HONG KONG’S FALLING CIVIL SOCIETY

It was a signal sent by China that even the mildest form of protest would be regarded as a crime. What characterizes the city today is the distrust towards the administration, the division among the pro-establishment camp and protesters and the despair of the looming crackdown of Hong Kong’s freedom.

The downfall of pro-democracy organizations seems to be an inevitable product of such a draconian law. Empowered by the law, the regime can now threaten to charge the leaders of the NGOs solely on the basis of their political stance. The fear of incarceration weighs heavily. . Yet, the abuse of the National Security Law is far from the most concerning facet in recent Chinese encroachments into Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Professional Teacher Union was among the civil organizations to be dissolved this year. Founded in 1973, the Union has nearly 95,000 members. It is the largest teacher union and single-industry union in Hong Kong. On July 31, XinHua News Agency published an editorial titled, ’To follow the right path, Hong Kong Education must eradicate the tumorous Teacher Union.’ The article used lengthy paragraphs to condemn the Union’s role in ‘radicalising students’ and ‘glorifying the illegal riots,’ marking the beginning of the end for the Union. The day after the article was published, the administration announced that the Education Bureau would terminate all working relations with the Union.

‘Having ties with the Education Bureau gives the course in the Union recognition and it allows the network of Union to expand to schools of all backgrounds’ said Alison Chiu, a member of the Union for more than 6 years. ‘The Bureau’s decision precipitated their resolve to dissolve.’ In an open letter to its members, the Union cited the insurmountable political pressure as part of the reason to dissolve. They are not alone in this ‘state media speaks, the government moves’ situation. Ta Kung Pao, a pro-Beijing newspaper based in Hong Kong, had ‘ Civil Human Right front violating the National security law’ as headline in mid august, followed by charges placed by the police department. Two days later, Civil Human Rights made the decision to disband. Then the target shifted to the Alliance, and then the Union, and countless more associations.

What we are witnessing is a paradymic redistribution of power--the administration of Hong Kong rendered itself a puppet of the central government. It used to be that the portrayal of Hong Kong by the state media was to write a narrative that fits the agenda of the central government-- everyone knew it was false. Now, the central government is using the state media to deliver their blueprint for Hong Kong. The autonomy that was guaranteed under ‘One country, two systems’ ceases to exist. Hong Kong is China. Without an autonomous administration, all the rights and freedoms seemingly protected by the Basic Law, a set of code that is equivalent to the constitution, are but empty promises.

Right now, Hong Kong is on the path of a complete crackdown of its civil society. During the 2019 protest, civil organizations in Hong Kong demonstrated exceptional ability in mobilizing the public. The last thing that Beijing wants to see is another social movement that shakes the governance of Hong Kong the way it did in 2019. It fears that civil organizations will act as a counterbalance of the growing executive power. In some way they are right. The fact that they work outside of the framework of the government means that they will not have absolute control over the public opinion. That is an uncertainty that the Central government will not risk.

When these civil associations fall, their members lose not just their agents for voicing their opinion, but a community united with a common interest. But that does not mean that the group of people that they represent also fall. “They can disband an organization, but they can’t disband an opinion. The opposition is still going to be here,’ said Chiu. The essence of civil society lies in the common goals, interests, values, loyalty and trust of people. Civil groups are only one of the myriad ways to unite people. When you dissolve a pill into the water, it does not disappear into nowhere. It just spreads into tiny pieces. For Hong Kong, the urgent question is how can they tie the pieces back together ■

An Ode To Walks

YUSEF BUSHARA

COLUMNIST

PHOTO BY PNG TREE

Even before a first step, walking starts upstairs, in the mind, when Even before a first step, walking starts upstairs, in the mind, when nothing else is working. Your brain’s glass-encased fire hatchet—for nothing else is working. Your brain’s glass-encased fire hatchet—for emergencies only (!)—begs use. And so you lace up your Crocs, you emergencies only (!)—begs use. And so you lace up your Crocs, you bundle up in your warmest tank top, and you walk the same street bundle up in your warmest tank top, and you walk the same street you walked yesterday and noticed nothing. But, this time, you crys-you walked yesterday and noticed nothing. But, this time, you crystallize the ordinary fixtures on your regular route. The man playing tallize the ordinary fixtures on your regular route. The man playing sudoku on his usual bench suddenly endows your memory with sudoku on his usual bench suddenly endows your memory with weight. You’re being dramatically appreciative, you relish in it, strut-weight. You’re being dramatically appreciative, you relish in it, strutting to the soundtrack of an animated silence. ting to the soundtrack of an animated silence.

Everything works while you forget the greyness brought to you by Everything works while you forget the greyness brought to you by non-doing. You’ve induced your artificial if not momentary easiness. non-doing. You’ve induced your artificial if not momentary easiness. Your poet is awoken: you wonder how the pavement contemplates Your poet is awoken: you wonder how the pavement contemplates your feet; if the grass trembles under your soles. A new dimension your feet; if the grass trembles under your soles. A new dimension of considerations opens to you, there’s a reversal of priorities. You of considerations opens to you, there’s a reversal of priorities. You reacquaint yourself with nature and her subtleties. reacquaint yourself with nature and her subtleties.

You regret not becoming a botanist because you believe the flowers You regret not becoming a botanist because you believe the flowers now have more important wisdom to impart. The botanist walks at now have more important wisdom to impart. The botanist walks at night because the flowers busy them during the day. They look to night because the flowers busy them during the day. They look to the stars with envy and wish to become astronauts. But the astro-the stars with envy and wish to become astronauts. But the astronauts don’t walk at all. When your greyness leaves you, it joins the nauts don’t walk at all. When your greyness leaves you, it joins the absence between the stars, and the astronaut wishes to have their absence between the stars, and the astronaut wishes to have their feet back on the ground. feet back on the ground.

After a good walk, everyone pledges themselves to tranquility. But After a good walk, everyone pledges themselves to tranquility. But soon you emerge from the sacred devotion of your post-walk be-soon you emerge from the sacred devotion of your post-walk being. Your priorities reverse once again. The man playing sudoku ing. Your priorities reverse once again. The man playing sudoku becomes no more dynamic in your imagination than a statue or his becomes no more dynamic in your imagination than a statue or his bench. White noise remembers its shape and colonizes the wind bench. White noise remembers its shape and colonizes the wind through the trees. And the drum of procrastination bangs loudly through the trees. And the drum of procrastination bangs loudly while you march on in place. No matter the movement, walk. First in while you march on in place. No matter the movement, walk. First in mind, then in stride. mind, then in stride.