The SCMP asks the seemingly age-old question: what is ‘soft resistance’? Scholars reply that…
…even though government officials might find it necessary to hit out at anti-China and anti-Hong Kong forces, they should use the term sparingly lest they stifle public debate and engagement and invite self-censorship.
Unless, maybe, that’s the whole point?
Mindful that the phrase is an import from the Mainland, pro-Beijing figures try hard to define the concept and justify sanctions for those who engage in it – with limited success…
Former director of public prosecutions Grenville Cross said hard resistance was generally more overt and might cover such acts as rioting, firebombing courts, or attacking public officials, while soft resistance could include more low-key activities like “polluting the minds of young people”, disrespecting national and regional symbols or praising those who violated the law.
…Executive Council member and senior counsel Ronny Tong Ka-wah said he believed “soft resistance” would be covered by the future law only in cases where someone translated their emotions into actions.
“If people think upholding national security will affect their freedom, it is also one kind of soft resistance. We are worried about people who make use of some freedom of creativity or speech as a guise to violate national security,” he warned.
“Of course, it is not illegal if you just think about it, but those who put their thoughts forward into actions like leaving commentaries, displaying slogans, that might be deemed problematic.”
‘Polluting the minds of young people’ – wasn’t that what Elvis did when he swung his hips on TV in the 50s? Eisenhower raging about soft resistance. Even more intriguing is Ronny’s idea that ‘thinking NatSec will affect your freedom is a form of soft resistance’. Is there some sort of Zen logic here? Submit, cease thinking, make your mind a motionless blank – and total enlightenment will enrapture you.
From the SCMP on Friday – M+ Museum has to rename (or un-name) the 1993 Zhang Yuan film Beijing Bastards, starring Cui Jian and other then-budding rock musicians. Google shows what was presumably the original url…
https://www.mplus.org.hk/en/cinema/once-upon-a-time-in-beijing/beijing-bastards/
But the page omits any mention of the title, simply headed ‘A film by Zhang Yuan’.
Another person arrested for online posts…
Police alleged that Tsang had repeatedly published posts with “seditious intention” on social media platforms, with their content promoting hatred towards Beijing and the Hong Kong government.
Runners in the Sunday’s HK Marathon report being warned about ‘political slogans’…
One woman told CitizenNews that she was escorted to a booth by police during a security check and told she was wearing a “political outfit” — her shorts had “Hong Kong, Add Oil!” on them.
And the Environmental bureaucrats ask police to investigate a ‘defamatory and slanderous’ online video apparently showing that it is easy to poke holes (not metaphorical but actual, leaking holes) in the government’s planned garbage bags. NatSec cops or the ordinary ones?
nobody bothers to point out that the government constantly talks about soft resistance, not because soft resistance is a problem in society but because the government needs to export its paranoia about itself and its own ineffectiveness as a mediator of civil society?
or is that soft resistance?
Has the government ever seen the rubbish collection point in a New Territories village? Unless they plan to post a bureaucrat around the clock at every one (perhaps to do double duty by scaring away the wild pigs that come to root through the garbage), how are they going to enforce their neat little green bag system there?
In a soft power move likely to anger Beijing, the blogger referred to the NatSec police as “garbage bags”.
“disrespecting national and regional symbols or praising those who violated the law.”
“Of course, it is not illegal if you just think about it, but those who put their thoughts forward into actions like leaving commentaries, displaying slogans, that might be deemed problematic.”
Isn’t this already covered by the NSL-rebooted colonial era sedition law, national flag and anthem ordinances?
What “loopholes” is this new article 23 law filling? The only thing I can think of is that it will increase the maximum prison term for sedition as if it isn’t bad enough already to be thrown in prison for wearing the wrong T shirt.
Meanwhile they do absolutely nothing to help members of the general public such as putting more money into public housing or public health care.
Communist dictatorships running a police state never ever do anything to help “the people” that they suppress.
“Of course,it’s not illegal to think about it.”
But worry, our cradle-to-grave NSL propaganda push will soon rectify this little oversight.
To pass the Ronny test, I’m trying to be v careful how I phrase this: The thought has occurred to me that soft resistance is better than French resistance.
Elsewhere, ‘soft resistance’ in the West means questioning in your mind (i) the immigration policies of many of the so-called advanced countries, and (ii) being flummoxed by the Establishment’s desire to turn everyone into gender-neutral, arty-farty, woke cry-babies. Yonks ago I voted with my feet and I now am enjoying Hong Kong very, very much. If people don’t like it here, they should leave and STFU.
As for the oiled-up runner who was arrested during the marathon, I have no sympathy. Locking her up and tossing away the key should quickly remove the smug grin from her face.
Mjrelje – This is especially true in a communist dictatorship where the man at the top believes, as Paul Krugman put it recently, that “welfarism” creates “lazy people.”
It cannot be stated often enough: the parallels with 1930s Germany are uncanny.
Sarcophagus#4
You still don’t get it. Are you deaf?
We ain’t leaving!
Better learn to live with us.
@Reactor #4: A HK public affairs blog also has reactionary ‘anti-woke’ dimwits? Someone would have to work quite hard (and pay more) to be brainwashed by Fox News into thinking there’s such a thing as cancel culture… in Hong Kong, China. I’d laugh if the brain rot that broadcaster inflicts (especially on seniors) weren’t so sad.