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Alex Lo
SCMP Columnist
My Take
by Alex Lo
My Take
by Alex Lo

If you’re going to be loony, at least have a little fun

The Alliance to Resume British Sovereignty over Hong Kong and Independence is a political party with insane ideas

If you want the Brits to retake Hong Kong, it’s advisable to know something about Britain first.

A group of Hong Kong activists have set up a new secessionist party advocating the resumption of British sovereignty. Given their political stance, I think it’s safe to assume they know absolutely nothing about British politics. What British politician would seriously consider taking back Hong Kong?

So before they start, I suggest our localists learn something from a quintessential British institution, the never-do-well but still respectable Official Monster Raving Loony Party, founded by the late musician David Sutch, better known as Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow. Its members have run in every British parliamentary election since the 1980s but never won a single seat. Still, they are not without influence. Thanks to them, Britain has 24-hour pubs. Few political parties anywhere can claim such a solid achievement.

Our new localist party may not have the same catchy name or comparable sense of humour and fun, but their members seem to be every bit as crazy as those of the British party. You can tell by their name. Sorry, it doesn’t get any better in Chinese: “The Alliance to Resume British Sovereignty over Hong Kong and Independence”. One definition of insanity is to hold two contradictory ideas in your head and fervently believe in both.

If the alliance wants to fight for highly implausible policies and unlikely causes, they should at least try to have a little fun while they are at it. Co-founder Billy Chiu Hin-chung wants to kick out the People’s Liberation Army and does not recognise the Sino-British Joint Declaration. How do you go about unrecognising an international treaty?

Chiu’s greatest act of provocation so far is with the colonial flag. He was one of the first people to wave the flag during political protests. He even did that once with his girlfriend after breaking into the PLA barracks in Admiralty, a stunt that earned him two weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months.

Many have followed his flag-waving example, which may be why Chiu thinks he now has enough clout to form a party. But fighting for the colonial flag to fly over Hong Kong once again is surely a quixotic quest. Some of us thought it was just an expression of youthful rebellion and resentment. Now we know they actually mean it.

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