Great News – Mainland Chinese journalist Zhang Miao will be freed without charge following nine months in detention after she helped cover the Hong Kong democracy protests for German publication Die Zeit.
For background read this article by Angela Köckritz
The Chinese economy is now facing its strongest challenges for a generation and Xi JinPing’s best efforts to create a nationalistic, shareholder, last stand for the stock market seem to have largely failed. What the fall out from this will be we can only speculate, but the enormous economic disaster that is the Chinese economy is not of Hong Kong’s making. Back in the colonial days, if the British economy collapsed, Hong Kong would not be expected to fall on its sword in sympathy. Likewise, given the stormy times ahead for China, Hong Kongers should not be looking at going down with the sinking ship, but instead working on preserving what makes the city different, or the Two Systems part of the Basic Law. Given this, the idea of a Hong Kong City State becomes increasingly more viable and appealing.
The impracticalities of a Hong Kong City State are often premised on the geopolitics of Asia remaining similar to what it has been for the last 30 years. But once you accept the premise that the geopolitics of Asia are heading into turbulent seas, then the question of how best Hong Kong can survive the storm becomes much more pertinent and pressing. More independence and autonomy, and not less, suddenly become compelling.
When you live in the shadow, of the overly jealous and malign CCP, even uttering the word independence under your breath is high treason against The Party. Certainly, there are significant amounts of people who believe the independence debate in Hong Kong was created by the CCP to create social division within the democratic movement and brand everyone who opposes the government as splitists. In China, there can be no worse a traitor than a splitist. However, most of the anti-independence arguments are actually ill-thought out if we work back from 2047. For, when we look at the pros and cons of more independence based on 2047 as a starting point, it starts to make a lot of sense and a much smarter path to follow than blithely accepting whatever bones the CCP wishes to throw Hong Kong erstwhile its own economy and political system rips itself apart.
It’s not too early to ask the question, what will happen come 2047? Does Hong Kong law become superseded by Mainland law? Because if that’s going to be the case, the day this is officially announced, whether it be tomorrow or in ten years time, will be like pulling a plug on the city. Money, resources and people will stampede to safer havens. Those that faithfully pledge their full allegiance to The Party, will be left in a hollow shell of a city as anything that creates real, global value will be gone.
If your argument against greater Hong Kong independence is that HK’s unchangeable destiny is to eventually be fully assimilated into CCP’s China and become a carbon copy of any other CCP city then you must first be clear what these other cities will look like in five years time, or even five months time! Simply pointing out that we need to be more like ‘them’, but having no clue what ‘them’ will look like and having zero control of how ‘they’ are created is no plan at all. Hong Kong certainly has all the tools to make a positive contribution to the place known as China for many years to come. The same can’t be said of the multitude of cites we’re supposed to be more like, and that includes Shanghai. The most likely future for these cities are astronomically high, local debts, huge environmental clean-up bills, violent, social unrest and rampant corruption. None of which Hong Kong suffers from yet. Hong Kong has everything it needs to protect itself from such a bleak future, but unfortunately the current government seems intent on throwing away all the city’s global advantages in a lame attempt to show loyalty to a broken political part that pretends its a country.
No one who advocates greater independence is dreaming that Hong Kong isn’t part of China in a physical sense, but being geographically part of a continent and being ruined by the politically oppressive CCP are not one-in-the-same. The CCP is not China, it is not the country, neither is it the people. It is a shadowy, political organisation with a horrific track record for wreaking havoc upon the peoples of China throughout its very short and violent tenure. There will come a time when the CCP no longer holds power, but there will still be a China and also city in its south called Hong Kong. This is what the independence debate is based on, a practical approach to preservation, and there’s a lot to be protected here in this quasi-City State. This is the true pragmatic path for Hong Kongers now, or how does Hong Kong negotiate the impending disaster that is the CCP’s complete loss of trust in China and not be destroyed with it?
Currently the CCP tirelessly tries to bewitch pragmatists in Hong Kong with the narrative that the only future lies with them, a transient and decaying political entity, motivated by self-preservation and quick gain. However this lie becomes increasingly less convincing with every passing week. Hong Kongers are no stranger in handling inept northern governments. They have played this game for almost two centuries and they know when the winds of change howl, and China looks like a shaky pile of eggs (危如累卵 – Wei Ru Lei Luan), their future lies in protecting their own autonomy and not integrating more into turmoil.
The opinions in this article are of those of the writer, if you agree or disagree feel free to leave a comment here or on our facebook page. The wonders of a free press allow for a discussion and debate of ideas – unlike north of the border.
cartoon: www.anntelnaes.com
As the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region turns 18 never has it been so obvious and open how the pro-China sycophants are looking to destroy and undermine Hong Kong for their own self interests.
