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…and we remember those demos well. I posted about the Umbrella movement in 2015 and I’ll try to find the link. They were peaceful and rather fun demos. We wandered around them and chatted to the kids. Mostly kids.
And I remember there was a proposal on the table for some movement forward on universal suffrage for the HK Chief Executive, but that it was rebuffed by the pan-Democratic parties because it wasn’t a perfect package. Perfection is the enemy of action. We bear the results of that now.
We were also racing our yacht, Xena, at the time in the China Coast Regatta for which we had a number of crew mates coming up from Oceania. Sadly we got into a bit of a dingle ourselves and had to pull out. Xena is now in new hands and will be competing again in local and Offshore racing.
Actions of the police have become a key issue. Critics and supporters. The police are now saying that back in April this year they were named Asia’s best respected police force (I’ve yet to see the reference), trusted by 84% of the population. From our own experience, we’d agree. Now they are trusted by barely 7%. So what happened? Is that dramatic drop in trust warranted by what they’re seen to be doing with the demos?
一分为二, on that one. “One divides into two”. And social media is playing its malign part. In Hong Kong its LIHKG, WeChat and Messenger. Prejudices and rumours get reinforced. E.g. there are still people who believe police killed three protesters at the Mongkok MTR station, even though it’s obviously nonsense — where are the parents, relatives and friends of the alleged victims?
And there are widespread rumours that the CIA is coordinating and funding the anti-police anti-government protests. All I can say is that I’ve yet to see the evidence. All that has been provided so far is from a site called Global Research which is run by a known anti-American conspiracy nutter who also believes 911 was a CIA plot. And the fact of what’s happening is quoted: “it’s just what the CIA would want. Another colour revolution”. Ergo it’s CIA…
