Unfree Speech: The Threat to Global Democracy and Why We Must Act, Now

by Joshua Wong, Jason Y. Ng, Ai Weiwei (Introduction)

'Joshua Wong is the future that has already come. ... Together we are one loud voice that cannot be silenced.' – Greta Thunberg

'If we want freedom, we need to learn from Hong Kong. With values, tactics, and courage, Joshua Wong shows us the way.' – Timothy Snyder

- Introduction by Ai Weiwei -

An urgent manifesto for global democracy from the leading 23-year-old Hong Kong activist - Nobel Peace Prize nominee and TIME, Forbes and Fortune world leader.

At what point do you stand up to power?

When he was 14, Joshua Wong made history. While the adults stayed silent, Joshua staged the first ever student protest in Hong Kong to oppose National Education – and won.

Since then, Joshua has led the Umbrella Movement, founded a political party, and rallied the international community around the anti-Extradition Bill protests, which have seen 2 million people – more than a quarter of the population – take to Hong Kong’s streets. His actions have sparked worldwide attention, earned him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, and landed him in jail twice.

Composed in three parts, Unfree Speech chronicles Joshua’s path to activism, collects the letters he wrote as a political prisoner, and closes with a powerful and urgent call for all of us globally to defend our democratic values.

When we stay silent, no one is safe. When we free our speech, our voice becomes one.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, China, History, Memoir, Essays, Audiobook

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

See also 黃之鋒

Joshua Wong Chi-fung is a Hong Kong student activist and politician. He has been named by TIME, Fortune, Prospect and Forbes as one of the world's most influential leaders. In 2018 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his leading role in the Umbrella Movement. He is Secretary-General of Demosistō, a pro-democracy organization which he founded in 2016 that advocates for self-determination for Hong Kong. Joshua came onto the political scene in 2011 aged 14, when he founded Scholarism and successfully protested against the enforcement of Chinese National Education in Hong Kong. He has been arrested numerous times for his protesting and activism and has served over 100 days in jail. He has been the subject of two documentaries, including the Netflix original, Joshua: Teenager vs Superpower.

Reviews

[Dani (The Pluviophile Writer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What were you doing when you were 14 years old? I'm sure it wasn't trying to overthrow the influence of Communist China in your home country. Unless your name is Joshua Wong, that is.

5/5 stars.
ebook, 256 pages.
Read from May 12, 2020 to May 13, 2020.

Review at The Pluviophile Writer: https://bit.ly/3cO5A2Q

Hong Kong is my current home and while I am an expat here, I have a serious love and passion for this country that has given me so much.  I have lived here for the last four years and I have seen Hong Kong and I have witnessed first hand, its people fight for their right to their identity, culture, and democracy. It's been a humbling experience and it has made me extremely proud of the people here and of the place I call my current home. Hong Kong's history is rife with being taken over by others and Hong Kongers have had enough.

A quick summary of Hong Kong's history so that you have a base premise for this novel. Hong Kong was a British colony for 156 years and was handed over back to China in 1997. This handover was not something that Hong Kong people asked for or had any say in the matter.  Can you imagine growing up in a democratic country to all of a sudden being handed over to a communist government? Mass migrations of Hong Kongers left their home during this time afraid of what the Chinese government might turn their home country into by robbing them of their democratic rights. Many Chinese people fled from China to Hong Kong after the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989 in search of a transparent government that valued democratic freedoms so there was a big concern about what Hong Kong would become after the handover. A deal was made between the British and Chinese governments called the Sino-British Joint Declaration and it was decided that until 2047, Hong Kong would work under a "one country, two systems " principle with the premise to maintain some of Hong Kong's freedoms and make for a smooth transition to whatever it is that China wants for Hong Kong. It was at this time Britain pretty much washed their hands of Hong Kong. Things seem unchanged, at least for a little while, but the Chinese government bided its time and eventually began to press their agenda onto Hong Kong. Hong Kong is no longer a democracy and the facade that China has tried is no longer being tolerated by the people in Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong is a city that isn't British and doesn't want to be Chinese, and its need to assert a distinct identity grows by the year."

This book is a coming of age story about a boy and his country. At the age of 14, Joshua Wong started a movement to stop China from forcing its education system into Hong Kong and succeeded. In 2011 the Chinese government subtly decided that it was time for Hong Kong to have similar education standards as the mainland and introduced the Moral and National Education (MNE). What this would mean is that the students would be learning the same curriculum as those on the mainland. While that may not seem like much, it was a way for China to start moulding the youth of Hong Kong to their beliefs and political stances. For example, mainland students do not learn about the Tiananmen Square incident, meaning that the Chinese government lies to their people to save face and hid from their serious mistakes. Isn't that horrifying? Hong Kongers at the time had become complacent and weren't paying attention to the freedoms that they were slowly starting to lose and if it weren't for Joshua and those involved in Scholarism, Hong Kong might be in a very different place right now.

The story doesn't stop there as the Joshua discusses his activism through the Umbrella Movement in 2014 with the aim to give Hong Kong universal suffrage, a movement that may have failed to bring about its aim but was successful in bringing awareness to Hong Kongers and to the world. He shares his journal during his political imprisonment over the 2014 movements, how those involved with Scholarism created a political group that was successfully voted in only to later be kicked out by the Chinese government. Joshua also discusses the latest events of the Extradition bill protests that shook Hong Kong for months during 2019. The Extradition bill was a bill that would allow the Chinese government to arrest anyone on Hong Kong on suspicion of a crime and have you transported to mainland China, a sketchy proposition considering China's poor reputation with human rights and questionable judiciary system. Hong Kongers exploded onto the scene with protests by the millions in one of the largest leaderless movements in political history. When the government didn't listen, over, and over again, the movements became more radical but shaded in comparison to the violent approach taken by the government and police. In the end, the extradition bill was removed and considered "dead" by Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

June 16, 2019. Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Image Credit: SCMP

Joshua is immensely humble, intelligent, and well-spoken. He's an outspoken and down to earth person who has a love for video games, anime, and his country. Joshua's passion for his country, people and beliefs oozes out of this book, even in translation. He is a testament to how young people can create change. His book summarizes the Hong Kong political system and its current political strifes in a way that's easy to digest. The biggest take away that Joshua wants to make with this book is that what happens to Hong Kong matters not only to its people but to the world. If Hong Kong fails to fight off one of the biggest regimes in the world, it means that the rest of the world's freedoms are at stake too. China is a bully and if they are not made accountable they will continue to push other countries around. Hong Kong's plight is the world's plight. Joshua was TIME magazine's Most Influential Teens of 2014 and was nominated for its 2014 Person of the Year; he was further called one of the "world's greatest leaders" by Fortune magazine in 2015 and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 along with a few others from his team. His latest efforts include the signing of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 with the US in support of Hong Kong's pro-democracy campaign.

