“In March 2012 I met Torbjorn Loden, the Swedish professor of Chinese language and culture, in Hong Kong. He told me that while briefly teaching at Hong Kong's City University he asked the 40 students from China in his class what they knew about the June 4 Incident, the pro-democracy movement that ended in bloodshed in 1989, and if they were familiar with the names Liu Binyan and Fang Lizhi, two prominent democracy advocates of that era. All the students from China looked around at one another, mute and puzzled.
That reminded me of something another teacher told me. She had asked her students from China if they had heard about the death by starvation of 30 to 40 million people during the so-called "three years of natural disasters" in the early 1960s. Her students responded with stunned silence, as if she, a teacher in Hong Kong, was brazenly fabricating history to attack their mother country.”

— Yan Lianke

"On China's State-Sponsored Amnesia"

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "In March 2012 I met Torbjorn Loden, the Swedish professor of Chinese language and culture, in Hong Kong. He told me tha…" by Yan Lianke?

Yan Lianke 6

Chinese novelist and satirist 1958

Related quotes

“I hope one day not only Hong Kong people, but also people in mainland China, can enjoy freedom and democracy.”

Joshua Wong (1996) Hong Kong activist, Secretary-general of Demosistō

Source: September 11, 2019 Hong Kong protesters pause to mark Sept. 11 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-protests/hong-kong-protesters-pause-to-mark-sept-11-idUSKCN1VW0DT?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29

“We know that Hong Kong, after the handover to mainland China, has been trying for universal suffrage … We know that mainland China has made promises and we're of course pleased to see Hong Kong changing in this direction.”

Ma Ying-jeou (1950) Taiwanese politician, president of the Republic of China

Source: Ma Ying-jeou (2013) cited in: " Ma says meeting with Xi Jinping rests on popular approval http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/china-taiwan-relations/2013/07/27/384866/Ma-says.htm" in The China Post, 27 July 2013.

Statement made at the Presidential Office in Taipei commenting on the handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China, 25 July 2013.

“We will remind our (Republic of China) nationals that you may face potential risk if you travel to Hong Kong (if the extradition law of Hong Kong with Mainland China is passed). We (Mainland Affairs Council) may even issue a travel alert for Hong Kong.”

Chiu Chui-cheng politician

Chiu Chui-cheng (2019) cited in " Taiwan could issue travel alert for Hong Kong if proposed extradition update passes https://www.hongkongfp.com/2019/03/25/taiwan-issue-travel-alert-hong-kong-proposed-extradition-update-passes/" on Hong Kong Free Press, 25 March 2019

“If you grew up in mainland China, there’s something disorienting about being in Hong Kong.”

Jiayang Fan (1984) chinese-American journalist (born 1984)

Denise Ho Confronts Hong Kong’s New Political Reality, The New Yorker (2019)

“Nevertheless, it is true that on 1 July 1997 Hong Kong became the only example of decolonization deliberately accompanied by less democracy and a weaker protection of civil liberties. This was a cause for profound regret, especially for the departing colonial power. But it was China's doing and China's decision. I am pleased that Britain narrowly avoided complicity in the dishonourable act of denying the citizens of free Hong Kong what they had been promised in 1984.”

Chris Patten book East and West

Chris Patten, East and West: The Last Governor of Hong Kong on Power, Freedom and the Future, Pan Books, second edition, 1999, page 83.

“The [mask-wearing] ban [by Hong Kong protesters] represents a setback in democracy.”

Cho Jung-tai (1959) Taiwanese politician

Source: Cho Jung-tai (2019) cited in " HK’s mask ban not a solution: MAC http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2019/10/06/2003723473" on Taipei Times, 6 October 2019.

“People in Hong Kong still believe in democracy – the big question after the Umbrella Movement is how we can achieve it.”

Benny Tai (1964) Hong Kong activist and writer

"There will be darker times ahead for Hong Kong but the sun will rise again" (April 19, 2019)

“Last year was no easy ride for Hong Kong. Our society was rife with differences and conflicts. In the coming year I hope that all people in Hong Kong will take inspiration from the sheep’s character and pull together in an accommodating manner to work for Hong Kong’s future.”

Leung Chun-ying (1954) Hong Kong politician

2015
Source: Hong Kong leader calls on residents to be like 'mild and gentle' sheep, Associated Press, 18 February 2015, The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/18/hong-kong-leader-residents-mild-gentle-chinese-year-of-the-sheep,
Source: Hong Kong's leader asks residents to be like 'sheep', Wilfred Chan, 18 February 2015, CNN http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/18/asia/hong-kong-cy-leung-sheep/,

“The local (COVID-19) transmission chain (in Hong Kong) has begun (as of 6 February 2020), and if we do nothing to control it, Hong Kong will become another mainland city that has suffered lots of cases.”

Yuen Kwok-yung (1956) Hong Kong microbiologist, physician and surgeon

Source: Yuen Kwok-yung (2020) cited in " Coronavirus: community outbreak declared in Hong Kong as government prepares to quarantine mainland Chinese entering city in hotels and facilities https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3049297/coronavirus-community-outbreak-declared-hong-kong" on South China Morning Post, 6 February 2020.

“…if the Legislative Council really ends up with no representatives of industry and commerce, then it is possible that these sectors will comprehensively divest from Hong Kong.”

Gordon Wu (1935) Hong Kong businessman

Original:…如果立法會最終真係無工商界的代表，工商界可以唔同你玩，全面撤資囉。
Source: 胡應湘：爭拗至 2047 都無普選 http://www.hkreporter.com/talks/viewthread.php?tid=870295&page=1

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Yan Lianke 6

Related quotes

Related topics