When the prize of Hong Kong independence brings out the worst in zealots

With all the cries for “independence” lately, perhaps it is time to ponder what it actually means in today’s world. Is it even possible not to be influenced or controlled by others, and to think and act solely for oneself? Having zero regard for others when it comes to decisions and actions is possible, but it doesn’t mean these actions don’t have an impact beyond ourselves.

The notion of being truly independent holds true for those who don’t give a damn about others. And, in this sense, the “hermit kingdom” North Korea and Kim Jong-un are very “independent minded”. Self-imposed isolation, even in the case of North Korea, doesn’t exactly mean true independence.

North Korea is not self-reliant or self-sufficient, though, of course, Kim would be the last to admit that.

Since the second world war, the world has only become more interdependent. Brexit reminded us of that. One nation’s referendum to be independent from the European Union is having a global impact. The shock waves will reverberate for a long time – becoming another tide pushing back the efforts of governments to resuscitate their economies.

Brexit

The bigger price to pay, of course, is how the Leave campaign has unleashed the Donald Trump in many more people. “Independence” has freed xenophobia and racism. We’ve been sipping this sort of poison, too. Beijing officials may see a minority of people pushing for independence “in the name of localism”, but what we have seen is a minority of people spreading hate in the name of independence.

It’s remarkable that it has only taken a few years for waving the colonial flag to become a fully fledged independence movement. We now have the Hong Kong National Party and the Alliance to Resume British Sovereignty over Hong Kong and Independence – both said to be fielding candidates in the September Legislative Council election. One major difference between them is that the latter rejects the National Party’s recognition of “those outsiders who flee to Hong Kong” as Hong Kong nationals. Basically, they disagree over degrees of xenophobia.

July 1 protesters cite Hong Kong bookseller disappearances, loss of freedoms as reasons to march

Having watched the campaign of the now presumptive Republican nominee for the US presidency Donald Trump, and Brexit, it would be silly to say that our pro-independence parties have little chance. They will be sure to use the election to further their calls for sinophobia and xenophobia. As Michael Keith, at Oxford University’s migration research centre, has said about the Brexit campaign process, “The unspeakable becomes not only speakable, but commonplace”. It will happen here, too.