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Overview
This mask, which bears a likeness to the popular character Winnie the Pooh, was worn by members of the group We Are Kiwi Hong Kongers 逃犯條例修訂草案紐西蘭關注組 at various activities and events connected to the Hong Kong protest movement taking place in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch.
The character of Winnie the Pooh is highly controversial in China. Due to the country’s strict internet censorship laws, internet bloggers, commentators and critics of China's leader, Xi Jinping, began using the comical, slightly mocking image of Winnie the Pooh as Xi's avatar. Censors subsequently responded by blocking the character on social media platforms several years ago, however, detractors of Xi, particularly youth, continue to use the character as a euphemism for the leader and to defy what they perceive as assaults on free speech.
Hong Kong protest movement and Aotearoa
The Hong Kong protests were originally incited by the proposed Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019. Also known as the Hong Kong Extradition Bill, the proposed legislation would have enabled Hong Kong residents to be extradited to mainland China to face trial. The protest movement subsequently evolved and continued through much of the first half of 2020, though the Extradition Bill was withdrawn in October 2019. On 30 June 2020, the Chinese legislature approved the controversial National Security Law, bypassing Hong Kong’s own elected legislative council. This law effectively outlawed activities perceived as dissenting or secessionist, including the possession of protest banners and flags carrying slogans associated with the protest movement such as ‘Free Hong Kong/Revolution of our Times’.
The Hong Kong protests have garnered significant international attention due to Hong Kong’s importance to the global economy and the political aspects of China’s increasing prominence as a global player. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the protests have prompted wide-ranging debates, including those relating to democracy and freedom of speech, New Zealand’s relationship to China and the government’s obligations to those connected to Hong Kong but based here, among them international students and temporary visa holders, as well as citizens and permanent residents with familial and cultural links to Hong Kong.