2018 LANTOS HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE RECIPIENT

Joshua Wong

 
 
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Joshua Wong, a courageous and prominent leader of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, was awarded the 2018 Lantos Human Rights Prize. Beginning at the tender age of 14, Wong emerged as a key organizer of the peaceful demonstrations against Hong Kong’s oppressive government. 

In 2012, he co-founded the student activist group Scholarism and rallied over 100,000 people to protest against Hong Kong’s plans to implement mandatory “patriotic education” in schools. Wong later became a key leader in the Umbrella Movement, a group of activists that held peaceful protests to send a pro-democracy message to Beijing. Despite being jailed multiple times, Wong has remained adamant in his fight for democracy. 

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The Prize ceremony was held on December 5, 2018, and Joshua Wong –  in conjunction with  Joe Biden, the inaugural recipient of the Decennial Lantos Legacy Award. While Wong was prohibited from attending by the Chinese authorities, his fellow activists Nathan Law and Agnes Chow were able to attend the gala and accept the award on his behalf. Wong shared the following statement:  

“It is a true honor to be awarded the 2018 Lantos Prize. By the time of the award ceremony, I will probably be back behind bars for protesting against Beijing’s authoritarian regime. Alas, civil disobedience has never been risk free but one must fight for what one believes in. Rest assured these challenges have only made me and my fellow activists stronger in our beliefs and more courageous in our convictions. It is an honor for me to accept this prestigious Lantos Prize in the name of the millions of Hong Kongers who decided to stand up against the false façade of democracy and to take their destiny into their own hands.”

Wong was subsequently able to travel to the United States and receive the Lantos Prize medal in person from Foundation President Katrina Lantos Swett. He continues to play an important role in the democracy movement, despite repeated jailings and Beijing’s increasingly brutal crackdown on Hong Kong.