We all know that the United States is capable of nosing its way into the political affairs of other countries – just look at pretty much any major world conflict of the last 100 years – and according to Chinese state-owned media, Occupy Hong Kong is no different.
A report on the front page of the People’s Daily at the weekend claimed the US State Department masterminded Hong Kong’s mass protests in an effort to protect foreign political interests while a masquerading as a fight for democracy. If you’ve stuck a Post-it on ‘Lennon Wall’ in the last three weeks, you too are a product of the US brainwashing machine!
It’s not all hearsay though. Evidence is provided via Louisa Greve, the director of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a democracy promotion group administered as a private non-profit organisation, although it receives the bulk of its funding from the United States government.
Greve is singled out as being responsible for igniting the democracy movement in Hong Kong when meeting with key Occupiers, such as Benny Tai and Martin Lee, several months ago. Although specifics are not given, it is thought that the article is referring to NED-led public discussions on democracy in Hong Kong, which were held in Washington in April, mediated by Greve and attended by Lee and Chan.
The article is quick to point out the risk of jeopardising US-China relations if the United States continues to interfere with Chinese domestic affairs, but is also confident that the intrusion will have little consequence, as while the “US may enjoy the sweet taste of interfering in other countries’ internal affairs […] on the issue of Hong Kong it stands little chance of overcoming the determination of the Chinese government to maintain stability and prosperity.”
In what can also be described as a classic ‘apply ice to burned area’ solution, the People’s Daily takes a jab at the US by claiming it is “simply defending its own strategic interests and undermining governments it considers to be ‘insubordinate’. In US logic, a ‘democratic’ country is apparently one that conducts its affairs in line with American interests”. Meow!
Meanwhile, the US made a gesture that will do it no favours with China in its 2014 human rights annual report to Congress, in which Hong Kong’s strive for democracy features as one of its 13 key policies. Congress has been advised to monitor (read: ‘manage’ if you’re pro-Beijing) the former British colony’s protests.
Our city could very well be the USA’s latest conquest in its round of ‘Colour Revolutions’. While we don’t want them cashing in on our home-grown movement either, at least ‘Colour Revolution: The Umbrella Edition’ has quite a nice ring to it.
Photo: Pete Souza via Wikimedia
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