Tough introduction to the art world
When most of the audience began turning and walking away from an arts installation celebrating the annual Human Rights Day, the student artists put on a brave face and declared their efforts a success.
To commemorate the 56th anniversary of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 5, seven local non-governmental organisations staged a street carnival in Mongkok.
The event - with the theme of arbitrary detention - held forums, exhibitions and game stalls to foster social awareness of the human rights situation in mainland China and worldwide.
The only secondary school participants were an all-girl team from CCC Fung Leung Kit Memorial Secondary School. The nine A-level students from the Tai Po school put together an art installation from scratch.
'When we decided to join the competition, we had no clue about the theme. So we attended a seminar by the organisers to figure it out,' said Wong Mei-fong.
Her eight teammates from a liberal studies class included Au Yuen-kan, Tsui Wai-yu, Pun Ching-yan, Yun Yin-mei, Wong Tak-yi, Sun Wai-yin, Wu Ka-lai.
According to the UN, arbitrary detention roughly translates into thousands of confinements each year - sometimes this means being locked up for months, years or even indefinitely without an arrest warrant or any charges - because they have exercised one of their fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression, and they are unable to benefit from the right to a fair trial.
Prominent examples would be the recently released Chinese military doctor Jiang Yanyong after he exposed the mainland's cover-up of Sars, and Myanmar's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held in house arrest since May 2003, when her supporters clashed with the pro-government forces.
'I was surprised when the seminar pointed out that arbitrary detention was not restricted to under-developed or developing countries. It happens in advanced countries such as America, Australia and even Hong Kong, where Vietnamese asylum seekers were forced to live in designated campsites,' said Pun.
'Some detainees did no wrong. They said something they genuinely believed was good for the public interest and their countries. This is disrespectful,' Wong said. 'When so many countries regard the law on arbitrary detention as fair, where do the detainees stand?'
The group was keen to share their views with the public, but the students were disappointed by the bleak response from people, most of whom paid little attention to their efforts.
'People turned away and refused to listen to us when they found there were no games or gifts available,' Wong said. 'As citizens, shouldn't we at least try to equip ourselves with some basic knowledge of social or public issues like this?'
But there was a small crowd that did stay and try to understand the works and the students' ideas.
'That was still an achievement and one step forward,' Wong said.
Chan agreed. 'Most people might not care much, but we have learnt a lot in the process.'
