The Last Governor 1: A Democratic Time-Bomb, part 2 of 7

BBC documentary (Part one of a five part series) about Chris Patten, the popular last Governor of Hong Kong, and his democratic reforms which were undone by China.

He was quite possibly the first and only leader Hong Kong ever had (with the possible exception of Sir Murray Maclehose) that put Hong Kong's interests above that of her colonial masters, be that China, Japan or Britain.

Since then the Hong Kong people have become more embolden, with 500,000 people marching in 2003 calling for full universal suffrage for the Chief Executive and the resignation of Patten's successor Tung Chee-Wah after a series of spectacular policy failures.

Today, Mr. Patten (who left Hong Kong with and %80 approval rating), is welcomed back to Hong Kong with great enthusiasm by the people whenever he returns to visit.

Note: I would like to apologise to everyone for allowing comments to be added to this video only after I have approved them. Unfortunately, videos of Hong Kong tend to arouse the passions of various small individuals who find it necessary to leave offensive flames posts, quite often of a pathetically nationalistic or blatantly racist nature. I'm afraid that such irresponsible posts will not be entertained and communications from such people will be ignored - threats will be reported. I will, however, be delighted to post messages of an intelligent and constructive nature, especially those that encourages enlightened debate.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Hong
• Kong
• Hongkong
• democratic
• democracy
• Chris
• Patten
• reform
• HKSAR
• free
• Basic
• law
• handover
• politics
• 香港
• 政治
• 歷史
• 民主
• 97

[Konig1985]

I also dont see hong kong resisting PRC integration very successfully. It will be a matter of time before PRC achieves its goal so the best thing for hong kong to do now is to take advantage of the current economic benefits and get rich asap. If they are unsatisfied with HK's eroding DNA they can migrate to hongcouver if they wish. The PRC wont stop them im very sure of that.

[therepublicofHK]

Well, you must take into account stability, The PRC can only push as far the HK people will allow, it simply would not be in their interest to destabilise HK. Indeed, many people did immigrate to Canada (and elsewhere), and China did try to stem the 'brain drain', ironically, a lot of these people returned and now insist on an identity.

[Konig1985]

Can you please elaborate on what makes up a HK identity?

Its simple to the rest of the world and only HK finds this complicated. HK is just facing an awkward dilemma. They merely want to preserve their "unique" identity which is non-PRC that is hampering PRC efforts to consolidate their rule.

[therepublicofHK]

3.) So the HK people started taking pride in HK, undertaking environmental preservation, art, assisting minorities, civic duties, historical interest, etc. More importantly acknowledging that we, together, will make our home a better place. What is interesting is what is becoming less important, e.g. greed, opulent wealth, the sacrificing of your life for money, the things that were considered part of HK before 97, the things people do in transient places.

[therepublicofHK]

4.) But the most vocal expression of this new identity is the ongoing protest for more democracy. Central to any identity is the ability to control your own destiny, but it becomes difficult when the PRC says: "You don't control your destiny, we do.", then you define yourself through your struggle to control your own destiny. Herein lies the danger, at least as China see it. But it may be the Hong Kong people's finest moment.

[therepublicofHK]

5.) I would recommend the book "Hong Kong: Culture and the Politics of Disappearance" by Ackbar Abbas, Hong Kong University Press, 1997. Especially Chapter 7. It's a bit outdated and quite academic, but its balanced, in-depth and not one of those atrocious advocacy books.

[EterLightwave]

Oh how i wish China would be a democratic in near future. People in Hong Kong could vote presidents in Mainland , It's good both for HK and PRC.

[chikech]

It's a big shame that the British did not establish democracy in Hong Kong in the sixties. If they did it would have been difficult to thwart the progress of democracy.

It is no longer about Hong Kong, it is about the PRC. A government cannot give what it does not have. You cannot expect an authoritarian government to grant democracy. The future of China is the future of Hong Kong and vice versa.

The fight should be about establishing democracy throughout China.

[ngai1842]

i agree with you about china, but i think the British couldn't possibly establish democracy in the 1960's...Why?

Lord Murray Mclehose once said: regarding to the events of 1967, when the cultural revolution sweated through the border into Hong Kong, it would have been a disaster for Hong Kong if there would have been democracy at that time, because the Communists could have won it, and it would have been the End of Hong Kong.

what i regret, is the hadover.

[therepublicofHK]

2.) HK has always been seen as a transient place, a stepping stone to 'better' things elsewhere. Only after 4/6/89 did people really questioned how they would cope with the PRC culture after 97. And it was only after the jitters of the handover passed that people felt there was some permanency to HK, then came the question: How to define oneself and ones permanent home?

[therepublicofHK]

1.) HK people are not simply PRC nationals waiting to be reborn. With only colonial history to speak of, and with most of the population of HK being descendants of people who fled China (esp. during the cultural revolution and great leap forward) there is a great suspicion of China. Rightly or wrongly this suspicion also tends to extend beyond the CCP.