- Title: 'Warm-up for Taiwan': supporter of Hong Kong protests donates gas masks
- Date: 25th September 2019
- Summary: TAIPEI, TAIWAN (SEPTEMBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AT CHE-LAM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ALEX KO, KO PACKING DONATED ITEMS FOR SHIPPING ALEX KO CARRYING PAPER BOX KO WALKING ALEX KO TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AT CHE-LAM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ALEX KO, SAYING: "We hope that we can help them (Hong Kong protesters) efficiently during these months of protests, especially in the face of the tear gas, pepper water and 'White Terror' attacks by the police, so we chose the method of sending gas masks. There are many different kinds of gas masks, those items are already very hard to find in Hong Kong, so providing those is what we can currently do to help." ALEX KO TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AT CHE-LAM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ALEX KO, SAYING: "I think that the Hong Kong of today might be the Taiwan of tomorrow. If Taiwan doesn't care about it, about democracy and its freedom, and sacrifices its own future to do business in China, I think it is very likely that Taiwan will find itself in a similar situation. That's why I also view this activity of supporting Hong Kong as a warm-up for the future of Taiwan, in case Taiwan also faces something like the anti-extradition protests in the future, to be stronger when taking to the streets." VARIOUS OF ITEMS IN BOXES VARIOUS OF KO PACKING BOXES HELMETS IN BOX (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AT CHE-LAM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ALEX KO, SAYING: "If there is ever a day when the authorities in Beijing attacks Taiwan like this, I will do the same, because this is my country." VARIOUS OF KO PACKING BOXES HELMETS IN BOX (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AT CHE-LAM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ALEX KO, SAYING: "No matter if we're in Taiwan or Hong Kong, we all must not forget that Beijing authorities don't care about human rights or reasoning, we must not have any faith in them. We have to make ourselves stronger and make friends with the world to face this problem together." VARIOUS OF KO CARRYING BOX CROSS ON TOP OF CHURCH
- Embargoed: 9th October 2019 11:55
- Keywords: Taiwan supporter Hong Kong protests
- Location: TAIPEI, TAIWAN
- City: TAIPEI, TAIWAN
- Country: Taiwan
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AY5LUTJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A Taiwan church has collected more than 4,000 gas masks and 600 helmets to send to anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, saying the fight for democracy was crucial in the face of increasing interference by Communist Party rulers in Beijing.
Che-lam Presbyterian Church in Taipei experimented with donations which had to comply with aviation safety rules and found that helmets and gas masks arrived in Hong Kong without a problem, while a shipment of laser pointers was blocked.
"I think that the Hong Kong of today might be the Taiwan of tomorrow. If Taiwan doesn't care about it, about democracy and its freedom, and sacrifices its own future to do business in China, I think it is very likely that Taiwan will find itself in a similar situation. That's why I also view this activity of supporting Hong Kong as a warm-up for the future of Taiwan, in case Taiwan also faces something like the anti-extradition protests in the future, to be stronger when taking to the streets," said churchgoer Alex Ko.
Hong Kong has been rocked for more than three months by sometimes violent protests, with activists throwing petrol bombs at police and shining lasers in their eyes, to which police have responded with tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets.
The Hong Kong protesters are furious at what they see as creeping Chinese interference in the former British colony, which returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula guaranteeing freedoms that are not enjoyed on the mainland for 50 years.
China says it is committed to the arrangement and denies meddling. It has also suggested the same formula for self-ruled Taiwan, which it considers a recalcitrant, breakaway province. It has not ruled out the use of force to ensure unification.
(Production: Fabian Hamacher) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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