How Hong Kong Became a Police State

October 25, 2022 6:38 PM

Understood from the perspective of China, Hong Kong has not just seen the tactics of co-option and threat, developed for a gentler takeover, turned to the service of a far more draconian one. It has also seen the perfection of methods of co-opting businesses and academics, infiltrating institutions like universities and funding pro-party propaganda on social media which can be used farther afield.
posted by blue shadows (9 comments total)

Party operatives initially attempted to cultivate relationships with pro-democracy groups. The movement’s members were often willing partners; as several former lawmakers attest, they believed that opening a channel of communication with state security would be helpful. And many felt that a few cordial meetings would be unlikely to change anyone’s mind. But they gave the party a detailed understanding of Hong Kong and, in the end, leverage over many of its leaders.

This reminds me of stories about the CIA's infiltration and overthrow of democracies in Iran and Guatemala, and how the very fact of their being free and open societies enabled the infiltration.
posted by clawsoon at 7:00 PM on October 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

Oliver Ma seems to be getting by, but it's in the style that the article outlines, by focusing on pop culture, covers of Taylor Swift and One Direction. There are no more street performances of Glory To Hong Kong bravely facing down the police.
posted by clawsoon at 7:05 PM on October 25, 2022

*sigh* I have a friend who got a job in HK and I was looking forward to finally being able to visit. Then the pandemic, and now...I don't think it'll ever happen.
posted by praemunire at 9:35 PM on October 25, 2022

It's interesting to me how the 2014 Umbrella Movement and the 2019 protests were divisive for my extended family; some of my HK aunts and uncles living abroad in Western countries held patronizing and biased judgements about young HK people. I'm not close with those relatives, but I'm almost amused enough to say "I told you so" given the further oppressions in the last two years.
posted by polymodus at 11:19 PM on October 25, 2022 [2 favorites]

This is so sad.
posted by subdee at 6:29 AM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]

polymodus, would any of those relatives say something like, "Told you so, those troublemakers should've kept their mouths shut, look where they are now"?
posted by clawsoon at 7:11 AM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]

They will have ten different ways to rationalize their uneducated sociopolitical prejudices; indeed the Yellow side has oft relied on as a talking point during the protests and its aftermath that if only these young HK people gave up the streets and the rioting, and kept their heads down and worked hard then they and the future of the city would be fine.

The distinction however is that HK conservatives are not totalizingly supportive of mainland Chinese conservatives/authoritarians, who e.g. speak a different language, and have a different, antagonizing political history. Which is why it interests me somewhat, e.g. at what point will HK conservatives wake up? (Answer: They still won't.)
posted by polymodus at 12:06 PM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]

I visited Hong Hong eight years ago and it was a lovely, fascinating time. We said we would bring our son some day. Alas, we will likely never go back.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 6:46 PM on October 26, 2022

Quick correction, the pro-democracy camp is Yellow and the pro-authoritarian camp is Blue.
posted by coolname at 1:17 PM on October 27, 2022