Dispatches from the State Ministry of Truth

[Monoriu]

Rioters now refuse to meet with HK government offcials.

[jimmy olsen]

I'm curious what the long term worst case scenario is.

Beijing taking control and Hong Kong becoming a Cantonese Shanghai?

Yeah, Beijing declaring that mainland laws taking effect in HK, and the PLA stepping in would be the worst case scenario.  Death of One Country, Two Systems.  Communist party officials from the mainland become my bosses.  Internet censorship and the rest. 

Torpedoing negotiations with Taiwan forever (or at least until the PRC is overthrown).

[Monoriu]

So if a hit and run driver hits a jaywalker, they let him go in HK?

More like a rapist complaining being punched by the victim's husband.

[garbon]

So if a hit and run driver hits a jaywalker, they let him go in HK?

More like a rapist complaining being punched by the victim's husband.

[Monoriu]

Torpedoing negotiations with Taiwan forever (or at least until the PRC is overthrown).

I think the communists have pretty much given up on reuniting Taiwan.  Taiwan is a fully functioning democracy.  It will never agree to reunit with a non-democratic China no matter what.  The most Beijing can hope for is maintaining the status quo.  It is already a victory if Taiwan doesn't declare independence.  That's all they aim for.

[Admiral Yi]

Am I missing something?  All these "vigilantes" seem to be doing is booing the protesters and taking cell phone photos.

[crazy canuck]

Now the students are saying that if the government doesn't stop the mob, they'll refuse to meet. 

Why should the police help sustain an illegal activity?

Why should the police stop vigilantes?  Is that a serious question?

You don't find anything odd with criminals on the run expecting police protection?

Criminals?

It doesn't take you long to adapt to the part line does it?

[Monoriu]

Criminals?

It doesn't take you long to adapt to the part line does it?

I don't know about Canada, but occupying public roads is a criminal offence in HK.

[Jacob]

The angry mob is moving to Causeway Bay (it is only like 30 minutes by train) to repeat the same tactic against the rioters.

I keep hearing reports that the spontaneous locals clearing out the Occupiers are communicating in Mandarin, often using bullhorns to keep themselves organized.

Curious, that.

[Jacob]

The mobilization of the HK mob in support of the government reminds me of the mobilization of the mob in various Chinese cities after the bombing of the Belgrade Embassy.  It seems that "one system" may already be the case in HK.

Yup.

[Jacob]

I wonder how many of the anti Occupy protestors are Russian mainland Chinese special agents.

I'm sure there are plenty of locals, but from what I've been hearing there are lots of Mandarin speakers as well which seem to imply they've been organized somewhere away from Hong Kong.

[crazy canuck]

Criminals?

It doesn't take you long to adapt to the part line does it?

I don't know about Canada, but occupying public roads is a criminal offence in HK.

Here it is called a protest and has certain civil law and constitutional law guarrantees. 

[Jacob]

Am I missing something?  All these "vigilantes" seem to be doing is booing the protesters and taking cell phone photos.

My random internet sources say they're tearing down barricades and beating protestors (sometimes with umbrellas, for maximum ironic effect).

[Monoriu]

Criminals?

It doesn't take you long to adapt to the part line does it?

I don't know about Canada, but occupying public roads is a criminal offence in HK.

Here it is called a protest and has certain civil law and constitutional law guarrantees.

Here, you need to apply for a permit to conduct a protest in advance, and you need to agree with the police on the route and timing.  Otherwise, it is illegal and the police are empowered to clear the area and make charges.

[DontSayBanana]

The rioters (real rioters, Mono) going after the protesters seem awfully well organized and consistent.  I'd be very surprised if there weren't CCP provocateurs stirring things up there.

Why can't the rioters clear the protesters when the police can't?  It's called rule of law, Mono.  No government can exist where vigilantes are better at doing the government's job of protecting the populace.  So the one thing the government needs to protect itself from more than dissidence?  Vigilantism.

Guy "collects" 1 million out of 7 million signatures against the protesters.  Bullshit.  Most of the time, that many people don't even come out for government elections.  No petition I've ever seen has a 14% response rate without having tons of coerced or forced signatures, or people signing multiple times under pseudonyms.

Odds are high that your precious "status quo" is being maintained by greater criminals than people sitting in the roads wondering why they can't even discuss the issue.