I'd recommend this book to every local and expat in Hong Kong, to those that want to know more about the situation in Hong Kong, and for those that care about freedom.

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[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected to feel empowered, or, at the very least, seen, by this book. Regrettably so, I feel neither of those emotions.

On the plus side, Unfree Speech does give people who may not be as familiar with the subject matter a basic rundown of Hong Kong's political landscape. Joshua Wong also briefly describes the Hong Kong identity, and how it differs from that of those in Mainland China.

However, he does both those things without nuance, and with sinophobia. For example, in illustrating the difference between Hong Kong and Mainland China, he uses an example from the time he visited Guangzhou, and says 'in Hong Kong we never squat or spit in the streets, we always queue up and wait our turn to speak to sales or service people. Not so in China.' There are much better and more accurate ways of depicting Hong Kong's identity (namely the Cantonese slangs we use, the 茶餐廳 culture, etc.) that don't involve portraying Chinese people that way, regardless of how common these sinophobic attitudes are amongst pro democracy supporters (and I don't know what Hong Kong Joshua Wong lives in but squatting and spitting in streets are very common practices amongst the elderly of Hong Kong). It is disappointing to see someone who is very much the heart of the pro democracy movement fail to capture Hong Kong's identity so spectacularly.

One of the more interesting parts of the memoir is the letters that he wrote from prison. Whatever attempt he makes at conveying Hong Kong's essence is most successful here, where he describes things like the 'affectionate nicknames' in Cantonese (Ah Fung, Fung Gor, etc.) and the locals' aversion to English. I was pleasantly surprised to see him humanise prisoners who were sentenced for crimes like drug abuse, and I agree with his stance that in Hong Kong, anti drug adverts are shoved in your face and addicts are often dehumanised. Equally, however, I'm not sure dedicating a whole chapter to his protesting against shaving heads was necessary, especially if he was trying to portray the incarceration system as being oppressive. Disrespect is rife in this part of the book as well, which I will not get into because this review is already going to be very long.

The biggest flaw of this book is that it does not allow the reader to form their own conclusions. Joshua Wong paints a very black and white picture of Hong Kong's situation, and he places events into the good and bad categories for you. It's very much a tell don't show situation with this book, and Hong Kong's political plight and identity are a lot more nuanced and complex than Joshua Wong makes it out to be.

I think that in many ways, this memoir represents what a lot of Hong Kongers' attitudes are in regards to its political landscape. We see this in the book's representation of China, the naive 'worshipping' of foreign powers like the US and the UK, and towards the end of the book, the sort of desperation and hopelessness a lot of us feel. I think in that regard, and also the fact that Joshua Wong is quite good at writing last sentences to chapters, it may be worth a read. However, if you're looking to educate yourself on Hong Kong's situation as a whole with less bias and from a point of view that isn't from prison, I would suggest the documentary Do Not Split instead, which gives a rundown of the 2019-20 protests, or the book City on Fire: The Fight For Hong Kong, which I have not read but, from the reviews, seems like a much more all-encompassing recount and analysis of Hong Kong's political turmoil.

This is very long. My apologies. 2.5/5

[Sabin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a short book, with a lot of rhetoric and a bit of context. But it’s not much more than that.

I’m still not clear on how exactly peaceful protest, or any kind of protest for that matter, are supposed to influence the decisions of the ones in power, since the people don’t actually elect most of the executive council in Hong Kong’s case.

And there’s a lot of talk about policy meetings and activism, but not much detail about them or about what leaders actually do in these situations. I mean sleeping in a tent for a month is only half the deal, what do you do when you’re awake?

The part about Hong Kong being the proverbial canary in the coal mine, however, gave me the chills. If China does succeed in silencing Hong Kong, then this modus operandi is going to be copied by authoritarian governments the world over, and democratic ideals and freedoms will suffer.

[Inky Ip · Rating 4 out of 5]

得知這本書竟是在美國的機場看到Jason Y. Ng 翻譯的版本，看來我們的國際線漸趨成熟了（哈）不過書還是原汁原味的好，所以從學校圖書館借來細閱 （猜不到親中的浸大竟藏有黃絲的讀物！）

之峰在自序時已「利益申報」，説獄文字相比其他細緻描繪政治犯的心路歷程的讀物，例如羅冠聰的《青春無悔過書》更為平實和直率。的確，之峰都是用最真摯的文字，寫實地記錄他千篇一律的獄中生活和對反思。但正正因為他樸實無華的寫作手法，反映出獄中的乏味，孤獨和焦慮。

黃之鋒曾在獄中領悟到一個道理就「無論客觀環境有多好或多差，喜或悲也多取決於自己心態。」，不容易讓我連繫到疫情當下每天抱怨的我們，他說「無論獄中生活如何單調也好，每天能否積極和有意義地渡過每一日，也取決於自己如何善用時間以及保持思考，方讓自己不要虛耗光陰」，更何況相比獄中的手足，我們在家中還可以跟外界聯繫，和朋友視像通話，週末還可以有限度地外出。
所謂「我思故我在」，雖則我們身體的活動被囚禁，但我們的思想仍是自由的。我們更加要珍惜擁有思想自由的每一天，在這段期間好好計劃九月立會選舉和未來政治運動的策略與走向，從而爭取最大的話語權。

相比起前途被附上代價和失去自由的義士，我和上其他手足的犧牲都只是滄海一粟，不說得上是什麼，更不用跟梁天琦、李旺陽、劉曉波等一個個人民英雄比較了。

69天中之鋒從解悶工廠中收到的文章：
1. 譚蕙芸： 〈亦權司機——守護記者——守護鎮上——守護歷史〉（立場新聞）
https://www.thestandnews.com/culture/...

