Fighting “fake democracy” in Hong Kong

Luxurious real estate, flashy hotels and fancy restaurants align the Central part of Hong Kong, frequently named the “Pearl of the Orient.” For those who have visited this beautiful place, it certainly reminds them of the endless lights of Las Vegas. However, it would be truly mistaken if one expects luxury from Hong Kong right now. Hong Kong is in search of unconditional democracy against greedy capitalists and pro-Beijing politicians.

Currently, Hong Kong is fighting for democracy against the powers of mainland China. China has declared that the people of Hong Kong will be able to freely vote for their next leader in 2017, except that the candidates will be “China-approved.” This means that the candidates will go through the authorization process by a majority of the 1,200 nominating committee members, which are packed with Beijing supporters and business-minded people. This concept fueled rage in many Hong Kong citizens, especially the student protesters, who called this “fake democracy.”

The protest in Hong Kong, called “Occupy Central,” is in a tense stalemate. Hong Kong’s current pro-Beijing leader Leung Chun-ying presented his unbending opposition to open elections on Oct. 20. He stated to reporters, “If it’s entirely a numbers game and numeric representation, then obviously you would be talking to half of the people in Hong Kong who earn less than $1,800 a month. Then you would end up with that kind of politics and policies.” This seemingly arrogant comment repudiates the majority from having a say in their own country’s political endeavors. Also, it is likely to enrage the protesters, who are already suffering from lack of economic opportunities. Having one of the world’s largest wealth gaps among developed countries, many of Hong Kong’s citizens are unable to handle the city’s extremely high cost of living.

The main reason that Mr. Leung is opposing pure democracy is the self-interested mindset of businessmen and wealthy elites. Mr. Leung emphasizes one of the goals of the city’s Basic Law, which is to maintain the confidence of corporate elites. Hong Kong is a global financial destination with many billionaires who are tightly linked with Beijing establishments dominating the markets. Also, with the big four worldwide accounting companies opposing the territory’s movement towards democracy, it is clear that this battle is between the top one percent and the rest. The elites are concerned because this movement could turn out to have a snowball effect. They are insisting that this demand for democracy will convert into demands for redistribution of wealth.

It is sad to see a country wiggling for democracy against the corporate minds of the few; it is a recurring theme. While the massive power of the elites won’t easily change from this protest, Hong Kong has to put into place full democracy for its citizens. The elites claim that a democracy will result in decreasing business interests in Hong Kong, which is not a sufficient reason. Mr. Leung’s argument that poor people don’t deserve inclusion in the government’s voice is an extremely snobbish concept. Lastly, the elite’s concern that a full democracy will result in the redistribution of wealth is a mere assumption. The elites should understand that they are not the only citizens in the city and financial purposes shouldn't be the only endeavor a city should crave. The top one percent is expecting this protest to wane shortly. However, the protesters should stand still until they get what they want and deserve.