OPINION - Politics
‘Liberate Hong Kong’: From who and for what?
A look into Hong Kong’s struggle for decolonisation In the wake of the 2019 protests, the rallying cries and striking white words of ‘Liberate Hong Kong’ permeate the city. Each call rouses spirits during a tired rally, each graffiti trace marks an episode of mass demonstration. Yet, its emergence as the symbol of protest raises an important question – who and what are protesters liberating Hong Kong from? The question’s existence speaks to Hong Kong’s confused postcolonial identity. By conventional sense, colonisation is a distasteful memory for many African and Asian regions, one that should be brought to a “speedy and unconditional end” as stated by the United Nations Trusteeship Council. This is what liberation typically brings to mind – the ending of colonial oppression, the beginning of territorial independence, or political or cultural autonomy. Specifically for Hong Kong, with a transfer of sovereignty from Britain to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1997. As British flags were lowered and Royal Navy Britannica left the Victoria
Harbour on July 1 1997, Hong Kong formally became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) under the jurisdiction of China. Yet, in these eight months, protesters’ calls for liberation were often accompanied by proud wavering of the British colonial flags. At the same time, these actions attracted criticism from leftists, localists and the prodemocratic side condemning the oppressive elements of colonial rule. Embracing vs Liberation from Colonial Rule
“The question ‘who and what are protesters liberating Hong Kong from?’ speaks to Hong Kong’s confused postcolonial identity” 10
One oftencited reason for embracing the city’s former colonial status is the legacy of British administration.
Many policies that emerged out of the 1970s such as the rule of law, civil service and economic freedom were noted for contributing to Hong Kong’s success. For example, the Britishstyle common law legal system with an independent and impartial judiciary is seen as a ‘gift’ to Hong Kong. The implementation of “positive non-interventionism” in the 1970s is seen as a force for elevating Hong Kong’s status as a global financial hub. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s civil service system is regarded as highly professional, efficient and relatively clean, especially with the establishment of the ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) in the 1970s, which proposed to eradicate corruption. Although much of these policies were designed to create a local identity, and maintain popular support for colonial rule against Communist
