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Opinion | Hong Kong patriots: vague definition will leave door open to Cultural-Revolution-style attacks
- A Beijing-ordered overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral structure, set to be unveiled at the two sessions, will centre on a wide-ranging requirement of patriotism
- This can easily be used by Beijing loyalists as a pretext to target opponents, as illustrated by the recent attack on a Hong Kong official
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Keep hope alive. That was former US president Barack Obama’s campaign slogan. Keeping hope alive is not a hurdle in democracies. Those who loathe Donald Trump proved it by voting him out. Those who idolise him proved it by jam-packing a rally where Trump hinted at a comeback.
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It requires courage to keep hope alive in authoritarian regimes. Yet the people of Myanmar are doing that, some by losing their lives, after a military coup toppled the government.
I kept hope alive by believing Beijing would allow Hong Kong to move gradually towards true democracy. I reluctantly backed the government’s 2015 reform package, based on Beijing’s 2014 framework, as a first step. The opposition, which voted it down, labelled me a blue ribbon.
Now the blue ribbons, who comprise Beijing’s loyalist camp, say I have defected to the pro-democracy’s yellow camp, which opposes Beijing’s tightening grip on Hong Kong.
I support both democracy and Beijing’s sovereignty over Hong Kong. They are not mutually exclusive. Beijing, obsessed with the false belief that an independence movement has taken root, doesn’t seem to grasp that. Its tightening grip is choking off hope of real democracy.
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47 Hong Kong opposition activists charged with subversion under national security law
47 Hong Kong opposition activists charged with subversion under national security law
A headline in the Post said Beijing should let Hong Kong be Hong Kong. It encapsulated the soul of Hong Kong people. Letting us be who we are doesn’t mean subversion, secession, colluding with foreign forces, or being unpatriotic.
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