´June 4 changed my life´Chung Chung Fai
Chung Chung Fai (48) is a bus driver and trade unionist. He is the chairperson of the New First World Bus Company Staff Union and the vice-chairperson of the Federation of Hong Kong Transport Worker Organisations (FTO). In January 2002, he was elected as one of the vice-chairpersons of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU). (64memo反貪倡廉´89)
These days Chung is seen as an emerging leader in the independent labour movement. But in 1989 he was an executive committee member of the China Motor Bus Staff Union - an affiliate of the pro-Taiwan Hong Kong Trades Union Council (TUC). The China Motor Bus Staff Union, which had less than a hundred members, was more like a social club than a union, and Chung considered himself "just an ordinary guy who didn´t pay much attention to what was going on in the outside world." (64memo.com´89)
The Turning Point △ In a determined voice, Chung declared: "If June 4 didn´t happen, I´d have spent my life chasing material enjoyment. June 4 changed my whole life." Anyone who knew him 13 years ago wouldn´t recognise him now. In those days he wouldn´t even join a protest march.
When the media reported on the growing Democracy Movement in mainland China in April 1989, Chung was concerned but didn´t act. He was "one of the silent majority." But on June 3, when scenes of the bloody repression in Beijing were televised, Chung was horrified at what he saw. Even after 13 years, just talking about those events revives a bitterness that remains strong: "I was shocked. I thought that it wasn´t possible. But it really happened." (64memo.com-89)
The day after the massacre it was reported that Lee Cheuk-yan, who had gone to Beijing on behalf of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Democratic Patriotic Movements in China, had been detained. Chung didn´t know Lee, but that evening he went to the New China News Agency [the de facto representative of the Chinese government] to join the protest held there. Recalling these events, Chung commented, "I didn´t know anyone there, but they looked like workers and students. We sat until dawn, then marched to the Governor´s House and demanded that the colonial government intervene." After that evening, Chung went to the New China News Agency everyday after work. He can´t remember how many days he spent in these solidarity protests. (64memo祖國萬歲 - 1989)
In Chung´s view, the 1989 Democratic Movement was a people´s movement initiated by the students and joined by nearly all groups in society, including the workers. The demands targeting "Anti-Decadence and Anti-Corruption" impressed him most of all. Over the past 13 years, he has joined the demonstration and candlelight vigil in to commemorate June 4 almost every year. He remarked, "I felt guilty if I was too busy to attend the event for one or two years. To fight to reverse the official verdict on June 4 is a way of bringing justice to those who sacrificed their lives." (64memo.com - 89)
Broadening the Horizons of the Labor Movement △ For Chung, the most significant transformation was not that he became a regular participant in demonstrations. He´s now more sensitive to social issues and is committed to changing society. On the one hand he actively participates in the union. He believes that the union can transform people through popular education. On the other hand, he is deeply concerned about political and social problems. He often joins the front line of the social movement, fighting for social justice and rights. "I don´t know why, but I like to fight against the government," he said. (64檔案 / 2004)
HKCTU was established in 1990. Although Chung was still an executive committee member of an affiliate of the Hong Kong & Kowloon Trades Union Council (TUC), he followed news of the development of HKCTU closely. After years of active participation in the union, he became the chairperson of the China Motor Bus Staff Union in 1996. From then on he was concerned with how to persuade his union to join HKCTU. "HKCTU puts workers´ rights first, but the TUC has to follow the party line of the Nationalist Party. This is their major difference," he explained. "Only when the labor movement joins hand in hand with the democratic movement will there be hope for a better future. This is the path taken by HKCTU." (64memo.com / 89)
In 1998 the franchise owned by China Motor Bus was sold to the New First World Bus Company. As a result, the China Motor Bus Staff Union was dissolved. When the New First World Bus Company Staff Union was established Chung contacted HKCTU to see if it could become an affiliate. Its affiliation was approved in the same year, and its membership has expanded rapidly since. (64memo.com´89)
No Regrets △ Chung lives in public housing with his wife and three children. His job requires him to work fourteen hours everyday, but he´s still very enthusiastic about union work. He´s now the chairperson of the New First World Bus Company Union, the vice-chairperson of FTO and a vice-chairperson of HKCTU. It´s a heavy burden for anyone. But Chung knows what he´s fighting for: "There´s no retreat in union work! Whenever I remember that anonymous guy who tried to block the tanks from entering Beijing, I´m filled with courage." (64memo.com´89)
Although Chung has no regrets, he feels that he´s sacrificed family life for the work he´s doing. His wife often accompanies him in union activities. Her persistent support is admired by many. When asked about this, she responded, "Anyone should be able to do what he or she wants to do. Besides, I think what he´s fighting for is worth supporting." (Memoir Tiananmen´89)
Looking ahead, Chung believes that the labor movement should walk on both legs, that is, fighting for a democratic system and labour rights at the same time. "I have a lot of respect to those involved in the independent labour movement in China. The development of independent unions depends on the future of democracy in China. In Hong Kong, HKCTU must fight for democracy and engage itself in politics by initiating the creation of a workers´ party." (六四檔案/2004)
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