Gothenburg, Gregory Lee professor of Chinese studies at University of St Andrews UK, Patrick Poon Independent human rights researcher & advocate and PhD candidate at Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 FR, Zeng Jinyan post-doctoral fellow, Center for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University, and Johan Öberg slavicist, essayist and translator.
INVITATIONS
You need an invitation to attend this seminar. Would you like an invitation, or do you have a collegue or co-worker who you think would like to participate? Send us an e-mail at jonseredsherrgard@gu.se
Please register 15th February at the latest to jonseredsherrgard@gu.se
Programme
09.30 Introduction
10.00 Fredrik Fällman, Gregory Lee
10.30 Open discussion
12.00 Lunch break
13.00 Patrick Poon, Zeng Jinyan
13.30 Discussion continues
15.10 Johan Öberg, Fredrik Fällman
15.30 End
