They were driven from one bondage to another, remember that the
laws Great Britian implemented in HK were centered on preventing
any racial or political surgence thus it worked against the local
"citizens", people learnt not to go against the whites.
After decades of rule, the people got used to these "rules" and
likewise, the brits decided that rather than enforcing obedience
into the rebelious chinese, they over the decades focus on the
economic value of HK and how they can exploit the economy of HK for
their own benefits. They clean up their government of coruption,
built buildings, corprate stuctures and promote tourism,
westernizing the media and local culture. Money, was the term to
run HK, not freedom of speech nor human rights.
After passing the baton to PRC in 97', the chinese government
desired to start all over again, rather than continuing the
importance of money, it dwells in politics and seek to remind the
people of the very laws that were already in placed. Soon, the
economy forecast was shrouded in darkness, uncertainity and fear
gripped the middle class families and students. The magic of money
dwindled in the midst of a seemly foreign political invasion,
people had the impression that they had been cheated.
The central government, obsessed with their one China policy had
forgot to understand the instability in the common folks whom
viewed them as invaders more than saviours, these new generation of
people have no impression of being suffered under British rule thus
pushing all the blame towards the Chinese governance. They are not
used in the transit of official priorities, rode in waves in
protest, hoping that numbers will win against any ancient law. (The
policies were more or less than same, the name simply changed to
Article 23 and old memories refreshed.)
International reports however continued to lash against the Chinese
authority and we have a very nice media vortex in HK, common people
had to contend with either pro-China news, or anti-China news.
Being westernized for decades, they chose the latter and continue
to push it against the China central government.
Waves and waves of protests slapped HK economy repeatedly, as well
as towards the reputation of PRC in the international community.
Soon, Taiwan came under scrunity and US went in support of the
Taiwanese independance. China stood by their claim firmly, but
moved cautiously while watching the war in Iraq. HK is China's
portal towards foreign investments, standing by it is Singapore,
Macau and finally Taiwan. At the same time, US's stand against
China's policy is not as firm as it claims, plauge with its failure
against terrorism, it does not have time to stand beside Taiwan
24/7. Secondly, HK has always been a stead in asian investments for
years, by playing its card's rights, US is able to come under an
economic partnership with China. Yet it cannot support nor deny
China's actions, either involvement will cause high political risks
that in turn affect their stake in HK and China. Neutrality seems
to be the best option available.
In recent years, China understood and with the ride of a rebounding
economy, China switch priorities again, by claiming to focus on
economy rather than politics, it hopes to dimmish its blunders that
occured due to national pride. However, China will not give up on
politically control HK and use it as a bargaining chip against the
Americans's stance in Taiwan's issue. All these while looking to
reduce its dependancy on US economy (mainly HK) by attracting
investment directions from places like Singapore.
With a direct route of investments, promotion of education and
using economy as a token of control, China hopes to remove any
resistence both locally and within the international
community.
Money IS politics, you just cannot avoid it this time. Neither have
Singapore, for that matter in fact.
