Raucous protests will undermine mainland support for Hong Kong cause
Gary Cheung says if the abuse of visitors from across the border turns mainland public opinion against us, Hong Kong will be the worse for it
Activists taking part in recent protests against mainland shoppers and parallel traders may believe their actions are serving Hong Kong's interests. While leaders of the tourism and retail industries worry that the number of mainland travellers may plunge in the wake of the protests, the negative impact of abusive behaviour will go further than economic losses. All Hongkongers may pay the price.
Many of the protesters are radical pan-democrats who opt for unconventional methods to pursue full democracy, or are members of "nativist" groups who believe in focusing solely on the city's affairs to the exclusion of national matters. They are adamant that Hong Kong would be a better place to live if the number of mainland visitors dropped drastically.
It is notable that there were few mainland sympathisers for the Occupy Central movement, partly because of the rising anti-mainland sentiment. During the 79-day protest, the mainland's online chat rooms and social media websites were flooded with remarks like "Hongkongers are spoiled kids".
In the 1960s and 1970s, many Hongkongers took cooking oil, sugar and clothes to mainland relatives who faced chronic shortages of daily necessities. Hongkongers' support for the pro-democracy movement in 1989 also earned the goodwill of many mainland students and intellectuals.
Today, despite the sight of the colonial flag during recent demonstrations, calls for secession or independence have never emerged as mainstream public opinion in Hong Kong. However, Hongkongers should put themselves in mainlanders' shoes when considering cross-border relations. Mainlanders will hardly feel comfortable when they spot placards with the slogan "Chinese go back to China!" during protests against parallel traders.
For activists pursuing "genuine universal suffrage", it is politically unwise to take on mainland travellers. By doing so, they will only isolate themselves in the democracy fight. It will also play into the hands of some mainland officials who believe the resentment against mainlanders has crossed a red line and that protesters against parallel trading are actually advocating independence.
Beijing cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the views of its people. Since 2013, a growing number have become unhappy with Hongkongers in the wake of limits on infant milk powder exports and the heavy stamp duty imposed on non-permanent residents buying property here.
Mainland officials handling Hong Kong affairs are facing growing pressure from citizens who wonder why Hong Kong has been receiving so much favour while also being exempt from many national obligations. We Hongkongers may dispute Beijing's conservative approach in handling the city's affairs. But, like it or not, Beijing's special treatment for Hong Kong is being increasingly questioned.
The protesters may have succeeded in making a noise but they are hitting the wrong targets. If people are unhappy with the Communist Party, they should target the regime, not ordinary mainland people.
