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| Even under “Hitler Trump” making Obama Tigger didn’t get you jailed. Not so China. And Hong Kong? |
Peter Kammerer, an Australian journalist based here in Hong Kong, highlights some of the dangers that could see his fellow countrypersons, like me, jailed under Hong Kong's China imposed National Security Law.
Meantime, old friends and colleagues who live in China, some for decades, tell me they're packed and ready to go.
China — that is to say the bully-persons in Beijing — have randomly jailed Canadians, Australian and Irish, simply in retaliation for perceived slights. So the threat is real. Link.
I’m going to guess the comments at the online article will be of the “if you don’t like it, why don’t you go back to Australia, then?” variety.
A BIT LATER: sure enough the very first comment I see is “What, you can’t find a job in Australia?” I’ve always thought that sort of response is pretty vile ad hominem. You criticise somewhere and if you don’t happen to be local born and bred you’re told to go home. Trump was rightly excoriated when he suggested Rep Ilhan Omar go back to Somalia when she criticised some policy or other. Ditto here. Why not face the issue rather than hammer the messenger?
Reminds me, as always, of Martin Niemöller’s famous poem “First they came …”.
So will it be “first they came for the Aussies”?
For me, here in Hong Kong, I’ve had this blog for ten years and often criticised the government and Xi Jinping. I’ve often called him the ultimate ad hominem, the one he roooly hates, Winnie the Pooh. (Well, he pretty much is, with mate Obama as Tigger) And saying that can land you in swift trouble in the mainland. But I’m not worried. Maybe I’m naive. Maybe stupid. So be it. I think I’m just too small beer for them to be bothered with. After all, the South China Morning Post itself carries this article and continues to criticise China and our local government.
