Letters | Hong Kong protesters are not demanding independence from China but the city’s revival

The protest slogan “liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” rattles Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Beijing. Both accuse these eight Chinese characters of threatening the foundation of “one country, two systems”. However, they stop short of defining the nature of the threat.

I never take political slogans too seriously. Actions speak louder than words. Lam’s election campaign slogan was “We Connect” but the ironic result was that she united the opposition camp in indignation at her arrogance over the extradition bill controversy.

The protesters defaced the national emblem and threw the Chinese flag into the sea. These deserve condemnation but should be put into context. A New Yorker may burn the American flag to express anger towards the Trump administration but that has nothing to do with New York independence. In the same spirit, vandalising national symbols is mostly an act of protest against poor governance rather than a statement of separatist insurrection.

As for the protest slogan, I understand guangfu to mean “revive” or “resurrect” rather than “liberate”. There was a time when Hong Kong strove for excellence in an imperfect world. Instead of being a pretext for government inaction as it is now, “stability” was the guarantee of optimism and individual aspiration. Before it became an empty public-relations catchword, “prosperity” used to lead to progressive reforms which addressed social grievances.

Our times do call for a “revolution”. Consultation politics has proven ineffective. Hong Kong needs a tenable and credible form of democracy. Without a public mandate, the government lacks the political strength to overhaul our dysfunctional economy. Vested interests’ monopoly over resources has long enough strangled productivity growth and social mobility.

Beijing should acknowledge that Hong Kong independence only appeals to a few. An overwhelming majority on the streets advocate for what the Basic Law has promised. The protest slogan is in line with the demands for an independent commission of inquiry and universal suffrage. They remind Beijing that only a political revolution from above can defuse the current crisis, improve governance and eradicate the causes of the chaos.