{"id":4161,"date":"2012-02-01T12:00:07","date_gmt":"2012-02-01T12:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shehuizhuyizhe.com\/?p=4161"},"modified":"2015-02-21T17:46:00","modified_gmt":"2015-02-21T09:46:00","slug":"hong-kong-apple-daily-advert-weve-had-enough-of-racism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinaworker.info\/en\/2012\/02\/01\/4161\/","title":{"rendered":"Hong Kong: Apple Daily advert \u2013 We’ve had enough of racism!"},"content":{"rendered":"

We need united struggle for democratic rights, more money to healthcare and education, and a real future for youth!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yu Wai Pan, Youth Against Racism<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s advertisement in Apple Daily, attacking mainlanders, represents a new low point for racist statements and political activism in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

Hong Kong\u2019s politics is becoming more openly racist. We\u2019ve heard mainland migrants and visitors attacked as \u201clocusts\u201d, as in the Apple Daily advert, and we\u2019ve heard a racist Chinese professor hit back that Hong Kong people are \u201cdogs\u201d. Demonstrations have been organised and petitions launched by seemingly spontaneous ‘concern groups’, targetting migrant workers or mainlanders as a ‘burden’ on public resources. In reality, the government and its support parties have largely masterminded these protests. False stories about an “invasion” of migrants seeking permanent residency were used to hide the real problems and bolster the pro-government side in the recent district council elections.<\/p>\n

The growth of racist political trends is a sign of deep crisis in Hong Kong and China as the wealth gap widens and more and more people are struggling to feed their families and find somewhere to live. Racism and nationalistic ideas are used by governments and ruling elites everywhere to defend their own rule and to split and confuse opposition movements. This is the case around the world, with increasingly racist government policies against Muslims, refugees and other groups. They are used to justify more authoritarian methods of government. The most extreme expression of this is fascism \u2013 which as in the 1930s wants to crush all democratic rights and the ability of workers to organise and struggle. In China today the most authoritarian sections of the ruling party, who oppose even minimal \u2018political reform\u2019, also use extreme nationalism.<\/p>\n

Capitalist governments know that massive anger is building up in society among the \u201c99%\u201d against the greed and privileges of the \u201c1%\u201d of billionaires and capitalists. When demands are raised for more equality, or against the privileges of the rich, racists try to derail this by \u2018scapegoating\u2019 minorities and foreigners.<\/p>\n

Many Hong Kong people were outraged by the blatant discrimination shown by luxury store D&G in Tsim Shah Tsui against local people taking photographs. But again, some racist elements tried to portray mainland tourists as the problem, rather than the contemptuous attitude shown by such elitist companies towards anybody without their kind of money!<\/p>\n

The Apple Daily advert is typical of racist arguments heard many times before. It uses bogus \u2018facts\u2019 and the unstated conclusion is that more authoritarianism (less democracy) is the solution \u2013 tougher border controls and policing, less freedom of movement, rejection of \u2018refugees\u2019 (who have rights recognised under international law) and so on. In effect this is a demand to implement \u2018hukou\u2019 in Hong Kong, just as regional governments in China are moving to abolish this unjust and widely resented internal passport system. The advert calls for changes to the Basic Law, which, if pursued, would amount to more central government control and less Hong Kong autonomy. The advert says \u201cit is time to say no\u201d and with this we agree… \u201cto say no to racist lies!\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be fooled by racists \u2013 don\u2019t be fooled by fake elections!<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the ongoing small-circle election to replace Donald Tsang as Chief Executive (CE), all the candidates have used racism and particularly blown up the issue of mainland mothers giving birth in Hong Kong. Anti-mainlander rhetoric has been used not only by the pro-dictatorship \u2018wolf\u2019 and \u2018pig\u2019 but even the Democratic Party\u2019s \u2018joke\u2019 candidate.<\/p>\n

The ruling elite wants to fool us into believing Hong Kong is democratic, when not even \u201c1%\u201d (only 0.017%) can vote for the next government and CE. Racism against mainlanders or against Filipino migrant workers is more and more a tool used by the political establishment to hide their own crimes. \u2018Pig\u2019 Tang and his rival \u2018wolf\u2019 Leung weep crocodile tears for Hong Kong mothers who suffer long queues and overloaded services at public hospitals, but it is the government, including both Tang and Leung that created the healthcare crisis. The government favours the \u201c1%\u201d of tycoons, showering them with contracts and land deals, while blocking spending on the \u201c99%\u201d who need better services. Youth Against Racism says the health service must be brought under full democratic public control as the only way to guarantee the big investments, massive new recruitment and training needed. We oppose private medicine which parasites off the public sector \u2013 stealing professionals and resources.<\/p>\n

FACTS THAT ANSWER RACIST LIES<\/strong><\/p>\n