Herman Tiu Laurel / Phil-BRICS Strategic Studies / May 30, 2020

(Second of two articles)

The National People’s Congress (NPC) of China has proposed a National Security Law for its HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) and the U.S. and its allies are blowing their fuses over it. But first, a little background on the Philippine-Hong Kong relations.

Hong Kong is a place where over 150,000 Filipinos find gainful employment that they cannot find in their home country. Employment conditions are generally better and safer there than jobs in the Middle East, and home is just a one-hour flight away.

Hong Kong grew rich from its key role as entrepot for China and the West, that accelerated its growth since the late Premier Deng Xiaoping’s “opening up” in the 80s, rich Hongkongers and Expats needing house help and getting an English-speaking nanny found Filipina DH’s the best hires.

This happy situation has prevailed for many decades now, but it may be about to change if the U.S. is not stopped on its track of stirring up local HK secessionist leaders and their half-crazed juveniles demonstrators that have been attempting to raze to the ground HK’s peace, security and economic sustainability.

What we have been seeing happening in Hong Kong reminds me of the 1980s destabilization of the Philippines when Marcos was targeted by the Americans after he showed his independent streak when demanding rent for the U.S. bases in the Philippines.

As the main force for destabilization against Marcos the subversion project used the youth and students, indoctrinated in schools and campuses controlled by priests and nuns, and/or those heavily influenced by Jose Ma. Sison’s brand of radicalism.

The Hong Kong government and people has been under the siege of so-called pro-democracy opposition politicians and juvenile protesters since 2012 when first signs of anti-China mentality emerged from the schools of Hong Kong in demonstrations against “patriotism classes.”

In 2014 the “umbrella movement” commenced using the rain gear in mass demonstrations as both defense against the police’s pepper spray and rally symbol in attempting the “Occupy Central,” a rip off of 2011’s “Occupy Wall Street” by Americans protesting economic inequality.

Five years later in 2019 the “umbrella movement” revealed its real core – a violent, seditious, pro-US and pro-British faction in Hong Kong society mingling in the heart of a young population mis-educated about Hong Kong’s past and future as the true nature of their mis-directed aspirations.

Why do I say the current Hong Kong youth are miseducated? On April 30, 2020 several Hong Kong news media reported that a HK teacher caught on video (probably a smartphone camera) teaches her primary school students that Britain “wanted to attack China in an attempt to ban smoking (of opium).”

The teacher was teaching the exact opposite of what happened in the Opium War. The British had been smuggling massive quantities of opium into China since the early 1700s and when the Qing Dynasty moved to stop it Britain sent in its gunboats, defeated the weak Qing forces and wrangled concession for the Nanjing Treaty which included the cession of Hong Kong.

In 1997 Hong Kong was already reverted to the sovereignty of China but the schools of its administrative region of Hong Kong is still teaching such obvious distortions of history, lying for the past colonial master Britain and demeaning China’s past. In fact, the 2019 controversies uncovered anti-mainland China content in Hong Kong education.

In reviewing the educational system of Hong Kong, I discovered that the U.S. Fulbright Program, which is very active in the Philippines too, in 2012 sent 25 Fulbright scholars to “assist” in the education reform of HK and helped design studies curriculum. This would naturally be just one of the many programs from the West.

I also came across this HK controversy over an exam question asking “whether Japan’s invasion of China did ‘more good than harm’” which to an Asian like me would be a laughable question to ask. After causing 20-million deaths in China, Japan’s invasion “may” still be considered good? In the Philippines the Japanese caused at least one million civilian deaths.

No wonder, I thought, that we see the mis-oriented juveniles the HK schools are churning out. It brings us back to the crusade of the late Filipino nationalist ideologue Renato Constantino to free the Filipino youth from the impact of colonial education which he put together in the book “The Miseducation of the Filipino” saying:

“Education is a vital weapon of a people striving for economic emancipation…. Philippine education therefore must produce Filipinos who are aware of their country’s problems, who understand the basic solution to these problems, and who care enough to have courage to work and sacrifice for their country’s salvation.”

The National People’s Congress (NPC) proposed National Security Law really focuses on “safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests” and “oppose any foreign interference,” the latter of which has become so obvious that to deny it makes anyone look foolish – that’s why the Western politicians and media look so foolish.

But the foreign interference issues pales in comparison with the evident plans of the HK “democra-zies” for a campaign of terrorism, as police seizure show in March 2020 of 2.6 tons of chemicals for bombs stashed in 22 locations in HK, and a home-made bomb delivered to the HK police chief’s office in April 2020 – reminding me of the Light-a-fire Movement in the Philippines in the 80s.

The British and the U.S. have been paranoid about the rise of China and Asia and being finally freed from the clutches of its hegemony of two hundred years, hence America’s “Pivot to Asia” since 2011 that has never proceeded with any success. In fact, President Donald Trump is confused about it and alienates much of Asia, but their hawks continue with it.

It should be very clear now that the U.S. and the Brits have no intention of giving up their hegemony in Asia without a fight, and the Brits signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration in the hopes that 50 years after the 1997 turnover of HK to China something may intervene to reverse the course of China’s Rise and have the British return.

The Brits and their American partners started the destabilization hoping midway to the 50 years, which is 2022, Hong Kong would be in chaos and by 2047 it would either have seceded to Britain and the U.S. would be back in full control. That’s a timetable I can read from the chain of events.

With China’s National People’s Congress alerted and taking action with the full cooperation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government to institute a new National Security Law the subversive and secessionist Anglophile Hongkongers will finally see the curtains fall on their political stage.

With Hong Kong stabilized, no matter U.S. sanctions being threatened, China and Asia can comfortably resume its march to the fulfillment of the Asian Century.

The only last remaining impediment to a trouble-free march is the issue of Taiwan which we hope will come to its senses and cease its collaboration with the Western powers to impede Asia’s full liberation.