For anyone who hasn’t seen them, two videos on the Yuen Long triad riot, from RTHK, emphasizing eye-witnesses’ accounts, and the NYT, compiling now-familiar snippets into a clear storyline.
With Hong Kong increasingly run directly by the Liaison Office, you wonder how much longer taxpayer-funded RTHK will be allowed to perform its independent public-service role before being turned into a government mouthpiece. Other (already predicted) measures we can expect as we slide into a police state are political tests/loyalty oaths for teachers and civil servants. Also, perhaps, more such barriers to keep pan-dems off the ballot in next year’s Legislative Council elections (assuming the government bothers holding them).
Could things have turned out differently?
SCMP columnist Alex Lo tweaks his stale ‘cantankerous disheveled ephebiphobic ranting has-been’ routine by saying he was wrong about Occupy leaders, who in retrospect should have a part in running Hong Kong, unlike those nasty horrible rude kids protesting today.
In retrospect, Beijing should have co-opted mild-mannered Martin Lee and Szeto Wah back in the 1980s, and allowed figures like (say) Audrey Eu to hold public office in the 2000s, or, failing that, listened to the civil-disobedience crowd in 2014 instead of jailing them. But nooooooo…
Speaking of benefit-of-hindsight, fans of Singaporean-style benevolent dictatorship might like this idea on how to sort out Hong Kong (from someone who must be smart because he’s been studying Asia since age 11). The proposal is that Beijing unilaterally impose its 2014 fake-democracy model by edict, and at the same time bust the property cartel. Looking back, this might actually have worked around 2005 or so – appeasing moderates and marginalizing radicals. Before things got so heated. If those oh-so long-term strategic-thinking Sun Tzu-reading 5-dimensional-mindset Communist Party geniuses had enough brain cells to try it.
Back to today, artist Badiucao photoshops Angry Yuen Long Grandma, and on the subject of mindsets: a thread on that of the frontline protestors.
Mr Hemlock
I usually enjoy your columns. Some of your links are very informative. But why are teh RTHK and NYT videos completely silent? IFhter are to be subtitles, could you not try please to find Engslish subtitles. You write in English. We comment in Englsih. For the moment ther are people who cannot read Chinese. Please humour us.
All are agred the gvernment is shameful, inept, cloth eared and uncaring, starting with the Chief Executive.
The police have lost society’s respect, from Yuen Long, to their initial ineptness and their now escalating violence.
The demonstrators are increasingly frustrated, understandably.
Matters continue to escalate. Unless somebody stops, draws back, it will only ned withteh police (not the PLA) using live ammunition. Then is finished.
The only people who have enough sense to draw back are the demonstrators. Certain sections of the government, I am told, want escalation. The police are happy to show they are macho and rule the streets (save in Yuen Long).
The demonstrators should change direction. Up the pressure on the Chief Executive personally. Demonstrate against and outside Goverment House (precedent in 1967, which the CCP , if consistent, could not object to). Any where else she lives. Ditto C Y Leung. Ditto C W Tung.
As for the police they shoud start arresting those who matter as to Yuen Long, starting with Odious HO.
PS As to whoever suggested the ICAC could be the unoffiial commission of inquiry, it will not happen. It was neuteured years ago and answers to the Chief Executive, who fundamentally is the problem
Alex Lo is hilarious. Even when admitting wrongness, he is so off the mark. There is no decline in the “quality” of the youth. They are same youth who have learned and applied the lessons of Occupy.
They are leaderless because they have learned that leaders are harassed and prosecuted and jailed, all while being mocked by the likes of Alex Lo.
They are masked because to be identified is to invite the same treatment.
They are using guerilla tactics because they have learned that peaceful sit-ins don’t work.
They are throwing bricks because they have learned they will be beaten over the head and teargassed regardless.
The youth are much faster on the uptake than you, Alex.
The RTHK video – to get the subtitles – click the button at the bottom of the screen that says CC.
Look at history of Hong Kong 1967 riot causes and how it was ended.
@dimuendo
Unless Hemlock has redone the links, it’s time to either turn up the volume (speaker icon) on the video or check your computer/phone/browser/headphones — RTHK & NYT both have sound and if you click on the cc icon (you might need to select English in settings first [cog icon] on Youtube) — Hey presto! English subs on both.
Alex Lo only likes the good old days.
Knownot and Tech that: thank you. I am not technical!
Maria.
My father was here during (some of) the riots in 1966 and 1967. My understanding is the causes were different. Economic and frustration in 1966 and from oop north in 1967. My comment as to surrounding government house was serious. Impose yourself personally on the CE. Make her life personally misery. It clearly is not at the moment, according to the vast majority of those I talk to because she does not care. China Daily reports her as having been at Fanling dutifully watching local children graduating from mainland military training. Dutifully doing her “duty”. [Sorry, I do not know how to transfer links from whatts app to biglychee.com].
Several died during 1967 but that was directly as a result of the demonstrators actions. Now, I rather fear the police are going to be more likely to kill and certainly, with the CE, more culpable.
Dimuendo – According to Maria Tam (she is still alive?) the protests are petering out.
Trying to get Alex Lo to see the benefit of protest is like teaching a two year old to make poo poo without mums help. He is a lost cause. Any word on whether Joseph Wan was at the luncheon with 40 kowtowing business savants?
I note Nury’s facebook post has been removed. Pity as I was looking forward to reading more of his not-at-all-dodgy “Western media myth” line on Tiananmen. Dear fellow readers, could you please enlighten me as to whether he is up there with holocaust deniers, or just a lunatic?
@Bagesty
Nausea Versace is just another vain charlatan, but there are those in this town who feed his unoriginal and attention seeking drivel. He’s likely to say he was hounded off social media by the protesters. Poor chap.
@Bagesty
Newly Vilenazi’s line on Tiananmen was along the lines of: “Please, Sir, can I have a Golden Bauhinia Medal? I’ll do anything to anything. No act is too low for me.”
He has descended from his former lofty heights of “a bit crap”, through “awful” and is now several miles over the despicable horizon and accelerating.