HK Politics and the Digital Echo Chamber

8 | Monday, June 24, 2019 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY COMMENT HK HK politics and the A peek into army digital echo chamber Andrew Sheng discusses the often doubtful role social media has played in Hong Kong’s current standoff over fugitive law amendments he young in Hong Kong are cel- ebrating what they think is a vic- tory in their search for democracy and a voice. Those who are older think that while the protests show what Hong Kong does not want (exactly like how the British voted for Brexit), no one now knows what the future will hold. Indeed, there are those who think the Andrew Sheng Residents queue up for the open day’s tickets of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at the T Kowloon East Barracks on Sunday morning. The PLA troops stationed in Hong Kong have offered 30,000 protests would or should invoke another round of The author is a distinguished fellow of the Asia Global Institute at the University of Hong Kong and admission tickets for visiting their barracks from June 29th to July 1st. A boy counts him lucky for snagging tougher actions. four tickets. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Who is right and what is wrong? a member of the UNEP Advisory Council on Sustain- The fact that the crowds got larger and larger is able Finance. a refl ection of how social media now feeds the echo Ho Chi-man chambers of all digital fans. This is a trend that of becoming the Berlin of the Cold War. is happening globally, as what you read on your The roots of social discontent in Hong Kong are smartphone is a fi ve second summary and confi r- fully understandable. The youth face disruption mation of what you like. Anything you do not like and uncertain future wherever they look. Being Time for the city to move on from is immediately deleted or mentally rejected. Hence, more conversant in Cantonese than English or Put- all your preferences and prejudices are amplifi ed onghua, they cannot compete in jobs against those as the artifi cial intelligence bots just keep on feed- who can a ord to go to Ivy League universities or ing your ego. The fact that Joshua Wong Chi-fung top mainland universities. To try and do a startup the fugitive amendment bill saga or Anson Chan Fang On-sang keep on getting CNN means paying exorbitant rents in Hong Kong. attention means that they think they are icons of Their dream of home ownership has been dashed he Hong Kong Special The most important at Admiralty. No governments in the Hong Kong’s conscience. Great for their egos, but is because the real estate community persuaded the Administrative Region world would compromise the rule of this reality? Hong Kong government to abandon the drive to government has o cially thing Hong Kong so- law because of political blackmail. The echo chambers of social media creates build 85,000 units of a ordable housing annually responded to concerns ciety needs to do now The criminal law never considers cocoons of “reality” that individuals think that they after the Asian fi nancial crisis. Many Hong Kong Tand demands by local residents the political background of a person have unlimited freedom and choice. They forget youths cannot migrate northward to start busi- opposed to the fugitive law amend- is find a rational and who broke the law. No matter what that even the Facebooks of this world are increas- nesses on the mainland, because they know only ment bill, as has the Hong Kong the excuse is, political or otherwise, ingly being regulated as to what they can feed their how to operate within the legal system and high Police Force. The response shows peaceful solution to protesters do not have a “license subscribers. Reality becomes what bots you use social safety nets of Hong Kong. the government’s utmost sincerity the dispute. We need to break the law” in Hong Kong or or what someone wants you to believe. If sections Consequently, the “Occupy Central” movement and goodwill regarding the dispute any other society under the rule of society can disturb the stability of the whole and current protests refl ect an underlying question over the fugitive law amendment to refocus on healthy of law. The only thing more outra- society through being fed continuous information of social inequality that the Hong Kong elites never bill. Since the government has done geous than being above the law is that stresses polarization and alienation from the properly addressed — how to overcome vested everything within its authority, it is development. prosecuting law enforcers for doing whole, will the system fragment? And who will interests to get real structural reforms. now the opposition’s turn to respond their job. take responsibility for this? The present dilemma is a total failure of the positively. The opposition should sooner rather than later. The govern- Also, the radical opposition has In 1928, US sociologists William and Dorothy Hong Kong elites to engage and deal with their know when to stop making unjustifi - ment has already shown its goodwill been pouring fuel on the fi re to Thomas formulated their Thomas Theorem — that own inequalities. able demands because if they con- by positively responding to popular make the situation worse than interpretation of reality (right or wrong) causes To be fair, the mainland elites also made the mis- tinue inciting violent mass protests wishes. The turmoil started because it already is. For example, when an action. In other words, what people think is take of fi rst believing the real estate faction that against the government, both sides of the fugitive law amendment bill. Joshua Wong Chi-fung was released real has real consequences. Some call this a self- keeps Hong Kong economically prosperous will will be seriously hurt. There can be Since the issue no longer exists, it after completing his prison sentence fulfi lling prophecy. So will the two sides of the solve any political dilemma. This is exactly believ- no winners in violent clashes, with is pointless to continue fi ghting for for being in contempt of court at the Hong Kong debate come together or be driven so ing the myth that free markets solve everything. Hong Kong as a whole su ering the something that is no longer there. end of the illegal “Occupy Central” far apart that more drastic action will have to be Free markets cannot address structural defi ciencies most, including the protesters. It is The fugitive law amendment bill movement in 2014, he immediately taken? and imbalances that only strong governments can time we stopped the anti-govern- is not the most urgent issue facing went to Admiralty and ordered some Hong Kong is a hard rock caught in the tide of deal with. And without strong public support, you ment madness over the fugitive law Hong Kong society anymore and we protesters to picket the chief execu- her colonial history. Under the British, they were end up with weak governments and beleaguered amendment bill and moved on. have no reason to continue wres- tive’s o ce. Apparently some radical given total commercial freedom, so long as they civil servants, including the much-vaunted police Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng tling over it. Let’s turn our attention opposition fi gures have not profi ted don’t have the electoral vote. So, after they left, the force, being caught daily in the media in an accusa- Yuet-ngor is still communicating back to Hong Kong’s development enough from the political turmoil British led Hong Kong people to believe that they tory meat-grinder. No wonder the best and bright- with various sectors of Hong Kong and support the SAR government and are trying to stir up more con- deserve and can quickly get “one person, one vote” est do not want to join the civil service because society after the SAR government in focusing on economic develop- frontation, the more contentious the — a Hong Kong right the British denied them for public service is today a daily a air for apologies. shelved the amendment bill and ment, improving people’s well-being, better for them. 157 years. Since the Hong Kong elites were trained You are blamed for trying to do anything, so the suspended the legislative process. addressing deep-rooted structural All sectors of Hong Kong society not to be political as that would threaten British best thing is to do nothing. Some of the secondary school prin- problems and creating more and should raise their voices to condemn rule, Hong Kong citizens were not prepared for the But the public expects you to do something! cipals who signed a petition urging better career opportunities for young politicians who keep trying to hurt di cult task of political convergence ahead. Even in the United States, “the land of the free”, the government to shelve the fugi- people. External causes of various Hong Kong one way or another. But the hard reality is that one fi fth of mankind the four freedoms of speech, rights, migration and tive law amendment legislation problems impact Hong Kong society The Hong Kong Police Force should — 1.4 billion people on the Chinese mainland — voting are being tested — what are the limits and earlier were pleased to see the chief through people’s personal concerns. stop those radical opposition fi gures are not institutionally ready for immediate con- “hard-budget constraints” of absolute freedom executive heed popular wishes. Now The turmoil triggered by the fugitive from doing more damage to public vergence to the Hong Kong living standards and of speech and human rights? How much is vot- that the government has halted the law amendment bill refl ects some order.

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