In a quiet fishing village, a cup of tea and a beacon of peace for HK
Print Edition
Nestling in the labyrinthine seafood market of the quiet Lei Yue Mun fishing village in Hong Kong, a snug little tea restaurant has unexpectedly become a beacon of courage for ordinary Hong Kong people seeking peace amid the recent chaos.
After she posted pictures backing up Hong Kong police against some radical protesters at the end of June, Kate Lee, the owner of the tea restaurant, found her conscience took a heavy toll on her family business.
Confronted with threats and insults from anti-police radicals, Lee refused to knuckle under. And her bravery has inspired more Hong Kong people to speak out against violence.
Had Lee chosen to steer clear of the tumult roiling Hong Kong for weeks, the tranquility of her life would have continued.
Since June, Hong Kong has been roiled by violent protests. Although the police exercised restraint, some well-organized radical protesters continually assaulted their line of defense with bricks, home-made spears, vision-harming lasers and even petrol bombs.
Concerned about the stability of Hong Kong, Lee went to a rally against violence in late June and voiced her support to the police on social media.
Then, scare phone calls started and Lee became a target of online bullying.
To the insult of Lee, who always prides herself on the quality of food in her tea restaurant, a lot of negative comments suddenly emerged on major online food platforms against her business.
To punish Lee, protesters angered by her public support for police even made malicious complaints to the Labor Department about alleged illegal employment in the restaurant.
At the age of 51, the single mother takes care of her family business all on her own.
“I don’t understand why supporting Hong Kong police, who laboriously maintain law and order, could become a sin to some people here,” she said.
Despite admonishments from her friends to keep a low profile, Lee ascended the stage of a large-scale anti-violence rally early August, sharing her story and calling for more Hong Kong residents to speak out their support to the police.
This time, her bravery and conscience resonated with Hong Kong society, and support for her kept pouring in.
On a scorching Tuesday afternoon in mid-August, a 75-year-old Hong Kong resident surnamed Yu traveled almost 50 kilometers from Tin Shui Wai, in the northwestern Hong Kong, to Lee’s tea restaurant.
It took him over two hours to get there.
Residing far away from the bustling metropolis, Yu said he could not attend any previous rallies supporting the police due to his age and the grueling travel.
“But I have to come here and show my support to Lee,” he said. “It broke my heart to see an honorable woman being insulted and bullied just because she spoke out the truth against violence.”
For years, Lee has routinely taken one day off on Tuesday. When she came back to check the tea restaurant that day, she was greeted by strangers traveling across Hong Kong to show their support.
“I want to hug her for her bravery, thank her for speaking out for us and support her in this heartbreaking campaign against violence,” a woman surnamed Yeung said.
Standing tentatively outside Lee’s tea restaurant, a Hong Kong resident surnamed Chan, who lived in the neighboring area of Lam Tin, smiled bashfully and said he would better stay outside for a while.
“I’m here to support Lee but I need to calm down first,” Chan said.
Like Lee, Chan was also a victim swept into the sinister vortex of anti-police sentiment in Hong Kong.
“I used to remain neutral in what happened between protesters and the police,” he said.
“However, after I questioned on social media apparently misleading reports by some Hong Kong media, I was targeted brutally by those in favor of violence.”
Chan said he believed there were still many in Hong Kong who choose to stay silent.
“I understand those people’s concerns but we are standing at a crossroads where the future of Hong Kong is in jeopardy,” he said. “We cannot stay silent anymore.”
For a Hong Kong resident surnamed Chow, staying in silence was never an option.
“The chaos now in the Hong Kong society is abnormal and Lee’s public support to the police is just and reflects her conscience,” Chow said.
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