A recently disqualified pro-independence politician from Hong Kong has hit back at Chris Patten, the last British governor of the territory, for saying that the activists’ “antics” were diluting the fight for greater democracy in the city.
Hong Kong’s high court recently banned two young legislators, Baggio “Sixtus” Leung and Yau Wai-ching, from taking their seats after they modified their oaths to criticise the Chinese regime during a swearing-in ceremony in October.
Patten, now a member of the House of Lords and chancellor of the University of Oxford, said it had been “dishonest, dishonourable and reckless” of the pair to conflate the push for greater democracy in Hong Kong with the argument for independence.
“I had great admiration and still have great admiration for those who campaign for democracy, but not those whose campaign dilutes support for democracy and makes a mockery of a serious political argument,” Patten said during a speech at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club.
“Two years ago many brave young people in Hong Kong established moral high ground about democracy and governance,” Patten said. “It would be a tragedy if that high ground was lost because of a few antics about so-called independence for Hong Kong.”
During the swearing-in ceremony Yau, 25, and Leung, 30, declared allegiance to the “Hong Kong nation” and unfurled banners that said “Hong Kong is not China”. Yau announced her allegiance to “the Hong Kong special administrative region of the People’s Refucking of Shina”. Yau and Leung are appealing against the ban.
“Taking an oath is a serious business … it isn’t something of a lark,” Patten said, adding that Hong Kong independence “is not going to happen” and it “dilutes support for democracy”.
Leung told the Guardian that he and his party “respectfully disagreed with Lord Patten’s comments about the so-called ‘moral position’” of the 2014 student protest, adding “these two years have already proved that a ‘strong moral position’ can yield nothing when you are negotiating with the immoral and authoritarian Chinese Communist party”.
“If there is no legitimate election and political discussion, how can we even start our discussion on governance and democracy as advised by the very learned Lord Patten?” Leung asked in his response. Leung invoked the story of Charles Bradlaugh, a 19th century MP who was an atheist and a republican, who paved the way for affirmations rather than oaths.
“We are, of course, aware that the CCP is no civilised party like the English ones, but staying true to our political platform deserves a little bit more respect from a well regarded politician with such a deep connection to Hong Kong,” Leung said, adding a appeal to British parliament to uphold freedom and democracy in Hong Kong.
Support for independence has been growing in the city, especially among students and young people angry at what they see as a government incapable of addressing their concerns over housing and employment and increasing resentment of Chinese government interference in local affairs.
In 2014, those frustrations came to the surface as students attempted first to occupy the city’s parliament, and then staged 79 days of street protests, blocking traffic in Hong Kong’s financial centre.
Under the agreement signed between the UK and China outlining the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong, democratic development was supposed to happen at a staggered pace, but Patten said “the steady rate seems to be pretty slow”.
“Twenty years after the departure of the colonial oppressor, it’s a bit surprising that democratic development hasn’t happened rather more rapidly,” he said.
Patten left Hong Kong as governor in 1997 on a rainy night on board the royal yacht Britannia, when the UK handed the city to China. Hong Kong was allowed to keep many freedoms not available on the mainland under a framework known as “one country, two systems”.
During his tenure, Patten attempted to accelerate the pace of direct elections, changes that were quickly rolled back once China took over. A senior Chinese diplomat called him a “sinner for 1,000 years”, for his efforts in support of democracy.
“I will always support sensible efforts to strengthen the democratic movement in Hong Kong,” Patten said, adding that if he were in charge today he would work to start a dialogue with people across the political spectrum.
The current leader of the city, Leung Chun-ying, has frequently been criticised by the pro-democracy camp and student protesters for what they say is his lack of attention to the concerns of ordinary people.
“It’s corrosive of government when disagreements turn into quarrels,” Patten said.
