Iknowmanyofusregisteredtovotethislastweekendattheby-election.ButhowmanyofusregisteredthefactthatAnsonChanis67yearsold,andtherefore,virtuallyaseptuagenarian?Soitisadmirablethatatsuchanadvancedage,shegoestofightforafreeelection.Herwinningwasbynomeansacertainty-farfromit.ReginaIp,whois10yearsyounger,washotonherheels,andhadadistinctadvantageofnotonlythesupportoftheentireHongKongestablishment,buttheironweightof中南海.Soitisremarkable,perhapsmoreremarkablethanpeoplethink,thatAnsonChanmanagedtowindecisively.Andhavingwon,shemadeoneofthebestremarksIhaveheardforalongtimefromanyoneinvolvedinpolitics.InresponsetothejokeorridiculefromMrTsangTak-sing,shesaidthatshewasn'tinterestedinpersonalattacks,butthatitwasimportantforeveryonetoworktogetherforabetterHongKong.Forme,thatwasastatesman-likeremarkwhichisratherscarcenowadays.Whatcontinuestoirritatemeisthatwhilsttheso-calleddemocratsorthosewhowantmoredemocraticelections,arealwayspreparedtomeetthosewhodonotagreewiththem,thisisnotthecasetheotherwayround.TheChinesegovernmentcontinuestoshuntheseso-calleddemocrats,andIthinkafewofthemarestillblacklistedwithintheimmigrationmachineryattheborder.Thereisnoquestionthatdemocratsarenotwelcomedonthemainland.Butthereisagoodreasonforthat,asfarastheChinesegovernmentisconcerned.Theydon'twantanyacorndemocratswhippingupwhatChinaregardsassecessionandrevolt.Therefore,withinthecontextoftheChinesepoliticalandsocialsystem,Icanwellunderstandwhytheyarenotwelcomed.ButwhatIdonotunderstandatalliswhythesedemocratsarealsoshunnedbytheso-calledestablishmentinHongKong.
AtbothExCoandLegCoandwithintheCivilService,democratsareclearlyprejudicedagainst.ThereseemstobeastandardattitudeofcontemptforthosewhowantmoredemocracyforHongKong.Therecertainlyarenoattemptsonthepartofthegovernmentorestablishmenttofosteranysortofcivilizedforuminwhichdebatesandexchangesanddiscussionscouldtakeplace,andmoreimportantly,makeadifference.ThepostureofsomeonelikeTsangTak-singisoneofsuperiority.ItdoesnotescapemethathisChinesecredentialsasamainlandsympathizerandaneditorofamainlandnewspaperhaveostensiblyqualifiedhimtobetotallyarrogantagainstatideofopinionwhichclearlyfavoursmuchmoredemocracy.AnotherirritatingfactoraboutsomeofthesepeoplewhoclaimtobepartoftheestablishmentorgovernmentisthatnoneofthemhaseverlivedinChinanorexperiencedthepoliticalsystemofChinaatclosequarters.Itisallverywelltopontificateaboutideologieslikephilosophyprofessorsdebatingethicswithintheclassroomortheuniversitywalls.Butwhenrealitystrikes-whenwhathappenstouchesthemintheirreallives,theyinevitablyhaveadifferentpointofview.Imightintheoryobjecttocapitalpunishment.Butifsomebodywere,say,torapesomeoneclosetome,IknowIwouldhavenohesitationinwantingtheculprittobesubjectedtocapitalpunishment.Inthesameway,alltheseso-calledpatriotshaveneverlivedinChina,andforme,theyarenotreallyqualifiedtopreachtothosewhowantmoredemocracyinHongKong.Inanyevent,the"onecountry,twosystems"guaranteesachoiceofmoredemocracy.SoIhopethateveryoneinHongKongwouldseeandexercisetheseargumentsandhelpbringaboutasystemofelectionthatcomesasclosetouniversalsuffrageaspossible.Andagainstthosewhoaretooarroganttospeakandengagewiththedemocrats,weshouldcontinuetofrownontheirpuppetstate.Withoutrealizingit,wehaveinchedanotherinchtowardsamoreopensocietybytheelectionofAnsonChanwhonowcommandsanemphaticmandate.WemustallcontinuetolendfurthermandatestoallthosewhoarepreparedtodedicatethemselvestomakingHongKongafreeandstablesociety.Don'teverforgetthatprosperityonlycomesfromfreedomandstabilityandnotstabilityalone.AndgoodonAnsonChanwhoatherreasonablyadvancedagehasshownuptheyoungturkshowthingsshouldbedone.Shehassetanexamplethatallofusyoungershouldfollow.ShehasbecomenothinglessthanaHongKongbeacon.
鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
電郵：mailto:[email protected]
逢周日刊出