Pursuit of Western democracy will lead Hong Kong back to colonial bondage
Elsie Tu says Hong Kong's so-called democrats oppose Beijing without even listening to its plans
It seems that some people, especially a few post-1980 politicians, would prefer China to remain under British, French, American or other colonial rule, as she was partially colonised before the second world war. Do they prefer to remain a colony calling themselves Hongkongers, rather than Chinese? Do they realise that they could become US-controlled, like Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan and other countries that received a "democratic" vote and also economic control under the name of "democracy", resulting in poverty?
I feel very sad about young people being misled into believing that universal suffrage would improve the lives of Hong Kong people. I believe in democracy, but not the colonial type which ties it economically to the US or other former colonies. I spent many years of my life opposing the unfair and corrupt treatment of Hong Kong people by the British colonials during the years from 1950 to 1980.
Fair-minded people will admit that China has strictly adhered to the Joint Declaration
When the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed in 1984, I was happy to see that Hong Kong laws would remain unchanged, and that the "one country, two systems" principle would be observed. Since 1997, Hong Kong, under Chinese sovereignty, has introduced voting for the Legislative Council step by step. Britain never agreed to introducing universal suffrage under its colonial system, while China kept her word and allowed Hong Kong to introduce voting, step by step.
Some Hong Kong people, who had never fought for justice under the British government, suddenly set up political parties after 1980, calling themselves "democrats". Each of them apparently wanted to be the future ruler of Hong Kong so they split into different groups, each using a democratic name. They condemned China as communist, but seemed not to notice that China's communism was unlike the original communist system, because China introduced some "Chinese characteristics". For example, the livelihood of millions of people was improved.
That does not mean China is without fault. The recent trials of Chinese officials have sadly indicated that corruption still needs to be wiped out.
Most of us can see that every country, including new democratic countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, was robbed of its land or resources by the former colonials, while the Chinese central government frequently assisted Hong Kong in many ways, even when we were still under colonial rule.
