Protesters in Hong Kong shine their mobile phone torches as they form a human chain at the top of Lion Rock Hill, during a rally on August 23. Photo: Winson Wong
Letters | The Hong Kong identity was forged with care, it cannot be destroyed so easily
In its time, the colonial government of Hong Kong undertook public-interest projects to win over local people. That is what the current government must do to regain legitimacy
Many of us in Hong Kong fondly remember the massive reforms of the ’70s and ’80s – from the Ten Year Housing Programme to the landmark establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption. These projects changed the face of the city and also shored up legitimacy for the colonial government.
For the first 120 years of its rule, the colonial administration did little in terms of social intervention. Why, then, did it suddenly feel the need to build legitimacy in the last three decades of its rule? The answer to this question, I believe, holds important lessons for Carrie Lam’s embattled administration.
After World War II, the British Empire no longer ruled the roost, and Hong Kong became a lone British outpost opposite a very demeaning communist China. To ensure its continued survival, the Hong Kong government realised that it had to rely on the support of the local population.
However, Hong Kong had always been a city of sojourners: people came and went with the tide. The solution: to cultivate a sense of belonging and identity.
After the 1967 riots, the colonial administration began to foster a local identity in earnest. Throughout the ’70s and ’80s, a Hong Kong identity developed as the city gained economic and cultural clout. People started speaking of “Hong Kong values” and “Hong Kong culture”.
Soon, the government faced, for the first time, crises of legitimacy involving broad cross-sections of society; the best example was the anti-corruption campaign which culminated in the sentencing of police chief superintendent Peter Godber. The colonial government responded to these crises with immediate action – it bent over backwards to extradite Godber back to Hong Kong, for example, and swiftly established the ICAC.
A student rally was held in Morse Park, Kowloon in August 1973 to condemn corruption in the police force and to urge the return of Peter Godber, the former police superintendent who was charged with corruption and fled to Britain during an investigation. Photo: SCMP Pictures
In the early years after the handover, the SAR government continued to respect the local identity, as demonstrated by the withdrawal of national security legislation in 2003 after massive protests. But, ever since Leung Chun-ying’s term, the government has destroyed its own legitimacy by focusing on mainland integration without showing the slightest concern for Hongkongers’ worries – at times even equating a Hong Kong identity with separatism and sedition.
Once an identity is created, it is not easily destroyed. To rebuild the government’s legitimacy, Carrie Lam needs to realise this truth. The administration should launch courageous, visible reforms that meet essential demands of the Hong Kong people.
Cancel the “Lantau Tomorrow” plan. Reinvest the funds in public hospitals. Establish more scholarships for studying abroad. Create a concrete programme to build 100,000 new flats by 2025. Beijing would be against none of these things.
Mrs Lam needs to stop using Beijing as an excuse, and work up a little bravery to meet the demands of a society with a very real sense of belonging.
