Democracy Diverted

The claim often is made that freedom is spreading throughout the world, but in one case in particular freedom is diminishing, and most promoters of democratic principles are too silent on the topic.

Although formally it was classified as a colony, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries Hong Kong emerged as a symbol of Asian democracy. This especially was true after the Maoists gained control of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Democrat endeavors somewhat are successful in Taiwan, but Hong Kong already had the infrastructure to maintain democratic institutions as a counter-balance to the PRC.

When the ninety-nine year Hong Kong lease-back began in 1898, no one could foresee the PRC would emerge as an intensely Marxist state. When the lease-back expired in 1997, it was anticipated widely that the PRC would destroy Hong Kong's democratic institutions within a very short time. That time already exists.

When the lease-back ended, the PRC selected an administrator for Hong Kong. A condition for Hong Kong's transfer was that Hong Kong's electoral and public institutions would operate without PRC interference for at least fifty years. Many of the established political organizations believed their rights and campaign activities were curtailed so the PRC could ensure it "won" the contest for administrator's post. By then Hong Kong belonged to the PRC, so other states only could complain - which surprisingly few did.

Sentiments of stifled dissent and restricted expression remained prevalent during the next seven years. Now Hong Kong is in the midst of another election cycle, and the foredrawn certainty of the result is more than a convergence of polling data. Candidates and parties who would be regarded as the loyal opposition in most Western democracies (and who were regarded as such in Hong Kong ten years ago) now are labeled and disparaged as enemies of the state. Many voters seem to think the elections are a sham, and although they may agree with the opposition, they worry that voting their consciences may lead to recriminations for them and/or their families. There even are reports that employers closely linked to the PRC administration tell their employees that any employee who supports the opposition will lose his/her job.

Without doubt the PRC will win its victory, and the spirit of democratic governance that was encouraged and flourished in Hong Kong will be destroyed gradually - or perhaps not too gradually - to placate the PRC. As bleak as that prospect seems, the destruction of Hong Kong's liberty apparently disturbs none of the Western democracies. The same leaders who pride themselves on bringing the vague perception of quasi-democracy to Afghanistan and Iraq have no comment and offer no condemnation of Chinese authorities who so easily swindle the people of Hong Kong of their freedom and democratic institutions. Most international media sources carefully avoid reporting the Hong Kong "elections". This apparently is because to the perception of many holders of power, there should be one standard for the PRC and one standard for the rest of the world. When was the last report produced by a multi-national organization produced to detail the PRC's awful rhuman rights record? Some reports trickled out after the Tienamin Square massacre in 1989, but since then the PRC seems able to jail and enslave as many people as it likes without comment or castigatitigation. Again this may be linked to the perception that the PRC can do no wrong.

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