Siu Ka-chung, a former Hong Kong social worker and pro-democracy lawmaker who spent the last years of his life supporting protesters imprisoned after a crackdown on dissent, died in Hong Kong on Friday. He was 55 years old.
His wife, Kelly Hoy, said he died of stomach cancer at the hospital.
Mr. Siu was a social worker, civil rights activist, and at one time a lawmaker who advocated for the rights of marginalized people, but was imprisoned for his participation in protests. He has since emerged as a key supporter of those imprisoned in the aftermath of the national security crackdown that began in late 2019.
Mr. Siu was born on June 3, 1969 into a working-class family in Hong Kong. After studying social work at Hong Kong Baptist University, she began her career as a social worker supporting young people. In 2007, she began teaching social work at the university, where she became known for her engaging lectures. He also developed his skills as a commentator by writing newspaper columns that analyzed social issues through the lens of philosophy and sociology.
Mr. Siu was an early participant in Occupy Central with Love and Peace, a 2014 civil disobedience movement that demanded democratic elections in China’s semi-autonomous territory. He mobilized other social workers to join protests that blocked traffic in Hong Kong’s central business district. He helped organize dialogues to reach people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or homelessness and discuss what democracy means to them.
Elected to the Diet in 2016. He focused on welfare issues such as poverty, homelessness, and housing conditions for the elderly and disabled.
In 2019, Mr. Siu was found guilty of public nuisance for his role in Occupy Central and sentenced to eight months in prison.
“I want to remind those who live in darkness that they must not become accustomed to it, that they must not defend it by habit, and that they must not ridicule those who seek light,” he wrote in his ruling. He spoke earlier outside the courthouse.
Tran Kin Man, a sociology professor who led the Occupy Central movement, recalled sharing a cell with Siu on the day of his conviction and seeing how his health had deteriorated. I reminisced. He said he knew that Mr. Siu had diabetes and high blood pressure and had been hospitalized during a street occupation in 2014.
“I saw him lying on the bed unconscious and vomiting,” Chan said in a telephone interview from Taipei, where he now lives.
“Despite his very poor health, he still participated in so many political activities. I really respected him,” Chan said.
While in prison, Siu complained about prison conditions at the risk of being targeted by authorities. His efforts brought about little change. During the hot summer months, prisoners were allowed to use fans.
Mr. Siu’s teaching contract at Baptist University was not renewed after his release. He founded Wallfare, a nonprofit focused on supporting people who were incarcerated after the 2019 protests. The organization paired inmates with pen pals to alleviate their isolation and helped provide prison-approved toiletries and snacks.
Wallfair was forced to close in 2021 due to the increased risk of its activities. Mr. Siu dodged reporters’ questions about the reason for the closure and what it meant for prisoners. “Tears are our common language,” he said.
Over the next few years, he wrote several books based on his experiences about Hong Kong prison conditions and the mental toll of incarceration. He continued to post updates on social media, sharing snippets of visits with former lawmakers and activists in prison.
In November he posted: photograph He photographed himself in a hospital bed, covered in mortar, and said he had to miss out on graduating from a master’s degree in Christian studies due to health reasons. He later wrote that he was diagnosed with cancer and had part of his stomach removed.
In the last few weeks, he posted an essay entitled Musings of a Man Without a Stomach. He said with a wry smile that tube feeding is difficult for someone like him who loves food. He also shared his thoughts on suffering.
“Resilient people maintain a positive attitude, develop coping strategies, regulate their emotions, remain positive, and live as normally and normally as possible despite the pain of illness.” You can learn.” I wrote Mid-November.
“However, I must add a caveat. My body is not feeling well and needs space to rest. I will stop if I need to. Please forgive me.”
