Peter Tsang Yu-hung on SCMP (4)

Pony Ma & Others

20 August 2013

Peter Tsang: Peter Wu, Thanks for the e-mail concerning my past event.

After completing F.4 (Science class) in NMC in June in year 1967, I was dispelled from NMC of no obvious reason. May be my point view on anti-UK/HK government which I had openly discussed with my schoolmates had greatly alerted NMC that I was a “trouble maker”. Feeling distress, hopeless & helpless, Heung To Middle School put on green lights & invited me to be her Middle Five student. At that time, I had nil alternatives but to continue my study in September, 1967 in Heung To Middle School.

It was on the late afternoon, round about 4pm, on the 1st November, 1967 when some of our students were stopped by HK police on a street which was within walking distance from our school in Kowloon Tong, requesting to search our schoolbags for possible possession of illegal weapons. Definitely, we refused & protested that it was unreasonable & unacceptable. Reason simply because it was afterschool time & on the same street there were students also from some other nearby schools, why the HK police only pinpointed at Heung To students ?

We shout slogans, we sung songs, we protested ...... but all in vain. Eventually we were arrested, 52 students from various forms (Middle 1 to 5) & 1 teacher, all charged under emergency Law of Attending Illegal Assembly in public place. To the best of my memory, none of us had admitted guilty in court as we were just students walking home after school. Thereafter, for students age 16-18, we were sentenced to ONE year imprisonment. This is typically Colonial Governance ! In fact, we were 100% innocent.

Within six months from May that year, I found myself in Stanley Prison, stigmatized by the UK/HK government as “Rioters”. We were beaten, tortured during & after arrested & imprisonment. No doubt, I had had a very hard time. I was badly damaged & injured, physically & mentally. Things went even worse after I was released from prison. Though I am the only son of the family, I was abandoned by my parents, mostly my mother, who felt extremely upset & disappointed upon my encounter. They claimed that I was very stubborn & rebellious. With nil or little support, spiritually & financially, from my family, I have to be determined & stand on my own, for my living & for my future.

Peter Wu, again you are absolutely correct to say, this is unquestionably a negative reinforcement. I have tried extremely hard to have Good things to come out of Bad, as you have said in your e-mail to me. Your saying touches the bottom of my heart. During my past struggled several decades, every time I come across difficulties, I take a deep breath, hold my tears & I demand myself not to give up but stand up straight again. For the past thirty eight years working in the nursing profession, only my wife & my first lady girlfriend knew about my past event. I sealed  my lips & kept dead silent of my undeleted criminal record. No wonder all my nursing students & colleagues were overwhelmingly surprised & astonished to know that I was a “criminal” when I have my past history be openly disclosed after I retired in year 2011.

Peter Wu, I have nil intention to seek popularity but should my past encounter can be a good piece of material for our younger generation to take references in their future development, I will be more than happy to share with them my experience in overcoming difficulties, strongly & persistently. 

Once again, thank you so much for all the kind concern & support you have so kindly offered.

At the same time, you have all offered me your respect & proud of which I truly feel deeply impressed. With your understanding & recognition I feel utmost satisfy, pleasant & comfort. Though our mother school had closed yet the value of our true friendship will ever forever unforgettable. I can’t wait to see you all in our next reunion in HK.

Wishing you all Healthy & Happy in the years ahead !

Stella Tse: Peter Tsang, what you experienced as a teenager was quite an ordeal.  As you said below: I have to be determined & stand on my own, for my living & for my future.  And sure you did, I admire you for turning your life around and making contribution through your nursing career.  This is a good story for everyone.

Sue Tang: Peter Tsang, I feel privileged and honored to learn about such a dramatic and inspiring story.  I always believe that those who had a 'dark' side in their lives not only appreciate their achievements, they add characters and strength to all.  The 'dark' side can be perceived as having done something wrong or  those who had a very humble and difficult past.  But how do you judge right from wrong and how do you judge those who made an innocent mistake and those who are totally innocent but being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

We all have problems and difficulties, sometimes we just call them challenges; and it is all about how we choose to view it and deal with it.  Times when we feel nothing is going right and we wonder how much lower can we get, the choice is yours.......lay there and be stepped on and be a victim, or take that negative energy and turn it into fire and fight back and nothing would be allowed to get in your way.  A commitment to yourself that you will not let others destroy who you are and that you will fight to take control of your life.  The outcome driven from adversity, conviction and passion brings such high sense of satisfaction and sweetness that words cannot express.  You are undoubtedly that inspiring role model for us.

I remember meeting you the first time at the last reunion when we were at the boat ride.  I feel that you were speaking with contentment, great pride and expressing great care for others.  I remember the smile on your face when you talked about your rewarding nursing profession and how fulfilled you are when you spoke about the respect you get from your team.  The happiness comes from knowing that you make a difference to other's lives.  You don't stop there, now you are sharing your story so others can learn from it, be inspired knowing that adversity can be beaten.  You are an excellent walking example of how to make good out of the bad.  Not only would you hold your head high as you retire as a respectable nurse and leader, there are more reasons for you, your family and your friends to hold our heads high as you speak shamelessly and fearlessly about the past so to help others find peace and success in life.  No judge or committee can do justice as your achievements and contributions are facts that speak the truth.

Like you I am proud of my humble past and wouldn't change a thing as things happen for a reason and I believe that God is always fair...........  Thanks again for the wisdom you share.

Peter Tsang: Thanks for your compliment ! Thanks for your encouragement !

I do remember we met in our reunion travelling in mainland China some two years ago. Thereafter we have communicated, once or twice, via e-mail, the nmc alumni. 

In our life span, we all come across, up & down, rise & fall, happy & sad. Reaching the age of over sixty, we left our school & started working in the society. Thereafter we have our status changed ; from single to married, from someone’s husband/wife to someone’s father/mother. Unquestionably we all have our own story to tell. Indeed I respect, I appreciate & I admire people around me who have achieved success by exerting their long, persisting & unfailing effort in both their family & their career. I love to listen to them because I learnt a lot from them. No doubt, they are live successful samples that worth our taking references in our life & career development. May be I am a bit sentimental yet my profession demands me to respect patient’s emotional respond & learn from them their great determination in fighting against diseases, their physical enemy. By so doing, I gain initiation & motive to perform my nursing duty to patients with passion & love. It is my professional obligation to provide them with our genuine concern & high quality nursing caring with full respect, despite of whatever race, nationality, class, gender .... our patients’ belong.

Sue Tsang, you are correct, obstacles that lies & block our way ahead should be treated as challenges. By the way I feel shy of your crowning me an inspiring role model as I am just doing something that I believe, you all can do, or even better, if you were having the same encounter that I had had. Nevertheless I feel utmost delighted of receiving all the positive responds from many of our NMC schoolmates. This is so precious that money can never buy. I am so proud of having you all as my dearest companions though we seldom met in the 80s, 90s, ......

Sue Tang, again you are correct to say that I feel no shame nor fear of telling people my past & I also feel extremely happy & greatest honour for all the past years, working in public hospitals, serving mostly the middle lower class public. From bottom of my heart, I appreciate all the kind words you have so truly & kindly written. I am touched ! I am impressed ! Do promise me that you will take good care of yourself  & I am here anxiously looking forward to seeing you in our next NMC reunion in Hong Kong !

May I here wishing you & your family, wholeheartedly, all the best in the years to come !

-To be continue-