Hu Ping: Holding on to Hope—Commemorating the 29th Anniversary of June 4th
Upon receiving a letter from the Hong Kong Support Alliance Newsletter commemorating the 29th anniversary of June 4th, I immediately replied and agreed. However, when I sat down at the desk and turned on the computer, I still couldn’t get started.
For the past twenty-eight years, every June 4th anniversary, I have written articles to commemorate it. I’ve been writing articles on the same topic for twenty-eight years, and it seems I’ve said everything I needed to say. If it weren’t for the occasion, would it be necessary to write another one?
I thought it was still necessary. Because in China, June 4th has not yet become history; that murderous government still sits on the throne, continuing to oppress the people, the honors of the victims are still tarnished and dying with regret, freedom fighters are imprisoned or exiled overseas, and the principles of justice have not even been upheld at the very least. In China, June Fourth is not the past perfect moment, but the present is in progress. Writing articles to commemorate June 4th is not only a commemoration, but also a form of resistance.
It must be said that, twenty-nine years after June Fourth, the prospects for democratization in China seem even bleaker than before. In moments like these, we need to hold onto hope more than ever.
In an autobiographical interview completed in 1986, Javier spoke of hope. Javier said, “The kind of hope I often think of (especially in times of utter despair, like in prison) is spiritual, not real-world. Within us, there is either hope or no hope; it is a measure of the soul, not based on observation of the world or assessment of the environment. Hope is not a prophecy, but a spiritual direction, a spiritual direction. It transcends the world of direct experience and exists beyond this world.” Javier emphasized: “In this deeper sense, hope is not the joy of smooth sailing or the sincerity of investing in a company likely to succeed soon, but the ability to fight for something. The reason for striving is not because there is a chance for success, but simply because it is good.” The more unfavorable the environment, the deeper the hope shown. Hope is never something like optimism in people. It is not the certainty that something will have a good outcome, but a meaningful grasp of something, regardless of the outcome. In short, I believe the deepest and most important hope, arguably the hope we obtain from elsewhere, is the only thing that can save us from destruction and motivate us to do good, the source of the astonishing scope of human spirit and achievement. Most importantly, this hope gives us the strength to live and try new things, even in an environment so hopeless as to where we are now.”
In this conversation, Javier pointed out that hope is not realistic, but surreal. Hope is not experiential, but a priori. We hold some kind of hope, not because it already exists in reality, and we want to occupy a good position in reality; We hold onto some hope, not because a movement is approaching it in reality, and we want to go ahead and reach our destination ahead of schedule. We hold onto hope because we firmly believe it is good, that it is just, and we are willing to fight for it. We know that without our efforts, our hopes will not be realized; We also know that with our efforts, our hopes may not necessarily be realized, but we are still willing to fight for them, because our struggle itself holds great significance. A person who holds onto hope certainly hopes for the success of their career, but at the same time, they can disregard success or failure, even knowing it’s impossible to do it. It is precisely in this seemingly hopeless environment that hope reveals its full power.
When Javier made these remarks, it had been eighteen years since the suppression of the “Prague Spring,” and no communist authoritarian regime in the world had yet to fall. At that time, many believed that Javier and his group’s struggle had no hope of success. By contrast, the situation we face today is definitely much better. Therefore, all those who pursue freedom and democracy have even less reason to be discouraged or disappointed. We must hold on to hope. In this world, hope is the greatest power.
Text: Hu Ping (Honorary Editor-in-Chief of ‘Beijing Spring’
).
— reprinted from Hong Kong independent media (2018-04-25).
China Human Rights Biweekly, Issue 236, May 25 to June 7, 2018