Following a regular UN review of Hong Kong, all-patriots lawmakers vie with one another to think up ways the city’s ‘civil force’ – business folk and (no doubt publicly subsidized) sports and cultural figures – can counter foreign criticism of Hong Kong’s human rights situation…
Holden Chow said [Chief Secretary Eric] Chan had “relentlessly rebutted the smearing” from the West, while Priscilla Leung hailed Chan’s rebuttal as “pulling no punches.”
…“Foreign powers have long weaponised and politicised human rights to gain advantage over bilateral works with [China] and [Hong Kong],” Ma Fung-kwok said in Cantonese.
“It is a form of international struggle. While the UN makes a platform for officials, it’s more important that the civil force knows what to do” when faced with foreign criticism, he added.
…Junius Ho, who spoke during a UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva in March, said more NGOs in the city should apply for a status that would allow them to participate in UN hearings.
…Nixie Lam suggested the government organise mock UN hearings for young people dedicated to international lobbying, while Carmen Kan asked Chan to prepare fact sheets about the city’s security for members of business sector.
They said that could better equip residents to be able to “tell a good Hong Kong story” – referring to the government’s bid to shape a positive image of the city internationally.
Reflecting the official stance, the legislators’ assumption is that better communication can somehow ‘correct’ overseas perceptions of what is happening. No-one dares suggest that rounding up and jailing pan-dems or arresting people for wearing T-shirts is abnormal and not compatible with an international reputation as a free society.
Nor does anyone want to warn of the danger that Hong Kong’s businessmen and athletes could become pitied around the world as fact-sheet-wielding bores.
“Junius Ho, who spoke during a UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva in March, said more NGOs in the city should apply for a status…”
A) Are there not a LOT LESS so-called NGOs in the city now that financial terrorism against them (if they’re not government coddled, non-governmental organisations) and their officers has been enacted?
B) Wow…Odious Ho gets mentioned two days in a row after a long hiatus!
C) These ideas are truly the mark of savvy heavyweights and guarantees their generous salaries, enthusiastically endorsed by the populace.
D) Speaking of “telling good Hong Kong stories”, The last time I was in Honkers (a few months ago) my local friend who always joins me for dinner and a bout of drinking whenever we meet, couldn’t stop going on about the pluses of Shenzhen these days AND – I kid you not – how much better using Uber is than hailing taxis.
Fuck these patriots are so god damned dumb
Come on, guys:
“Law” makers: Patriots only
District Councils: Patriots only
Independent political parties: Gone,
Student unions: Gone
Workers unions: Gone
Professional associations: Gone,
Independent NGOs: Gone
Independent newspapers: Gone
Independent websites: Gone
FDNOL: Gone
Candles on 4 June: Gone
etc. and so forth…
Is anybody telling me that this is not Good News – for the backward Marxist-Leninists Eric, Holden, Nixie, Genius, Priscilla, et al patriots?
I am sure they tell it all to their Western audiences, who will be impressed when they are told that Hong Kong, China is now run following a WESTERN theory, conceived 100 years ago – and proven useless and belonging to the garbage pile of history.
I wonder how theyall are doing reading the Communist Manifesto?
Or XJPTHOSOWCHCHFANE?
BTW: Sarcophagus #4, can you recommend what I should read to become such a happy Hongkonger like you?
In other news, CE John Lee, a man who has lived in taxpayer-subsidised housing for the past 46 years, advises young people not to live in taxpayer-subsidised housing.
The mind boggles.
Of the many flaws in the patri-bores’ latest plan, I am struck most by their omission of any agency on the part of these (capable) Hong Kong travellers. People abroad naturally generate interest and positivity about their homeland. Do Ma Fung-kwok and pals not think HKers can manage this by themselves? Or that they might resent and reject being ‘trained’ to parrot official lines to their friends and contacts? Or, if they did go through with such a charade, that it would be an almighty clusterf**k for Hong Kong’s image?
Of course, the ‘bores are only interested in scoring points in their value-free echo chamber, so no worries.