Hypocrites
"The potential economic repercussions for the people of Hong Kong are dire as storm clouds gather."
Amnesty International's report on Hong Kong has again been met with a wave of hypocrisy from the United States and the United Kingdom. Their blatant double standards strip them of credibility, leaving us questioning their motives.
Britain, a country pulling itself apart over Brexit, breaks from self-immolation to criticise us. Is this a joke? Britain, where the streets flow with the blood of knife crime victims, dares to suggest we could do better. A country that has food banks to feed the working poor and where rampant crime goes unchecked is not well placed to criticise us.
Meanwhile, the stretched police summon up the manpower to deal with so-called 'hate-speech'. Much of which is nothing more than some thin-skinned individual taking offence or losing an argument.
At the same time, the law enforces curtailed freedom of speech and compelled words; soon, only the opinions and views of the elite will be heard. Even esteemed institutions, such as Cambridge University, impose bans on speakers with whom a few delicate souls disagree. Jordan Peterson is the latest victim. Imagine if they'd banned Darwin or Newton. Don't laugh; the way things are going, Professor Brian Cox faces exclusion for stating the Earth is about four billion years old.
Likewise, the United States. The nation that ran secret prisons and rendition feels obliged to weigh into our extradition discussions. The land that sees children slaughtered in their classrooms at the hands of gunmen doesn't pause to consider its moral authority to lecture us. At least Hong Kong kids don't need to practice 'active shooter' escape drills or have armed guards at schools.
Amnesty International's position that human rights in Hong Kong are in rapid decline is a staggering suggestion. For starters, Amnesty provides scant evidence for this claim. Further, it portrays the rule of law as suppression. The prosecution of rioters and people who unlawfully block our roads is not acceptable to Amnesty.
Thus, it was rather pleasant to hear the Radio 3 Backchat presenters deconstruct the wafer-thin arguments put forward by Amnesty's representative. Tam Man-kei, Director of Amnesty Hong Kong, was on the ropes. His fight to justify Amnesty's claims faltered despite overwhelming contrary evidence. The problem is that those outside Hong Kong have no such insight; thus, they rely on these distorted Amnesty reports. This irresponsible falsehood spreads across the world without any balance.
Given what we now know about the organisation's operations, I would also question the honesty of Amnesty International's reporting. Following complaints and suicides, an investigation found Amnesty operated with a 'bullying, sexist and racist' culture. It is hardly a finding that compels one to believe their reports.
Hong Kong's position suffers further from the antics of disgruntled former senior officials. A few appear hell-bent on portraying us in a bad light. Anson Maria Elizabeth Chan Fang On-sang, GBM, GCMG, CBE, JP, our former Chief Secretary, are topping that list. This lady keeps herself busy by bad-mouthing Hong Kong in Washington.
Anson Chan is a complex character who portrays herself as the 'conscious of Hong Kong' —a misplaced title when viewed against her actions. Born as a twin in Shanghai, her family fled to Hong Kong in 1948 as the communists seized power.
She put herself through university after her father died and her mother went off to the United Kingdom. Chan was left behind with her Grandma. In 1962, she joined the Hong Kong Civil Service. She was one of only two women selected that year in a male-dominated British colonial regime—commendable stuff.
I have to say I don't remember her championing democracy at any time while in government, before or after 1997. The opposite is true — she was a staunch advocate of the colonial status quo. Moreover, she worked tirelessly to sell the Joint Declaration to the people of Hong Kong. Symbolically, she stood centre stage at the handover ceremony, the very physical embodiment of the process. Now, she's relentless in her critique.
How did it come to this? Some have suggested that after 1997, she lost a power struggle to realise she'd never be Chief Executive. At the same time, she suddenly develops an ardent interest in democracy. Her selling of the handover arrangements was now swept aside. Indeed, she appears keen to paper over that.
Chan is a gifted speaker who sounds plausible. She has used her talent to snipe at her former colleagues. These attacks often come with amnesia about her failings. She criticised Carrie Lam for ignoring due process over the Museum saga, forgetting her actions in the Kwok Nui case. Further, her comments about confusion in the government side-step her chaotic handling of the new airport opening in 1998.
Also, who can forget her notable short appearance at a democratic rally before rushing away for a hair fix? She made her priorities clear at that time. Her think tank consists of former colonial civil servants. The unkind would suggest that these people are missing their days of power. Worse, Chan and her band of old colonials exhibit all the telling signs of a Messiah complex. They see themselves as the self-appointed guardians of the common folk.
She knows fronting up in Washington during heightened tensions between China and the US is picking at a scab. As a participant in China's modern history, she must foresee that her trips will inflame sentiment.
Let's put this in context. Throughout recent history, Western powers have humiliated China. Thus, above all, we know that any intervention in China’s affairs triggers traumatic memories. Certainly, Anson Chan knows this.
At the same time, the U.S. is happy to use her as a tool with which to attack China and justify containment. In short, she's playing with fire by feeding a false narrative directly into the U.S. administration. While Chan has every right to do this, I also have the right to condemn her as deceitful and foolhardy.
More than just politics, how Anson Chan portrays Hong Kong in Washington has significant implications. Our status as a separate trading entity from the Mainland brings us privileges, including employment opportunities and economic stability. However, a few in Washington are eager to see this status removed, and Chan is providing them with the ammunition to do so. The potential economic repercussions for the people of Hong Kong are dire as storm clouds gather, and Chan's lack of foresight in this matter is concerning.