2. 異鄉人──夏目目：抱歉，我要離開香港了 （端傳媒）
https://theinitium.com/article/201709...

之峰提及的刊物及書籍：
犯蔡衡-《奴教》
羅冠聰-《青春無悔過書》

書中喜歡的名言或聖經金句：
• Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance; and endurance produces character, and character produces hope -Book of Romans（5:3-5）
-不可叫人小小看年輕，總要在言行、行為、愛心、信心、清潔霜，都作信徒的榜樣 （提摩太前書4:12）
-莫以善小而不為

[RH · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a decent enough read for folks who are looking to understand the scenes of mass protests and unrest in Hong Kong they have seen on their TV screens in the better part of the last decade. This book covers the 'permanent adolescence' of the Hong Kong political system in abundant detail, but ultimately Joshua Wong shows only one side of events.

With this book, Joshua had the opportunity to present a more nuanced political stance. However, when talking about Beijing's 'tightening grip' on Hong Kong, he does not give newcomers to this topic any context to the increasing integration of the city with the Chinese mainland. He doesn't educate readers about the period of 'national humiliation' in late 19th and early 20th century China, which has made Beijing ever more cautious about any foreign intervention on its soil. At least this small detail gives readers some perspective of Beijing's actions, however inexplicable they may be to the yellow ribbons of Hong Kong.

Joshua contends in this book that full-fledged democracy is the solution to all of Hong Kong's woes. This again highlights his one-dimensional view, that democracy could never possibly go wrong. It is then ironic he condemns Modi's government in India when ultimately Modi had won the 2019 elections by a landslide, through a fully democratic election. He ignores the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood were elected for in Egypt, and Trump and Brexit in the United States and Britain respectively. Is 'populism', which he decries, not made triumphant by way of democracy?

Joshua then states that the world is in a state of a trans-Pacific Cold War, with China and other 'authoritarian regimes' on one side and the United States leading the phalanx of 'fully democratic' and 'liberal' states on the other. Sorry, but this is just too much of a naive, simplistic take on the global world order. The last time I checked, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, close historic allies of the United States, are not exactly liberal countries. Joshua constantly brownnoses the U.S. while ignoring the negative impact of their interventionist policies in the name of democracy.

Joshua seeks to brand himself a junior champion of human rights matters, and praises his father for guiding him on taking a stance from childhood. It is convenient that Joshua makes no mention of his father being an anti-gay marriage convenor. While I am completely indifferent to LGBT issues and this issue is not a huge topic of controversy in Hong Kong (yet), I found this piece of irony a bit rich.

The less said about the central part of the book, the better. While it was interesting to read a few tidbits of prison life in Hong Kong, it got repetitive. There was then no explanation as to why Joshua was released after 2 months despite having originally been sentenced to 6 months.

[Brandon Ho · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘Unfree Speech: The Threat to Global Democracy and Why We Must Act, Now’ written by Joshua Wong and Jason Y. Ng with an introduction by renowned artist Ai Wei Wei is a 2020 publication, which at its core, aims at calling the international community to action against what Wong believes to be the greatest threat to ‘global democracy’.

My expectations for the book were not high. I expected to be told what the greatest threat to global democracy was and why I should act now, in a well thought through, logical, and methodological structure. Instead, I was treated to a muddled piece of literature which focused more on how to take action rather than why, and establishing the foundations of a cult of personality.

At its core, Wong’s message is there but only as a shallow message strung together by convoluted points. Throughout the book, Wong zealously attributes every issue present in Hong Kong to a lack of democratic representation within the city, and though I admire his fervour, there is not a single moment dedicated to asking himself ‘why?’ There is no attempt to further understand his own actions of the actions of the opposition. Despite a handful of attempts to appear moderate and fair in this book, too many instances seem to say otherwise.

Though I am grateful for Wong for increasing political awareness in Hong Kong and sharing to the world the issues that exist in Hong Kong's culture and society. I cannot recommend this book to anyone who wishes to be intellectually enlightened by the great mind that is Joshua Wong.

The book’s introduction begins with Ai Wei Wei drawing observations from the Umbrella Movement of 2014, and the Extradition Bill Protests of 2019. Ai describes a new generation of rebels characterised by rationality, principles, and clear objectivity. This new rebel desires not to be involved in the capitalist culture “fixated in profit above all else.” (p.xi) Instead, they only demand and require freedom, freedom from the “dark forces” of China (p.xii). With Joshua Wong as the embodiment of this generation and at the helm of this movement, the youth of Hong Kong need only to demonstrate their rights in a highly visible way to “achieve justice and democracy in any society.” (p.xi)

Ai’s introduction works well to set the tone for the book: one-dimensional and propaganda-like. The introduction is nothing short of an attempt at indoctrinating youth into an absolutist mindset that fails to encapsulate the complexity of the political and philosophical landscape. Big ideas like ‘freedom’, ‘social fairness’, ‘justice’, and ‘democracy’ are thrown about but never elaborated on or discussed. It is, however, heavily inferred that these aforementioned ideas are good. But what even is good? Why is it good?

Although the Chinese Communist Party does have its fair share of issues, nothing in this world is ever as black and white as Ai makes it to be. The struggle Ai paints is one of mythic proportions, ‘good versus evil’, ‘light versus darkness’. Though a romantic and even a pretty picture, too much is lost in this gross simplification of what is happening in Hong Kong. There lies in this piece of writing too much potential for readers to be swindled into this oversimplification and absolutist mindset.

The prologue of the book is one of the best sections in the book, it is clear, coherent, and gets straight to the point. It contains a good summary for each act of the book and provides for a motivation behind his writing. However, for a book with the commanding phrase of “why we must act now” in its title, there is a disproportionately small section dedicated to explaining why. In addition, the language used in the prologue gave me reason to worry as to what the message was of the book. The use of language, calling himself a ‘political prisoner’, using religious language to relate his experience as a “genesis story”, and comparing himself to other imprisoned activists like Martin Luther King Jr and Liu Xiaobo, made me question his intent in writing this book. By the end of the prologue I understood the book not merely as a ‘call to action’ but a book with aims to mobilise the people of Hong Kong under Joshua Wong’s Wing.

