【時代論壇訊】有就讀於美國新澤西州普林斯頓神學院（Princeton Theological Seminary）的香港學生，近日發聲明支援香港的反修例運動，對香港處境上發生人道危機表示關注，並表達不同訴求。該聯署提及，希望美國國會盡快通過《香港人權與民主法案》，，以表現「大家都是對同一份自由與民主的渴望」，對「因不公義而受苦及為香港民主運動付出的人」表達支持。
發起是次聯署的，是現正在普林斯頓神學院就讀道學與文學碩士課程的香港學生李穎妍。她接受本報電話訪問時提到，自從她在九月入讀該校，不斷有來自世界各地的學生向她詢問有關香港的狀況，故此希望藉是次聯署，讓更多來自世界不同地區的朋友都能知道及聲援香港的民主運動，亦能表達參與他們對香港現時形勢的擔心。據李穎妍指，有共一百一十六位來自不同國籍的學生聯署。
聯署內容具五點訊息，包括：一、堅定與所有追求公義與民主的香港人同行；二、譴責香港警方對示威者、記者、救護人員使用過份而不必要的武力，造成嚴重的身體傷害；三、強烈關注警方對示威者使用「曱甴」的去人化言詞，「曱甴」這字曾在盧旺達大屠殺時胡圖族用在圖西族身上，他們認為人人皆有上帝所創造的形象與尊嚴，擔心是次風氣會導致另一次大型鎮壓；四、要求特區政府正面而有建設地回應示威者提出的「五大訴求」。而第五點則特別關注美國國會正在討論的《香港人權與民主法案》，聯署希望該法案能盡快通過。
據李穎妍指，包含她在內四位香港學生，均簽署了是次聲明；而在過程中沒有遇上有內地學生聯署，所有聯署者均以支持的態度參與聯署。整個聯署在十八日於網上發出，至廿三日結束，其中亦曾設街站讓人公開簽署。普林斯頓神學院校方雖然一直知道他們的行動，但並沒有派員阻止與訓話等。李穎妍亦指收集聯署後，現時未有進一步的行動計劃。
聯署全文如下：
Princeton Theological Seminary Students Stand with Pro-Democracy Hong Kong Protestors
We are a group of students from Princeton Theological Seminary expressing our concerns over the situation of Hong Kong, which has lately turned into a humanitarian crisis.
Starting in early June, there have been oppositions in Hong Kong to the extradition bill proposed by the government — a bill that would allow transfers of fugitives to Mainland China. If the bill passes, the people of Hong Kong will be regulated under the Mainland law enforcement authorities, which is a clear breach of the legal system in Hong Kong and the “One Country, Two Systems” policy. Despite the widespread criticism from the citizens, lawyers, and foreign countries like the UK and the US, the Hong Kong government insisted on introducing the bill, which resulted in the largest protests in Hong Kong’s history. Millions of people marched through the streets to express their demands. While the Chief Executive in Hong Kong, Carrie Lam, has claimed to move the motion of retreating the bill on 4th September 2019, it has not appeased the people in Hong Kong. The demonstrations over the past three months have exposed an increasingly dark and corrupted side of the Hong Kong ruling government, especially regarding police brutality, and the movement has escalated into something much bigger: a fight for justice and democracy.
In view of what is happening in Hong Kong, we as believers of Jesus Christ, who has called his followers to stand for the poor and the oppressed, hope to voice our support to the people of Hong Kong. In this statement, we have five messages to convey.
First, we firmly stand by the people of Hong Kong who are searching for justice and democracy, which we believe to be the universal core values and principles that should be held dearly by people regardless of their country, race, skin color, gender, religion, or socioeconomic status. We commend the bravery and perseverance demonstrated by the people of Hong Kong in this movement, which is unprecedented and admirable.
Second, we strongly condemn the excessive, unjustifiable, and selective use of physical violence exerted on the protesters, and even on reporters and first-aid responders, by the Hong Kong Police Force, which is clearly breaching international humanitarian law. We do not agree with any sort of violence from any side, but in the situation of power asymmetry, we are not afraid to stand by the oppressed against the greater violence.
Third, we are deeply concerned about the dehumanizing language that the Hong Kong Police Force is using in referring to the protesters as “cockroaches.” The term “cockroaches” was once used by the Hutus regarding the Tutsis in the late 20th century, leading up to the Rwandan genocide in 1994. We believe that all humans are created by God and deserve to be treated with dignity as human beings. We disapprove of any dehumanizing act or language imposed by any person on another human being, for history has informed us this is usually the first step to more horrendous repression.
Fourth, we sincerely urge the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to make a constructive response to the demands raised by the Hong Kong people, including a full withdrawal of the extradition bill, a halt to categorizing the protests as riots, the commission of independent inquiry into police brutality, an amnesty for arrested protesters, and the implementation of universal suffrage.
Last but not least, we earnestly implore the US Congress to back the Hong Kong people by passing the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, affirming the significance of human rights and political autonomy of the people of Hong Kong. Since we share the same longing for liberty and democracy, let all of us stand alongside the people who are suffering from injustice and dedicate our support to their fight for democracy.
