Tanya Chan
Four years ago, Tanya Chan was seen as the rising star of the Civic Party. Her love for drama and her chatty nature set her apart as one of the few legislators in Hong Kong with any personality. As her Legco term comes to an end and she gears up to run for re-election in September, she talks to Grace Tsoi about the single life, gossip magazines and the city’s fast-changing political climate.
If you want to care about society, there are a lot of ways and platforms. It isn’t just confined to the Legco chamber, protests and demonstrations.
The de-facto referendum movement [when Chan and other lawmakers resigned in protest to press the government to support universal suffrage] changed me a lot. The election [after the resignation] was the hardest of all the elections in my life.
Since I was a core participant, I had first-hand experience with political tensions, the power of smearing and suppression. When I went out onto the streets, I was scolded by some citizens in a very harsh manner. But in the last week before the voting, quite a lot of people gave me words of encouragement. It was all very intense and happened in a very short time.
The experience humbled me. After the de-facto referendum, I remembered that everything I have is bestowed by the citizens. You have to be accountable to them. You can’t assume that you can be a lawmaker for your whole life.
The de-facto referendum was a turning point, and it’s almost impossible to turn the tide. The pan-democratic camp has to face reality and think about how to handle their [tense] internal relationships. I think that the pan-dems cannot afford to split off and partition themselves.
In the past year, the political climate of Hong Kong has undergone tremendous change, especially in terms of freedom and human rights. The visit of [Chinese Vice Premier] Li Keqiang, a series of political incidents, CY Leung becoming the chief executive... We have to rethink what sort of difficulties we will face in the future.
The most important thing is that if you know things are going to change, you have to accept it and brace for it.
I had never had insomnia in my whole life. But I suffered from insomnia for a month before the chief executive election. I think it’s because of CY Leung getting elected. It’s just hard to accept this person. Do Hongkongers really need to suffer this?
Have you read the latest cover of Face Magazine [a local gossip magazine that ran a cover story about Chan having a three-way with a 26-year-old rapper and a lyricist]? It’s just laughable! The reporter called me the other day and asked me if there’s potential to develop a relationship with [the rapper]. I told the reporter that the rapper would not be interested in going out with an auntie!
It was a coincidence that I joined [charity arts organization] Zuni Icosahedron in my second year of university. A teammate on my secondary school softball team asked me if I had an interest in drama, and she invited me. I didn’t know how she knew that I was interested. Perhaps it’s just that I love to perform.
There was a phase when I felt very lost. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. After studying law in university, I swore that I wouldn’t be a lawyer. I worked in an investment bank instead.
The 1997 financial crisis didn’t hit me. But I felt like it was time for new things. I returned to campus and studied law again. It’s strange, but I became much more proactive [in legal studies].
I turned 40 last September. I didn’t get nervous or upset because I had been learning to accept the reality ever since I turned 39. In the coming 10 years, I will decide how I want to live the next half of my life. I have to choose what I want and what I don’t want.
I have been mentally prepared to stay single for life. But I wouldn’t say that it’s impossible for me to find a partner. “Leftover women”? The term sounds a bit pathetic. I don’t really care about it. After passing the age of 35, it’s my choice to remain single.
I can’t be a good wife. I am a politician, and I don’t have time. When compared to others, I already have a lot of things in life.
I wasn’t shocked that I got defeated in the District Council election, but I was surprised by the margin. The winning candidate got double the number of my votes.
My haircut has absolutely nothing to do with my defeat in the District Council election. I had long hair for more than 10 years. It doesn’t mean anything—it’s just that I want some new stimulus in life.