[one thing to note in the prologue is that he misconstrues the acts of private companies as acts against democracy. This brings into view an entire question that we ought to be having, that being; what is the role of private companies and our democracy? But that is besides the point and the scope of this analysis. Gave me the feeling though, that he was working towards a clear agenda. How the NBA’s and Apple’s choices are a clear indication of erosion of democracy (though worrying) is never explained and we shall never know. Future politics goes into this well.]
---

Act one begins with his upbringing and ends with his prison sentencing in 2017. Although an argument for democracy barely exists in this section, I agreed with much of what he had to say, but also remained cautious on what he had inferred.

His experience of growing up in Hong Kong resonated with me. His observations of the problems of Hong Kong like its cultural existentialism, toxic parent-youth culture, growing wealth gap, growing extremism, and encroachments from the CCP all struck a tone. However, the delivery of concerns were vague and lacked exploration. Wong does little to show the reader how life has changed since the handover, and for a book that argues that China is changing the way of life in Hong Kong, there was hardly a comparison to begin with. The mentioning of democracy in this chapter was mainly for accountability. The argument goes, ‘If Hong Kong had democracy, these (social, economic, political) issues would not exist.’ As with all blanket solutions there is a lack of thought in the processes, implications, and application. There is surely a message here, but one well thought through? I am not so sure.

An interesting observation I made was in his presentation of his upbringing and background. The selective mentioning of his Christianity (and subsequent uses of religious language and analogies), his zodiac sign, explaining the meaning of his name, and all the great actions he’s done in his adolescence gave me concern. In his description of himself, the righteousness, the flawlessness, and the deterministic view of himself raised a few concerns of a construction of a cult of personality. I am not certain if this was the intention, but with the inclusion of the high praise of Ai Wei Wei, and lack of critical thought or self-questioning, it does raise some concerns as to what impression this book will leave on more impressionable readers.

One specific point of concern is in his problematic account of history which should only be taken in for consideration, but not application. To call his accounts dishonest would be slightly extreme on my part but they certainly lack objectivity. I would caution readers to do their due diligence and conduct research themselves. His accounts of experiences with China seem only to be negative and indoctrinated since youth. For example, his grandmother equated the Chinese government to “thieves and murderers”, his observations from his trip to Guangzhou as a child left him only with an ‘us versus them’ mentality, and his thoughts towards China were clearly affected by his mother claiming that the controversial Article 23 bill would have had all his video games taken away.

The biggest problem with this section and subsequent sections (as will be discussed later) of the book is in its obvious biases, oversimplifications, and vagueness. Understanding the issues and solutions are not the problem, it’s at what scope the reader will understand that is the bigger concern. However problematic though, there is a great message of standing up for what you believe in which should not be overlooked.

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His thoughts from the prison cell gives the reader an opportunity to peek into Wong’s mind. Accompanied with Act I, the reader can see how his account of his upbringing has shaped his thoughts and actions in his prison entries. In ‘Act II’ his accounts of being a troublemaker, the anecdotal meaning of his name, and his political fervour shine through. Admirably though, his zeal comes from a place of love, a love for the city.

One of my favourite aspects of this act is the amount of attention Wong gives to the social issues present in Hong Kong. He sheds light on issues like social mobility, the deep divisions in society, the unhealthy relationship Hong Kong people have with education and work, the plight of ethnic minorities, and the informal classism that exists. These are often issues swept aside in favour for the much more interesting topic of economics. Again however, discussion of the problems are kept to the minimum, and all solutions are solved with democracy. This book would have been greatly elevated in my regards had he dabbled in some thought experiments and truly explored different ways of solving the listed issues.

The closest account which encapsulates what I expected from this book was ‘A Six Pronged Plan of Resistance’. A more well thought through piece of writing expressing goals, concerns, and evidence of some critical thinking. Though still muddled with heuristic shortcuts, it is the best entry in the book.

Issues I took note of in this section were his accounts of events that were happening while he was in prison, his self-imposed sentencing as a ‘political prisoner’, and his false moderacy.

Reading about events from the past as they happened according to Wong during his prison sentence was intriguing. It was especially interesting to read about his thoughts on the infamous ‘Oathgate’. To Wong, the disqualification of his party-mates from the legislative council due to deliberately botching their oaths to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China was seen as unjust, and a ‘ploy by the ruling elite to remove pro-democracy law-makers.’ It should be noted that Wong conveniently left out the details of the events that led to the whole ordeal. The actions that led to ‘Oathgate’ were mistakes and an example of political miscalculation to the highest scale. As with Act I, accounts like this one should be taken as supplemental.

From the prologue, Wong had described himself as a political prisoner. No clear indication or exploration is put into the meaning of this description, only that he likens his (68 day) prison struggle to that of Liu Xiaobo and Martin Luther King Jr. A quick google search on Wong’s sentencing would give anyone with 2 minutes of spare time to understand the nature of Wong’s arrest on the grounds of unlawful assembly. This leads me to believe his self-described sentencing as a political prisoner and likening himself to world renowned activists is to imbue himself with a higher sense of importance. Throughout Act II, you see his sense of self-importance throughout his prison journals. What this observation means can be decided by the reader. Was he intentionally muddying the reason for his arrest for a more favourable fable? On a final note, what I found interesting to be littered everywhere throughout Acts I and II were his references to Marvel superheroes, Gundams, and biblical figures. Was this a sign of his cunning and subtle genius of trying to establish himself as a modern hero?

Although Wong presents himself to the reader as a moderate, his zeal and fervour often seeps through. In one entry, he makes the observation that the divisions in society are only going to be increasingly polarised yet at the same time asks for Churches to “take a stand” in politics. His arrogance shines through in ‘It’s Been a While Since I Shook Someone’s Hand’. Near the end of the entry he mentions bias, recounting a story of a prison guard expressing his opinions on Wong’s politics. Wong completely dismisses the guard’s opinion as biased and does not even attempt to parry with him on the basis that he would not have been able to change his mind. If this was not an example of Wong’s bias, then it was an example of a poor championing of communication and understanding as a staple of democratic principles.