I can forgive Amnesty's zealots for their folly; that's the nature of the beast. Mrs Chan is in a different league. It's hard to give any concession when she's unlikely to suffer the consequences of spreading a false narrative. Those consequences will fall on ordinary folks.
March 2019
Britain, a country pulling itself apart over Brexit, breaks from self-immolation to criticise us. Is this a joke? Britain, where the streets flow with the blood of knife crime victims, dares to suggest we could do better. A country that has food banks to feed the working poor and where rampant crime goes unchecked is not well placed to criticise us.
Meanwhile, the stretched police summon up the manpower to deal with so-called 'hate-speech'. Much of which is nothing more than some thin-skinned individual taking offence or losing an argument.
At the same time, the law enforces curtailed freedom of speech and compelled words; soon, only the opinions and views of the elite will be heard. Even esteemed institutions, such as Cambridge University, impose bans on speakers with whom a few delicate souls disagree. Jordan Peterson is the latest victim. Imagine if they'd banned Darwin or Newton. Don't laugh; the way things are going, Professor Brian Cox faces exclusion for stating the Earth is about four billion years old.
Likewise, the United States. The nation that ran secret prisons and rendition feels obliged to weigh into our extradition discussions. The land that sees children slaughtered in their classrooms at the hands of gunmen doesn't pause to consider its moral authority to lecture us. At least Hong Kong kids don't need to practice 'active shooter' escape drills or have armed guards at schools.
Amnesty International's position that human rights in Hong Kong are in rapid decline is a staggering suggestion. For starters, Amnesty provides scant evidence for this claim. Further, it portrays the rule of law as suppression. The prosecution of rioters and people who unlawfully block our roads is not acceptable to Amnesty.
Thus, it was rather pleasant to hear the Radio 3 Backchat presenters deconstruct the wafer-thin arguments put forward by Amnesty's representative. Tam Man-kei, Director of Amnesty Hong Kong, was on the ropes. His fight to justify Amnesty's claims faltered despite overwhelming contrary evidence. The problem is that those outside Hong Kong have no such insight; thus, they rely on these distorted Amnesty reports. This irresponsible falsehood spreads across the world without any balance.
Given what we now know about the organisation's operations, I would also question the honesty of Amnesty International's reporting. Following complaints and suicides, an investigation found Amnesty operated with a 'bullying, sexist and racist' culture. It is hardly a finding that compels one to believe their reports.
Hong Kong's position suffers further from the antics of disgruntled former senior officials. A few appear hell-bent on portraying us in a bad light. Anson Maria Elizabeth Chan Fang On-sang, GBM, GCMG, CBE, JP, our former Chief Secretary, are topping that list. This lady keeps herself busy by bad-mouthing Hong Kong in Washington.
Anson Chan is a complex character who portrays herself as the 'conscious of Hong Kong' —a misplaced title when viewed against her actions. Born as a twin in Shanghai, her family fled to Hong Kong in 1948 as the communists seized power.
She put herself through university after her father died and her mother went off to the United Kingdom. Chan was left behind with her Grandma. In 1962, she joined the Hong Kong Civil Service. She was one of only two women selected that year in a male-dominated British colonial regime—commendable stuff.
I have to say I don't remember her championing democracy at any time while in government, before or after 1997. The opposite is true — she was a staunch advocate of the colonial status quo. Moreover, she worked tirelessly to sell the Joint Declaration to the people of Hong Kong. Symbolically, she stood centre stage at the handover ceremony, the very physical embodiment of the process. Now, she's relentless in her critique.
How did it come to this? Some have suggested that after 1997, she lost a power struggle to realise she'd never be Chief Executive. At the same time, she suddenly develops an ardent interest in democracy. Her selling of the handover arrangements was now swept aside. Indeed, she appears keen to paper over that.
Chan is a gifted speaker who sounds plausible. She has used her talent to snipe at her former colleagues. These attacks often come with amnesia about her failings. She criticised Carrie Lam for ignoring due process over the Museum saga, forgetting her actions in the Kwok Nui case. Further, her comments about confusion in the government side-step her chaotic handling of the new airport opening in 1998.
Also, who can forget her notable short appearance at a democratic rally before rushing away for a hair fix? She made her priorities clear at that time. Her think tank consists of former colonial civil servants. The unkind would suggest that these people are missing their days of power. Worse, Chan and her band of old colonials exhibit all the telling signs of a Messiah complex. They see themselves as the self-appointed guardians of the common folk.
She knows fronting up in Washington during heightened tensions between China and the US is picking at a scab. As a participant in China's modern history, she must foresee that her trips will inflame sentiment.
Let's put this in context. Throughout recent history, Western powers have humiliated China. Thus, above all, we know that any intervention in China’s affairs triggers traumatic memories. Certainly, Anson Chan knows this.
At the same time, the U.S. is happy to use her as a tool with which to attack China and justify containment. In short, she's playing with fire by feeding a false narrative directly into the U.S. administration. While Chan has every right to do this, I also have the right to condemn her as deceitful and foolhardy.
More than just politics, how Anson Chan portrays Hong Kong in Washington has significant implications. Our status as a separate trading entity from the Mainland brings us privileges, including employment opportunities and economic stability. However, a few in Washington are eager to see this status removed, and Chan is providing them with the ammunition to do so. The potential economic repercussions for the people of Hong Kong are dire as storm clouds gather, and Chan's lack of foresight in this matter is concerning.
I can forgive Amnesty's zealots for their folly; that's the nature of the beast. Mrs Chan is in a different league. It's hard to give any concession when she's unlikely to suffer the consequences of spreading a false narrative. Those consequences will fall on ordinary folks.
March 2019
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