In September, the voters of Scotland are to go to the polls to decide whether their nation will become independent or remain in the UK with England and Wales.
The Scottish decision will have at least two far-reaching consequences if the voters choose to secede:
‧ This would be the last strike in breaking up the British Empire that started with the American Revolution and continued into the mid-20th century, further diluting the influence of Great Britain in the international arena.
‧ The Scottish vote will undoubtedly have a ripple effect on separatist movements elsewhere, even if Scotland remains in the UK — especially in Asia and the Pacific, and maybe even in the US state of Hawaii.
Two months before the referendum on Sept. 18, pollsters say that Scots who prefer to remain in the UK have garnered more votes than those opting for independence. However, Scottish nationalists assert they will close the gap before the vote.
Among the prominent advocates for the UK is J.K. Rowling, author of the popular Harry Potter books. She is English, but lives in Scotland.
An outspoken Scottish nationalist is Sean Connery, known for his portrayal of James Bond, British intelligence agent 007.
The Economist magazine, published in London, has urged the Scots to stay, arguing that they will be more prosperous within the UK. However, the magazine acknowledges that, emotionally and politically, “it is the nationalists who have fire in their bellies.”
Scotland and England formed the United Kingdom in 1707, during which time Britain had begun to acquire colonies in the Americas, Africa and Asia.
However, even as the UK built the empire on which — it was said — the sun never set, moves toward shedding British rule surged.
The first to break away was the US, in 1776. Canada followed in 1867, Australia in 1901, New Zealand in 1907 and South Africa in 1910. Ireland became autonomous in 1922. After World War II, India, Pakistan, Burma, Malaysia and Sri Lanka became sovereign, as did nations throughout Africa.
Looking ahead, the Scottish vote will be keenly watched in Taiwan, home to a strong independence movement.
A Taiwanese animation producer has made a video about the Scottish referendum with Chinese and English narration.
“What matters most,” the narrator says, “is the right of self-determination for Scotland.”
In China, the Uighur minority, in western Xinjiang Province, has been struggling for autonomy or independence. The Uyghur American Association, seeking to draw attention to that struggle, says in a publication that the “Scots aren’t the only ones considering independence.”
The same is true of Tibet, both in Tibet itself and in Dharamsala, India, where Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama and many followers have taken refuge.
Referring obliquely to Tibetan independence from China, the Dalai Lama has said: “I am confident I will set foot again in Tibet in my lifetime.”
In Japan, an independence movement in the Ryukyu archipelago — which stretches for 1,050km from southern Japan almost to Taiwan — seeks to shed Japanese rule. That began in 1879, when the Ryukyus were absorbed into a modernizing Meiji Japan. Advocates also want to drive the US from its large military bases on Okinawa.
Masaki Tomochi, an Okinawan academic, was quoted in The Diplomat online magazine as saying: “Scotland can be our potential model and we are paying attention to it.”
Chinese officials have asserted that the Kingdom of Liu Chiu, the Chinese name for the Ryukyus, should be restored as a vassal to China.
Elsewhere in Asia, Muslims in Mindanao, a southern island in the Philippines, have long sought independence from the Christian majority ruling from Manila, while in Indonesia, insurgents in Aceh, in Sumatra, fought against Indonesian forces for three decades until 2005, when they negotiated a ceasefire.
So far, the Scottish referendum seems not to have resonated with the vociferous band of indigenous Hawaiians who are seeking to have the island state withdraw from the US.
However, if the Scots secede, Britain may redesign the national flag known as the Union Jack to remove the St Andrew’s Cross that represents Scotland.
Since the state flag of Hawaii has the Union Jack in its upper left corner, it too may require revision.
Richard Halloran is a writer in Hawaii.
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