There are some gems in Act II like his attention to social issues, but they are far and few in between. Most of the time his ideas would only scratch the surface levels of whatever he wanted to tackle. I often got the impression he was writing in prison simply because he thought this was a rite of passage like the activists he so looks up to. Had his writing been given more thought and condensed, this large section of the book would have probably been more free of the issues I picked out, and been much more interesting to read.

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Act III is one of the stronger sections of the book. However, the writing still leaves much to be desired with an absence of a dialectic, but Wong shines in this section with a much more comprehensive elaboration on his thoughts. Compared with Act II, a considerable amount of growth can be seen in his writing. I do not wish to go into debate about his ideas in this review, but I will say this section gives good points for discussion. However, issues like the one-sided understanding of the world, and fear mongering as discussed before are still prevalent.

This section feels like it should have been published on its own as a selection of essays, but my guess is that Acts I and II were needed and written as a tool to appeal and find commonality with youth and an international audience. Hence, the terrible and oftentimes problematic analogies made with Marvel Comics, Gundams, Star Wars, and the Bible which induced an atmosphere of cringe.

Overall, I would not recommend this book. It’s boring, pretentious, and poorly thought through.

[Wendelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"As the three of us left the Capitol we were heckled by a throng of angry mainland Chinese demonstrators who were being held back by a police line. They yelled 'Traitors' and 'Running dogs!' while waving Chinese flags and punching in the air. I looked the loudest ones in they eye and said, "Take a deep breath of this air of freedom in America. You don't get much of it back home."
-Joshua Wong
----------------
As of right now, Joshua Wong is still interred in prison, serving for the third time as a prisoner of conscience for raising the flag of democracy in Hong Kong. This incredible book should be better known and widely read, it should be fronting bookshop windows and headlining bestseller lists. It is at both times accessible yet eruditely written, idealistic in intention yet full of pragmatic actions, moving yet funny also. Joshua Wong was a regular middle-class young man in Hong Kong with a future-- now he has sacrificed that future to carry the entire generational cost of challenging the imposition of autocratic rule in Hong Kong by the mainland. He had no political connections, he did not come from a political family. But when he was 12 he witnessed the poverty of elderly Hong Kong people. He saw that the universal secondary-school curriculum was dictated by the mainland to change towards a 'brainwashing scheme' that effectively legislated that young minds were to molded and conformed to an unthinking patriotism and fealty to the CCP government. He connected both of these situations-- the mass poverty of people left behind, the gradual erosion of liberal thought within formal education by dictat, the rising property prices--- to the operating governance in Hong Kong, which was rule without representation and without accountability. Leaders were not voted in by the people but appointed in a certain way according to the whims of the mainland and whoever pleased them. Thus the leadership was in lockstep with the mainland's wishes-- at the cost of the welfare of Hong Kong people, at the cost of their desire to maintain their separate identity, at the cost of their freedom of thought and speech and activist protest, at the cost of their self-determination which had been promised under the '1 country, 2 systems' designation.

He could have finished university, started his living, or emigrated overseas as has been the trajectory of so many of his young and rendered-hopeless compatriots who have given up on a democratic Hong Kong. Instead, before he entered university he co-masterminded and spearheaded the bottom-up people's movements of Scholarism (against curriculum changes of 'moral conduct'), the Umbrella Movement,and the Demosisto political party that aimed to ground the movements into concrete legislative advocacy. He is subjected to prison routines that are intended to break his independent spirit towards subservience. We have all seen, perhaps over the international news, erosions of rights, such as voting rights, climate inaction, or the level of societal inequality, and let apathy or outrage fatigue creep over us. Joshua Wong is a shining light, and he could not accept this. He deserves to be seen, he deserves to be remembered-- as the ruling class would like nothing more than for his life and future to rot in prison without causing any ripples of change.

[Minnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein kurzes, aber informatives Politbuch über die vergangenen und noch anhaltenden Ereignisse in Hongkong, die über die Welt gingen. Diese Buch gab mir Einsicht in Wongs Leben, wie Hongkong sich gegen die kommunistische Macht Chinas wehrt und wie das Leben im Pro-China vorgelegten Gefängnisses aussieht. Dieses Buch ist nicht für eine tiefe Analyse gedacht, sondern um einen allgemeinen Überblick zu bekommen und ich finde, das wird auch wunderbar geliefert. Ich war eine der Menschen, die jeden Zeitungbericht und Fernsehberichte über die Proteste in Hongkong verfolgt hat und dennoch nicht ein tieferes Verständnis hatte, worum es eigentlich ging.
In Zukunft möchte ich noch mehr chinakritische Literatur lesen.

[xkdlaej · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something that I read from Joshua Wong's "Unfree Speech" that I find particularly inspiring: (I rephrased the content with my own understanding)

"Six-Pronged Plan of Resistance"
1. Point out the elephant in the courtroom
-> admit that the judges and the Department of Justice is utilizing the judicial system for political prosecution

2. Unite the opposition
-> admit that even if we adopt different tactics and have different ideologies, moderate and localist groups have the same pro-democracy demands and should work together

3. Defend our LegCo foothold
-> regardless of the unfair system and the DQs, we should continue voting candidates to represent us in the LegCo. Not only does the LegCo provides limited check and balance of power, it also shows us that the govt cannot disqualify us all.

4. Keep faith in non-violent protests
-> we have to admit that neither peaceful nor aggressive tactics have brought us closer to where we want to go. But we should not give up on street marches, as we all have reasons to take to the streets to express our views explicitly.

5. Cover for the imprisoned
-> do whatever community work speaks to you, from handing out political flyers on the streets to sharing your views at a community forum. Tell your friends and family to register to vote, or join election campaigns for pro-democracy candidates. Do not ignore the grassroots efforts at neighbourhood level, every small change make a difference

6. Be prepared to step up (補位)
-> as more and more protesters were arrested, tortured and jailed, we may have to step up and take their places. Be ready when the time comes.

These lessons seem particularly important in nowadays HK, as we are still struggling and the movement only halted because of the Chinese Virus Epidemic. But as Joshua Wong felt that being in prison allowed him to rest and reflect on his past campaigns, the epidemic allowed HKers to pause and reflect, to rest and prepare for the next battle.

