“Yes, your father is a policeman. That fact won’t change. Amid abuse, intimidation and violence, don't get scared,” a mother, whose husband is a police officer in Hong Kong, told her child.

She asked her child to be strong in face of waves of abuse and bullying targeting police in the city.

“When we face difficulties, we should be strong. When others bully us, we should know how to protect ourselves. Remember that we haven’t done anything wrong,” the mother said in a letter to her child.

A child visits Central Police Station to express her support for the police force in Hong Kong, August 10, 2019. (Photo: Xinhua)

She expressed understanding and support for policemen like her husband, who have faced great physical and mental stress when maintaining public order. Police in Hong Kong have become a target of abuse amid recent radical protests and violent demonstrations.

Despite the abuse, the mother told her child to keep faith in love and vowed that her family would stay and do their utmost to maintain peace and prosperity of the city.

“Mom wants to stay in Hong Kong to spend time with my family and Hongkongers, and to work hard for Hong Kong until the very last minute,” she wrote.

The letter was read in front of hundreds of thousands of local residents who participated in a rally Saturday afternoon to support the police and call for an end to violence.

The following is the full text of the letter.

Letter of a mother to her child 

Dear child,

Recently, groups of violent rioters broke the peace of Hong Kong. Only when I hear your innocent laughter, can I have a moment of happiness. Only when I look at your sweet sleeping face at night, can I have a moment of peace.

That afternoon, you called me and cried in panic. It was through the window of your home that you saw the demonstrators in black on the street passing by the entrance to the building. I told you it was safe to stay home. I didn't tell you that your father's colleagues who live in the dormitory of the police force left their elders and children home when they went out on duty at night. Their windows were smashed and they wept in each other’s arms and spent an anxious night. My child, in fact, many people in Hong Kong have been recently crying, but as I told you on weekdays, do not indulge in self-pity. After crying, wipe away your tears, and stand up for yourself.

School will start soon. You may not know that there is a lot of hate speech recently on the internet. Cuss words target policemen’s families. Yes, your father is a policeman. That fact won’t change. Amid abuses being hurled, intimidation and violence, don't get scared. It's useless to get frightened. No one knows for sure whether we will be hurt or whether you will be bullied at school, but mom and dad will do everything we can to protect you. Recently, after I finished my bedtime story with you, I added a few words. I know you can more or less understand it. I said, when we face difficulties, we should be strong, when others bully us, we should know how to protect ourselves, and remember that we haven’t done anything wrong.

If you ask me if your father can quit his police job, I will say he can, but this is the job he loves. Hence, we should not ask him to leave his post. Recently, he has been working day and night. He can endure physical hardships, but the hardest thing to face is the overpowering mental pressure. I know dad hasn’t forgotten that his original aspiration of becoming a policeman was to help maintain public order and protect the people. Now the police force is short of hands most of the time, but dad will not abandon the police force, and we will not abandon dad.

If you ask me if we can leave Hong Kong, I'll say ‘yes’, but Hong Kong is our beloved city and we don't want to leave home. Mom wants to stay in Hong Kong to spend time with my family and Hongkongers, and to work hard for Hong Kong until the very last minute. We should live our lives well and think about what we can do in the current situation. No matter how humble our attempts, at least we tried.

My child, on your long journey in the future, I hope you will always believe in love. Others may think it is absurd to talk about love in such a situation, but if we forget love, get blinded by hatred, and no longer have empathy to understand diversity, our world will become very dangerous. If we forget love, we will soon forget happiness.

The road ahead is not easy at all. A few years later, you will surely be able to understand this letter more clearly. In sad times, remember not only to be a good child of a policeman, but also a good human being. Mom and Dad will always guard you and Hong Kong.

Yours,

Mom

(Story compiled by Huang Jingjing)