Brave Vera Lui brings Hong Kong into the #MeToo campaign against sexual assault

Alice Wu applauds the Hong Kong hurdler for revealing the abuse she suffered as a child to raise awareness of a painful and taboo subject. As a society, we must encourage more to come forward

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Top Hong Kong hurdler Vera Lui Lai-yiu posted on Facebook this photo of her holding a sign that reads “#MeToo”, with her initials “LLY”. In the post, she accused her coach of sexually assaulting her when she was a schoolgirl. Photo: AFP / Courtesy of Lui Lai-yiu

Published: 11:00am, 3 Dec 2017Updated: 7:01pm, 3 Dec 2017

Equal Opportunities Commission chairperson Alfred C.M. Chan wrote a wonderful piece for the Post last week, musing aloud how long Hong Kong would remain a “silent onlooker” as the world turns on its post-Harvey-Weinstein axis. I also wondered about that.

It’s not an easy topic to talk about, in public or private. But the most difficult conversations are the ones sexual assault victims have with themselves. Wrestling with accepting what has been done and dressing wounds that cannot be seen are no small feat. Those who have been assaulted have to heal, and face the monsters who harmed them. The pain and anguish can be debilitating – the more reason for us to start talking about it.

It’s time to face “it” straight on, with courage. Whatever you call “it” – rape, sexual violence, sexual harassment, sexual intimidation, or “inappropriate sexual behaviour”, as was the case with the recently fired NBC News Today host Matt Lauer – “it” is real. It is everywhere – most definitely not a Western social construct or something that happens only in the West.

Vera Lui proved that victims, too, can survive, and emerge from the devastation of sexual abuse as a pillar of strength, helping others and becoming an agent of change for the world. Photo: Warton Li

Athlete Vera Lui Lai-yiu, Hong Kong’s “queen of hurdles”, made sure Hong Kong was no longer a city of silent onlookers, and for that, I thank Lui. Thank you for your courage and your #MeToo, and thank you for giving Hong Kong a gift on your 23rd birthday.

Coming forward and joining the global #MeToo movement to reveal that she was sexually assaulted by her coach when she was only 13, Lui has made “it” a front and centre issue.

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