Respected Ex-Lawmaker Moves to Canada

Cheung has left Hong Kong for Toronto

There was word today that former pro-democratic lawmaker Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung has left Hong Kong and migrated to Toronto, weeks after he was released from serving a three-week jail sentence in February.

He went there, because at least his "basic freedoms no longer needed to be granted by those in power".

He fought for ethnic minorities and disabled

Cheung's departure with his family was confirmed by Chung Kim-wah, the deputy executive director of the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, who had also left for the UK on April 25, citing "threats from powerful bodies" and fears over crossing "moving red lines".

"I wish my respected friend Cheung Chiu-hung and his family a happy life in Canada," Chung wrote on Facebook on Wednesday morning.

Cheung is known for advocating for ethnic minorities and people with disabilities, inspired by his daughter who has severe intellectual disability. He also has another daughter and a son. 

In his reply to Chung's post, Cheung said: "In my current situation, I need to spend more time taking care of my daughter and my family. Being a caregiver is not easy. We are still close to each other, no matter in any corner of the world, and we will not forget why we started.

"I am not yet in a stable situation now, but at least it is safe, and my basic freedoms no longer need to be granted by those in power."

Cheung forcibly removed from Legco

The 65-year-old Cheung was born in Macau, educated in Hong Kong and then went to the United States to study further, and obtained American citizenship.

However, he gave it up when he ran for a social welfare seat in the Legislative Council in 2004. He was in and out of Legco for 12 years until 2020 when he resigned with 14 other colleagues to protest the disqualification of four of their peers.

At the time Cheung said, "Our sky has fallen apart now... Even people like me, regarded as very 'soft' protesters, have become Beijing's target."

Since then Cheung kept a low profile, but this past February he was jailed for three weeks on a contempt charge for protesting against a rival, Starry Lee Wai-king, assuming control in a chaotic Legco meeting in 2020, in the first such conviction since indirect elections were introduced more than three decades ago.

When he went to jail, Cheung was very worried about his mentally disabled daughter, as the two are close and she was used to seeing him everyday. It was also heard but. not reported that Cheung was infected with Covid-19 while behind bars, and that the prisoners' rights were not respected.

Cheung with his mentally disabled daughter

He was released on February 25 and now he has left Hong Kong. 

It is a relief to hear this respected lawmaker finally somewhere safe. Also his daughter will have access to good social assistance when it comes to disabilities, unlike Hong Kong.

We wish Cheung and his family best of luck with their new lives in Toronto. He deserves peace and quiet after all the tumult they have been through in the last few years.