The lack of respect and disdain Chief Executive CY Leung has for Hongkongers (as opposed to Mainland Hong Kong residents) is obvious every time he opens his mouth and either insults HongKongers or sticks his tongue further up the Mainlands arse.
689’s latest show of pettiness and vindictiveness is to not invite the Legco members who voted against the fake universal suffrage bill last month to the Hong Kong 18th Anniversary flag raising ceremony.
Beijing what you fail to understand is that you have created the discontent and anti-China feeling here in Hong Kong by imposing on us completely incompetent Chief Executives who couldn’t run an orgy in a brothel.
What I fail to understand is why you want to turn Hong Kong into just another mainland city when so many members of the NPC have invested their personal money in Hong Kong purely because it’s not a Chinese city…
I know it goes against the basic CCP’s dictate of line your own pockets first and let everyone else fight over the scraps – but if you want to ease tensions here and in cities on the mainland you need to start looking after the people you claim to be representing. Pitting penniless peasants against each other so the CCP could stay in power worked well in the past. But HongKongers and many Mainlanders are educated and aware and not happy to suffer so corrupt government officials can enrich themselves.
In less than a year you’ve allowed CY to destroy the reputation of the Hong Kong Police and it’s relationship with HongKongers. Camera phones and the internet expose the lies the police tell. One video can be edited/cut to support your lies, but hundreds shot from different angles expose the truth – and that genie can never be forced back into it’s bottle.
So Xi Jinping, as an 18th Birthday present to HongKongers why not give 689 the boot and impose a leader with a brain and an understanding of how to return Hong Kong to its status as the World’s Greatest City. Why should you do that? Pure self interest – a thriving dynamic Hong Kong, drives Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and other mainland cities to improve and become great. A neutered Hong Kong removes that incentive. There’s enough people and money around in China to have several great and unique megalopolis.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONG KONG Special Administrative Region!
Graphic: credit to the original artist
Ng Lai-ying the woman in this video has just been found guilty of assaulting a Police Officer after being held down by a male officer with both of his legs on her chest/waist. I can’t help feeling this kind of decision does little to create trust in our police and courts.
Chief Inspector Chan Ka-po claimed Ng used her breasts to bump against his right arm of during the chaotic protest in Yuen Long on 1 March. He also claimed that her breasts caused an injury to his chest – a medical examination revealed no injuries to Chan.
Although the Magistrate said there are doubtful points in the statement the police witness gave (e.g. it was very difficult for the defendant to assault an officer given the limited space where the incident took place), these doubtful points are insignificant, hence the defendant was found guilty and is remanded in custody until 10 July.
As this video, which captures the whole incident, shows the only person assaulted was Ng during her arrest. She was thrown to the ground and jumped on by several policemen leaving her with a bloody nose and other injuries
Translation: Real Hong Kong News
Your vote matters!
Incompetent and self-interested politicians have flourished in Hong Kong due to voter apathy – HongKongers this is our home take an interest in who and how it’s being run.
All Permanent Residents over 18 are eligible to vote.
Register to be a voter here – you can do it electronically http://www.reo.gov.hk/en/voter/application.htm
Richard Scotford on Sunday night’s protest in Sai Yeung Choi Street where respect for the police amongst law abiding HongKongers hits a new low – if that were possible – as those attacked are arrested and the attackers, protected or ignored by police.
From the very offset, this protest was never really about aunties dancing on the street, but instead a proxy fight for what many believe is the increasing Mainlandisation of Hong Kong. From as early as 18:00 there was a visibly high presence of plainclothes police in the area. The police had clearly mobilised high numbers of officers and it would later become clear to all why that was the case. At 19:30, the main group leading the protest, HK Localism Power, began to set up their speakers and banners.
Just in front of where the Localists planned to speak, a ten metre, empty corral had been created with police barriers. It wasn’t clear what the barriers were doing other than blocking half of the road to both pedestrians and the increasing number of protesters who were now quickly gathering. The protesters, quickly pushed the barriers to the one side and opened up the throughway. These barriers remained at the side of the road for at least fifteen minutes until some police tried to reopen up the corral again.
At this point there were hundreds of Localists in the area, who found themselves both in and outside of the newly created corral. It was all very confusing. No one could figure out why the police were so insistent on making the corral so close to the Localist booth. Needless to say, this action skyrocketed the tensions between both the police and the protesters. The police first moved the barricades out, then moved them back, then out, then back again, but there were just too many confused people in the way. Finally the police dragged the barriers a further twenty metres down the road and made a new corral.
