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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Britain's ex-governor Patten says China conducting 'outrageous political purge' in Hong Kong |
| 2020-07-31 |
[PUBLISH.TWITTER] And everyone was just so surprised...
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| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 Yes, this is typical bad behavior by the ChiComs and they are demolishing the voting and human rights of the Hong Kong citizens in an all-too-predictable push to get full control of the former British colony. But IMO, the former Hong Kong governor Patten doth protest too much. He was the governor of Hong Kong in the lead up to the transfer of sovereignty. The Brits waited until the last few years to expand the vote to more Hongkongers and expand representation in the Legislative Council (LegCo). It seemed like a half-hearted effort cloaked in the oratory of democratic traditions and popular sovereignty. Sure they got some more representation pushed through before the Changeover and the one nation/two systems agreement was reached (which China has now abrogated). However - if the Brits had expanded voting and democratic practices earlier that the 5 years before the changeover, Hong Kong could have had a longer and more independent tradition of democracy which would have made the red chinese violations more egregious. As it stands now, the Chinese know that no one can really do anything, Thatcher knew back in the late 70s/early 80s that the Brits could not stop the Chicoms from taking over HK either by force or other method so she made the deal in accordance to the original lease agreement. She - and anyone else involved with HK policy - should have started the democratic expansion at that point, so there was a missed opportunity. Instead, it was left to later PMs and to Chris Patten to push through weak democratic reforms at the very end. Patten et alii applied a democratic band-aid when much stronger measures were needed and now are shocked shocked that their rickety democratic infrastructure is not up to the task against the inevitable chinese demolition. That said, the HK democrats have been much more vocal, assertive, and incalcitrant that I ever would have imagined and they are an inspiration for true, legitimate human rights marchers. In the early 90s, as the world headlines in full caps reported on the first Iraq war, the HK headlines worried that hotel occupancy in the territory would suffer from the war. Never would I have imagined the strong reaction they have put up against the Chicoms - braver and bolder than one would have anticipated, especially given the anemic democracy left by the colonials. |
| Posted by: York Harding 2020-07-31 13:18 |
| #3 Patten is a EUfanatic though... China behaving similarly to his beloved EUSSR. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2020-07-31 08:29 |
| #2 But its for their own good. |
| Posted by: Sonny Black 2020-07-31 06:53 |
| #1 On the other side of the coin, Chinese organ transplant supply has gone way up. |
| Posted by: Ebberegum Croling1752 2020-07-31 00:24 |