Ankara hosts 'Taiwan Night - Melody for Freedom'

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – Protesters in Hong Kong who are resisting the government’s move to legalize extradition to mainland China received solidarity and support Friday at a musical evening in Turkey.

The Taiwanese mission in Ankara hosted “Taiwan Night -- Melody for Freedom”, which was dedicated to the people of Hong Kong and “East Turkistan”.

Popular pianist Kai-yin Huang performed classical and modern music along with Turkish singer Mert Ozdemir.

“Taiwan Night is dedicated to people of our neighbor Hong Kong. We admire their effort to protect their own basic human rights, freedom and democracy,” said Yaser Tai-hsiang Cheng, head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Mission in Ankara.

Hong Kong, an autonomous region under China’s control since 1997, has been witnessing unprecedented demonstrations since early June after the government of Chief Executive Carrie Lam moved to pass an amendment to the extradition law to legalize extradition of even suspects to mainland China, Macao and Taiwan.

Hong Kong and Macao are autonomous regions under Chinese rule, while Taiwan is what China calls a ‘breakaway province’.

Hong Kong witnessed million marches and some incidents of violence. Several people were arrested and some fled to Taiwan, fearing persecution for attacks on Hong Kong’s Legislative Council building and the Chinese government’s liaison office.

The Lam government dropped the bill and declared it “dead” but is yet to formally withdraw it.

Last Monday, Taiwan called for holding “democratic” elections in Hong Kong.

“It’s sad to see the rule of law eroding & the divide between the people & the government widening in #HongKong. The way forward is genuine democratic elections, not violence in the streets & #MTR stations. The freedom & #HumanRights of the people must be protected!” Joseph Wu, Taiwan’s foreign minister, said in a Twitter post, expressing support for the embattled people of Hong Kong.

Yaser added that the event was dedicated to “brothers and sisters of East Turkistan [Xinjiang] who are held in so-called re-education camps”.

The Xinjiang region is home to 13 million Uighurs. The Turkic Muslim group, which makes up around 45% of Xinjiang’s population, has long accused Chinese authorities of cultural, religious and economic discrimination.

The event was jointly held by Rotary Club of Ankara International.

“Education is a must, culture is a necessity and art is inevitable,” said Mehmet Hakan Karaalioglu, governor of the Rotary Club of Ankara.

“Our aim is not only to connect just two countries [with this event], but this event aims to connect the whole world,” he said.

-‘Melody of Freedom’ -- from New York to Istanbul

Born in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, Kai-yin Huang studied music in New York, majoring in piano, winning scholarships and fellowships in the U.S. She is an alumni of the Juilliard School of Music and a Master’s graduate from Yale University.

Kai-yin completed her doctorate from the State University of New York in 2012 and started traveling and holding concerts focusing on minorities and oppressed communities.

“Music is very subjective, but I wanted to do something very objective to serve the society,” Kai-yin told Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of the function.

“So, soon after my PhD was done, I started traveling to the Middle East and I also came to Turkey, but for a short stint,” she said.

-Music knows no language

Expressing support for the people of Hong Kong, Kai-yin said “I feel terrible for people [of the region]. I support the cause [of the anti-extradition bill] -- no question about that.”

Kai-yin said she holds concerts in Lebanon with a group of fellow performers.

“And after today’s event [in Ankara], in the coming February (2020), we will join hands with a university in Istanbul for some programs that will feature something on Turkey and Syria, in Arabic as well, where we expect students and people from Syria and Lebanon as well, besides Turks,” she added.

She is based in Taipei, where she leads “Kairo Arts” -- an artistic band. She is also associated with New York-based 88 International, an artistic group.

Kai-yin has also performed in Myanmar.

“We did a lot for people from Rakhine. We showcased them…Their culture is different,” she said.

“A lot of conflict comes from ignorance, by not knowing each other,” the Taiwanese artist emphasized. “People start to become fearful, and culture is bigger than that.”

Myanmar’s Rakhine state is home to ethnic Rohingya who are a persecuted minority in the country and have been forced out of their homes to nearby countries.

Kai-yin believes if people start to learn about each other’s culture, “sometimes music is the best entrance”.

“Because music does not require so much language. So once we start to know each other, things will start to change, and when we start to make music together, it is hard to hate each other,” she maintained.

Turkish performer Mert Ozdemir said it was his first collaboration with the “Kairo Arts” leader.

“We are looking for more such events in the future,” he said.