Suffering and Resistance: Chen Jianmin. Letters from Prison

When we try our best and still can't shake the system,

All that is left is to suffer together.



This is a book written by Hong Kong people for Hong Kong, written for Hong Kong, but it is a book that can no longer find a place in Hong Kong.

This is a cry from a citizen and an intellectual to society, to the government, and to everyone.

Only through experiencing suffering can people truly appreciate the evil of despotism and the value of freedom.



"This generation has seen through who truly undermines the rule of law. They understand that blindly abiding by the law is silence in the face of tyranny." — "The Law-Abiding Spirit of the White Mouse on September 8th"



If we want to accurately assess the era we live in, we cannot ignore Hong Kong's experiences, pain and struggles.



From 2014 to the present, Hong Kong has experienced the Umbrella Revolution, the fight for genuine universal suffrage, and the anti-extradition bill movement. Citizens have engaged in social movements and politics in a continuous and protracted struggle for their rights. Along the way, we have witnessed the tug-of-war between the people and the government, and the powerful oppressing the people.



▍The test of extreme situations?

When the power of citizens is unable to prevent the government from going to extremes, the scope for individual expression and action shrinks, leading to physical and mental non-cooperation. This situation reveals the despair of the broader environment and is an extreme test of people's pursuit of morality, fairness, and justice. No one wants to take to the streets; everyone wants to be peaceful, rational, and nonviolent. But ask yourself:

Who can sleep peacefully under tyranny?



▍In prison, living with the changing times

Suffering and Resistance: Letters from Prison by Chan Kin-man is a collection of notes written by sociologist Chan Kin-man while serving his sentence. He was identified by the Hong Kong government as one of the leaders of the 2014 Occupy Central movement and sentenced to 16 months in prison on April 24, 2019. At the height of the anti-extradition movement, Chan, in prison, wrote letters after letters, expressing his reflections on the times, his anxieties, and the pain of witnessing Hong Kong society spiraling toward extremes.



▍Jail as a form of resistance

Imprisonment is a physical and mental torture. Chen Jianmin believes it is the price to pay for the struggle for democracy, and as an advocate of civil disobedience, he should experience it firsthand. He expresses his resistance to current policies and government through practical action, "suffering" with his body, and using his free spirit as the basis and strength to resist the powerful, making resistance a "daily routine."


Recommended by all walks of life



Jiang Mingxiu (Distinguished Professor, College of Social Sciences, National Chengchi University):

Reading "Letters from Prison" brought me to tears. Besides feeling sad about the decline of Hong Kong, I also admired the noble character of scholars. I also hope that all people who love freedom, democracy and peace will care about Hong Kong's past, present and future together!



Li Xueli (Editor-in-Chief of The Reporter):

A small room cannot contain a free soul. Resigning from one's teaching position and being thrown into prison are undoubtedly life's darkest lows. Yet, Professor Chen Jianmin withstood the internal and external torment, embodying the philosophy of resistance that "rests in the present moment," leaving behind this book, "Letters from Prison," which bears witness to Hong Kong's suffering and reflects on the past and the future. Through the firsthand accounts of activists and those oppressed, we see not only anger and loneliness, but also the nobility of suffering. This book truly embodies Kundera's words: "This is a struggle between memory and forgetting."



Wu Naide (Adjunct Researcher, Institute of Social Sciences, Academia Sinica):

When prison becomes a place of spiritual enrichment, punishment from tyranny becomes a blessing.

Prison Diary is always a resistance, a very personal resistance.



Chen Yi-chung (Researcher, Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, Academia Sinica):

Chen Jianmin said that although the civil society he helped build in mainland China is "already shaky" and the democratic universal suffrage he fought for in Hong Kong is "even further away," young people should not give up hope. He was sentenced to prison for initiating the "Occupy Central with Love and Peace" movement, but oppressive rule could not destroy his will and convictions. This book, "Letters from Prison," may be a historical testimony to the darkness to come, but it is also a spiritual test of how to uphold integrity, courage, and hope in troubled times, and it is hard not to be moved.

2022-03-03

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