Silent Majority for Hong Kong explained

Country:Hong Kong
Silent Majority for Hong Kong
Colorcode:
  1. 323232
Leader1 Title:Convenor
Leader1 Name:Robert Chow[1]
Slogan:"Democracy without Chaos"
Founded:8 August 2013
Ideology:Chinese nationalism
Anti-Occupy Central
National:Pro-Beijing camp
Colours:Black

The Silent Majority for Hong Kong is an anti-Occupy Central pro-Beijing[2] [3] political group in Hong Kong. It was founded on 8 August 2013 by members of the pro-Beijing alliance including former RTHK radio host Robert Chow[4] and Professor of Economics at Lingnan University Ho Lok-sang.[5]

The group, which opposed the Occupy Central with Love and Peace movement, released a video on YouTube predicting deaths and chaos if the Occupy Central protests were to proceed, and organised numerous activities opposing the Occupy Central movement under the name Alliance for Peace and Democracy,[6] such as a signature campaign and a march.

Objectives

The Group claims to strive for "democracy without chaos", and to support peace and the implementation of universal suffrage in Hong Kong, but to oppose violence and the Occupy Central Movement. It also supports the 2014 Hong Kong electoral reform consultation, but support the reform proposal to exclude the pan-democracy camp to join the race.[7]

Controversies

Connection with Chinese government

Chow is quoted as saying "China will not deal with people ... it will only deal with [political] parties”. Chow's authoritative threat that political parties supporting the occupy movement risked "fading into political obscurity” led some media and individuals, especially from the pro-democracy camp, to denounce the group as pro-establishment[6] [8] Hong Kong "mouthpiece" for the Chinese Communist Party.[9] As a result of its alleged close connection with the Chinese government, the group has been called by the pro-democracy camp as "Help the [Chinese Communist] Party to speak out" .[10]

Misrepresentation of survey results

Silent Majority claimed to represent 75% of Hong Kong people based on a University of Hong Kong poll that concluded only 25% of people at the time believed Occupy Central would “succeed” in its objectives. Chow took this to mean 75% of Hong Kong people were the "silent majority" that supported his group. Although members of the survey team challenged the interpretation, Chow continued to trumpet his assertion.[6]

YouTube video

On 17 June 2014, the group posted a video on YouTube entitled "They can kill the city!", depicting possible repercussions of the Occupy Central movement.[11] The video shows total chaos in Hong Kong should an occupation of Central take place, such as territory-wide traffic jams, automatic weapons and people dying of strokes.[12] Members of the pro-democracy camp and supporters of the Occupy Central movement criticised the group's use of fearmongering tactics[13] and exaggeration in an attempt to scare Hong Kong people from participating in the civil disobedience movement.

Notes and References

  1. News: Robert Chow Yung: There is another voice in Hong Kong. Ng. Kang-chung. 28 July 2014. South China Morning Post. 16 August 2014. Hong Kong.
  2. News: Hundreds of thousands vote in Hong Kong democracy 'poll' in defiance of Beijing. Sun. Nikki. Alice Woodhouse. 22 June 2014. Reuters. 16 August 2014. Hong Kong. 19 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140819083426/http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/22/us-hongkong-vote-idUSKBN0EX09K20140622. live.
  3. News: Hundreds join march against Occupy Central. Chan. Samuel. 14 July 2014. South China Morning Post. 15 August 2014. Hong Kong.
  4. News: Chow doesn't want broadcasting job. 15 August 2014. The Standard. 15 August 2014. Hong Kong. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140819082806/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=21&art_id=148418&sid=42812349&con_type=1&d_str=20140815&fc=8. 19 August 2014. dmy-all.
  5. http://www.silentmajority.hk/showroom/model/T0199-blue/templateCustomWebPage.do?customWebPageId=1378455041718000281&webId=1378411927359000128&editCurrentLanguage=1378411927453000130 Silent Majority for Hong Kong
  6. News: How Robert Chow's Pro-Gov't 'Silent Majority' Groups Lost the Plot. Fowler. Evan. Hong Kong Free Press. 10 July 2014. Hong Kong.
  7. http://www.silentmajority.hk/showroom/model/T0199-blue/templateCustomWebPage.do?customWebPageId=1378455424296000289&webId=1378411927359000128&editCurrentLanguage=1378411927453000130 About Us-Silent Majority for Hong Kong
  8. Book: CHENG, Joseph Y.S.. New Trends of Political Participation in Hong Kong. City University of Hong Kong Press. Hong Kong. 2014. 978-9629372330.
  9. News: Opponents of Hong Kong's Occupy Central Envision Chaos. Ramzy. Austin. Alan Wong . 19 June 2014. The New York Times. 16 August 2014. Hong Kong.
  10. http://www.metrohk.com.hk/?cmd=detail&id=226254 「公民提名小圈子選舉」
  11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEH_TdDwXjo 佔領中環 --- They can kill this city! (Eng)
  12. News: VIDEO – Anti-Occupy Central Video Predicts Apocalyptic Scenes in HK. Grundy. Tom . 18 June 2014. hongwrong. 16 August 2014. Hong Kong.
  13. News: Death Destruction and Traffic Jams Anti-occupy Campaigners Warn Doomsday. 20 June 2014. South China Morning Post. 16 August 2014. Hong Kong.