After the announcement of the new definition “patriots govern Hong Kong” by Xia Baolong, Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, early last week, different groups from the Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing machine have been busy accommodating the newest order to try to accomplish the mission from the central government as soon as possible. As usual, people such as the government officials, pro-Beijing lawmakers and business people, and the members of the NPC and CPPCC, are cheering for Xia’s comments, and even assisted in making various “political reform concepts,” with the aim to clear out the opposition power from the election system so that it cannot affect the Legislative Council (LegCo) and Chief Executive election. The CCP mouthpiece like Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po has criticized and humiliated the Administrative Officers of the government. They exaggerated some minor issues and claimed those are the proofs of them “being unpatriotic,” and wanted them to either obey the CCP and give up the little bit of autonomy they still have or leave the government or wait to be let go. The same clear-out actions of “unpatriotic people” are also happening in different parts of society. The latest incident where the CUHK cutting ties with its own Student Union is just one of the many examples.

Among a series of purging events in the past week, what has got the most attention must be the arrest of 47 people who have taken part in the pro-democratic primary election, all of whom have been charged with violating the national security law and taken to court. The whole incident is so ridiculous no ordinary person with logical thinking can comprehend because their participation in the primary election is within the legal framework of the Basic Law. So apparently, taking part in the LegCo election as per the Basic Law has already “conspiring to subvert state power.” Does it mean the Basic Law, which the government claims to adhere to, has loopholes to allow people to “subvert the state power”? If those who abide by the Basic Law and join the election have to be charged, does it mean those 600,000 Hong Kong citizens who abide by the law and vote have also “conspiring to subvert state power” and should have been taken to court? The government action has no legal basis at all and cannot be justified. All it did was overwhelming the rule of law with barbaric autocratic power. The goal of joining the election is, of course, to win the election. But wanting to win can already be accused of “conspiring to seize power,” It is astonishing beyond belief that the CCP wanted to conceive an “election” with opposition participants, but they are not allowed to win. Now it seems that even their participation in the election will be forbidden.

Debating the government’s budget is within the power of the LegCo as stipulated by the Basic Law. If it has the right to approve, it also has the right to disapprove. But it would appear thinking about a budget disapproval scenario, which is legally permitted but would not necessarily happen, is already “conspiring to subvert the country.” Xia said the majority of Hongkongers have the “love country, love Hong Kong” tradition. If that is the case, most citizens would not be voting for a political power that “harms the country, harms Hong Kong.” Taking 35+ LegCo seats and then proceeding to disapprove the budget is extremely difficult, which needs the support of at least 60-70% Hong Kong citizens to achieve. Therefore, if the majority of Hongkongers “love country, love Hong Kong,” what is the government then afraid of? Perhaps it is because the person who said that doesn’t even believe it himself and is, deep down, extremely frightened. So he decided to force the result he desires if he cannot get the support of the public opinion.

The LegCo purge has entered its last stage following the charging of 47 primary participants and the “political reform plan,” and the administrative offices’ clear-out is working well in progress. First of all, it uses the civil servants’ oath-taking to threaten the disloyal people within the system. Once it has taken full control of personnel appointments within the government, a large shake-up will be inevitable. First of all, the CCP is always wary of the Hong Kong bureaucracy system that does not have the “red” CCP background and has a certain degree of autonomy awareness. Secondly, the CCP dislikes the regional government being led by the locals because it fears localism. Many local governors in the mainland are not from the local areas. I believe more and more “new Hongkongers” will be taking major positions in the Hong Kong government. Even the “local Hongkonger” Chief Executive might be replaced by a “Hong Kong drifter of some years.” The elimination of local Hongkonger will be the big trend of governance. Maybe that’s why Regina Ip, who has always wanted to be the Chief Executive, is finally feeling a sense of crisis and suddenly spoke up for the Administrative Officers by saying she is against the “Cultural Revolution-style struggle session,” which was likely too little, too late. Besides, what is the problem with the “Cultural Revolution-style struggle sessions”? Why has the patriotic Mrs. Ip not uttered a bit more to the Hongkongers who aren’t as knowledgeable about the motherland?

(Lam Hoi, journalist)

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