With the passing of the third anniversary of the 2019 Yuen Long attack in Hong Kong — also known as the 721 incident — street protests have disappeared with the introduction of the National Security Law. Books dealing with sensitive issues have vanished at book fairs. The chilling effect has spread to the Internet, where people have been forced to use obscure expressions when criticizing collusion between police and gang members.
Three years ago, suspected white-clad triad members armed with weapons launched vicious attacks, beating citizens, passersby, reporters and even pregnant women as police stations closed their doors to the public.
It was the ambushed citizens who were sent to jail while the white-clad attackers walked free to enjoy the riches lavished on them by the Chinese government. Justice and rule of law became history, as well as Hong Kong’s once-thriving economy and status as an international financial center. All that was left were the trauma and scars etched in Hong Kong citizens’ hearts.
This month, bank protests in China’s Henan Province proved that history does repeat itself. Police once again stood by and watched white-clad triad members rough up demonstrators. The only difference was that the victims were bank depositors fighting for their rights to withdraw their savings. These issues, of course, are all part the Chinese government’s agenda.
Surprisingly, this kind of outrageous incident also took place in Miaoli County’s Zaoqiao Township (造橋). As the county government has not imposed measures to address the controversial Kunyu landfill site project, residents without legislative and administrative protections were forced to form a self-help group dedicated to battle against project developer Pacific Ecology Co, as if they were living in a barbaric, lawless land.
On Thursday last week, protesters said that the company had hired gangsters to attack them while Miaoli County police guarding the site did not protect them. Victims, including city councilors and legislators, were beaten up by black-clad people while the police — who were supposed to offer protection — stood by and even let self-proclaimed “security officers” escape while they used riot shields on innocent citizens.
What these incidents have in common is the corruption embedded in Chinese culture.
Although Taiwan is a democratic country, Miaoli County’s government has always been run by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). The KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have been known for colluding with gangsters.
For autocrats who have a penchant for violence and a disdain for law and order, gangsters are the most effective means to secure the interests of authorities, developers, landowners and shareholders. Their interests often come from the illegal contravention of people’s rights, and after various participants reap benefits from the collusion between government and business, the gangs “take over” to clean up the mess.
Hong Kong’s Wang Chau housing controversy in 2012, the Henan bank protests and the Kunyu landfill site controversy share many similarities, including abuse of power.
Corruption runs deep in China, while in Hong Kong’s political system, citizens have no means to expose or take down the government-business interest groups via legal procedures.
In a democratic society like Taiwan, however, with the supervision of the fourth estate, the central government should act to address the issue, as this marks the greatest difference between a democratic country and an authoritarian regime.
Hong Tsun-ming, originally from Hong Kong, is director of the Taiwan Statebuilding Party’s Yilan County branch.
Translated by Rita Wang
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