"Alone in my empty cell, I reflected on what happened in Pik Uk this past week. I realised that my vocal advocacy for prisoners' rights may have put other inmates in jeopardy. Thinking more broadly, perhaps every political movement I've either led or participated in over the past five years has had the same impact on my loved ones. I've always operated on the assumption that I'm prepared to pay whatever price it takes to fight for my beliefs, but have I once paused to think about my family and consider the tremendous pressure that my actions, no matter how noble in my own mind, have created? Have I once sought their consent, or have I simply taken their understanding for granted?"

Probably the difference between Hong Kong and mainland China, come to think of it. Not because of obedience, but because of the difference in cost to speak up.

"Whether it is the developed or the developing world, bottom-up resistance made possible by social networks and crowdsourcing tools is slowly but steadily coalescing into a formidable 'fifth estate' holding the ruling class to account. When the three branches of government - executive, legislative and judicial - are no longer effective in safeguarding democratic values, and the fourth estate of the free press is being targeted and silenced with growing intensity, a fifth power emerges to provide the necessary checks and balances on those in power."

The rising trend of self-mobilizing leaderless protests is the start of a new era, will the world become a better or worse place depends on each individual's actions.

In Part 3, it explains how dire Hong Kong's situation is as China adopts a sharp-power offensive attitude in dealing with world relations. Presenting itself as a strong power, China seeks to spread its influence and force other countries into submission. The new Cold War has started, the war between autocracies and the free world has already begun. Hong Kong is at the frontline of this battle, and soon the oppression we HKers faced in the past decades will be faced by the rest of the free world.

[Maike · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important book by one of the people on the forefront of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.
Joshua Wong structures his memoir in three parts:
1. The start of his political career at 14 (!) with demonstrations against the national education decree from mainland china
2. Letters from his first imprisonment as one of HK's first political prisoners
3. His current work in activism and his political party, as well as reasons why the situation in HK is important for the freedom of all democracies today.

This book was written very easy to undersntand and I see it as an excellent introduction to the current political situation in Hong Kong.

As Joshua Wong summed up so poignantly:

"In many ways, Hong Kong ist just like a foster child who was raised by a white family and, without his consent, returned to his Chinese biological parents. Mother and son have very little in common, from the language and customs to the way they view their government. The more the child is forced to show affection and gratitude toward his long-lost mother, the more he resists."

[Fabia Consorti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sono molto molto soddisfatta di questa lettura. Il libro è diviso in tre parti: la prima consiste nel racconto della vita di Joshua Wong, nel suo percorso da studente ad arrivista. La seconda parte consiste in una sorta di diario che lui ha tenuto durante il periodo trascorso in prigione. Se queste prime due parti possono risultare forse un poco autocelebrative per un ragazzo così giovane ma ugualmente interessanti, l'ultima parte da sola vale senza dubbio tutto il libro. È una analisi socio-politica della situazione di Hong Kong e della Cina, ma anche del problema democratico del mondo intero, scritta in maniera chiara ed efficace, con poche pagine vengono spiegati perfettamente gli aspetti essenziali della questione. C'è infine un appello a ogni persona a fare la sua parte. La scrittura è veramente convincente e d'impatto, ti fa venire quel prurito alle mani per fare qualcosa. Che, come suggerisce alla fine lo stesso autore, non deve essere nulla di fuori dalla nostra portata: anche condividere le notizie o leggere e documentarsi sulla situazione può fare la differenza. A ciò, aggiungo io, anche leggere questo libro può essere utilissimo per capire e prendere le giuste decisioni.

[Sébastien · Rating 5 out of 5]

With current situation in Myanmar, I can’t read anything fictional. So I devour between news articles and opinion pieces on current Myanmar affair and read articles on similar issues in other countries. A few days ago, I got my hands on Unfree Speech by Joshua Wong.

The book comprises three parts. In the first part, Wong recounts how he got interested in politics in such young age and shares about his involvement in Scholarism and later in Umbrella Movement as well as the founding of Demosistō. The second part is his letters and journal entries he wrote during his imprisonment in 2017. Wong was sent to Correctional Institution as he wasn’t 21 at that time. It tells his daily life in there and his continuous effort to fight for the rights as a prisoner and also for the future of his beloved city, Hong Kong. In the final part, Wong shares about his concern on CCP’s scheme of transforming HK into just another city of China could harm the rights of every civilian not for the people of HK, also for the rests of the world.

Wong is a Hong Kong activist and politician whose name was introduced to international as the student leader and the Convenor of Scholarism, a group for Hong Kong's education policy, political reform and youth policy. His pivotal role in the Umbrella Movement made him TIME magazine’s most influential teen of 2014 and got nominated for TIME’s person of the year. In 2017, he was nominated for the Noble Peace Prize for his tireless pursuit of the democratization for HK.

As a youth, Wong inquisitively and fearlessly ask for the civil rights. Demands the adults to involve in the fight. Challenge the authority. He warns the danger of CCP’s elongating hands reaching to the rests of the world. He encourages and pleads some of the remaining oblivious people that solidarity is the key answer in this important time. He signals that Hong Kong is not alone in the awakening of civil society in the face of political authoritarianism.

A week ago, I watched the 2017 documentary about him, Joshua: Teenager vs Superpower. The film covers his work before his first incarceration in 2017. The book is more in details about his life, both his political and religion beliefs. Apart from news and a handful of articles on the Umbrella Movement, I haven’t read anything that attributes so powerful and insightful like this book. While reading his views, I tried to reflect and analyse what is currently happening in my country and what had happened in the past. Then I continue to think how the people of Myanmar reacted in the past and the way they act right now. It’s sickening how the notorious Myanmar Military treats its civilians is sickening. And I’m not doubting my own people. I’m just asking myself how I can act on this and challenge myself in thinking more politically.

Inundated by the current issues in my country, I couldn’t pick any book for this whole month. This book somehow helped me get out from the chasm of reading slump. It is such an important read. 4.5 of 5.

[Joséphine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the memoir of one of the leading protesters of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. The humour, intelligence and straightforwardness of this memoir make it a very nice read! Joshua Wong writes about his very first campaigns at 14, about the school canteens, and how he quickly understood that social media and protests could enable him to take on giants. He spent a few months in prison in 2017, and his journal entries take up half of the book but where one could have expected dry facts or pleas of help, Wong keeps his head on straight, is concerned about the inmates' living conditions, reflects on his political engagement, and actively keeps track of what's happening outside in Hong Kong.
The Netflix documentary, Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower, is also very enlightening. Frightening, but it helps understand what is at stake.

