Without question the Chinese everywhere are loyal to the idea ofChina as are most to their own. What they are not shy about is thatloyalty does not extend to those in power. Thus waving the unionjack is a clear way to get that message across. It is also strongenough that those in power will find it impossible to ignore.
The present Chinese reality is that the Chinese people are activelyusing mass protest to confront corrupt officials all through China inan ongoing struggle to assert the primacy of the people over a numberof core issues. As usual this discomforts said corrupt officials whowould rather suppress or create conflict elsewhere.
The problem everywhere is shifting political power downstream to thepeople. What is happening is that the people are asserting powerover their own lives and step by step wringing it out of the corruptcadres. This is obviously a slow process but it works.
Colonial flags flyas anger grows in Hong Kong
by Staff Writers
Hong Kong (AFP)Feb 2, 2013
http://www.sinodaily.com/reports/Colonial_flags_fly_as_anger_grows_in_Hong_Kong_999.html
Sixteen years afterHong Kong returned to Chinese rule, public discontent with Beijing isswelling and protesters have been rallying around an unexpectedsymbol -- the British colonial flag.
Tens of thousands havetaken to the streets in recent months in marches against ChiefExecutive Leung Chun-ying, who took over from Donald Tsang last Julyafter being elected by a 1,200-strong pro-Beijing committee.
On several occasionsthe old blue flag, which incorporates the Union Flag, has been flownby protesters on the streets of what is becoming an increasinglydivided Hong Kong, both embarrassing and infuriating Beijing.
While Leung'ssupporters say he is tackling pressing social issues such asaffordable housing and the strain on public services, his critics seehim as a stooge for Beijing and are angry over a widening povertygap.
In September, hebacked down from a plan to introduce Chinese patriotism classes inschools, which had incited mass protests and was viewed as an attemptto brainwash children into accepting doctrines taught on themainland.
The founder of a groupmobilising Hong Kongers to fly colonial flags said it did sobecause the city was worse off after 16 years of "encroachment"by Beijing, stressing it was not because of any desire to seeBritain rule again.
"Our freedom andeverything else has gone downhill since (the handover)" said26-year-old Danny Chan from the "We're Hong Kongese, notChinese" Facebook group, which has been "liked" bynearly 30,000 people.
Hong Kong'ssemi-autonomous status enshrines civil liberties not seen on themainland, including the right to protest, until 2047 under the"One country, two systems" handover agreement.
Chan cited housingprices that stubbornly remained among the world's highest and thewidening income gap between the rich and the poor as factors drivingthe increasingly frequent protests in the city.
Many Hong Kongersblame increased immigration from the mainland for high house pricesand overcrowding in local hospitals.
Chan said that theflags symbolised anger and the perceived erosion of the rule of lawin Hong Kong since 1997.
"Hong Kong's corevalues and the rule of law have been gradually destroyed until thereis almost nothing left," argued the computer engineer, who wavedthe flag at a mass rally on January 1 to demand Leung step down.
Dixon Sing, politicalanalyst at Hong Kong's University of Science and Technology, said theprotesters "believe the Chinese Communist Party has beenundermining those core values and reneging on the promise of givingHong Kong 'two systems'".
-- "Misguided"notions –
The increasedvisibility of the old emblem has sparked tensions, at a time whenChina is ushering in a new batch of leaders who yearn for order andstability in the Asian financial hub.
The British Council,which promotes cultural and educational ties overseas, unwittinglybecame embroiled in the controversy recently when advertisements foran education fair bearing the Union Jack became the centre ofattention.
Comments such as"Great Britain built Great Hong Kong!" were posted on theBritish consulate's Facebook page and linked to the posters.
The advertisementswere hastily removed due to the possibility of "misinterpretation",a British Council spokeswoman said.
The waving of the oldflag has drawn criticism from Chen Zuoer, the former No.2 mainlandChinese official in Hong Kong, who reportedly said last year that it"should be sent to history museums".
Other critics,including those from the city's pro-democracy political camp, saidany "good old days" notion is largely misguided, ascorruption and malpractice were once widespread before a majorclean-up in the 1970s.
"During colonialtimes, there was no freedom and our rights were denied but in thelate 1980s, the government won people's trust and it was seen asclean," said Avery Ng from maverick lawmaker "Long Hair"Leung Kwok-hung's League of Social Democrats party.
The party has calledfor full democracy in Hong Kong to replace the current system.
"I understand thecurrent sentiment but this is very sad for Hong Kong that peoplewould rather look back at colonial times."
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