Similarly to the Estonians, who were forced to endure totalitarian dictatorship, imposed upon them by the Soviet occupation that began in 1940, Hongkongers have been forced to endure Beijing-backed authoritarian rule since the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China in 1997. During the Soviet occupation, Estonians used several innovative strategies to draw the democratic world’s attention to their struggle against the dictatorship. An Estonia-based Hongkonger noticed the adaptability of the Estonians’, Latvians’ and Lithuanians’ idea of the Baltic Way, and proposed an idea to organise a similar demonstration on the Hongkongese online forum LIHKG in August 2019. Less than a month after the proposal, 60 km human chain was organised with the participation of more than 210,000 Hong Kong residents. For protesters, the Hong Kong Way was a chance to demonstrate their determination to defend human rights, justice and rule of law.

TO THE EXHIBITION

Estonian Institute of Historical Memory, 2021

Curator: Eli Pilve

Compiled by: Iverson NG

Edited by: Toomas Hiio

Designer: Anni Vakkum

Fotos: National Archives of Estonia, Studio Incendo