The youths in HK are angry. The extradition bill is just a tipping point for tons of dissatisfaction. We, as observers, would generally think a little protest here and here would suffice. I mean, seriously, you are going up against China.
Let's not even get into whether there are foreign forces at work here to create chaos. That's too simplistic an excuse to ignore the source of protests at work.
We know very well that if a country has a very high level of unemployment or rather a high level of youth unemployment, it is a recipe for disaster. The same goes for when a country has a very high level of poverty, or in this case, middle-class poverty, as I would coin it for HK. Again, will be problematic.
HK youths feel that they cannot survive in HK anymore. It no longer belongs to them. Property prices have gone stratospheric, thanks to the very substantive buying by Chinese from the mainland.
Lee Kuan Yew, knew very well how to control and motivate the masses. Everyone needs to have a sense of belonging. That is why the HDB concept was implemented, so much so that at least 80% of Singaporeans and PRs own their own homes. When you own property, you are rooted.
HK youths feel the reverse has happened to them. They feel they will forever be trying to catch up to an ever-rising benchmark. Other things have also agitated HKers... the many mainland pregnant mums having their babies born in HK hospitals.
If you have time, go to Lo Wu every morning between 6.30-8.00am and see how many kids travel from Greater Shenzhen to go to school in HK. It is a sense that holding a HK ID no longer means much.
There is still no universal suffrage. Most of the elected officials are pre-approved by Beijing. The people of HK feel they have no power or identity anymore as the HK government mainly is seen as a tool for Beijing and wealthy businessmen.
It is the feeling of being sidelined, not being listened to, marginalized ...
The average monthly salary is HK$19,100 (US$2,446) for men and HK$14,700 for women. The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom flat in the city centre is HK$16,551. In 2018, average home prices were 20.9 times the gross annual median household income, according to the Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey.
Imagine in Malaysia, say you are making RM8,000 a month and the AVERAGE rental is RM10,000. See how you feel. You would question that the place does not belong to us anymore. That you'd be forever working for The Man.
The gulf between property owners and non-property owners has just continued to widen no end. Plus whatever you make just goes towards paying for rents, paying your hard-earned to property tycoons - via car space parking, via restaurants F&B, even shopping.
The extradition bill is feared mainly for political dissension or rubbing Beijing up in the wrong way. Nobody really cares if you wish to extradite murderers, rapists or big-time criminals. It has to do with the way Beijing has behaved. I mean, the still missing HK bookseller; the atrocities in Xinjiang; the way many top business owners have been hauled up; and the fact that Beijing prosecutors have a 99% record of succeeding to jail you when they prosecute. It is this kind of happenings that HKers don't trust Beijing.
You cannot shout that we are all one China as HK was a colony before. You agreed to 50 years no change, but HK people keep seeing a gradual erosion of that promise over the years.
Of course, those who have made it in HK, would criticise the HK youths for overdoing things. Youths will overdo things, esp in this case, where they seemingly have little to lose.
My advice to HKers: You are fighting for a greater good but you are also fighting a losing battle. It is China we are talking about. Hong Kong, similar to Tibet and Taiwan, just wishes to be left alone by the CCP. I think if you really cannot stomach it, you have to leave because China will not bow down to HK.
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