Writer: Huang Jin Cheng

Oriental Daily, Oct 7, 2014

The “Occupy Central”campaign in Hong Kong has gone on for nine days now. Although the stalemate is there, the atmosphere is less tense. Former Hong Kong Security Secretary and now member of the executive council Regina Ip says at this stage, a minor “Tiananmen Square” incident will not happen and she also believes there would be no curfew.

The “Occupy Central” campaign has won global recognition but only Hong Kong people can decide which direction to go next. US Time magazine calls the campaign an “umbrella revolution”. Obviously, it is a romanticized fantasy.
By elevating the campaign to a revolution has contributed nothing to the solving of Hong Kong’s problem. It may encourage the campaigners and at the same time put pressure on the Chinese government as well as those who are against the campaign. This will lead to further distrust between both parties and restrict the space for negotiations.

The opposition of revolution is anti-revolution. Most revolutions in history ended with bloodshed. The “glorious revolution of England” will not happen in countries that follow Communism.

If “Occupy Central”campaign is an “umbrella revolution”, then those who are against the move will be anti-revolution. In Chinese politics, an anti-revolutionary will shed blood.

Hong Kong can never be independent. It can never break away from China’s control. Participants of the “Occupy Central” campaign have never issued any statement declaring independence.

All they want is to fight for the right they so deserve. The demand of Hong Kong people for democracy did not started only just now and it won’t disappear because of a possible crackdown.

In the last few days, netizens regardless of age have been busy with their attacks on both sides of the “Occupy Central” campaign. The topic was hotly debated as if they were talking about Malaysia. There are people who claim that the Chinese community has split because of this. Such a joke!
The Hong Kong problem should be solved by people of Hong Kong. We are mere bystanders. Maybe we have friends in Hong Kong or the Pearl River region, this is their family affair.

We do not pay Hong Kong tax and thus we have no right to participate in the pro- or anti-occupy campaigns. We may say “hello” to express our solidarity to friends in the “Occupy Central” campaign or even console our elderly folks who are concerned with the ongoing campaign and ask them to re-focus on Malaysia instead.

After all, Hong Kong had been colonised for more than a hundred years. People lined up to go there to spend money or wash dirty money in the past. After its return to China, people still line up to go there to spend money, wash dirty money or earn money.

People have different feelings; some love China and Hong Kong, some love Hong Kong not China, or love China but not Hong Kong, or love China but not Communist China. They simply enrich the choices.

Like other Chinese overseas, Malaysian Chinese are concerned about Hong Kong but only a small minority will openly support and oppose the “Occupy Central” campaign.

Majority of them who read the newspapers or click on the Facebook will talk about Malaysian issues and not so much the Hong Kong problem. Their more popular topics range from MH370 to MH17, flood, fuel prices, 2015 budget, gossips about movie stars, etc., instead of the Hong Kong issue.

The opposing sides of the Hong Kong issue will not come to blows or severe their friendships. They may make lot of noises but eventually, they will just laugh it off. The world remains unchanged and even if China or Hong Kong wants to change, it is their own problem and not ours.

If you want to occupy the Central, go ahead. If you want to oppose such a move, go ahead. Outside forces will not prevail and will not change Hong Kong. Therefore, there is no split in the Chinese community as each of us indulges in our own things.

Twenty five years ago, the Tiananmen Square incident impacted the Chinese community. There were squabbles between the young and the old. Now those who were young then have become middle-age and those in the middle-age have become old. Those who were old have already gone.

And so are we dragging out the same old squabbles just like unearthing antiques. Are we going backwards in our life?

Original Source: 【高峰论坛】香港占中，吹縐大马一池春水？