Hong Kong's dissidents blow their cover as champions of democracy
Lau Nai-keung says espionage claim shows they don't deserve public trust
It turns out that a former political assistant of Michael Tien Puk-sun was a "spy" for the pan-democratic camp while he worked for Tien. No, I haven't been watching too many James Bond movies, nor do I have an overly vivid imagination. The case was reported in the gossip magazine , with an interview of the "spy who came clean". This shows just how ugly the political scene has become.
According to the interview, the political activism of the young "agent", Chiu Yun-loi, was inspired by his secondary school teacher, who regularly organised activities for his students, including taking them to the June 4 memorial gatherings. After graduation, Chiu accidentally landed a job in Tien's firm, G2000, and ended up assisting the boss in his election campaigns.
No spy will boast about his covert achievements as if it is the righteous thing to do
Chiu not only acted as Tien's ghostwriter, polishing his public image, he also took credit for decisions that helped Tien win a seat in the Legislative Council, the article claims. Apparently, Tien trusted him despite the fact that he was never a member of the New People's Party, paid him well and listened to his advice. What more could you ask of your boss?
While working for Tien, Chiu "reported" to his "handlers", among them the late Szeto Wah. According to Chiu, his cover was eventually blown and he was fired for financial mismanagement. He then openly joined the dissident camp and now works for Lee Cheuk-yan.
Spying is used only against enemies deemed evil and who cannot otherwise be dealt with through normal means. And in any case, no spy will come out and boast about his covert achievements as if it is the righteous thing to do. This is against common-sense decency.
To me, this young man is obviously a victim of political indoctrination. The story Chiu recounted is that of a twisted character - full of betrayal and indiscretion. Would you hire someone like this for a commercial job and trust him not to divulge your trade secrets to competitors?
More importantly, the way the dissidents "paraded" Chiu in public revealed their sick mentality. They have defined their adversaries as evil. In any war between good and evil, any means, no matter how wicked, is justifiable and there is no compromise. Fighting will persist until either side is annihilated.
