Legislator Dennis Kwok
ListenMP3
Dear King George V postbox,
Of all the letters and parcels you have received, I suspect this is the first one addressed to you.
Over the years, you have served us well. While technological advancement has given rise to various forms of instantaneous communication, you continue to deliver and perform your postal function, and you remain an integral part of the daily lives of Hong Kongers. This is undeniably an achievement, and I must praise and thank you for your commitment. Your loyal service, however, makes up only part of the story; as a living witness to the history of Hong Kong, your value far exceeds that of functionality. Built during the colonial period, you have served for more than a century, while your Queen Elizabeth II friends have been in use for decades. All of you bear the unique historical British royal insignia. While Hong Kong is no longer a British Crown Colony, the presence of these markings reflects the colonial past of the city and they are an invaluable heritage that ought to be conserved, observed and remembered by the public.
Yet, the recent decision to cover your British royal insignia effectively negates and denies your historical value, and more importantly, the history of Hong Kong. It baffles me as to why the British royal insignia on historic postboxes is denounced as ‘inappropriate’ now, when it has been in use for decades. Such a decision is clearly politically motivated, and to prioritize politics at the cost of functionality and societal value is to overlook the crux of the matter. The determination of whether to conserve a postbox, or even historical heritage in general, ought to be based upon the criteria of functionality and societal value. Political correctness should by no means be a part of such an assessment. In fact, this is precisely why historical postboxes like you were preserved even after the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997 – these postboxes have their own practical function. Now, in addition to functionality, these postboxes have acquired an additional historical value which is of immeasurable worth.
What is most unfortunate is that this mind-set of political correctness taking precedence over all other considerations is increasingly pervasive in Hong Kong society today. Political correctness appears to outweigh all other facets of value and is becoming a goal in itself. The discourse about decolonization in Hong Kong leading up to this postbox controversy is only one example in many; the effects of this perverse mind-set are perhaps most striking in the recent rejection of scholar Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun as the university’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor by the HKU governing council. Despite Professor Johannes Chan’s distinguished academic achievement and contribution to the legal profession, the governing council rejected his appointment and disparaged his credentials to the extent of saying that his achievements are “not even comparable to an assistant professor’s”. The absurd justifications for Chan’s rejection as revealed by the whistle-blower Billy Fung, only confirm that the decision was indeed politically motivated, and was far from being the result of a fair assessment of Chan’s academic capabilities.
A similar approach is evident in the recent debate about the separation of powers in Hong Kong. After Zhang Xiaoming’s controversial comment that the Hong Kong system did not implement the principle of the separation of powers, Rao Geping, member of the Basic Law Committee and Law Professor of the Beijing University, openly supports Zhang’s argument and criticizes Hong Kong judges for ‘not accurately understanding the Basic Law’. Yet, judicial independence is clearly provided for in the Basic Law, and while the term ‘separation of powers’ never appeared in the Basic Law, it is widely perceived to be an entrenched principle which the courts in Hong Kong endorse, uphold and follow in their judgments. Although the faith in the separation of powers remains strong, owing to the fiercely independent courts and their professional judges; the unprecedented emphasis on political correctness is telling, as Rao Geping seeks to demonstrate his political allegiance to China in his attempt to undermine the independent judicial system in Hong Kong.
The focus on political correctness is indeed a conspicuous characteristic of modern China, but such cleansing of the people’s minds at the expense of culture and societal values is also the country’s greatest tragedy. This is epitomized in the Cultural Revolution, during which Maoist thought was forcibly imposed and became the operative guide to all activities in China. The deliberate efforts to homogenize the beliefs and values of the people only resulted in devastating and long-lasting consequences for the economy, social life and culture of China. Even today, the emphasis on political correctness continues to exist, albeit in a different manner. There are no longer any large-scale, blatant purges of political opponents, but rather the system is cleverly geared towards the maintenance of the CCP’s power in which only those faithful to the establishment are appointed to high positions. Notwithstanding the high level of autonomy given to Hong Kong under the ‘one country, two systems’ policy, it is clear that the Chinese political culture is slowly creeping into our system, and is becoming a matter of great concern.
Part of our society is becoming increasingly intolerant to ideas which are considered to be politically incorrect, whether it be a far-reaching issue like the independence of the judicial system, an administrative decision in academia, or the British royal insignia on a harmless colonial postbox like you. The conventions and values which were once highly prized in Hong Kong appear to be readily sacrificed today for the sake of political correctness, and our colonial past is repeatedly rejected for the same reason. I believe this is a tendency that we must fight against together. Our present is built upon our history; it is important for us and the future generations to understand and embrace the history which has played so great a role in the development of our city. Let’s not let history disappear in this generation – our values must live on.
Yours sincerely,
Dennis Kwok
http://programme.rthk.hk/channel/radio/programme.php?name=radio3%2Flettertohongkong&d=2015-10-18&p=535&e=328693&m=episode
