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Hong Kong politics
OpinionLetters

Letters | Where was the love as Hong Kong marked National Day?

  • If Hong Kong people didn’t celebrate their National Day with the kind of joy seen elsewhere around the world, it should give pause for thought

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Chief Executive Carrie Lam, and senior officials and guests view ceremonies marking the 71st anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai on October 1. The square and the nearby area were designated as a restricted zone by police, and there was no public viewing area for the flag-raising on account of the coronavirus health risk. Photo: Nora Tam
Letters

When other countries around the world celebrate their national day, you see people joyously showing their patriotism by waving flags in public or adorning their houses with them. You have street parties, anthem singing, re-enactments and celebrations of history, and well-attended displays of local culture. With the exception of a few killjoys, everyone participates in the enjoyment of celebrating the shared values of – and love for – their country.

In Hong Kong last week, other than on public buildings or mainland Chinese businesses, I spotted two flags. Our government puts on a celebration for dignitaries, some of whom aren’t even from here, but the public is not invited. The celebration occurs in an area barricaded to prevent the invited guests from having any contact with us, their fellow patriots.

About half of our elected representatives do not attend, either because they are not invited or because it would be antithetical to their values to do so.

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Do people sing the anthem out of love or joy – or do it because they feel they have to? Pre-1997 history is whitewashed and remembering how it contributed to what we have can be classed as seditious. Local culture can be classed as separatist and banned.

03:37

Massive police presence blunts Hong Kong protests on China’s National Day

Massive police presence blunts Hong Kong protests on China’s National Day
Our leaders order us to love them by conflating themselves with “country” and legislating our compliance. Rather than unity, we have the brutal divisions of our society highlighted by one part of the population wanting to protest and the other banning them from doing so.
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Now, our unelected leaders can reflect on reality and try and find out the real reasons our National Day celebrations are so unlike those in other countries, or they can continue their delusion by passing or imposing even more legislation. They caused this, not us, so only they can solve it.

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