[翻轉視界 8]逃離禁錮之地:離開北韓我學會自由與憐憫
“If you don't know the words, that means you don't understand the concept, and therefore, you don't even realize that concept is even a possibility.” —— human rights activist Yeonmi Park。
「如果你不知道某些詞彙,那就意味著你並不了解某些概念,因此你也不會意識到,那些概念可以是一種可能。」——人權鬥士朴延美
對出逃前的她而言,自由與溫飽是很奢侈的理念,更無法了解「愛」的全貌。當我們無法得知世界發生了什麼,無法想像那超越自身認知的世界,我們便無法真正地同理他人。今天我想邀請大家,以不同的角度,重新感受自由、溫飽與愛的可貴。
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I was born in 1993 in the northern part of North Korea, in a town called Hyesan, which is on the border with China. I had loving parents and one older sister. Before I was even 10 years old, my father was sent to a labor camp for engaging in illegal trading. Now, by "illegal trading" -- he was selling clogs, sugar, rice and later copper to feed us. In 2007, my sister and I decided to escape. She was 16 years old, and I was 13 years old.
1. on the border with 鄰近邊界
2. labor camp 勞改營
3. illegal trading 非法的交易
1993年我出生在北韓的北部,一個名叫惠山的小鎮,鄰近中國邊界。我有愛我的父母與一位姐姐。在我10歲大的時候,父親就被送去勞改營,因為他非法買賣一些東西。所謂的非法買賣,其實他是賣一些木鞋、糖、米,之後還賣了銅,只為了餵飽我們。2007年,姐姐和我決定逃跑。她當時16歲,而我13歲。
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I need you to understand what the word "escape" means in the context of North Korea. We were all starving, and hunger means death in North Korea. So it was the only option for us. I didn't even understand the concept of escape, but I could see the lights from China at night, and I wondered if I go where the light is, I might be able to find a bowl of rice. It's not like we had a grand plan or maps. We did not know anything about what was going to happen. Imagine your apartment building caught fire. I mean, what would you do? Would you stay there to be burned, or would you jump off out of the window and see what happens? That's what we did. We jumped out of the house instead of the fire.
4. in the context of 在⋯⋯的情境中
5. concept 概念;觀念;思想
6. a grand plan 一個遠大的計畫
7. catch fire 著火
你們要知道,「逃跑」這兩字在北韓意味著什麼。我們天天挨餓,而飢餓在北韓意味著死亡。所以逃跑是我們唯一的選擇。我當時還不了解逃跑是什麼意思,但晚上我能看見中國那邊的燈光,我想著如果我能到有光的地方,也許就能找到一碗飯。我們沒有什麼遠大的計畫或地圖。我們完全不知道,接下來會發生什麼事。想像一下,你的公寓失火了,你會怎麼辦?你會坐以待斃,還是跳窗然後再看著辦?我們就是那樣。我們從大樓上跳了下來, 而不是等火燒上來。
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North Korea is unimaginable. It's very hard for me when people ask me what it feels like to live there. To be honest, I tell you: you can't even imagine it. The words in any language can't describe, because it's a totally different planet, as you cannot imagine your life on Mars right now. For example, the word "love" has only one meaning: love for the Dear Leader. There's no concept of romantic love in North Korea. And if you don't know the words, that means you don't understand the concept, and therefore, you don't even realize that concept is even a possibility.
