Shades OffHong Kong democracy: Beijing will struggle to make proud, feisty city bend its knee

Name: China’s top legislative body passes sweeping Hong Kong electoral reforms
Uploaded: 2021-04-06T00:30:07.000Z
Duration: 2 min 34 s
Description: China’s top legislative body passes sweeping Hong Kong electoral reforms

Hongkongers raised on freedom, choice, open internet access and responsible use of tax money are unlikely to embrace unquestioning loyalty

No matter how much Beijing believes it is in charge, it cannot bulldoze the ways of life of generations of Hong Kong people

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The Chinese national flag and Hong Kong flag are displayed at the central government offices in Hong Kong on March 29. A worldly, internationally connected city of well-informed and highly educated people cannot so easily be turned into a place of slavishly loyal sycophants. Photo: AP

Peter Kammerer

Published: 8:30am, 6 Apr 2021Updated: 8:30am, 6 Apr 2021

Unquestioning obedience is not in my DNA, culture or journalistic training. It is not the way of the typical Hongkonger, either; generally, they are open-minded and unafraid to criticise.

Therein lies the problem with Beijing’s efforts to silence fault-finders and detractors. A worldly, internationally connected city of well-informed and highly educated people cannot so easily be turned into a place of slavishly loyal sycophants.

Many of Hong Kong’s most prominent and popular pro-democracy figures have been arrested or jailed. The broadest definitions have been used to enforce the national security law, giving the impression that even daring to criticise the local or national government could be considered an act of subversion.

Electoral reforms drafted and approved by Beijing aim to bar people not considered patriots from positions of influence. Exactly what a patriot is has never been defined beyond someone who loves China and, I assume, by extension the Communist Party, given that it is the nation’s ultimate authority.

National security and all the talk of patriotism and love for the country essentially boils down to being obedient to officialdom – do as you are told and don’t question. Another way of looking at it is to just stay out of politics and the ways of government and get on with your business.

02:34

China’s top legislative body passes sweeping Hong Kong electoral reforms

That would be fine were it not for the fact that this is not how I, or several generations of Hong Kong people, have been raised and lived their lives. It’s not arrogance – it’s what happens when you’re allowed freedoms, given choice, have open internet access and expect tax money to be properly used rather than abused.