When Hong Kong was handed over to China on July 1, 1997, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate their return to the motherland. The drug of a "greater China" worked on Hong Kongers' nationalist sentiments to great effect, confusing their brains and blurring their vision so that they could not distinguish which value is higher, the concept of a greater China or their personal freedom.
Seven years later, the memory of this joyous scene is still fresh. But more than 500,000 people hit the streets once again to protest Beijing's autocracy, which has deprived them of their freedom to directly elect their chief executive in 2007 and lawmakers in 2008. Over the past seven years, freedom, the economy and social culture in Hong Kong have all deteriorated. In the people's own words, the territory is becoming more and more like China's hinterland.
Hong Kongers used to think that they could be more proud to be a colony of China than of the UK. Unexpectedly, their status has declined sharply within a decade after they returned to the arms of the motherland. Before the handover, the people of Hong Kong who frequently entered and left China were proud of themselves. What the Chinese people envy the most about Hong Kongers is not the cash in their hands, but their freedom to cross the border between the two places, as well as their freedom to speak, sing and do business without any mental and physical threats or restrictions that may endanger their own safety.
Unfortunately, the territory's media long ago introduced self-censorship of news, its entertainers have learned to speak with a Beijing accent and its businesspeople have learned not to express their political opinions. Not long ago, three famous local talkshow hosts did not behave themselves and even criticized Beijing boldly.
But they were forced to shut up and eventually resign their posts after receiving death threats. In fact, half a million Hong Kongers took to the streets on the torrid summer days of this and last year simply because they have already had a taste of the bitter, poisonous medicine that the Chinese people have suffer for over half a century. Thus, they have just begun to experience the bitterness of being a Chinese citizen.
Nevertheless, having known the taste of freedom in the past, people in Hong Kong understand that only by fighting Beijing can they truly protect themselves. The massive demonstration last year successfully aborted the implementation of Article 23 of the territory's Basic Law.
The major demonstration this year will also restrain Beijing's impudence. The Hong Kong example serves as an inspiration to the oppressed Taiwan: we can only protect our own businesspeople, entertainers, and this democratic and free country, if we unite together against Beijing.
Cao Chang-qing is a writer based in New York.
TRANSLATED BY EDDY CHANG
In a summer of intense political maneuvering, Taiwanese, whose democratic vibrancy is a constant rebuke to Beijing’s authoritarianism, delivered a powerful verdict not on China, but on their own political leaders. Two high-profile recall campaigns, driven by the ruling party against its opposition, collapsed in failure. It was a clear signal that after months of bitter confrontation, the Taiwanese public is demanding a shift from perpetual campaign mode to the hard work of governing. For Washington and other world capitals, this is more than a distant political drama. The stability of Taiwan is vital, as it serves as a key player
Much like the first round on July 26, Saturday’s second wave of recall elections — this time targeting seven Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers — also failed. With all 31 KMT legislators who faced recall this summer secure in their posts, the mass recall campaign has come to an end. The outcome was unsurprising. Last month’s across-the-board defeats had already dealt a heavy blow to the morale of recall advocates and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), while bolstering the confidence of the KMT and its ally the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). It seemed a foregone conclusion that recalls would falter, as
The fallout from the mass recalls and the referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant continues to monopolize the news. The general consensus is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been bloodied and found wanting, and is in need of reflection and a course correction if it is to avoid electoral defeat. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has not emerged unscathed, either, but has the opportunity of making a relatively clean break. That depends on who the party on Oct. 18 picks to replace outgoing KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫). What is certain is that, with the dust settling
Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Shen You-chung (沈有忠) on Thursday last week urged democratic nations to boycott China’s military parade on Wednesday next week. The parade, a grand display of Beijing’s military hardware, is meant to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. While China has invited world leaders to attend, many have declined. A Kyodo News report on Sunday said that Japan has asked European and Asian leaders who have yet to respond to the invitation to refrain from attending. Tokyo is seeking to prevent Beijing from spreading its distorted interpretation of wartime history, the report
RSS