Franco Mella (born 1948) is an Italian Roman Catholic priest and Maoist social activist.[1] Since arriving in Hong Kong in 1974, he has been known as an advocate for the rights of the disadvantaged in both Hong Kong and mainland China.[2] Mella is a member of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions.[3]
Franco Mella | |||||||||||
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 Father Mella in a 2013 Hong Kong protest | |||||||||||
| Born | 1948 (age 75–76) Milan, Italy | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Chinese | 甘浩望 | ||||||||||
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In the 1970s and 1980s, Mella led a protest against the British Hong Kong government for the rights of the Yau Ma Tei boat people and their mainland wives. The 1999 film Ordinary Heroes directed by Ann Hui is partly based on this story.[4]
In 2011, Mella was barred from entering mainland China, which he linked to the rising tensions between the Chinese government and the Holy See.[5]
References
edit- ^ "Career Challenge 2012/13 - Father Franco MELLA Founder of "Right of Abode University"". www.eoc.org.hk. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
- ^ Mella, Franco; Whitehead, Kate (September 23, 2015). "Father Franco Mella on 40 years helping downtrodden in Hong Kong and China". Post Magazine.
- ^ "Missionary says 'one nation, two systems' sets up Hong Kong for a fall". cruxnow.com. 2020-06-01. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
- ^ Whitmore, Stuart (2000). "FIRST WE TAKE BERLIN". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
- ^ "China bars HK activist priest as Vatican tension escalates". Reuters. 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2021-04-09.