Colonial Makeover in Hong Kong

Ironically, for a social uprising that had expressed anti-colonial and anti-capitalist sentiments, the end-result of the Communist struggle led to a legitimisation of the existing British colonial capitalist order. However, the demands of the protesters did not go unheeded, as the British colonial authorities were quick to learn their political lessons from 1967. The riots became the wake-up call for the British colonial authorities to begin aggressively re-fashioning Hong Kong in their own image. How could the two-percent European expatriate elite maintain their power and dominance over a ninety-eight percent local Chinese population?

Immediately following the 1967 uprisings, the British colonial officials began an aggressive campaign to reform their own image and reconstruct the urban imaginary of Hong Kong. Capitalising on the blunders of the Communist protesters, the colonials began to create the mythology of Hong Kong’s colonial capitalist success. With the gradual implementation of minimalist social welfare programs coupled with a pro-British government propaganda campaign, the story of ‘prosperous’ Hong Kong’ began and that is
unfortunately the only story that most of us recall today. From then on Hong Kong was no longer referred to as a sweatshop and the word ‘colony’ was removed from official public discourse all together.

Through piecemeal labour and social policy reforms, the British colonials sought to erase their past track record as apathetic colonisers and promote their image as benevolent philanthropists. The 1967 uprisings forced the colonial government to grudgingly introduce long-belated labour laws in the colony (Employment Ordinance 1968) and allowed for the Chinese language to be used in conjunction with English in public offices.

With the arrival of the new Governor MacLehose in 1971, new social projects were approved includingpublic housing construction, increased school places, introduction of social welfare policy, new town planning, improving medical facilities and the construction of the MTR subway. Hong Kong also witnesses civil service reform? all be it half-hearted - and the establishment of an independent anti-graft
body, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) with wide-ranging powers to investigate corruption.

Alongside these changes, the government actively sought to create the image as legitimate rulers who governed through consent and consultation. A City District Officer scheme conducted regular consultative forums to show how the authorities ‘lent an ear’ to public demands. At the same time the government sought to promote a local culture that erased the memory of 1967 and the mass discontent with the history of British colonial capitalist exploitation. Both Radio Television Hong Kong and Civic Education in schools were introduced at this time to effectively de-politicise the collective memory of the Hong Kong people.

Remembering 1967 Today

The now forgotten 1967 uprisings marked the end of old style British colonialism and the birth of a new urban mythology that celebrated Hong Kong under British colonial capitalism. The uprisings were also a major lesson in public relations for the British authorities. They learned that to retain their legitimacy they must at least uphold an image of benevolence. The celebrated ‘Hong Kong success story’ helped articulate a new urban culture that sought to flaunt the colony’s material prosperity and erase the memory of colonial capitalist oppression. Both the colonial and the present SAR authorities would rather have you forget that once upon a time in Hong Kong’s history, the people had the power to shake the authorities down to their knees.

Today, three years after the official end of British colonial rule, the Hong Kong people again are agitated. Each week people have been taking to the streets to protest against HKSAR bureaucrats that do not even attempt to hide their subservient ties with both local capitalists and party leaders in Beijing.

As the post-handover euphoria has died and the effects of the global economic recession worsens, the Hong Kong SAR government must learn that crony capitalism, welfare for the elite and a denial of public responsibility is the best recipe for yet another ‘1967-style’ uprising in Hong Kong. >5