[Mitchel Bui · Rating 5 out of 5]

If anyone thinks this struggle in Hong Kong doesn't effect them, it does.
With the current events that are happening with Hong Kong, reading the news everyday doesn't cover what they're fighting for and why things have escalated to where they are now. This is a great book to read if anyone is curious of the Hong Kong Protests; from the start of the National Education Protests is 2011, to now. The book also taught me some parts of history of other country's struggle for democracy in the late 1900s that I never knew about.

I'll definitely be giving this book a 2nd read. I don't want to give anything away, but if we lose Hong Kong, what else will we lose? No one wanted to face Germany until they invaded Poland.

[Catalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need to read more political books next year

[elisa dovio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Da leggere.
Oggi più che mai
Non si è mai troppo giovani per fare la differenza

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://johannasbook.wordpress.com/20...

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

i picked this book up for the sake of staying informed and relevant and thought to myself, “what better way to learn about the HK protests and the events that led up to it than to read Joshua Wong’s own take?”

instead of being bombarded with calls-to-action, comparisons between HK politics and those of the rest of the world, and criticism against the government, i was surprised by the humble, almost conversational tone of the book. i didn’t think i’d enjoy reading Wong’s daily letters from his time in juvenile prison, but the way he reminisces about life before he entered the political stage and writes about his quirks and interests brings such an unexpected human element to his account of the umbrella movement that we often forget when they become reduced to numbers.

at the end of the day, social movements and protests are only as strong as the will people have to push their cause forward and their compassion for each other and future generations that allows them to stand together. this book reminds us to not only fight for what we believe in, but to honor the people in that battle so as to remember what all of this is for.

[Flynn Antonacci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has opened my eyes to the outside world. How others are being suppressed by their own government and ours just wants to ignore our own protests. Joshua Wong is inspirational and right when it comes to the youth needing to stand up and lead the way to a better future. We have to speak up for our sake and every generation after us. We are the future.

[Amy Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely need to read more political books, and more international books too. This was eye opening on so many levels. Whilst I know that it is a personal account and therefore is very much a specific perspective, I feel I know far more about Hong Kong now than when I visited a few years ago.

[Sarah Yribarren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Throughout reading this I couldn't help but compare it to Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, which was also (for the most part) written from prison, and was about the struggle for democracy, and political imprisonment as necessary on the road to freedom. As you could expect since Joshua Wong was 20-21 when he wrote this and Mandela wrote it way later, the writing was less compelling and the overall narrative had less depth to it. Even his writing in prison didn't feel as philosophical or emotional. He talked about political imprisonment and nonviolent protest, but it felt a bit like a wannabe Letters from a Birmingham Jail. It was more descriptive than anything - which is fine, but as a tool to spur action, not the best. The thoughts felt healf-developed.

I very much felt that Wong's youth was obvious, and inexperience. He has a lot of moral conviction which I commend, and I whole-heartedly agree with his self-determination ideals. But even despite leading protests in the Umbrella Movement and starting the pro-democracy political party Demosisto, I feel that he has that youthful passion but not necessarily the wisdom? Nathan, his colleague, seemed to be described more that way. That is the problem with youth movements though. We have the lack of attachments to be able to take political risks, and the anger since we are often the ones most affected. But we don't have the experience or connections or respect because of ageism. His first imprisonment (before he turned 21) was in a juvenile prison and the portrait I got was of an upper middle class protestor who didn't really know how the world works. He talked about his cellmate and how much he learned from his different background, being less privileged and arrested for drug-trafficking. He talked about how the mandatory clean shifts were the most cleaning he had done in his life. And he talked about how he had to learn to drop random English words from his Cantonese since it was pretentious and the other prisoners didn't know English and would get frustrated. It is really great that he went through this self-growth of recognizing how other people exist. But it did elucidate the pitfalls of his youth, despite being a political leader.

He even had this whole section where he talked about how people in prison didn't understand how he was doing this and risking imprisonment without getting paid anything. They just didn't get it. And it makes sense - a lot of the people in prison with him had to join gangs just to get food on the table and make a living, so leading a political revolution was never on their minds. How could they afford it? Joshua had his parents and family and supporters to support him and had gone to a private school. I could be totally misinterpreting but I feel like he was a little judgmental (at least at first) before realizing where they came from and how privileged he was to be able to be getting into politics.

I support this guy and all he stands for (anti-totalitarianism, pro-democracy, free speech, student rights, right to free assembly, etc.) but I do not feel that he is the best poster boy or leader of the movement. Someone else with a different story would do a better job to make it more palatable, relatable, and convincing. He does in a lot of ways represent youth activism and the generation of Hong Kongers that never knew British rule. But then again - his family had the money and ability to leave to Australia when it got bad, and other youths don't have that and do have to think about their families. So maybe somebody privileged does have to be the leader of the movement. And I suppose that is not so bad except that some part of it just made me feel, I don't think this guy should be the poster boy. I can't explain why exactly. And I like this guy, I really do!! Super cool, freedom fighter, doing what others won't, founded a political party, opposed the CCP, all these things that people should be doing. And I know that leaders no matter what age are flawed and I am 21 so I am not trying to be ageist! But something about it. I don't know, man. Just my impression.

Anyways - I think that maybe it is the fact that this was originally written in Chinese, and the ethos/pathos didn't come off across as much in translating to English. Or maybe I am really comparing this too much to Long Walk To Freedom which I read a couple weeks ago and was a masterpiece. But it really wasn't what I thought it was going to be.

Therefore I give it three stars because I learned about the student protests and pro-democracy movement and state of totalitarianism in Hong Kong, and was also educated on a lot of the concerning bills and actions of the CCP in recent years. But there was a certain factor missing from the book that made it not entirely as compelling as I thought it would be. I think it was a maturity of thought and rhetoric that perhaps didn't work as well in print as it would have in a speech. He always did say he was better at public speaking.

