Hong Kong continues to struggle against political oppression in the wake and shadow of the American presidential election

Demands made at the first protest march I participated in

in Hong Kong (back on July 1st, 2012) included (for) "1 person, 1 vote"

 

A reminder that the anti-extradition bill protestors' five demands

include (genuine) universal suffrage for Hong Kong

 

Despite spending the afternoon hiking on Saturday, I ended up staying awake until around 3 o'clock the next morning because very late that night (Hong Kong time), Joe Biden was announced as the winner of this year's American Presidential election; whereby my American Democrat friends promptly lit up my Facebook feed and rushed to share their joy with the world.  

 

Witnessing their sheer relief that good had finally triumphed along with ecstacy that their side had won, I thought back to the euphoria I had felt when seeing the results go in favor of the pro-democrat camp at the District Council elections last November 24th.  And I must admit to feeling rather jealous that they were able to vote this year -- unlike those of us in Hong Kong who were denied the chance to do so this year after the postponement of the Legislative Council elections which many sensed would see the pro-democrat camp capture an unprecedented majority of seats.

 

Even though they could not vote in the U.S. elections, many people in Hong Kong cared about how it would go because they look to that far away country's government to stand up to China -- for Hong Kong along with the Uighurs and Taiwan as well as the American people.  But while there were Hong Kongers who wanted to Trump to win a second term because they believe Joe Biden will be less tough on China, many foreign political analysts think the American government will continue to work to counter China's aggression -- and probably be more effectively doing so under the Biden administration.

 

For the record: I've long been anti-Trump.  (Yes, his administration has imposed sanctions against Hong Kong officials in recent months, and even today -- but it's worth recognizing that the likes of Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act had (rare) bi-partisan support.  And, honestly, there's so much wrong about him that I can't even bother to go into it.)  So the result of this American presidential election has gone the way I wanted.  

 

Actually, since last November 24th, every major election I've had an interest in has been won by the candidate I was rooting for!  And I really did experience joy from seeing Tsai Ing Wen be re-elected as President of Taiwan this past January and New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern prevail at the polls this past October -- more so than this past weekend, in no large part because their victories were so much more emphatic.

 

All of which adds to my regret that Hong Kong was not able to go to the polls on September 6th; and this all the more so since we would have then been spared the whole fiasco that has included Chu Hoi-dick, Ray Chan and Tanya Chan having decided that they did not want to stay Legislative Councillors in the wake of there being no election this year, and now the entire pan-democrat contingent threatening to resign enmasse if Beijing (via its Hong Kong government lackeys) moves to have any more of them disqualified.

There are people who, to this day, believe that the pan-democrats will be playing into Beijing's hands if they do in fact leave the Legislative Council.  Back in September, I agreed with Stephen Vines that it was of benefit to Hong Kong to have opposition members in the Legislative Council to do such as officially calling the government to account.  Also, as he pointed out in his Apple Daily article, "the system has long been rigged and has dubious democratic credentials."  So it wasn't as though fighting against the odds in that legislative chamber would be anything new.

At the same time though, the circumstances really are being made harder and harder for those who value democracy and freedom to stand one's ground here in Hong Kong.  In the case of the pan-democrats still serving in the Legislative Council, the removal of their ability to filibuster really could make them weaponless.   

Yet, it's not like Hong Kongers have entirely given up their fight and are now just waiting for such as the American goverment to come and save them.  On the education front: even as the government seeks more power to punish teachers, many school principals say they are pushing back against attempts by pro-establishment figures to name and shame teachers accused of misconduct and other wrongdoing.  

 

And after appearing in court for her hearing this morning, RTHK journalist Bao Choy Yuk-ling reiterated her feeling that "I truly believe I will not walk alone" as well as that "this incident is no longer a personal matter but a matter related to public interest and press freedom in Hong Kong".  In other words: even while we wish for the world with Hong Kong, Hong Kongers are continuing to stand with one another -- against political oppression, and for freedom and democracy.