8. unimaginable 無法想像
9. no concept of... 沒有⋯的概念
10. romantic love 浪漫愛
北韓是難以想像的。對我來說,要回答住在北韓是什麼感覺,非常困難。老實說,我可以告訴各位——你無從想像。沒有任何語言可以描述,因為那是個截然不同的星球,就像你現在無法想像自己在火星上的生活一樣。比如說,「愛」只有一個意思:愛偉大的領袖。在北韓沒有那種浪漫之愛的概念。如果你不知道某些詞彙,那就意味著你並不了解某些概念,因此你也不會意識到,那些概念可以是一種可能。
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Let me give you another example. Growing up in North Korea, we truly believed that our Dear Leader is an almighty god who can even read my thoughts. I was even afraid to think in North Korea. We are told that he's starving for us, and he's working tirelessly for us, and my heart just broke for him. When I escaped to South Korea, people told me that he was actually a dictator, he had cars, many, many resorts, and he had an ultraluxurious life. And then I remember looking at a picture of him, realizing for the first time that he is the largest guy in the picture. And it hit me. Finally, I realized he wasn't starving. But I was never able to see that before, until someone told me that he was fat.
11. an almighty god 一個全能的神
12. tirelessly 不屈不撓地;堅忍地
13. a dictator 獨裁者
14. it hit me 突然想到、意識到 
15. resort 度假地(此處係指北韓獨裁者有很多度假別墅)
16. ultraluxurious 極其奢華的
17. have a…life 過著⋯⋯的生活
讓我再舉一個例子。在北韓長大,我們真心相信我們偉大的領袖是全能的神,他甚至能看穿我在想什麼。我在北韓甚至不敢思考。我們聽說他為我們挨餓、不眠不休地為我們工作,而我為此感到心痛。我逃到南韓後,有人跟我說他其實是獨裁者,他有很多車、很多很多渡假別墅,他的生活極為奢華。我記得自己看著一張有他的照片,第一次意識到他是照片裡體型最大的那個。這件事讓我大受打擊。那時我才終於了解,他沒有挨餓。但我以前總無法看清這些,直到有人跟我說他很胖,我才恍然大悟。
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Really, someone had to teach me that he was fat. If you have never practiced critical thinking, then you simply see what you're told to see. The biggest question also people ask me is: "Why is there no revolution inside North Korea? Are we dumb? Why is there no revolution for 70 years of this oppression?" And I say: If you don't know you're a slave, if you don't know you're isolated or oppressed, how do you fight to be free? I mean, if you know you're isolated, that means you are not isolated. Not knowing is the true definition of isolation, and that's why I never knew I was isolated when I was in North Korea. I literally thought I was in the center of the universe.
18. critical thinking 批判性思考
19. revolution 革命
20. dumb 愚蠢的*
21. oppression 壓迫;壓制;欺壓
22. isolated and oppressed 與世隔絕的與被壓迫的
真的,要有人教我,他這樣叫做胖。如果你沒學過批判性思考,你看到的就只會是別人跟你說的。其他人對我提出的大哉問還有:「為何北韓沒有革命?我們傻嗎?為何歷經70年的壓迫,卻沒人發動革命?」我回答:「如果你不知道自己是奴隸,不知道自己被與世隔絕、壓迫,你要如何為自由而戰?我的意思是,如果你知道自己被與世隔絕,那就表示你並非真的與世隔絕。與世隔絕的真正定義是無知,所以我從不知道,在北韓的我與世隔絕。我真的以為我們是宇宙的中心。
*dumb: https://bit.ly/3fG5XOk
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So here is my idea worth spreading: a lot of people think humans inherently know what is right and wrong, the difference between justice and injustice, what we deserve and we don't deserve. I tell them: BS. Everything, everything must be taught, including compassion. If I see someone dying on the street right now, I will do anything to save that person. But when I was in North Korea, I saw people dying and dead on the streets. I felt nothing. Not because I'm a psychopath, but because I never learned the concept of compassion. Only, I felt compassion, empathy and sympathy in my heart after I learned the word "compassion" and the concept, and I feel them now.
