On June 12, Japanese street performer Mr. Wally, who had previously performed in Hong Kong from 2015 to 2020, wrote on Twitter that he was denied entry to Hong Kong and deported back to Japan after being interrogated for two hours by Hong Kong immigration officials upon arrival.
Mr. Wally wrote on Twitter that it was his first visit to Hong Kong in three years. Upon arrival at the airport, he was stopped by immigration officials and taken to another room where he was interrogated about his activities in Hong Kong from 2019 to 2020 for two hours.
He believed the Hong Kong government (HK Govt) was trying to eliminate visitors who had expressed democratic views or supported the anti-extradition bill movement in 2019. He suspects many foreign journalists and political figures who attempted to enter Hong Kong may have experienced the same situation and feel excluded.
After returning to Japan, Mr. Wally posted on social media in Chinese that Immigration told him that his denial of entry was because he “had previously performed on the streets of Hong Kong,” which he believes is a “completely unjustified reason” for rejection since he had visited Hong Kong 35 times since 2015 and was only visiting friends this time. He thinks the real reason was that he displayed a banner showing “Hongkongers, keep going” during his street performances in 2019 and 2020.
“No more freedom of speech in Hong Kong, and everything has changed since 2020.” He said on his Facebook.
He believes he may not have the opportunity to revisit Hong Kong. Still, he will forever cherish the memories of the city and the remarkable courage displayed by its people during the democratic movement.
He also said, “Revolution by democratic demonstrations may not have come true, but your courage is deeply engraved in my heart and memory. Keep it up, Hongkongers! I love you guys and will always do.”
Mr. Wally has performed on the streets of Hong Kong and displayed the slogan “Hong Kong People, Keep Going” many times.
In early 2023, a similar incident happened to another Japanese. Photographer Michiko Kiseki, who shot the 2019 anti-extradition bill movement and published a photo book, “VOICE Hong Kong 2019,” was also denied entry. On December 30, 2022, Michiko Kiseki was denied entry to Hong Kong International Airport and was deported to Japan the next day. When questioned by the immigration staff, she was repeatedly interrogated about her photo exhibition in Japan on the theme of the anti-extradition bill movement.
