Protest is not just about extradition when Hong Kong youth feel they have no future and no voice

The government may have thought the sentiment behind Occupy was over and done with, but research shows that the feelings of alienation and dissatisfaction never left Hong Kong youth

Kerry Kennedy

Published: 6:00pm, 18 Jun 2019

Why you can trust SCMP

As Hong Kong reels from multiple protests over the extradition bill and as politicians seek to save face over an ill-considered legislative agenda, how do ordinary citizens understand the events of the past weeks? One thing is clear: protest, a well-known tool in Hong Kong’s civic culture, has two faces.

One is the peaceful protest, involving millions of people on successive weekends moving en masse from Victoria Park to the government offices in Tamar. They sang, they shouted, and they were angry – but they were peaceful.

The other is the violent protests that erupted after the first round of peaceful protests, and then again on the Wednesday afternoon even after the proposed second reading of the bill had been postponed. Some may dispute the term “violence” to describe these protests, preferring instead to label police action as violent.

Yet, video footage that found its way to international news organisations came to characterise what happened that Wednesday afternoon and into the evening. What do these different approaches to civic action and civic engagement mean?

The “peaceful millions” have to be seen as an expression of community concern about the proposed legislation – even after its suspension by the government. It was not explained well by government officials and alternative narratives easily won the attention of local and international media.

No amount of explanation from the government, no suspension of the bill and no late public apology from the chief executive could counter the story that the legislation is really about providing a process for sending Hong Kong dissidents to the mainland. The first “peaceful million” protest brought no results; but the second underscored community anger and at least led to a public apology, albeit issued in a press release, followed by a “most sincere” apology on Tuesday.

For some, particularly for many young people, passivism is not the preferred tool. What is more, protest is not just about a single piece of legislation. In a recent research project on youth radicalism in Hong Kong, my colleagues and I advised the Policy and Innovation Co-ordination Office that “the intensity of the interviews … suggest current youth disaffection and alienation is well entrenched in anti-government feelings – perhaps to the point where little can be done to reverse it”.

Some young people look around them and see an environment in Hong Kong dominated by mainland tourists, calls for greater integration with the mainland and iron-fisted approaches to those who stand up against the local government.

It is all done within the law but, for many young people, the integration of Hong Kong with the mainland represents a loss of hope in what they see as a struggle for freedom. For them, anything is legitimate in a struggle against those they characterise as the oppressors.

Both sides have been criticised over the use of violence – the police have been accused of overreacting and young protesters have been blamed for converting a peaceful protest into a violent one. The centrefold of this week’s Time magazine graphically portrayed the clash – less than a week after it happened. The caption, “China’s last bastion of freedom unites against Beijing” shows whose narrative has won the day.

Jail sentences won’t silence questions about democracy for Hong Kong

The Hong Kong government may have thought that the 2014 Occupy protests were over and done with: its leaders dispatched to jail, its supporters ousted from the Legislative Council and its followers denied access as candidates in local elections. The violence witnessed last week indicated that the spirit of Occupy may well have been quieted, but it is by no means quenched.

People protest outside the government offices in Tamar. Young Hongkongers have taken to the streets to object to more than just extradition. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

A generation of young people have their eyes on 2047, which they and their families will experience. They have little hope regarding their personal and political circumstances. Yet, violence was not part of the second weekend of protest, even though young people continued the vigil into the week. Perhaps this reflects a fear of police reaction, but it might also reflect more confidence in peaceful action. The future will tell.

Hong Kong democracy movement is back, thanks to Lam’s extradition bill

The current situation is exacerbated by the lack of democratic legitimacy for the government. In democracies, government leaders push different issues, knowing that eventually they will have to face the voters who may agree or disagree with them.

This accountability is missing in Hong Kong. Good governance can only be developed in the city where there is trust on both sides. The multiple protests and actions of so many young people make it clear that, for so many, there is no trust.

The decision to “suspend” the legislative process for the amendment bill has not pleased either the government’s supporters or pro-democracy advocates. Will violence reappear? As young people and the police faced off on Harcourt Road on the Monday after the second protest, weapons were noticeably absent. Yet young people need to be convinced they have a future in a free and fair Hong Kong if the future is to remain violence free.

Kerry Kennedy is professor emeritus and adviser (academic development) at The Education University of Hong Kong

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: An absence of trust

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