A haunting essay from Hong Kong.
 | By Jyoti Thottam Business and Economics Editor, Opinion |
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Most of the time, opinion writers make an argument to bring you closer to their way of thinking about an issue or policy. But sometimes, the most powerful opinion writing does more than persuade; it tries to make you feel something. |
That’s what Karen Cheung accomplishes in her haunting Op-Ed about living in Hong Kong, where the government recently passed a national security law that gives China new ways to silence dissent. A former journalist who grew up in Hong Kong, Karen knows its politics intimately. More important, her writing bears witness to the millions of young people who are trying, as she puts it, “to make a home out of an imperfect place.” |
Before I came to The Times, I spent a few years as a correspondent in South Asia, and I reported from many places where dissent is stifled, news is censored and people hesitate to say what they think. The weight of secrecy and fear can become unbearable. Last year, when millions began protesting in Hong Kong against a new extradition law, I wanted to find a writer who could capture that walls-closing-in sensation, as the space for free expression begins to disappear. |
This is Karen’s third essay for us, and on the surface, it is a story about being a young person in a crowded, expensive and politically volatile city. But it’s much more than that. I encourage you to read it and feel for yourself. |
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