23. inherently 與生俱來地
24. justice and injustice 正義與不義
25. psychopath 精神病患者
26. compassion, empathy and sympathy 憐憫、同理與同情*
我覺得值得分享的想法是:很多人以為,人類生來就能分辨是非對錯,懂得正義與邪惡的差別,我們值得被怎樣對待。我跟他們說:放屁。所有的事,所有的事都得經過教導,包含憐憫。如果我現在看見有人在路邊奄奄一息,我會不顧一切來救他。但我在北韓的時候,會眼睜睜看著有人橫死街頭,卻沒有任何感覺。並非因為我是心理病態,而是我從未學過憐憫的概念。只有在我的內心感受到憐憫、同理與同情,我才學會「憐憫」一詞與其概念,而如今我已能感受到這些。
*compassion: a strong feeling of sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others and a wish to help them
empathy: the ability to share someone else's feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person's situation
sympathy: (an expression of) understanding and care for someone else's suffering
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Now I live in the United States as a free person.
現在我以自由人的身分住在美國。
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And recently, the leader of the free country, our President Trump, met with my former god. And he decided human rights is not important enough to include in his agendas, and he did not talk about it. And it scares me. We live in a world right now where a dictator can be praised for executing his uncle, for killing his half brother, killing thousands of North Koreans. And that was worthy of praise. And also it made me think: perhaps we all need to be taught something new about freedom now. Freedom is fragile. I don't want to alarm you, but it is. It only took three generations to make North Korea into George Orwell's "1984." It took only three generations. If we don't fight for human rights for the people who are oppressed right now who don't have a voice, as free people here, who will fight for us when we are not free? Machines? Animals? I don't know.
27. agenda 議程
28. be praised for 因⋯⋯獲得讚揚
29. execute (v.) 處決
30. worthy of sth 適合某物或具有某物的特徵
31. fragile 脆弱
最近,自由國度的領袖,我們的川普總統,和我以前的神會面。他認定,人權沒那麼重要,不需排進議程中,所以對此他隻字不提。這嚇壞我了。我們竟身在一個獨裁者處決伯父還能獲得讚揚的世界裡,他殺害同父異母的哥哥、殺害成千上萬的北韓人民,竟還能得到讚揚。這不禁使我開始思考,也許我們現在都要學習自由的新涵義。自由很脆弱。我不想嚇你,但事實如此。短短三個世代,就讓北韓淪為喬治.歐威爾筆下的《1984》。只花了三個世代。如果我們不為人權而戰,不為受壓迫、不為無法發聲的人而戰,當身為自由人的我們不自由時,誰還願意為我們而戰?機器嗎?動物嗎?我不知道。
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I think it's wonderful that we care about climate change, animal rights, gender equality, all of these things. The fact that we care about animals' rights, that means that's how beautiful our heart is, that we care about someone who cannot speak for themselves. And North Koreans right now cannot speak for themselves. They don't have internet in the 21st century. We don't have electricity, and it is the darkest place on earth right now. Now I want to say something to my fellow North Koreans who are living in that darkness. They might not believe this, but I want to tell them that an alternative life is possible. Be free.
32. speak for oneself 為某人發聲
33. alternative life 另一種生活
我覺得我們能關心氣候變遷、動物權益、性別平等諸如此類之事,真的很美好。因為,我們關心動物權益,就代表了我們的心地有多善良,也代表我們關心無法為自己發聲的對象。北韓人民現在無法為自己發聲。身處21世紀的他們,沒有網路可用。我們沒有電,那裡是當今地球上最暗的地方。現在我想告訴那些生活在北韓黑暗中的同胞。也許他們不會相信我,但我想告訴他們,生命仍有其他可能——意即自由的生活。
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From my experience, literally anything is possible. I was bought, I was sold as a slave. But now I'm here, and that is why I believe in miracles. The one thing that I learned from history is that nothing is forever in this world. And that is why we have every reason to be hopeful. Thank you.
