Indigenous Communists in Hong Kong
Encyclopedia
The Indigenous Communists in Hong Kong (Chinese
: 香港本土共產勢力 (Pinyin
: Xiānggǎng béntǔ Gòngchǎn shìlì) ; or 土共 (tǔ gòng) in short) are mainly remnants of the trade unionists who flourished in the 1960s and united front
officials operated by the Communist Party of China
in Hong Kong
. They were once considered progressive
s; but as the consensus of Hong Kong politics moved, they appear to be ideologically
conservative
compared to the mainstream
of Hong Kong. During the administration of Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten
, the indigenous Communists suffered from his electoral reforms. It is more a label by their opponents rather than a real party organisation.
, most of the indigenous Communists insist on the 'birdcage economy' advocated by Chen Yun
, which is a version of nationalized economy
.
Politically
, they are Maoists influenced by Hua Guofeng
: They think that the Communist Party
is the measure of all things; friends of the Party are worthy of support; enemies of the Party should be opposed at all costs. This hard-line thinking led to the occasional vandalism of Democratic Party
political bulletin boards by the indigenous Communists.
The 'Victoria Park uncles': Though the 'uncles of Victoria Park
' may not be trade union
members, but they support the ideology of the indigenous Communists. A stereotypical image is the 'uncles' waving flags in support of the Communists during hustings in Victoria Park
. They are seen as hard-line pro-Beijing
patriots
.
United front officials: Another stereotype of indigenous Communist supporters are united front
officials sent by the Communist Party of China
to work in Hong Kong trade union
s, or indigenous Hongkongers trained thereby.
'Patriotic' entrepreneurs: It is alleged that some businesspersons support indigenous Communists; further, that some of these supporters have been drug dealers or Triad members. Some of these accusations gave the motivation that after the handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China
in 1997, supporting the Communists would give their businesses an advantage, furthering them into oligopoly
. Opponents of this kind of association attribute the scandal
s in the media in Hong Kong to the closer ties between the businesses and the Communists (of all shades).
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 香港本土共產勢力 (Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Xiānggǎng béntǔ Gòngchǎn shìlì) ; or 土共 (tǔ gòng) in short) are mainly remnants of the trade unionists who flourished in the 1960s and united front
United front
The united front is a form of struggle that may be pursued by revolutionaries. The basic theory of the united front tactic was first developed by the Comintern, an international communist organisation created by revolutionaries in the wake of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.According to the theses of...
officials operated by the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. They were once considered progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
s; but as the consensus of Hong Kong politics moved, they appear to be ideologically
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
compared to the mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
of Hong Kong. During the administration of Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten
Chris Patten
Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC , is the last Governor of British Hong Kong, a former British Conservative politician, and the current chairman of the BBC Trust....
, the indigenous Communists suffered from his electoral reforms. It is more a label by their opponents rather than a real party organisation.
Ideology
EconomicallyEconomic system
An economic system is the combination of the various agencies, entities that provide the economic structure that defines the social community. These agencies are joined by lines of trade and exchange along which goods, money etc. are continuously flowing. An example of such a system for a closed...
, most of the indigenous Communists insist on the 'birdcage economy' advocated by Chen Yun
Chen Yun
Chen Yun was one of the most influential leaders of the People's Republic of China during the 1980s and 90s, and one of the top leaders of the Communist Party of China for almost its entire history. He was also known as Liao Chengyun ; it's unclear whether this was his original name or a pseudonym...
, which is a version of nationalized economy
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
.
Politically
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, they are Maoists influenced by Hua Guofeng
Hua Guofeng
Su Zhu, better known by the nom de guerre Hua Guofeng , was Mao Zedong's designated successor as the Paramount Leader of the Communist Party of China and the People's Republic of China. Upon Zhou Enlai's death in 1976, he succeeded Zhou as the second Premier of the People's Republic of China...
: They think that the Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
is the measure of all things; friends of the Party are worthy of support; enemies of the Party should be opposed at all costs. This hard-line thinking led to the occasional vandalism of Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Hong Kong)
The Democratic Party is a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong. It was established on 2 October 1994. The party is currently the second largest party in the Legislative Council, headed by Chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan and, following the November 2008 merger with the Frontier, had around 745...
political bulletin boards by the indigenous Communists.
Stereotypes of the supporters
There are several stereotypes of indigenous Communist supporters.The 'Victoria Park uncles': Though the 'uncles of Victoria Park
Uncles of Victoria Park
Uncles of Victoria Park is a colloquial term referring to a special group of people in Hong Kong. These people are usually retired pro-Beijing aged men, also known as indigenous communists. They gather in Victoria Park on Sundays at noon, when City Forum - a public forum which is sponsored and...
' may not be trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
members, but they support the ideology of the indigenous Communists. A stereotypical image is the 'uncles' waving flags in support of the Communists during hustings in Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Hong Kong
Victoria Park is a public park in Hong Kong, named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. It is located in Causeway Bay, on the north of Hong Kong Island, between Causeway Bay and Tin Hau MTR stations...
. They are seen as hard-line pro-Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
patriots
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
.
United front officials: Another stereotype of indigenous Communist supporters are united front
United front
The united front is a form of struggle that may be pursued by revolutionaries. The basic theory of the united front tactic was first developed by the Comintern, an international communist organisation created by revolutionaries in the wake of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.According to the theses of...
officials sent by the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
to work in Hong Kong trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s, or indigenous Hongkongers trained thereby.
'Patriotic' entrepreneurs: It is alleged that some businesspersons support indigenous Communists; further, that some of these supporters have been drug dealers or Triad members. Some of these accusations gave the motivation that after the handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in 1997, supporting the Communists would give their businesses an advantage, furthering them into oligopoly
Oligopoly
An oligopoly is a market form in which a market or industry is dominated by a small number of sellers . The word is derived, by analogy with "monopoly", from the Greek ὀλίγοι "few" + πόλειν "to sell". Because there are few sellers, each oligopolist is likely to be aware of the actions of the others...
. Opponents of this kind of association attribute the scandal
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
s in the media in Hong Kong to the closer ties between the businesses and the Communists (of all shades).
See also
- Politics of Hong KongPolitics of Hong KongPolitics of Hong Kong takes place in a framework of a political system dominated by its constitutional document, the Basic Law of Hong Kong, its own legislature, the Chief Executive as the head of government, and of a multi-party system...
- Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong KongDemocratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong KongDemocratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong , formerly known as Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, is the largest pro-Beijing political party in Hong Kong...
(DAB)