This was when the first scuffle broke out between a police officer and a protester. As in every incident like this, almost everyone has no clue as to why the police have suddenly targeted just one person. The crowd closed ranks and the person was able to scurry away without being detained. Interestingly, and this would set the tone for the rest of the night, the police officer involved in the melee ran nearly a hundred metres down the road after the intended target . At which point the crowd demanded to know why the person was being detained, as is his lawful right, but the police could not answer. They then hogtied the man and violently barged him through the crowd to take him to a waiting van.
I have no problem with this slightly aggressive police, arrest procedure, if the man is found to have committed a serious crime, but bear in mind the enormous effort the police had invested in detaining this single person, and then how hands off they became once things got really serious and laws were blatantly being broken.
This first arrest then went on to lead to the first pepper spraying of the night. This occurred when the police, erroneously stated that their vehicle was surrounded and so needed to use pepper spray to push back the crowds. The reality was that the vehicle was behind a barrier, on Nathan Road with free access to leave at anytime. Protesters were on one side only, standing on the footpath, behind the barrier. There was no reason to indiscriminately pepper spray those on the footpath.
While the first pepper spraying of the night was taking place on Nathan Road, it became clear as to why the police had wanted to create their corral. With a police escort that even a president would be proud of, in came a tiny contingent of Pro-Beijing supporters with flags and a loud speaker. A fifty minute slanging match and flag waving contest ensued between the two groups, divided by a very thick, blue line of police. In this regard, I thoroughly support the idea that the police are there to protect free speech for everyone but once again, we have to see the police orders in context. For this coming July 1st march, booth licenses have been refused on the grounds of security, yet, the police mobilised an entire army to ensure that two Pro-Beijing supporters could stand on a stepladder and shout profanities at an already agitated crowd. The police action was tantamount to mobilizing hundreds of officers to ensure that Joshua Wong could shout abuse at five hundred CCP stalwarts.
If getting the Bejing loyalists in was impressive, extracting them was a military operation to behold as the police effectively made an impenetrable blue tunnel for them to scurry through. It was epic, superstar treatment fit for a king. Needless to say, the tensions were now off the charts and most importantly, the confidence of the Blue Ribbons in the area was at an all time high, as the police had demonstrated in spectacular fashion who they were supporting, and so the fighting began. Not, pushes and shouting like you see at most protests but full on fist fights and assaults with isolated Localists getting the worst of it by gangs of ageing male Blue Ribbons.
All the serious fighting occurred on Nathan Road. As more Localists began to stream of Sai Yeung Choi Street to help those that had been assaulted they easily cornered the attackers. So what did the police do with the assailants? They released them to the great consternation of the crowd. At this point, let’s remember the first Localist arrested, who was chased 100metres down the road, hog-tied and carried onto the police van by six officers, yet now the police were confronted with victims of assault, with obvious signs of injury and there were multiple people wanting to give statements and the police let them go. No hogtying, no violent police take-downs, no pepper spraying. Those accused of the assaults were given the friendly shoulder tap and released out of sight.
But not out of sight enough!
Protesters had seen the police release them and weren’t going to tolerate it.
At this point, the police could have saved themselves a lot of legwork if they’d have treated the Blue Ribbons like the Localists and bundled them into waiting cells in Mongkok Police Station. Instead, rolling battles ensued as the Localists hunted down the released Blue Ribbon assailants, to demand that they be arrested once again.
Serious scuffles continued all the way to Tong Mi Road, which is practically Sham Shui Po, until once again the assailants were cornered on Palm Street. The police then set up another defensive circle around those accused of assault until a police van arrived to finally take them away. To ensure that the police didn’t release them again, Ray Wong, leader of HK Indigenous, went in a police van too to make a statement, escorted by 8 police men, erstwhile the accused attackers sauntered onto the waiting police van with a gentle shoulder tap from the police.
All in all, the night was a sad example of just how much energy the police will spend on detaining Localists, erstwhile going to great lengths to avoid detaining their own so called supporters. The aunties never featured in the night, not even for a minute. The night was never about dancing. The Localists chose the dancing because they knew it would get a rise in the authorities, and true to form, the HK police showed once again that they are now just a paramilitary force set up to defend the Mainland. They’re happy to let clear assaults pass by in plain sight, so long as those doing the assaulting support the Mainland.
Photo: Lostdutch
The Beijing dictated ‘Motion Concerning the Amendment to the Method for the Selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’ a method of faux Universal Suffrage has been vetoed by the Hong Kong Legislature by 28 Votes to 8
The vote took place at 12:33 today far earlier than many expected after all the Legco members who wished to speak had done so and a vote was called for.
