First of all, congratulations to Ms Shanti for winning the Women 200m Gold with a national record breaking a 42-year wait. A surprise win even for herself is nevertheless worthy of big celebration as she had earned it with her hard work, dedication and natural talent!
"Rift in Hong Kong points to generation gap - Nikkei Asian Review Jun 11, 2015
HONG KONG - An alternative commemoration held at a Hong Kong university on June 4, the 26th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen incident, has sent shock waves through the city's pro-democracy movement.
Small, orderly and dignified, it was nonetheless the first breakaway from the annual candlelight vigil held at the city's Victoria Park -- an event that attracts thousands of mourners and is the most potent symbol of the abiding sorrow and anger that reverberates among the Chinese community worldwide.
The rift did not spoil the main event as some had feared. Organizers claimed that 135,000 attended, while the police put the figure at 46,600. The familiar image of a sea of candles filling up the park still graced newspapers the following day.
Yet, the student organizers at the University of Hong Kong, alma mater of celebrated revolutionary Sun Yat-sen, are part of an increasingly radical movement among young people that has gained momentum after last year's 79-day Occupy Central protests.
They advocate an insular society built upon the former British colony's unique culture and history that pays no heed to the wishes of the special administrative region's masters in Beijing. Their views could sway Hong Kong's political development at a critical juncture."
This piece of writing is perhaps a bit dated given that 4th of June 2015 had come and gone for almost an eternity from 11 June 2015 considering today's SUPER short span of attention on any so-called news!
Lessons for me are:
1. is 4th of June commemorative demonstration still meaningful for a Hkg that is part of China, a region named as Hkg SAR? Yes, innocent kids were killed by the crushing army tanks and bullets fired by its own PLA against its own people then. Yes, nobody can tell what would have China become had that brutal and merciless suppression did not occur. Yet, the protesters seem to think that had that suppression not occurred, China would now be a democratic country and that Hkg will enjoy the free and open election of its government officials and have a rosy future - economically, socially and politically. Nobody want to think about the other possibilities - that of the former USSR breaking up into many pieces with some of the 'newly formed' nations impoverished and suffering from dictatorship!;
2. is there a generation gap between the 'old' and 'new' Hkg activists? Well, as long as we want to explain different behaviours can be due to age, there will always be a gap since a 50-years old does not behave like a 15- or 20-year old for obvious reasons like experiences, changing priorities in life as one got married and had kids, etc! Yet, it is not uncommon to see radicalised old or older folks behaving with enthusiasm and passion like that of a raging young person. The difference is really the ideologies or the devotion to ideologies. ONCE radicalised, the young and the so-called old or older folks have NO DIFFERENCE in their radical behaviours. When one is being radicalised, the emotion has much more say than the rational mind regardless of one's age!;
3. does Singapore voters have similar inclination vs. that of the 'free election seeking' Hkg activists young and 'old'? Probably not. Singapore citizens are generally MORE 'domesticated' or 'submissive' to the establishment and authorities. The young and the old alike though there are increasingly a group of 'young people' who want a lot more 'freedom' and 'scarily' 'freedom without responsibilities'. These are the 'dangerous ones' in a democratic electorate system.
Alas, Singapore's system is NOT the same as that of Hkg or PRC. In Singapore, the dominant political party is still securely in power for the next 2-3 general election by most accounts. The political consideration is: does the nation needs more opposition politicians in the parliament to continue to remind the government its duties to look after ALL stakeholders as much as possible instead of just focusing on maintaining the status quo of: 80-90% of the populace just DO as the 10-20% elites who know it all ask them to!
"Rift in Hong Kong points to generation gap - Nikkei Asian Review Jun 11, 2015
HONG KONG - An alternative commemoration held at a Hong Kong university on June 4, the 26th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen incident, has sent shock waves through the city's pro-democracy movement.
Small, orderly and dignified, it was nonetheless the first breakaway from the annual candlelight vigil held at the city's Victoria Park -- an event that attracts thousands of mourners and is the most potent symbol of the abiding sorrow and anger that reverberates among the Chinese community worldwide.
The rift did not spoil the main event as some had feared. Organizers claimed that 135,000 attended, while the police put the figure at 46,600. The familiar image of a sea of candles filling up the park still graced newspapers the following day.
Yet, the student organizers at the University of Hong Kong, alma mater of celebrated revolutionary Sun Yat-sen, are part of an increasingly radical movement among young people that has gained momentum after last year's 79-day Occupy Central protests.
They advocate an insular society built upon the former British colony's unique culture and history that pays no heed to the wishes of the special administrative region's masters in Beijing. Their views could sway Hong Kong's political development at a critical juncture."
This piece of writing is perhaps a bit dated given that 4th of June 2015 had come and gone for almost an eternity from 11 June 2015 considering today's SUPER short span of attention on any so-called news!
Lessons for me are:
1. is 4th of June commemorative demonstration still meaningful for a Hkg that is part of China, a region named as Hkg SAR? Yes, innocent kids were killed by the crushing army tanks and bullets fired by its own PLA against its own people then. Yes, nobody can tell what would have China become had that brutal and merciless suppression did not occur. Yet, the protesters seem to think that had that suppression not occurred, China would now be a democratic country and that Hkg will enjoy the free and open election of its government officials and have a rosy future - economically, socially and politically. Nobody want to think about the other possibilities - that of the former USSR breaking up into many pieces with some of the 'newly formed' nations impoverished and suffering from dictatorship!;
2. is there a generation gap between the 'old' and 'new' Hkg activists? Well, as long as we want to explain different behaviours can be due to age, there will always be a gap since a 50-years old does not behave like a 15- or 20-year old for obvious reasons like experiences, changing priorities in life as one got married and had kids, etc! Yet, it is not uncommon to see radicalised old or older folks behaving with enthusiasm and passion like that of a raging young person. The difference is really the ideologies or the devotion to ideologies. ONCE radicalised, the young and the so-called old or older folks have NO DIFFERENCE in their radical behaviours. When one is being radicalised, the emotion has much more say than the rational mind regardless of one's age!;
3. does Singapore voters have similar inclination vs. that of the 'free election seeking' Hkg activists young and 'old'? Probably not. Singapore citizens are generally MORE 'domesticated' or 'submissive' to the establishment and authorities. The young and the old alike though there are increasingly a group of 'young people' who want a lot more 'freedom' and 'scarily' 'freedom without responsibilities'. These are the 'dangerous ones' in a democratic electorate system.
Alas, Singapore's system is NOT the same as that of Hkg or PRC. In Singapore, the dominant political party is still securely in power for the next 2-3 general election by most accounts. The political consideration is: does the nation needs more opposition politicians in the parliament to continue to remind the government its duties to look after ALL stakeholders as much as possible instead of just focusing on maintaining the status quo of: 80-90% of the populace just DO as the 10-20% elites who know it all ask them to!
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