PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 11 November, 2014, 9:59pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 12 November, 2014, 11:06am
Benny Tai with Tonya as a little girl. Photo: SCMP Pictures
The daughter of Occupy Central co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting has written of her “unbearable pain” at seeing her father’s “white hair, coarse voice and staggering steps” since the protests began.
In a 1,900-word article posted on the In-media website yesterday, Tonya Tai wrote in Chinese of her father, the “most diligent person and best husband and daddy in the world”.
The article includes an old photograph of Tai and Tonya as a little girl. The byline is “Tong-ya”, but In-media editor Damon Wong Chun-pong confirmed it was written by Tonya, a fourth-year student at Chinese University’s government and public administration department. Tonya also confirmed she had written it.
Tai, an associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, said yesterday he “dared not read” the article before the lecture he was about to give as he was afraid he would get too emotional. Tai has two other children.
Tonya also revealed that she was studying in Australia when the Occupy protests began on September 27, but she returned to Hong Kong for 10 days to support her father.
Tonya begins by saying how proud she is of Tai’s knowledge, and that he “respects and enjoys his job more than anyone else”.
“I am most proud of his selfless and fearless spirit,” she wrote, adding that Tai continued to be dedicated to his job in academia after starting up the civil disobedience movement about two years ago. “I’ve seen a lot less of dad at home [since then].
“Dad said he’s timid … but he never shrinks back in the face of criticism … When I saw him on TV, hitting back at the unintelligent remarks of pro-establishment councillors, I was shocked.
“But he also has his weak side. Countless times he has broken down and cried in church … but after letting out [his emotions] he … would smile again.”
Tonya also revealed that she was studying in Australia when the Occupy protests began on September 27, but she returned to Hong Kong for 10 days to support her father. “He never rested,” she wrote. “His hair turning white suddenly, his coarse voice and staggering steps gave me an unbearable pain in my heart. All I could do was to pray for him.”
