Thread by @Stand_with_HK

Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.(SWHK) has taken note of @finnlau_cd announcement yesterday.

Since July 2019, SWHK has been a grassroots activist organisation advocating for our city’s freedom and democracy amid unprecedented CCP encroachment.

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We are the volunteers who've operated SWHK in the past 18 months. For branding purposes, we use SWHK for our anglophone constituency. We took on the name of Team Laam Chau (攬炒團隊) in Hong Kong with Finn’s blessing.

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In operations to date, we are one and the same. You don't know us but you know our work.

Every little win for Hong Kong belongs to its people for their support has made it possible. We want to thank you for not letting us walk alone.

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And who cares about labels? We are inspired by the courage and sacrifice of millions of Hongkongers who fight together for our home. We strive to be their conduit so that their voices can be heard by the international community.

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Our commitment to a dignified future for Hong Kong and the welfare of our fellow Hongkongers have been our guiding star.

We believe ordinary Hongkongers - whose passion and selflessness have touched the world - are the face of the movement.

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SWHK has been and remains a creative process. It has been moulded by the energy and tireless efforts of the collective. SWHK has never been directed by a single or even a group of individuals. Each of us plays to our strengths.

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.@finnlau_cd became the voice of the group for the Hong Kong audience via his LIHKG persona. For others who live abroad, we take up local grassroots and lobbying activities to inform our friends and politicians in our respective countries.

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Those with other skills such as design, social media, and strategy contribute behind the scenes. Tens of thousands of you have donated to our cause.

Building sustained political support is a painstaking journey rather than a viral sensation.

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We welcome the opportunity to explain how we have been managing the donations. SWHK takes this responsibility very seriously. SWHK has organised three fundraisers; and the proceeds are managed through a trust domiciled outside of Hong Kong.

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As custodian of the fund, SWHK has established an approval process to support global activities that are aligned with the crowd-fund objectives (see our financial disclosure for historical uses of the fund). Each proposal is assessed for strategic alignment,

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value for money, and experience transfer for organisers across geographies. Crucially, no single member can make financial decisions for SWHK.

Against this context, SWHK cannot countenance the financial demands made via Finn’s YouTube video.

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Even if we leave aside the arbitrariness of this request, the fund cannot be split as proposed for legal reasons. SWHK continues to urge Finn and his new team to seek funding through the well-established framework. This same process has been used by activists

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and grassroots organisations worldwide to advocate for the cause of Hong Kong for well over a year.

As a group of Hongkongers fighting for democracy and freedom, we operate as a democracy in action. Every volunteer counts and no one counts for more than another.

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As we fight against the world’s largest authoritarian state, whose brutal efficiency is made possible by a centralisation of power, we believe in having robust processes and institutions.

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SWHK would like to thank Finn for his inspiration, hard work, and support. With the formation of @HKLiberty_Team, we wish Finn all the best in this new endeavour. All of us at SWHK are proud of the things we managed to get done as a team.

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Bringing democracy to Hong Kong is a monumental task. It needs all the talent, diversity, and perseverance we can muster.

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In the absence of democratic institutions either in Hong Kong or within the movement, the voices of HongKongers are best channeled through a diverse and vibrant civil society. Welcome Finn and his new team to join the fold!

#FightForFreedom
#StandwithHongKong

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