Jimmy Lai is a political prisoner in Hong Kong. One of the great businessmen of the East, he is now a symbol of freedom’s struggle against tyranny. His son Sebastien is campaigning worldwide to win his release. I have done a podcast with him, a Q&A, here.
Sebastien was born in Hong Kong in 1994. His father has been in prison since December 2020. His father is in his mid-seventies, and, according to reports, he is kept in solitary confinement 23 hours a day. He easily could have left Hong Kong, when the shadows fell over that city. But he chose — yes, chose — to endure prison.
He is a remarkable man with a remarkable story, and Sebastien tells some of it in our podcast.
The Chinese government has put bounties on the heads of Hong Kongers in exile — exiled Hong Kongers who speak out about persecution in their home city. In the Q&A, I ask Sebastien whether he takes precautions. He pauses in answering — then says, “Look, my father does not deserve to be in jail, and I’ll keep fighting until he’s out.”
In November 2020, Jimmy Lai sent out a tweet. “Let us not be afraid and fight on!” he said. “The world’s attention is our saving grace.”
Yesterday, some of us did some attention-paying in Washington, D.C. The Ronald Reagan Institute hosted an event, in conjunction with the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The event included the showing of a documentary about Jimmy Lai, The Hong Konger, and a panel discussion. To watch the event, go here. And, again, the podcast with Sebastien Lai is here.