Hongkongers will not accept Beijing's idea of a patriot
Surya Deva says Beijing's definition of a patriot, in the context of Hong Kong's chief executive, is at odds with many Hongkongers' understanding of the term, while also contradicting China's own constitution
Amid growing fears that the National People's Congress Standing Committee might cage the universal suffrage aspirations of Hongkongers, Li Fei, chairman of the Basic Law Committee, said last week that "the person who governs Hong Kong must be a patriot" in order to safeguard national security. Several other pro-Beijing stakeholders have also insisted on the "love the country" requirement for the chief executive.
On the face of it, such requirements should not be controversial. They appear to be so basic for all political leaders that one hardly talks about them in debates on political reform. Nor do we generally find such requirements stipulated expressly in constitutional documents.
But the devil is in the detail. One could be a patriot, but still criticise the government and political system of one's country. In fact, as history tells us, loving, supporting and defending one's country may sometimes demand challenging the government or party in power.
However, it is quite clear that Chinese leaders attribute to "patriot" and "love the country" a meaning different from how these terms are commonly understood. The central government wants a democratically elected chief executive of Hong Kong who neither criticises anything going on in mainland China nor questions its actions or policies aimed at subtly undermining Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy.
If Beijing has such a definition of "patriotism" in mind, then millions of Chinese living in Hong Kong might have to be labelled unpatriotic. Such a definition also does not take into account the evolution of complex national identities because of migration in a globalised world.
More worrying is the fact that the Chinese definition of being a "patriot" and "loving the country" will be inconsistent even with the explicit text of the People's Republic of China's constitution. Article 41 says citizens "have the right to criticise and make suggestions to any state organ or functionary. Citizens have the right to make to relevant state organs complaints or charges against, or exposures of, any state organ or functionary for violation of the law or dereliction of duty."
Such a requirement will also open a Pandora's box. Beijing expects Hong Kong's chief executive to be a patriot who "loves the country and Hong Kong". But will it be acceptable to elect a racist, a religious fundamentalist or a corrupt person? What about electing a political leader who believes in the communist ideology?