Posts by Allan George Dyer

Re: Switching on the "monitor stand"

@Captain Scarlet - "I have never used one of these before"

I don't think that phrase has ever worked for me. Somehow, when a known techie utters it, it only enhances their suitability for dealing with the problem.

Re: Welcome....

@LucreLout - "hopefully without antagonizing China, while giving a choice to the protesters"

Well, I think China feels very antagonised.

As for the protesters, I'm sorry to say there's a bit of a gap... Boris has offered the route to full citizenship for BNO passport holders and their dependents (Good!), but the last BNO was issued in 1997, so anyone under 23 is not a BNO holder, and anyone over 18 is unlikely to still be counted as a dependent. Many of the protesters have been in the young adult age range, and so most likely to be in the gap.

Re: Welcome....

@J.G.Harston - "We didn't give the expelled Ugandan Asians passports, they *already* *had* british passports, because they were already British."

As were the people of HK, until a new (inferior) class of British citizen was created in 1987.

Re: "we need clarity on what the laws will involve before we can decide anything"

@PhilipN - To be absolutely accurate, neither of us were in the room when Carrie Lam decided to introduce the extradition bill. The murder in Taiwan was the excuse, but the bill appeared very quickly. It always included the Mainland and Carrie Lam resisted all proposals to change it. My impression was that the bill had been prepared in advance, and they were simply waiting for a case that would get public sympathy. Carrie Lam always denied Mainland involvement in the drafting of the bill, but I can't imagine she would take the initiative to prepare it and keep it secret from them.

Re: one country two systems agreement

Yes, the concept came from Deng Xiaoping, but after the Joint Declaration was signed, the Basic Law was drafted by a committee of 23 people from Hong Kong and 36 from the Mainland. The Basic Law was promulgated in 1990, two years before Chris Pattern became Governor.

Re: "we need clarity on what the laws will involve before we can decide anything"

@LucreLout - "This manoeuvre from Beijing is a direct consequence of violent protests last year

I agree, and it will end them just as surely as sending in the tanks did in Tienanmen square all those years ago."

I disagree, this manoeuvre is a response to the large peaceful protests last year, and the overwhelming success of pro-democratic/pro-protest candidates in the District Council elections^[1]. There has been violence at some of the protests, but the HK Police can handle a few thousand violent people. It's the millions of non-violent people saying what they want that frightens Beijing.

"If I recall correctly the protests were brought about precisely because Beijing interfered with the HK system making it easier to extradite people to the mainland."

Absolutely correct.

"Tienanmen Square was more than a generation ago, China has changed.

Not so long ago in my memory,"

Ditto. Yes, China was opening up. Then Xi Jinping got the top job and rooted out corruption... coincidentally, his opponents in the Party were all found to be corrupt. Now he's leader for life, a position last held by Chairman Mao.

"The World has changed Xi Jing Ping will NOT want to taint his legacy

Then respectfully he should see that the whole world recognizes China's strength and requires no demonstration of same."

I'm guessing Xi wants his legacy to be China as the only Superpower, restored to its "ancient borders" and all other countries subservient.

"To me this feels like a mistake, but I am not Chinese, nor have I even visited HK, so I'll bow out here with best wishes for all involved to find a peaceful resolution."

I tend to agree its a mistake. I'm not Chinese either, but I live in HK, thanks.

[1] The District Councils don't have a lot of power, they have some budget for local improvements and discuss bus routes and the like. They do elect a block of members to the Election Committee, a topic that would need another footnote. Previously, they've not been hotly contested, and were controlled by pro-establishment councillors. The democrats got their act together and contested every seat at the end of last year, campaigning on the protestor's 5 demands. They won a majority in 17 of the 18 Councils.

@Alan Brown - "the external access code for your PABX should NEVER bear any similarity to the local emergency numbers"

Think of it as a safety feature: you're still likely to get through to the Police when dialing in a panic as an axe murderer breaks down the door to the office and you haven't realised it's a PABX line.