I’ve just heard Hanscom Smith, the American Consul-General to Hong Kong interviewed on RTHK, Radio 3.
He repeated a mantra: that Hong Kong must be allowed to maintain its high degree of autonomy as promised in the Joint Declaration. I agree. Who would not?
This he contrasted with what he said had been Beijing “ongoing encroachment” on Hong Kong’s autonomy since the handover. That’s where I don’t agree. As I showed here there was limited interference from Beijing in the 23 years since the handover, at least no more than you’d expect from a country that is, after all, the sovereign.
There is, however, interference now.
The new Security Law is, I fear, just the beginning.* But that was brought about directly by the street violence of last year. Violence arising from a deluded belief that they were fighting an encroaching tyrant. (The “Five Demands” were an outgrowth of that belief of China encroachment).
So what’s happened is: fighting a delusion of interference, they have brought forth the reality of interference. And in fighting for freedom have reduced our very real Freedoms.
I guess Consul-General Smith can’t recognise this because that would destroy the narrative the west and the Trump administration share with the protesters: “brave freedom fighters“ resisting the encroaching tyrant. And we must “Stand with Hong Kong”.
*ADDED (7 Jul): like police given sweeping new powers
He repeated a mantra: that Hong Kong must be allowed to maintain its high degree of autonomy as promised in the Joint Declaration. I agree. Who would not?
This he contrasted with what he said had been Beijing “ongoing encroachment” on Hong Kong’s autonomy since the handover. That’s where I don’t agree. As I showed here there was limited interference from Beijing in the 23 years since the handover, at least no more than you’d expect from a country that is, after all, the sovereign.
There is, however, interference now.
The new Security Law is, I fear, just the beginning.* But that was brought about directly by the street violence of last year. Violence arising from a deluded belief that they were fighting an encroaching tyrant. (The “Five Demands” were an outgrowth of that belief of China encroachment).
So what’s happened is: fighting a delusion of interference, they have brought forth the reality of interference. And in fighting for freedom have reduced our very real Freedoms.
I guess Consul-General Smith can’t recognise this because that would destroy the narrative the west and the Trump administration share with the protesters: “brave freedom fighters“ resisting the encroaching tyrant. And we must “Stand with Hong Kong”.
*ADDED (7 Jul): like police given sweeping new powers