In a strategy based on the rule that at least 35 members have to present before a bill can be put to a vote, the Pro-Beijing Legco members walked out of the Chamber. If not enough members are present, the Chairman will ring the bell to ask for members to return to the hall. If there still is not enough people present after 15 minutes, the meeting will be adjourned.
However, not enough Pro Beijing members walked out and 36 Legco members remained, and the vote proceeded.
There’s long faces all around on the Pro-Beijing lawmakers, ironic really that they failed to vote on the reform measure because they didn’t understand the Democratic processes of the Legislature.
There was joyous celebrations inside and outside after the vote.
The reality is that the veto is but one step on the long road to where the people of Hong Kong can hold their Chief Executive accountable for his job performance. CY Leung has shown shown complete and utter contempt for anyone who can’t do something for him. This is not the attitude for a Chief Executive.
It’s noisy outside Legco! Not with chants from people about what they believe in, but because the Pro-Beijing mob have wheeled in a concert quality sound system to drown out anyone who isn’t getting paid to be there. Not wanting to hear people who disagree with their worship of all thing$ North of the Border, they don’t want to see them either… Hundreds of banners and placards have been erected to shield the ‘I’ll do anything for a dollar’ brigade from those who believe that the people running Hong Kong should be held accountable for their actions.
I’m tempted to write that their was much wondering about why these compensated protestors (selling their integrity for 88cents and a bowl of plastic rice) were wearing shiny new numbered shirts, but nobody cared.
As a person who loves Hong Kong and has proudly called it home for over 20 years. I love that the place I call home has freedom of speech, something denied those living North of the border. I rejoice that hard work and talent are rewarded regardless of race, colour or sex, unlike up North where it’s who you know and how thick is the wad of notes openly passed across the table… So what I find most offensive about those supporting this fake bill of universal suffrage is that they’re waving Mainland flags.
If those protesting in favour of bill believe it’s in the best interests of all HongKongers then put away those Chinese flags because you live in Hong Kong not China.
Here’s a simple question for all those who love the Mainland and think government officials don’t need to be accountable to the people for their actions. What’s the biggest and most publicised drive of the current General Secretary of the Communist Party of China? Xi Jinping most media covered focus is anti-corruption – not health, not jobs, not housing, not education. not the economy… Anti-Corruption, the arresting and jailing of those working for the government who instead of looking out for the people, line their own pockets and beat up those who complain about it. If the $50million CY Leung took from one of the largest sub-contractors of the majority government owned MTR was all above board. Then why didnt he declare it and prove he paid tax on it.
Here’s another few questions for those people waving red flags:
If the mainland’s way of doing things is so wonderful, why is much of wealth of China’s 1%ers invested outside China? Rich Americans invest in America, Rich Brits invest in Britain. Rich Mainland Chinese invest everywhere except China!
You never read of HongKongers flooding across the border to the North to smuggle things to Hong Kong. Yet thousands upon thousands of Mainlanders flood into Hong Kong daily to smuggle everything from milk powder to frozen meat to luxury goods (many ironically originally made in China) across the border – why because they don’t trust products made in China!
If the ‘Mainland way’ you love so much is so wonderful…
Why are Hong Kong children being squeezed out of schools because the classes are full of Mainland kids!
Why are our hospital beds full of Mainland patients?
Why do Mainland mothers flock to Hong Kong to give birth?
Why are local jewelry stores routinely emptied of gold by Mainland tourists?
Why since the handover have almost a million people left the Mainland on one-way permits to live in Hong Kong?
We HongKongers are proud of our home, it’s not called the World’s Greatest City for nothing! Yet our traitorous Chief Executive CY Leung is systematically and deliberately destroying the people and the city he’s supposed to serve.
The people of Hong Kong peacefully and politely showed CY, Beijing and the world their displeasure with his policies – CY’s response… to declare that 50% of HongKongers were too poor to know what was best for them. To destroy the integrity of the HK Police by having them beat up, tear gas and pepper spray those who want to call CY to account for his incompetence while turning a blind eye to the crimes of those support him.
Why do we want Universal Suffrage, because the ‘leaders’ imposed on us by Beijing have ranged from incompetent through idiot to corrupt. Yes, under proper universal suffrage we might vote for our own incompetent corrupt idiot – then more fool us!
We have Freedom of Speech in Hong Kong, so all you red flag waving compensated protesters are entitled to shout all you like. But if you love the ‘Mainland way’ so much why not feck off and live there! No need to close the door on your way out!
