NBA’s Enes Kanter tells Beijing ‘Hong Kong will be free’, says Hongkongers ‘are not Chinese’

NBA star Enes Kanter may not have shown off a fresh pair of customised shoes demonstrating against China as he sat out the Boston Celtics’ defeat by the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, but he did voice his support for a “free Hong Kong” after the game.

Kanter has worn a series of shoes drawing attention to China’s alleged human rights abuses since the 2021-22 NBA season started last month, and has followed up each time with scathing criticism of Beijing on his social media accounts.

Even though he did not feature at TD Garden in Boston, where the Bulls won 128-114, the 29-year-old NBA centre posted another video on Twitter, and directly addressed the camera while wearing a “Stand with Hong Kong” T-shirt.

“When someone says Hong Kong to me, the very first thing I think of is the people, the brave Hongkongers standing up against China’s dictatorship,” he said.

“Hong Kong used to be one of the freest cities in the world but in recent years that has all changed. Enacted by Beijing, the National Security Law is sending generations of Hongkongers to jail simply for exercising their basic rights to freedom of assembly, freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

“The people have done nothing wrong, nothing. All they wanted was to be heard, to be respected, to express their views freely. All they want is freedom.

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“Ever since the National Security Law was imposed we have seen increased crackdowns, increased censorship, increased propaganda, the death of free elections, the death of academic freedom and the death of independent media.”

Hong Kong’s national security law was introduced in June 2020, after a series of anti-government demonstrations had gripped the city in the second half of 2019.

“It is crystal clear that the Chinese government’s end goal is to bring Hong Kong under its total control. We must not let that happen and we must act.” Kanter continued.

“We must hold the Chinese government accountable. To everyone watching I hope you will join me. We must do everything we can to help free Hong Kong. We must support Hong Kong and their struggle for freedom.

“To all Hongkongers watching please know that I stand with you. You are not Chinese, you are not British, you are Hongkongers. So please stay strong, stay brave, Hong Kong will be free.”

Kanter uploaded the video alongside a “Free Hong Kong” hashtag and his latest message to Chinese president Xi Jinping.

NBA star Kanter slams Xi over Uygurs after Tibet

“Ruthless Dictator XI JINPING and the Cultish Chinese Communist Party, hear me loud and clear: Hong Kong will be FREE!” he wrote.

Kanter has been addressing Xi directly on social media on a number of issues, beginning with calls for a Free Tibet – as he wore on his shoes in the Celtics’ season opener against the New York Knicks on October 20.

Since then the Switzerland-born, Turkey-raised NBA star has also drawn attention to topics such as the treatment of the Uygur Muslim population in China’s Xinjiang region and slave labour, in which he called out Nike, LeBron James and Michael Jordan.

China has denied accusations of human rights abuse in Xinjiang, and has claimed the regional government organised “employment-orientated” training and labour skills for nearly 1.3 million workers a year in the region from 2014 to 2019.

Kanter’s most recent pair of shoes – which he wore for Saturday’s game against the Washington Wizards – featured flags of various independence movements and calls to boycott the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games next year.

The NBA player led a rally in Washington over the weekend, where the Celtics had played the Wizards, calling on US Congress to pass the “Uygur Forced Labour Prevention Act”. Kanter was joined outside Capitol Hill by several hundred Uygur, Tibetan and Hong Kong activists.

Chinese streaming giant Tencent responded to Kanter’s original demonstration by removing the Celtics from their service, meaning fans can no longer watch the team’s games or highlights via the NBA’s official partner.

The NBA is still off Chinese terrestrial television screens after CCTV stopped screening games in response to then Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey’s tweet supporting Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters in October, 2019.

While the Rockets have since returned to Tencent, Morey’s current employers the Philadelphia 76ers are absent from the streaming site.

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The Celtics play against the Orlando Magic in their next NBA game on Thursday morning (Hong Kong time).

Kanter has only appeared in two games this season for the Celtics, playing for a total of 10 minutes.