Just weeks before the beginning of the school year, Hong Kong government officials arrested incoming UC Berkeley doctoral student, Alex Chow, for leading pro-democracy protests. Chow is sentenced to seven months in prison and cannot run for public office for five years.
The nefarious crime, in the eyes of the Hong Kong government, was leading a series of pro-democracy protests which lasted for 79 days in the East Asian country.
According to the Daily Californian, Chow just finished his Master’s degree in city design from the prestigious London School of Economics in the U.K. Chow was prepared to attend UC Berkeley this fall to study geography at the doctorate level.
Chow was set to study nonviolent social movements, per Nathan Sayre, an associate professor of UC Berkeley’s Department of Geography.
The catalyst that enacted Chow’s movement can be traced as far back as August 2014. During this time, the government of China implemented policies which restricted the citizens of Hong Kong to voting for “pre-approved” candidates.
According to Amber Tang, a news correspondent for the Daily Cal, as well as the individual who first reported Chow’s story in relation to his studies at UC Berkeley, numerous protests for a more autonomous, democratic electoral system broke out, many of which were led by Chow and of his peers.
“Even after months of protests, the Chinese government refused to give the protesters the democratic election process they wanted.” Tang reports.
“Although Chow was arrested August 17, over a month ago, this issue has not received a large amount of attention given that it is centered mainly in the UK and Hong Kong. Many faculty members of the geography department, however, are well aware of Chow’s predicament and have expressed their support for him should he choose to attend UC Berkeley after serving his sentence,” Tang told Red Alert Politics.
“In addition, members of the campus community and the Hong Kong student community have expressed their sentiments over social media, praising Chow’s actions and expressing dissatisfaction with his sentencing,” Tang continued.
Chow was initially sentenced to community service along with a suspended sentence, but evidently the Hong Kong Department of Justice were concerned of sending the “a wrong message to the public.” Chow has called the decision of the Hong Kong courts an “injustice,” but urged others to continue to strive for democracy, with “love, courage, tenderness and care to the earth.”
One of Chow’s graduate school classmates has created a petition, asking Hong Kong authorities to release Chow. At the time of publication, the petition already had more than 5,000 signatures.
“Social progress begins here, with our heart,” Chow expressed in a statement. “When the emotions of sadness, grief, anger, depression haunt us, only the profound love can liberate us and prevent our heart(s) from crumbling.”
Student at UC Berkeley overwhelmingly support Chow’s activism.
“Many students from the UC Berkeley community, however, have expressed their frustration with Alex Chow’s imprisonment,” Tang told Red Alert Politics.
“As a student, I’d like to say that I personally feel this issue is one of great importance and relevance, not only for members of the UC Berkeley community but for the future of democracy as well. Chow was jailed for fighting for values that UC Berkeley prides itself on—freedom of political expression, justice and democracy,” the student reporter concluded.
