I Love Hong Kong

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HK protesters reading school notes during a protest.

If there is anything that is common among the Asian cities of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore, it is this - the relentless pursuit of academic excellence and parents' obsession with grades. More often than not, the grades one gets, the schools that one attends determine the future outcomes.

But of course it is also true that when one puts in hours at book study, one may not always have a practical end in mind. In fact, I have seen that high achievers are almost always young people who are self-directed and do their studying as part of who they are and what they believe to be their duty as a young person.

I really feel for these students. It is always through struggle that people appreciate more what they work so hard to get.

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Wraithorn · 51-55, M

This is interesting and not the kind of thing that you would see elsewhere in the world other than in East Asia.

When the protests started in HK I read a news report about protestors who cleaned up after themselves. In most other countries placards, signs and various other stuff would be left lying around. That spoke to me of real discipline and concern for others even during the emotional event of a protest. I presume that Chinese culture is the reason for this disciplined behaviour.

I think the protesting in HK has become a bit more unruly recently according to what I see in the news.
Your government claims that outside influence from other countries is now being used to prolong the protests, specifically influence from the USA.
I read that the government suspended a law that people were upset about in HK but the demonstrating of civil unrest still continues.
From your inside point of view, what are the people in HK protesting about now ? There is not much news about it in the world except in the Russian media. I would like to understand what is really going on there.

novembermoon · 51-55

@Wraithorn hi, just to clarify, I'm not from the PRC (People's Republic of China). I'm a Singaporean Chinese. The Hong Kongers are angry about an Extradition Bill that would allow authorities to send dissidents to mainland China. They see it as a major curtailment of their freedom. I sympathise much with them. It's a David vs Goliath situation. HK is a special administrative region (SAR) of PRC. Ceded to the British during the first and second Opium Wars, she was returned to the PRC in 1997. However, her growth,both in economic and cultural aspects have taken a very different trajectory. I see more differences than similarities between them and although both populations are ethnically Chinese, the HKers speak Cantonese, not mandarin. Looking from the sidelines, I tend to think that the PRC needs to be more restrained in its handling of the situation. We do not want to see another Tiananmen, which will reinforce perception that they are high-handed and ruthless in dealing with dissent.

Wraithorn · 51-55, M

@novembermoon Thanks for clarifying and not getting upset at my ignorance. I also hope the government doesn't get overly violent towards people. I don't really want to see any more pics of people standing in front of tanks either.
According to what I read in the news the PRC has agreed not to impose that law. So I'm wondering why the protests are still carrying on. Obviously I am missing some information.

novembermoon · 51-55

@Wraithorn thanks for your interest in what is happening in this part of the world. It has been said that maybe there is a 'black hand' (presumably the US )involved in instigating and sustaining the protests. I do not know really.

Wraithorn · 51-55, M

@novembermoon I found some more information which seems relevant. Apparently the people in HK have 4 more issues they want settled. They want :

1. A public probe into the actions of police who were too violent when dealing with protesters.
2. They do not want the protests to be classified as riots.
3 They want amnesty for the arrested protesters.
4 They want electoral reform.

Does that sound about right ?

novembermoon · 51-55

@Wraithorn great summary!

Cierzo · M

@novembermoon Less and less I see HK as the David and China as the Goliath in this issue. More and more I believe that there are foreign powers (US? Uk? Both?)behind the protests. Also, more and more western media are taking the side of HK. I see the decaying western world unable to accept that China is on the rise and will soon be the leading power in the world, and using HK to attack it. They do not really care about Hong Kong or democracy (the same media are fighting against the Brexit people voted for in the UK).