Hong Kong's 2019–2020 Social Unrest

This book provides an anatomy of Hong Kong's 2019–2020 social unrest, which has significantly damaged its economy and image. A coalition of Opposition to the Communist Party of China (CPC) emerged in Hong Kong after the 1989 Tiananmen Square Incident. The Basic Law, Hong Kong's mini-constitution which took effect in 1997, defined 'one country, two systems' in Hong Kong but inadvertently installed an 'opposition politics' system that the city was unfamiliar with. Fresh out of a colonial system, Hong Kong did not have the socio-ecological system to hold politicians accountable for their policies. For more than two decades, the tug of war between the Opposition and all other politicians has been delivering inconsistent public policies raising the costs of living and income disparity while hollowing out job opportunities. As a result, the younger generations have been immensely hurt. Meanwhile, the Opposition Camp has been promoting the blame narrative that the CPC is chipping away at Hong Kong's democracy and freedom. While the narrative's empirical evidence is weak and its linkage to Hong Kong's economic grievances is absent, the Opposition Camp has fallen captive to the narrative in the sense that its legitimacy is now tied to the narrative.For more than twenty years, rallies built on the blame narrative have profoundly influenced the development of people who grew up after 1997. Furthermore, the year-long unrest has socialised many more to adopt the narrative. The younger generations have been hurt by inconsistent public policies, and on top of that, the blame narrative has robbed them of any coherent social identity; and finally, the unrest has further dimmed their future. Hong Kong is now facing the problem of how to reincorporate a significant portion among its younger generations into mainstream society. This book offers in-depth analyses of the journey, identifies government and societal failures, and suggests long- and short-term policy directions.Contents: IntroductionThe Beginning: History before 19821982 to the 1997 Handover: Distrust and Seeds for TroublePost-1997: An Era of Inconsistent PoliciesA Series of Protests Leading to the 2019–2020 Social UnrestThe Narrative: Is China Repressive?Accountability-Light and Narrative PoliticsThe Youth: Their Identity and Education, the Government's FailureLong- and Short-Term Learning and Solutions
Readership: Political scientists, sociologists, economists, historians, educators and general public interested in understanding contemporary Hong Kong, 'one country, two systems' and the stress point in the development of a coherent society.China;Hong Kong;“One Country, Two Systems”;Protest;Extradition Bill;History;Social Unrest;Legislative Council;Basic Law;National Security Law;Social Unrest;Education;Property Market 00