34. slave 奴隸
35. miracle 奇蹟
就我的經驗,真的什麼事都有可能發生。我被人買走,賣給別人當奴隸。但我現在在這裡,這也就是為什麼我相信奇蹟。我從歷史上學到的一件事,就是世上沒有什麼是永恆的。而這也是我們無論如何都能懷有希望的原因。謝謝大家。
資訊出處:https://bit.ly/32p5HiK
圖片出處:https://bit.ly/32n2zEe
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如何增進同理心:https://bit.ly/34qSKnC
#ChangingPerspectives
#翻轉視界
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翻轉視界系列文章: https://bit.ly/3fPvKUs
activist example 在 Xiaxue Facebook 的最佳貼文
Reposting a snippet from my latest blog post, you can read the full article here: http://xiaxue.blogspot.com/2020/07/raeesah-khan-ge-2020-and-being-labeled.html?m=1
I’m posting more about Raeesah Khan today.
First, a disclaimer. I do not dislike the Worker’s Party.
Of all the opposition parties, I think they are the best. I live in Aljunied grc, and they have done a great job so far. I agree with many of the policy suggestions in their manifesto.
For example, redundancy insurance, abolishing the retirement age, or lowering the age of eligibility for BTO flats, which will help singles and our LGBTQ community to get housing just like married couples are.
Previously I mentioned on my ig stories that Raeesah Khan is not suitable to be an MP.
Today I am going to ask some very important questions which I hope both WP and Raeesah will answer.
I refer to this tweet by Raeesah in the photos.
It appears that she is saying her political views can be summed up by
- Angela Davis’ political views
- Intersectional feminism
Many of you may not know about Angela Davis, but she is a far-left activist, who spent her life sympathising with some of the most oppressive communism regimes around.
She literally calls herself a communist, and was a member of the Communism Party in USA. I think there is no need to explain how horrible communism is.
And of course in order to make any non-communist country a communist state, it would involve total revolution, many lives, and replacing it with a totalitarian regime in charge of redistributing wealth back to its citizens.
She is also a prison abolitionist, campaigning for prisons to completely be eradicated. Where to put the murderers, I can’t seem to find a good answer, because it seems she also is against the death penalty.
Angela Davis was a member of the Black Panthers, a brutal communist, anti-semite organization. In 1970, Angela Davis bought the weapons that were used for a shootout during a trial of 3 black inmates accused of killing a white prison guard. All the black men and judge who was held hostage perished in the gunfight, and Davis fled the state. She was eventually caught.
Even though she conspired to commit murder, the jury found her not guilty.
In short, this woman is the antithesis to the Singapore that Mr Lee Kuan Yew wanted.
This tweet of Raeesah Khan’s talking about Angela Davis was posted only a few weeks ago, but surprisingly enough, nobody is talking about it.
Anyone who knows who Angela Davis is should be horror-filled that a candidate running for parliament is a fan of hers, and claims that the reading of her books represents her political views.
Previously I mentioned Raeesah appears to be one of those radical leftists who seem hell bent on bringing the toxic, cancerous identity politics that America is so notorious for into Singapore.
There are racial issues that minorities face in Singapore, of course there is. It is tough to be a minority in any country.
But instead of discussing calmly and logically what new politics can be introduced to solve these problems or what laws need to change, proponents of Identity politics instead try to make a single race the enemy.
When there are enemies, people unite. Political parties using this method will see themselves get votes if they manage to market themselves as the empathetic ones, even if the politics they impose do more evil than good in the long run.
Society is then split into a them vs us, while tribalistic infighting ensue. If you disagree with this method of classifying victims by their skin colour (when in fact so many things determine a person’s privilege, such as looks, height, family wealth, health, both parents around etc etc), you are automatically seen as racist and the bad guy.
Because nobody wants to seem morally corrupt or unsympathetic, they prop up this system.
Instill this sentiment into citizens long enough and resentment builds. The ones constantly told they are being oppressed will start seeing oppression everywhere. They won’t even try to succeed in life, because they are told they are so oppressed they can never make it. They believe their oppressors owe them.
Meanwhile, the majority race starts feeling angry at constantly being called oppressors. Or maybe they are poor and unhappy themselves, but see that resources for help are only made available for minorities but not them. If they were indeed racist before, this makes them even more racist.