Although we are making this statement from afar, we would like every person in Hong Kong to know that we have heard your cry and felt your pain, and that we are with you in heart and spirit. We would like to send our special regards and love to our brothers and sisters in Hong Kong. May the peace of our Lord be with you always and give you the wisdom and courage to be the prophetic voice of this era. Stand by the oppressed and be the salt in this world.
In the spirit of love, justice and liberation,
Wing Yin Li — Hong Kong
Archange Antoine — New Jersey, USA
See Yin Yeung — Hong Kong
Preston Grissom — Virginia, USA
Terry Stokes — New Jersey USA
Julianna Muya — New Jersey USA
Freddy Sanchez — Illinois USA
Kevin Smoot — Ohio USA
Lena Zwarg — Germany
Sean Pomory — New Jersey USA
Taylor King — Iowa USA
Emma Worrall — NewJersey USA
Chris Henderson — Pennsylvania USA
Anna Stamborski — Wisconsin USA
Austin Mathews — North Carolina USA
Chisun Song — South Korea
Nicholas Young — Maryland USA
Carter Grant — Florida USA
Danbi Jung — South Korea
Katie Rosenson — Chicago USA
Jessica Cronau — Ohio USA
Wingyi Wong — Hong Kong
Kamaria Byrd — New Jersey USA
Briana Grenert — Hawaii USA
Haeun Shin — South Korea
Suse Jo — Macau
Tamesha Mills — New York USA
Shalom Stewart — Pennsylvania USA
Mary Hayes — Ohio USA
Hector Herrera — New Jersey USA
Matthew Heisler — Oregon USA
Harlan Redmond — New Jersey USA
Emily Sutphin — Virginia USA
Brittany Naumann — New Jersey USA
Brooke Matejka — Missouri USA
Jonathon Reece — California USA
Emily Zinsitz — New Jersey USA
Drea O — New Jersey USA
Brooke Caton — New York USA
Linda Kwak — California USA
Hyelim Yoon — South Korea
Luis Quiñones-Roman — New Jersey USA
Samuel Pachuau — India
Eric Fung — California USA
Stephanie Thurston — New Jersey USA
Nii Addo Abrahams New Jersey USA
Madeline Baas — Michigan USA
Nikki Zimmermann — New Jersey USA
Susan Brasier — Ohio USA
RobKraft — Rhode Island USA
Bethany Putney — Washington USA
Davidson Sutherland — New Jersey USA
Andrew Bridgeman — Michigan USA
Michaela Silvis — Minnesota USA
Rory Chambers — New Jersey USA
Hannah Hawkinson — Illinois USA
Marcus Lambright — New Jersey USA
Carson Washington — New Jersey USA
Zechariah Knepper — California USA
Minjin Yoo — South Korea
Kyle Chen — Connecticut USA
Rachel Crilley — Texas USA
William Myers — New Jersey USA
Lance Baker — Oregon USA
Michael Cuppett — Missouri USA
Lauren Hoak — Virginia USA
Ryon Herin — Indiana USA
Austin King — Oregon USA
Samuel Jang — New Jersey USA
Shehan Rodrigo — New Jersey USA
Olivia Sandel — New Jersey USA
Justin Whitaker — New Jersey USA
Adedayo Adebayo — New Jersey USA
David Felsch — Minnesota USA
Jieun Yoon — South Korea
Brandon Smee — New Jersey USA
Peter Manning — New York USA
Brooke Greenburg — Oregon USA
Jeremiah Croft — Washington USA
Alyssa Queen — Virginia USA
Connor McCraney — New Jersey USA
Patricia Stewart — Pennsylvania USA
Al Curley — New York USA
Jamie White — Utah USA
Kenneth Chan — Hong Kong
Gregory Louis — Florida USA
Collin Thomas — Michigan USA
Samuel Marquez — New Jersey USA
Kara Applegate — Connecticut USA
Madeline Baas — Michigan USA
Nicole Busacca — Washington USA
Wyatt Linde — Colorado USA
Lilly Snear — Kentucky USA
Soren Johnson — Oklahoma USA
Carlos Acosta — California USA
Dae Jin Ahn — New Jersey USA
Tashawna Gordon — Oregon USA
EmmaMartin — New Jersey USA
MicahCronin — New Jersey USA
Ashlay Gonzalez — New Jersey USA
ClementWoods — Liberia
Daniel Chrosuiak — TexasUSA
Liezl Bosch — United Kingdom
Carly Bartow-Kettelhut — New Jersey USA
Caroline Hughes — New York USA
Sharath Souseelya — India
Heejin Choi — South Korea
Seng Lat Aung — Myanmar
Luís Carlos Dalla Rosa — Brazil
Jason Suh — New Jersey USA
Lauren March — Michigan USA
Maci Sepp — Illinois USA
Connor McManus — Ohio USA
Lindsay Bates — Minnesota USA
Rochhuahthanga Jongte — India
守護自由空間，請支持基督教《時代論壇》
請選擇：💳 網上捐款（信用卡）或
⚡️轉數快FPS - 51100803（註明奉獻，如需收據請附姓名及電話）
