June 4 candle lights will flicker

By Albert Ho Chun-yan –

The participation of over 120,000 people in the candle light vigil last Saturday has touchingly impressed the whole world. After such a long period of 27 years, the people have refused to forget; they are still upholding the truth against the powerful. They speak for the conscience of the whole Nation and voice out for those whose voices have been silenced. For over 100 years, Hong Kong has always played this unique historic role of preserving the truth, when such truth has been distorted and repressed in the Mainland. It also continues to breed nurture and foster the ideas and values of freedom and democracy. I believe that until the day when the whole of China is free and democratic, Hong Kong will continue to play this role.

In this spirit, Hong Kong people will certainly not give up the fight and struggle for full democracy in Hong Kong. The setback in the democracy movement since the National People’s Congress Standing Committee’s August 31 Decision will not stifle the will power of Hong Kong People. Their fighting spirit as manifested in the Umbrella movement will be sustained in different forms in the times to come until full genuine universal suffrage is realized.

Whilst the will of the matured generations of democracy supporters are not bent by the failure to achieve universal suffrage to elect the Chief Executive in 2017, the younger generation are getting impatient and feeling hopeless with the struggle for democracy in the way it has been sustained for the last 2 decades.

The rebellious young Turks now propose to change both of the goal and strategy of the movement. First, many young people tend to think that to engage the struggle in a peaceful, rational and non‐violent manner will no longer work. They rather support “resisting police violence with violent action of bravery”. Second, there is also voices openly calling for separation of Hong Kong from China by way of seeking independence through a process of self‐determination.

Whilst there are quick official condemnations of the above advocacies, the Hong Kong Government apparently has no measure to cope with the situation. There is obviously immense pressure from Beijing on the Hong Kong Government to restrain any public advocacy for independence, the Secretary for Justice however, can find no ground to take legal action when the advocates are simply expressing an opinion without causing any public disorder an inciting violence.
The Central Government whilst desisting the growing sentiment among the young people for separation from the Mainland, they should understand more of their thinking and sentiment instead of simply taking action to silence such voices. The young people are still not fully recovered from the backlash caused by the Umbrella Movement, and they strongly feel that the Mainland Authority has been pursing an agenda of oppressive policies against Hong Kong People with a view to exerting ultimate control over Hong Kong. They are frustrated as being deprived both politically, economically and socially as a result of such oppressive policies. As they feel powerless in fighting against such a formidable power, they think that only by seeking separation or independence from China, can Hong Kong People truly enjoy their freedom and realize democracy. The call for independence or separation by the young peoples are further echoed by their desire to look for a new Hong Kong identity, distinctly separate from being a Chinese National. Along this line of thinking, these young separatists or localists are also laying blamed against the Hong Kong Alliance in calling for vindication on June 4th and the building of a democratic China, and they also criticized the pan‐democrats for striving for genuine universal suffrage under “one country, two systems”. They think that such objectives are in fact giving recognition to the legitimacy of the Communist China, which they wish to alienate entirely.

Young separatists set to divide pan-democrats in election

The young separatists or radical localists will be actively participating in the September election and it is inevitable that their electoral advocacy for independence will divide the pan‐democracy camp and break the united front to call for democracy. Facing such internal tension, the pan‐democrats should stand firm on their principles and promote an atmosphere of tolerant solidarity and unity with diversity, based on mutual respect and genuine pluralism. While the pan‐democrats should not avoid an heated debate with the radical localists on the question of using violence against violence and the feasibility of pursuing independence, there is an obligation on our part, political as well as moral, to protect the freedom of speech of everyone with whom we may strongly disagree.

On the other hand, we should not lose sight of the fact that it is indeed the divisive policy and strategy of the Chief Executive, Mr. C. Y. Leung, that is causing the rise of the separatist sentiment of the young people. The deliberate move of C. Y. Leung in singling out an Article published in the Undergrad, the official newspaper of the Hong Kong University Student Union, and attacking its advocacy for independence, is vicious and deliberate. Such a move had made that Article previously not read by many, immediately become a well known and popular literature among the young people. Those who are frustrated which the status quo, and looking for a breakthrough, are quick to seize this provocative attack against the University students by C. Y. Leung as an opportunity for them to mount a major counter offensive against both the SAR and the Central Government. Moreover, divisive and manipulative politics have long been used by C. Y. Leung to provoke antagonism and resentment between rival groups in the community, including particularly the young people. His arrogant decision of appointing Arthur Li as the Chairman of the Board of HKU against the overwhelming opposition of the HKU staff, students and alumni is only one of the many examples of his manipulative politics.

Independence for Hong Kong ‘not politically unfeasible’

The local communists faction supporting C. Y. Leung may be delighted to observe the escalating tensions between the pan‐democrats and the radical localists, from which they may exploit for election benefits. It is indeed extremely short‐sighted for the Central Government to allow the situation to deteriorate with the deepening of social conflicts and mutual hatred. Although independence for Hong Kong is not a politically unfeasible option, the further rise of the pro‐independence or separatists sentiment among the young people will not only fragment the pro‐democracy camp, it will also make Hong Kong politics more confrontational and Hong Kong more difficult to govern. In the recent meeting between Zhang Dejiang, the Chairman of the National People’s Congress, four leaders representing different opposition parties and the pan‐democracy camp, a strong demand was conveyed to the Central Government that it is imperative for Hong Kong to have another leader to replace Mr. C. Y. Leung and that the best way forward is to removal the National People’s Congress Standing Committee August 31 Decision, thereby enabling the new Chief Executive to be elected by genuine Universal Suffrage. These demands undoubtedly reflect the common aspirations of the general public of Hong Kong.

I hope the Beijing Leaders will know that the demands represent how we together with the younger generation will expect how Hong Kong should move forward in maintaining peace, stability and prosperity.

This is the speech given by Democratic Party legislator Albert Ho Chun-yan at RTHK’s Letter to Hong Kong on Sunday.

Photo: VOHK picture