SCMP’s Falklands-inspired poll sparks Hong Kong colonial debate
Thousands take to their keyboards to register 'yes' votes. A look behind the numbers
Would Hongkongers vote to return to a British overseas territory, given the option?
So far, the answer has been resoundingly affirmative, but the pie chart doesn’t tell the whole story. As of 7pm Hong Kong time on Wednesday, 3,966 readers had voted "yes", while 373 voted "no". It also yielded more than 1,400 Facebook "likes" and 123 tweets.
The idea for this particular question started on Twitter.
More than 90 per cent of 1,672 eligible voters turned out to vote “yes” - that’s in a population of 2,900, according to BBC News.
With that question set in motion, SCMP.com decided to see what others might think and posted a similar question at 12.55pm.
The wording of the question was carefully chosen, which could be important to note, lest some might think that a “yes” submission represents one Hong Kong person’s vote. Therefore it would be incorrect to state, for example, that 80 per cent of Hongkongers want to return to British rule.
Since the poll was published, voters appear to strongly think that Hongkongers would be in favour of returning to British rule.
On Twitter and Facebook, commenters take into account current nostalgia in Hong Kong as a result of anti-Beijing sentiment, as evidenced by the appearance of the colonial flag at protests.
“Massive nostalgia of better times and a more certain government. I don't think I have ever seen a China flag sported anywhere in HK except on a flag pole,” reads one comment on Facebook.
Others thought of a third option to the poll: independence.
There, one person commented: "This outcome must surprise SAR Govt as well as Beijing."
Currently, the poll is the second most popular since the redesigned SCMP site launched on August 31. The most popular question has 8,819 submissions (so far):