Chris Patten 'flattered' by nostalgic Hongkongers who miss colonial days
Ex-governor says nostalgia reflects attachment to core values of press freedom and rule of law
Hong Kong's last governor Chris Patten says he is flattered by nostalgic Hongkongers who say they miss colonial rule.
Patten, who headed the city from 1992 to the 1997 handover, said the sentiments - as shared by locals who waved the colonial flag when he visited the Maritime Museum on Thursday - reflected a "strong sense of attachment" to the core values the colonial government had tried to nurture.
"Some of this tint of nostalgia was … flattering, but I prefer people to flatter than to shake their fists," said Patten, who was in town to endorse the Oxford University Press' English & I, which features the stories of 12 celebrities learning English.
"[The nostalgia] reflects a strong attachment to some of the values we tried to inculcate."
But recalling his days as the city's chief, Patten said his team could have done better.
"It has always been my view that when we were a colonial power, we didn't do enough to entrench those values," he said.
"Rule of law is the guardian of people's freedom, financial problems [and] contract," he said, adding that a free press was crucial to curb "corruption and incompetence".