My Take | Sobering experience of reflecting on a transformative year

As 2022 begins many Hongkongers will be glad to wave goodbye to another year that has been dominated by the ‘two Ps’ – politics and the pandemic

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Victoria Harbour promenade in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 9:58pm, 1 Jan 2022

A new year’s day editorial in the South China Morning Post a century ago noted that the previous 12 months had been “replete with significant events” destined to permanently influence life in Hong Kong. The same might be said of 2021. We live in interesting times. Whether this is a blessing or a curse is open to question. But many Hongkongers will be glad to wave goodbye to another year dominated by the “two Ps” – politics and the pandemic.

Thousands were able to attend new year festivities this time, despite warnings that a fresh wave of Covid-19 infections may be imminent. Now that the party is over, there is a need to reflect on a transformative year. Anyone nursing a hangover might benefit from this exercise. It is a sobering experience.

The full force of the national security law, passed in mid-2020, was felt. It began with the mass arrest of opposition politicians in January. Beijing then mandated drastic changes to the election system under the principle of “patriots” governing Hong Kong. Strict vetting and nomination procedures for candidates were introduced and past democratic reforms rolled back. The turnout for the first Legislative Council polls under the new system was a historic low. Civil society is also being reshaped. More than 50 parties, groups and unions closed during the year, fearing they would be targeted under the security law – some were.

The media industry faced a year of unprecedented challenges. Apple Daily closed in June after the arrest of senior staff members under the security law. A similar fate awaited Stand News, also popular with opposition supporters. The website shut down last week after a police raid and arrests relating to allegations of sedition.

Courts, meanwhile, handled hundreds of cases arising from the city’s civil unrest of 2019, often imposing stiff prison terms. The first sentence under the security law saw a protester jailed for nine years for terrorism and secession.

These landmark events will have a far-reaching impact on Hong Kong. They have taken place against the backdrop of the pandemic.