Umbrella Revolution

The Occupy Central movement by democracy defenders in Hong Kong has been tagged the “umbrella revolution” by some. But a revolution it is not. As explained by guest Martin Lee (when interviewed by Laura Lynch on CBC Radio’s The Current) the demands of the occupying students and their wider ring of supporters is simple; “Chinese authorities, live up to the agreement you signed when Hong Kong was reintegrated with the People’s Republic of China at the time of reunification in 1997.” They ask only that voters in Hong Kong be allowed to democratically elect their own Chief Executive without any prior selection process from the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in Beijing. That agreement called for a 50 year grace period before its terms would be subject to dissolution. It was Deng Xiaoping who instituted the “One Country, Two Systems” approach which established the Special Administrative Regions such as Hong Kong. This was to allow China an easing away from its harsh communist excesses of the Cultural Revolution. Hong Kong was to be a financial and social beacon in whose direction to steer. Has this all been forgotten?