Veteran journalist Michael Chugani has resigned from a number of posts of various media outlets, including host of Straight Talk of TVB Pearl and News Watch English of TVB News, columnist of the SCMP and the Hong Kong Economic Journal, only keeping his column with the Headline Daily. Asked by the media about it, Chugani said he feels pretty burnt-out. When asked if his move has anything to do with the National Security Law, Chugani said nowadays one has to write with exceptional caution, “for there are a large number of redlines out there”.

The Chugani I know has never been a radical, but a person who has always been peaceful, rational, non-violent and foul-language free, and can even be reckoned moderate and a little pro-establishment. Obviously, as what he said, Hong Kong has changed. When the regime takes any Hongkonger and media outlet either an enemy or foe, how can there be any room for the moderate faction to keep moving on? In the past, embracing not only leftists, the spectrum of the pro-establishment camp was fairly broad. Having their own beliefs, dropping the hope for universal suffrage, and not taking the initiative to strive for it, they had an idea about the governance of the Hong Kong society – the rule of law, freedoms, fair competition, free market and diversity. Put in overseas political spectrum, they would be incorporated into conservative faction.

What it really means by “Hong Kong has changed” put forward by Chugani is that nowadays even the real conservative faction is not condoned. What the regime looks for is servile and obsequious trash that blindly supports whatever it does. If you are a real conservative in Hong Kong, can you turn a blind eye to the selective law enforcement against AbouThai, the Commissioner of Police hanging a label of “forging fake news” on Apple Daily on consecutive days, the Secretary for Justice not letting go of young people and the retarded and vowing to get them sentenced to the heaviest penalty, the pro-democracy figures, who were peaceful, rational, non-violent and foul-language free coming forward to maintain stability on August 18, 2019, lest large-scale confrontations should take place, having been prosecuted and getting heavy sentences? It may well be asked if a sane political affairs commentator is able to steer clear of criticizing the regime?

Today, the Chinese Communist Party(CCP) puts in practice its overall jurisdiction over Hong Kong. The major difference of it from the past is that it creates a “dichotomy” to force Hong Kong people to take sides. This tactic is adopted every often in struggles within the CCP. One could choose to be moderate in the past, but not now. After getting rid of democrats, pro-democracy KOLs and artistes who are politically incorrect, RTHK will set out to make itself a government mouthpiece. That’s why Kitty Choi Kit-yu, a retired Administrative Officer, was appointed consultant to Director of Broadcasting to implement the plan to overhaul the institution. As to those deemed enemies, they are dealt a blow by fair means or foul. The reason why Chris Tang Ping-keung keeps sniping at Apple Daily by framing it for forging fake news is to pave way for forcing through an “anti-fake news act”, which will have a much bigger impact than simply shutting down the newspaper operation, for it can control online speech by imposing a ban on viewpoints and criticisms in the name of fake news.

Before enactment of an anti-fake news act, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Tang Ping-keung already keep accusing the media of forging fake news. The National Security Law aside, merely an abuse of the Sedition Ordinance is able to intimidate political commentators into censoring their own works. Menaced by speech crime, commentators will find it unusually arduous to pen anything, stopping short of countless no-go areas. The remarks made by such a dim-witted government official are apparently the best subject matter for his column, but before finishing the second paragraph, he starts getting unnerved for his opinion piece would draw in revenge and invite trouble. Anyone caught in such a predicament will certainly get mad. I believe in the days to come more moderate commentators are going to withdraw from their role as a critic.

When the society is gagged, does it mean that the regime has won over support from public opinion? No. The resentment and indignation that cannot be vented will turn into cynicism. Whenever government officials or the pro-establishment camp make any remarks, the citizens will turn away from them. Regardless of how reasonable they are, the citizens will still suspect they have another plan, and there is an ulterior motive behind their public speech. Public opinion has never been a zero-sum game, which is entry-level knowledge of political science. I am convinced the people at the helm today are, however, still far away from the entrance to modern politics.

（Lau Sai-leung, political commentator）

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