Han Hui Hui Accused of Plagiarism

The activist Han Hui Hui has been in the news a lot lately in regard to protests that she helped to organize and other activities that relate to her campaign against the PAP. However, recent claims that she has lied about some of the events connected to her activism and people accusing her of plagiarism have the attention focused on her for reasons that she is probably less comfortable with.

The accusations stem from a post on her blog where she claims to be talking about her experiences as a protestor and activist and the history of the movement in the country. The post first appeared on her blog on 27 October and it does seem to be eerily similar to an account written by a Hong Kong protestor by the name Joshua Wong Chi-Fung that appeared in the New York Times and the Straits Times.

The following is part of the post from the New York Times article that has lead to some of the criticisms that are being leveled at Han Hui Hui:

“In 2011, many young people, myself included, organised to oppose a national education programme of Chinese propaganda that Beijing tried to force on us. I was 14 at the time, and all I could think of was that the leaders in Beijing have no right to brainwash us with their warped view of the world.”

For comparison, here is a similar excerpt from the blog of Han Hui Hui:

“In 2008, many young people, myself included, organised to oppose an education programme that PAP government tried to force on us. I was 17 at the time, and all I could think of was that the lecturers in college have no right to brainwash us with their warped view of the world.”

As you can see, they are quite similar and it seems that she may have simply changed some of the details to make the text fit her personal situation. Any reader that takes the time to read both posts will find various passages between the two that are almost or completely identical.