What eventually happens is civil war. We cannot have this poison in Singapore.
Raeesah’s has apologised for her posts, but nobody needed to hear whether she is sorry she was being insensitive.
What people need to know is:
Does she still believe our courts are corrupt as she so insinuated? Does she still believe law enforcement unfairly target minorities? If not, what made her change her mind? Her statement does not address any of this.
Worker’s Party claim they did not see those posts of Raeesah’s. Fair enough. But I do not believe they have done such terrible vetting that they have not seen her tweet about Angela Davis which was so recent.
I wish to ask Raeesah Khan, DO YOU DISAVOW ANGELA DAVIS’ POLITICAL VIEWS?
- Do you believe that Singapore, through a brutal revolution and death, can become a communist utopia?
- Do you think that everyone in Singapore should not own private property and should have equal wealth, the very values communism epouses? If so, do you seek to redistribute your multi-millionaire dad's wealth to the poverty-stricken citizens of Singapore?
- Do you agree that it is only with violence and death do we achieve true freedom?
- Do you seek to abolish prisons in Singapore?
- Do you believe in the ideologies of Karl Marx, or Valdamir Lenin?
As for Worker’s Party, why did you field a candidate who holds extreme left-wing views?
Do you agree with her ideologies and think it aligns with yours? DO YOU ENDORSE THESE FAR LEFT VIEWS??
Please answer these questions. I write all these not because I am a PAP lackey, even though obviously people will say I am. Despite what you think, I believe it is healthy to have opposition seats in parliament.
However, I absolutely do not want to see candidates such as Raeesah Khan in our parliament - she brings with her dangerous political views that can topple the peaceful society we built over the years and is completely against everything that Singapore stands for. As it is, the mindless youth of Singapore are already echoing her dangerous ideologies.
I would rather any opposition joker win than her.
activist example 在 八鄉朱凱廸 Chu Hoi Dick Facebook 的最佳貼文
【LIVE🔴多國元首峰會發表演說】
「哥本哈根民主高峰會」就「從香港戰場為民主奮鬥(Fighting for Democracy – From the Battlegrounds of Hong Kong)」發表演說,有幸成為峰會首位發言嘉賓。
部份出席峰會政界領袖:
美國國務卿蓬佩奧
US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo
台灣總統蔡英文
President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Dr. Tsai Ing-wen
歐盟委員會副主席堯羅娃
European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova
北大西洋公約組織副秘書長傑瓦納
NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana
前美國國務卿凱瑞
68th US Secretary of State (2013-2017) John Kerry
前美國國務卿歐布萊特
64th US Secretary of State (1997-2001) Madeleine Albright
前澳洲總理滕博爾
29th Australian Prime Minister (2015-2018) Malcolm Turnbull
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2020 Copenhagen Democracy Summit
Fighting for Democracy – From the Battlegrounds of Hong Kong
Joshua Wong
18 June 2020
Thank you so much for inviting me to speak, Ryan. I say this knowing I might not have the chance to do so again in the future, and this is not an exaggeration. Many of you still recall the scene when millions of Hong Kongers took to the street last year. We opposed the extradition arrangements that would’ve essentially allowed legalized kidnapping: Hong Kongers found guilty of breaking Chinese law could be sent to stand trial in a Chinese court. The authorities eventually withdrew the bill under tremendous pressure, but they also responded our demand to full democracy with oppressive policing forces. The number of arrested protested since last summer is already more than the number of prisoners in Hong Kong right now. More than thousands were arrested and charged with rioting. Many more injured or even went missing.
New Crackdown
This prolonged struggle with the Chinese Communist Party for years now. The Umbrella Movement broke out in 2014 demanding that Beijing lived up to its promises of democracy. But rather than doing so in honour of the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984, Xi Jinping’s crackdown on our autonomy has only intensified over time.
