Hong Kong citizens have understandably been outraged by the highly offensive notice “No blue ribbons and dogs allowed”, posted by two opposition district councilors outside their shared office.
The insulting sign deliberately put up by Sham Shui Po councilors Lee Man-ho and Lao Ka-hang to humiliate residents who differ with them on political views or affiliation is essentially a throwback to the “No dogs or Chinese allowed” sign erected by colonists at the entrance to the Huangpu Park in Shanghai during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It reminded Hong Kong people of the suffering and humiliation their ancestors endured in a dark period of Chinese history when Western powers dominated many parts of China.
The story of “No dogs or Chinese allowed” has been seen as a striking example of the demeaning, racist way Chinese were treated in their own homeland during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Yet Lee and Lao copied such demeaning remarks and insulted their own compatriots without any qualms.
What is even more disgusting, Lee proudly declared on a radio program that he did not consider “blue ribbons” — people holding political views different from their anti-government teachings — to be human beings.
Political zealots shackled by political bias and bigotry, like Lee and Lao, might refuse to acknowledge their Chinese ethnicity and pretend to belong to a nonexistent ethnic group. But that is self-deceiving, and no one else believes in such folly. They will always be seen as Chinese wherever they go unless they change the color of their skin.
Lee ran for a District Council seat in the Sham Shui Po constituency last year under the banner of democracy. But he now argues that he only serves his voters — not all residents in the constituency. Such an argument only exposes his insincerity and hypocrisy. It is common knowledge that democracy requires every elected politician to serve citizens from both sides of the political spectrum.
The folly of Lee and Lao is so beyond the pale of decency that even some members of the opposition camp and some opinion leaders who have been staunch supporters of the camp have rebuked the pair for their nonsense, although some of them are merely trying to distance themselves from a PR disaster for the camp.
Anyhow, Hong Kong people now can see the true colors of those who have been peddling their political ideas under the guise of democracy. These people have relentlessly unleashed hatred and sowed division to the detriment of all society.