It's been some time since the intense debate about mainlanders vs Hong Kongers. The voices die down quite a bit, but there are some repercussions. For example, a lot of Hong Kongers on Facebook refer to the Simplified Chinese as 残体字 (crippled form of writing) etc.
I do not wish to participate in this mess. I just hope that my article could ring a bell, a bell loud enough to stir Hong Kongers to wake up a little. To do that, I need you to face some of the simple facts.
1) Mission Perfectly Impossible: Independence from China.
Face this serious, serious fact. With Taiwan out of reach, and self-immolations + rebel uprising in Xinjiang and Tibet, do you seriously, as a Hong Konger, think that Mainland China would, in any of their right mind, would let Hong Kong independent? That's outright bullshit.
So, stop talking about remaining as a Special Administrative Region. You know yourself, in your heart, that China is already meddling with the politics. And, would some of you stop stooping so low to waving British Hong Kong flags? What's the point? It might make you happy for like, a few seconds and then reality punches you right in the face after that? Does that feel good, like ever?
2) Stop Complaining.
The sheer disgust I derived from local Hong Kongers, especially the new generation, is that they love to talk shit and never do a thing about it. They lament, lambaste the government, curse on Facebook. After that? Nothing.
3) Start reading news, for God's sake.
By news, I mean news like Ming Pao Daily or South China Morning Post, and best if you can read a few more like International Herald Tribune etc. Stop reading Apple Daily or the gossip magazines. For God's sake. A lot of Hong Kong locals don't even know how the legislative council is elected in Hong Kong before the recent filibustering episode. And for God's sake, filibustering in a 'one-party' Hong Kong?
If you want to change Hong Kong, you need to understand Hong Kong inside out. Not just waving some flags and remain silent when you are offline.
4) Fight for United Media Watchdog.
Yes you know that. Even Ming Pao is watched and somehow 'controlled' by the Hong Kong government.
The one crucial thing Hong Kongers can do is, set up a trustworthy united media watchdog. Make it totally independent, and fund it through social channels, not political. Recruit top journalists, get experienced people from the UN and also renowned media like New York Times and Time Warner and whoever you can think of to coach the reporting standard, to mentor the independent media so that it produces an thoroughly opinionated and objective report. Hong Kong needs that. If not, I am pretty sure Hong Kongers will still be as separated today ten years later, and the divide might be even bigger without an independent watchdog.
5) Set up a Commission for General Election Advisory Board.
Get the professors to head this. Get a few of the UN people in as well. Set up milestones, and collect the people's opinions by constantly touring Hong Kong. (Come on, Hong Kong is small).
You cannot change the fact that one day Mainland China will eat you whole, culturally and linguistically. But you can change the destiny of your coming generation by being the first region in China to have independent general election. If you succeed in this, then Hong Kong will certainly have quite an important say in the political arena of China. Your time is running out. It has been 15 years since 1997. You only have 35 years left.
Get all the right voices, channeled together into an independent and collective milestones needed for Hong Kong to organize the delayed-and-delayed-again general election. You need great lobbyists, people from business, political figures etc. These lobbyists will keep organizing talks through meeting the current administrative people, through the United Media Watchdog, through university talks, through roadshows, through charity concerts, through television programs, through documentaries that are available internationally, through carefully crafted messages in funded local movies and drama.
To be honest, there is so much Hong Kongers can do, and still it really hurts to see you all are growing silent. I see a lot of foul languages on Facebook. I see a lot of misdirected laments, like that on Simplified Chinese. I see a lot of intentionally generalized anger towards Mainland Chinese. I see a lot of time-wasting efforts, if you keep on going in this direction.
It's time to wake up, Hong Kongers. Stop cursing, stop complaining. Do something, before it's too late.
