In order to mark the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover this year and to lift up the voices of the voiceless in our community, the Hong Kong Christian Institute (HKCI) produced a series of articles in its monthly English newsletter beginning in January 2007 and compiled them, plus others, into 'One Country, Two Systems': A Ten-Year Experiment and Beyond. The objective of the publication is to inform the international community about Hong Kong's experiences during the first decade since its transfer of sovereignty based on the critical reflections of local social and political activists.
The contents of the book are divided into three parts overall reviews of the "one country, two systems" experiment; people's resistance and transformation; and the Church, politics, and Christian social witness.
A sample of the book's contents are provided by the following critical comments of several authors in this publication:
"As the HKSAR enters its 10th anniversary, there are signs everywhere that the news media has come under political and commercial pressure due to the influence of Beijing."
-Emily Lau
"Hong Kong's transition from a British colony to a SAR of China under 'one country, two systems' has neither resulted in the activation of civil society nor the empowerment of its citizenry. Rather, as a result of the combined effects of autocratic rule and the economic absorption of Hong Kong into the mainland, Hong Kong appears to suffer from a demoralising state of mind akin to 'learned helplessness,' which is getting worse as Hong Kong's political and social reforms are stalled."
-Chan Ka-loh
"One way to deal with apathy toward the political system in general, and toward gender issues faced by women in particular, is to create space to construct new conceptions of power relationships in the everyday lives of women and to do it through an organised women's movement."
-Hilda Chan Shun-hing and Leung Lai-ching
The author hopes that the experiences the writers have gained over the years that are shared in this book will be useful to strengthening the civil society in the community and that they will provide you with an alternative
perspective on Hong Kong.
Table of Contents
Preface - Review of the 'One Country, Two Systems' Experiment
Chapter 1 /POLITICAL REFORM
The Challenges of Hong Kong's March Towards Democracy ... Chan Ka-lok
Chapter 2 / PRESS FREEDOM
Self-Censorship Corrodes the Media and Society ... Emily Lau Wai-hing
Chapter 3 / THE ECONOMY AND POVERTY
Poverty Grows with the Economy ... Franklen Choi Kin-shing
Chapter 4 / LABOUR RIGHTS
Free Market and Lack of Democracy Leave Workers Vulnerable ... Elizabeth Tang
Chapter 5 / EDUCATION REFORM
Runaway Reforms Retard Education ... Ho Yuk fan
Chapter 6 / ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH
Consumerism and Development at All Costs ... Man Si-wai
People's Resistance and Transformation
Chapter 7 / RIGHT-OF-ABODE SEEKERS
Seeking Justice and Finding Discrimination ... Jackie Hung Ling-yu
Chapter 8 / SEX WORKERS
An Abundance of Discrimination and an Absence of Rights ... Ziteng
Chapter 9 / SEXUAL MINORITIES
The Journey of Hong Kong's Tongzhi Movement ... Cho Man-kit
Chapter 10 / WOMENS MOVEMENT
New Framework, New Strategies, New Direction in Postcolonial Hong Kong ... Hilda Chan Shun-ping and Leung Lai-ching
Chapter 11 / HERITAGE PRESERVATION
Defending the Past to Create a New Future ... Chu Hoi-dick
Chapter 12 / POLICYMAKING AND POLITICAL CULTURE
Populist Politics and Cynical Culture: The Production of Knowledge in Post-1997 Hong Kong ... Hui Po-keung
Church, Politics, and Christian Social Witness
Chapter 13 / CHURCH-STATE RELATIONS
Criticism and Communication Characterise Relationship with the Government ... Chan Shun-hing
Chapter 14 / CHRISTIAN ACTIVISM
An Alternative Witness and New Visions to Transform Society ... Rose Wu
About the Authors