What Xi Jinping learnt from Hong Kong’s democratic movement last year is to become more draconic and oppressive. It would be best to have me sent across the border to stand trial directly than to engage in dynamic diplomatic talks and negotiation. Therefore, precisely one year afterwards, when I am attending this summit, Beijing's legislature, the NPCSC, at the same time holds meetings, finalizing a sweeping national security law that targets democratic activists like myself.
Under the pretext of ‘national security’, this law purports to target acts of “collusion with foreign forces’’. Beijing did not define what is ‘’collusion’’, but it will wield massive discretionary power to punish activists and electoral candidates on the one hand, and cut off Hong Kong from the international society and their crucial support, on the other. Take this occasion as an example, I’m convinced that every word comes from my mouth today could well become proof of crime at the Chinese courtroom in the near future. Worse still, not only can democratic activists and legislators who have participated in international advocacy efforts be barred from running elections or even imprisoned, INGOs and other organizations, including their personnel and assets, can also be subject to legal persecution.
So the developments in Hong Kong have changed quite swiftly. Large-scale protests defying the communist government may no longer be an option. It could be my last testimony when I am still free, yet prosecuted and put behind bars under the sweeping security law. Our long march to democracy will be forced into a prolonged period of fierce crackdown, perhaps similar to what Poland experienced in the Communist era, with secret police agency stationed in the city.
The Wounds of Hong Kong are Proof of Defying Beijing’s Oppression
These scenarios may create a stark contrast with the impression we usually have to a cosmopolitan Hong Kong famous for its international financial centre. The economic freedom, free flow of capital and freedom to information we used to enjoy in Hong Kong, will fade away after the law imposed. It is also the Sword of Damocles over all investors and ex-pats living and working on this island. When geopolitical tension intensifies, ex-pats can fall victim to the ill-defined law and China's hostage diplomacy. In the past, two Canadian nationals were detained for nearly two years as retaliation to Huawei's executive Meng Wanzhou's arrest, let alone Swedish NGO worker Peter Dahlin, Australian writer Yang Hengjun and Taiwanese NGO activist Lee Ming-che. Foreign journalists, human rights workers and academics were barred from Hong Kong. When China makes national security its priority, no one is safe.
Citizen journalists, booksellers, NGO workers, religious groups, online bloggers, booksellers, writers, human rights defenders or even critics of government policies are put behind bars. Amnesty International also raised concerns about its spill-out effects on economic activities and online speech. Once the law reaches out its claw to this beacon of liberty on China's soul, this vibrant civil society is on the brink of collapse.
Certainly, I would devote whatever efforts I can to defy this new round of oppression. But Beijing’s continued moves to crush democracy in Xinjiang and in Hong Kong also explain the Goliath we are facing is not as fierce as it looks like. In the past two decades, Beijing’s aggressive expansion in Europe, Asia and Africa has given a warning signal to democratic states all over the world. The world is awakening from the Chinese Nightmare. If we are determined to safeguard democratic aspirations, we must act to defy China's dictatoral grip.
Towards Democracy: Pain, Tears and Compassion.
In Hong Kong, we had experienced many depressing moments last year when state-mobilized mobs attacked passengers in the metro station, when police forcefully entered the university campus to arrest and to torture protestors, when witnessing countless students younger than me were put behind bars. What drives us to continue our struggle? My answer is compassion.
As my dear friend, Brian Leung said, ‘’Hong Kong Belongs to Everyone Who Shares Its Pain’’. In the previous year, we burst into tears mourning the death of protestors, we shared boxes of surgical masks to one another to defend ourselves from the Coronavirus. I also pray for protesters who are forced to leave our home because of their sacrifice in the movement. I pray for brothers who are struggled in jail now and I pray for those who will become political refugees soon. They are the reasons I’m still fighting in this battle. As we grow in pain, in tears and in compassion, I believe we shall succeed one day.
Thank you.
activist example 在 10.6 Nonprofit, NGO, and Activist Public Relations 的推薦與評價
such as NGOs. Examples would be groups such as Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch. Activist groups ... ... <看更多>