Anyways - just looked it up and apparently he is still in prison (sentenced to 4 more months in April 2023) and his family moved to Australia to escape. Kinda sad even though he says not to be disheartened, but I know that Hong Kong protests have mostly died down and the rich people that could afford (financially and politically) to protest have largely moved out due to the policies and the pandemic. The momentum of the movement was also severely slowed by China during the pandemic with the new national security law that was passed in 2020. And it does seem like it is not on a great trajectory since the second anyone protests they just get sent to jail immediately, or if booksellers publish anti-CCP, pro-democracy material they mysteriously disappear, and that has had a huge chilling effect. But hopefully something gives before the 50 years are up and the SAR status disappears.

#StandWithHongKong

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely outstanding activist book.
✊🏻
A very eye-opening read on what is going on in Hong Kong.

An excellent companion read to Freedom: How we lose it and how we fight back.

Wong, similar to Nathan Law, is an extremely brave and outspoken author.

This was really touching and a very encouraging read.

Really powerful book.

I would highly recommend!

4.8/5

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

So compelling and interesting! I was torn at first because young Joshua seemed overly self-righteous to me, but he really grew into his sense of justice and by the end I very much admired his strength and laughed at his absurdly normal young-adult musings on food and movies he looks forward to after prison.

This packs quite a punch for the relatively short page count, and I recommend it whole-heartedly.

[Cecilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libro molto interessante che serve per conoscere quello che è successo e sta succedendo a Hong Kong attraverso la storia del ragazzo che ha per primo mosso il suo popolo (e il mondo) per opporsi alle crescenti privazioni della libertà che stanno subendo.

[Federico Arcuri · Rating 5 out of 5]

"With your help and the help of the international community, Hong Kong will prevail and so will democracy across the globe, because this canary may be the best hope the world has to counter China's growing hegemony. We are all in this together"

This text is useful to understand the perspective of Honk Kong democratic movement's leaders. Here, Joshua Wong tells about the development of Demosisto from a small high school movement, demanding a textbook reform, to a social phenomenon that challenged the CCP. It is very inspiring to read about his courage to stand up to an authoritarian regime, while at the same time being aware of his own insecurities and fears. "When you go to prison, you bring your own family with you."

I found interesting how Joshua connects Hong Kong's case to other social movements, showing how Hong Kong's struggle, might become our struggle one day. He links the struggle against CCP with movements such as XR and Occupy Wall Street. "The Infinity War that has ravaged Hong Kong for years, i am afraid, may be coming soon to a political theatre near you."

The book is characterized by a strong sense of optimism, in spite of Hong Kong's current dire situation. Commenting the significance of the withdrawal of the Extratidion Bill by the HK government, he says that this event internationally significant as "it is the first ever compromise made by Xi since he took power in 2012. Our hard-fought win suggests that the Mao-like strongman is not invincible and that there is light at the end of the tunnel if only we work together. [...] if a bunch of leaderless young people wearing basic protective gear can wring a concession from the world's most powerful autocratic regime with one of the world's biggest military forces, then imagine what we can achieve if all of us act together. That is why I am asking for your help"

[thereadingrainbowpal · Rating 5 out of 5]

,,Kopf hoch! Benutzt eure Tränen, eure Wut und Enttäuschung, um vorwärts zu preschen. Weiter so, Hongkonger!"

Die oben genannten Emotionen treffen absolut auf mich zu. Anfang des Jahres bin ich auf Netflix auf die Doku Joshua Wong und sein Kampf gegen die Supermacht Chinas gestoßen und war geschockt.

Mein erster Gedanke über die Situation Hongkongs war: Das muss Fiktion zu sein. Das kann nicht wirklich auf der Welt passieren, ohne, dass darüber gesprochen und global für Hongkong gekämpft wird. Denn wie Wong sagt ,,Der unendliche Krieg, der Hongkong seit Jahren verwüstet, könnte bald zu einem politischen Schlachtfeld in Ihrer Nähe werden."

Um die Komplexität und Bedeutung von Hongkongs Situation zu beschreiben, ist zu wenig Platz hier.
Doch eins steht fest: Wenn wir ignorieren, wie China Hongkong ihre Demokratie immer weiter, bis 2047, wo Hongkong sie ganz verlieren wird, durch unmenschliche Maßnahmen abspricht, könnten wir uns bald, wenn nicht jetzt schon, in derselben Situation befinden.
Denn wenn wir zulassen, dass die Bevölkerung von der Polizei, der Exekutive, der Politik, mundtot gemacht, verprügelt, sexuell misshandelt und getötet wird, oder politische Aktivist*innen "verschwinden", dann sollten wir noch einmal überlegen, in welcher Welt wir eigentlich leben.

Ich bitte euch: Lest das Buch, oder schaut wenigstens die Doku "Joshua Wong: Teenager gegen Supermacht. BITTE

Ich gebe mehr als 5 Sterne, ein Jahreshighlight, auch wenn es seltsam klingt.

[Dominika · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed joshua's writing in that it was very understandable for someone who isn't overly well-versed in local politics. it was very enlightening in giving a concise overview of recent events and joshua's journey. what i enjoyed the least was probably the sections that focused on joshua's perception of himself as a figure of importance. not necessarily unpleasant as he did a great job at recalling so many times how he was just an individual among masses but also how an individual does manke a difference. i suppose my cynicism didn't cope too well with that. still, while i went for the book in the hopes of reading about hong kong, it is also a memoir so it did make sense to provide info about joshua as a person which did make the content more easily digestible. would defo recommend!

[Mandira Patel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plenty of rhetoric, but light on detail. It’s unclear how peaceful (or not) protest is meant to create real change in their situation, and there’s little insight into what activists actually do and the erosion of judicial independence going on. Wong’s passion is clear, but the writing feels immature. Given how things are going now, it doesn’t inspire much hope for Hong Kong’s future.

[Lovis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5

A must read if you’re interested in Hong Kong. However, the middle part didn’t contribute a lot. Idk I had very high expectations and they weren’t really met :/ The epilogue is really good though!

[Xabier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joshua Wong nos cuenta a través de sus experiencias el detrimento de la "democracia" de Hong Kong, y a mí parecer ese es el error, el excesivo enfoque en sus vivencias como activista y su experiencia en la carcel, dejando de lado la intencionalidad de libro.