Continued political shenanigans half a world away from the USA

 

An increasingly chained and locked city...

 

...but, try as they might, they have not (yet) wiped out all resistance

 

Over the past week or so, the big news as far as much of the world has been concerned has involved goings on in the USA rather than in places like Hong Kong.  Sure, there were protests in Hong Kong on October 1st (China's National Day) and arrests of protestors.  But all this paled in comparison to the bombshell news of Donald Trump testing positive for the Wuhan coronavirus on October 2nd and the ensuing -- and still ongoing -- shenanigans involving the individual who, by way of his position, is the most powerful person on the planet.    

Upon hearing the news of what was happening half a world away, I must admit that one of my first thoughts was: I hope the powers that be over in Beijing don't decide that this would be a good time to attack, even invade, Taiwan.  Touch wood but that has not happened thus far.  For that matter, there have been no major arrests made or moves to further curb freedoms in Hong Kong in recent days.

 

Still, this doesn't mean that nothing of note has happened lately.  For example, there have been more revelations with regards to the case of the 12 Hong Kongers whose unsuccessful attempt to flee to Taiwan back on August 23rd has resulted in there detention over in Mainland China for more than one month now.  More specifically, Apple Daily has reported that a Hong Kong Government Flying Service plane had been monitoring the speedboat that the 12 fugitives were on; increasing suspicion -- which Carrie Lam herself has been unable to dispell -- that the Hong Kong government had cooperated, even alerted, the Mainland Chinese authorities about the 12 Hong Kongers' actions and thus played no small part in their capture.   

I know many Hong Kongers whose imagination have been caught by, and thus are consequently determined to not give up on, these 12 Hong Kongers.  This even though they do realize -- why else did people protest so strongly and for so long against the extradition bill proposed last year? -- the terrible judicial system in Mainland China that these 12 are now up against.  

 

I guess the super optimistic derive some hope from the likes of Alexandra Wong having managed to pass through the system and be able to return to Hong Kong.  But I must admit to looking at the example of the Causeway Bay Books booksellers and dwelling far more on the fate of Gui Minhai, sentenced to imprisonment for 10 years (and seemingly forgotten by a good many Hong Kongers) than Lam Wing-kee, who now has embarked on a new life in Taiwan.    

 

Also concerning to me is what's continuing to happen in Hong Kong itself.  Among other things, yesterday saw the official announcement of a teacher's deregistration for using pro-independence materials in class, reportedly to teach students about the concepts of freedom of speech and independence.  After China imposed a security law on Hong Kong, you just knew that the authorities would be cracking down on the education front.  Heck, there was a sense that the authorities were gunning for the educators and students even before then -- and I don't just mean literally (as was the case at Hong Kong Chinese University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University last November).     

 

Even so, this particular case is really disturbing.  For one thing, this is the first ever time that a teacher has been deregistered for professional misconduct under the Education Ordinance.  For another, it's hard to shake off the feeling that the teacher concerned has been given a draconian punishment and been incredibly unfairly treated.  (It's also been reported that he faces a possible lifetime ban from teaching in Hong Kong.)   

 

A parent whose child was taught by the deregistered teacher was quoted as saying: "I went through the worksheet last night. I personally don’t think there’s any problem with it as there isn’t any premise for a pro-independence answer".  Understandably, then, "as a parent, I feel pity and regret for such a good teacher. We feel sad about that".  

 

This case also got me thinking back to a piece in The Guardian a few days ago about those who have decided to leave Hong Kong in the three months since the security law came into effect.  In particular, I think of the mother who stated that she had "lost faith in the political system and worries her child will become indoctrinated in the education system officials have vowed to overhaul under the national security law."  This surely is the kind of thing that she has been worrying about -- for her child and also her Hong Kong. :(