The Umbrella Revolution: This is Only the Beginning

The Umbrella Revolution is a grassroots movement of Hong Kong people in protest of increasing control by the Chinese government. It began as a class boycott organized by the Student Federation of Hong Kong and was meant to last as long as the chief executive would assent to demands to talks about Hong Kong’s democratic reform, which was meant to take place in 2017. Their demands stem from the National People’s Congress’ denial of universal suffrage, despite earlier promises.

Hong Kong people never took a huge interest in politics, despite the availability of free speech. Moreover, as Hong Kong history occupies a miniscule part within the compulsory subject of Chinese history in public schools (from grade 7-9), people are less equipped to relate to and evaluate Hong Kong’s political position in the context of everything else. The problem, in fact, has always been incipient. In the past few years, there has been increasing antagonism towards ‘mainlanders’ who immigrate to Hong Kong because of its better welfare. Because many mothers come to give birth here, local pregnant mothers could not find space in our maternity wards. Out of a fear of ‘poisonous milk powder’ produced in mainland, mainlanders also empty the stocks of milk power in Hong Kong. The antagonism peaked in the past year. ‘House News’, an independent media outlet, was shut down due to political reasons, the editor of a local newspaper was assassinated, and the broadcasting license of a new TV channel was refused, despite the poorly regarded local TV channels in Hong Kong. Linking these events to interference from mainland China, our people came to a sudden realization how detrimental mainland can be to our basic freedoms.

As the Umbrella Revolution unfolded, I was amazed by how successful the strikes were and how fast momentum built; I got anxious, indignant and angry when I saw videos of the police exploding tear gas bombs on the streets; I was on the verge of tears when I heard news of students being sexually assaulted as well as beaten up. There are of course those who are against the movement, such as my family. Endorsing pro-China stances, they are convinced that such a protest, which endangers social stability, would affect their livelihood. Indeed, students have been attacked by triads, and the police have came down upon the students with tear gas. Moreover, they have also occupied major roads. Apart from arguments from livelihood, memories of the 1967 riots incited by the communists against British colonial rule, as well as the cultural revolution, have also triggered their objections.

It doesn’t seem likely that China will concede to the protester’s demands in the near future, despite the scale of the movement. For one, Hong Kong’s main purpose is economic. Because it has the rule of law, as well as low taxes, it offers attractive conditions for foreign firms to invest. Should there be democratic elections, people are likely to demand better social welfare, which is likely to entail an increase in taxes, a condition undesirable to foreign investment.

Yet, it is unlikely that grievances will die down in the near future. The fact that China is not prepared to compromise for greater reform will intensify grievances among Hongkongers, especially since their political awareness is heightened through the Umbrella Revolution. Moreover, since they are not going to step down in terms of economic control, people’s livelihood is likely to suffer, which would sustain the social tension caused by the Umbrella revolution. In fact, a deepened economic inequality is one of the main reasons Hongkongers suffered a much poorer livelihood than it did during the colonial era, after it has been incorporated, after the handover, into China’s economic sphere.

The Umbrella Revolution may not directly bring change to the system, nor may civil disobedience, as originally proposed as one of the ways to achieve democracy, work. And yet, I find glory in the campaign. It showed the best attributes of Hongkongers. Our qualities as the Pearl of the Orient shined through. We were peaceful, we were orderly, we were polite, we were responsible, we were passionate. In a way, it reflected our ‘spirit of the Lion Rock’ - that we would stand up for ourselves and work our asses off to get what we want. So people, keep your eyes out. This is only the beginning.