Chin Wan

Chin Wan
Native name 陳雲
Born 8 November 1961
Hong Kong
Alma mater Chinese University of Hong Kong
University of Göttingen
Occupation Scholar and writer

Dr. Horace Chin Wan-kan (Chinese: 陳雲, born 8 November 1961) also known as Chin Wan, is the ideological leader of the "Hong Kong Autonomy Movement."[1] Chin is an assistant professor at the Department of Chinese of the Lingnan University. He has become the thought leader of the "Hong Kong Autonomy Movement" after published the book On the Hong Kong City-State in 2011.

Background

Chin Wan was born in Hong Kong in 1961. He received Bachelor of Arts degree in English at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1986. He later studied abroad in Germany and obtained a PhD in ethnology from the University of Göttingen in 1995. He returned to Hong Kong and worked at the Policy Research Institute between 1995 and 1996 and was a senior advisor to the HKSAR government on cultural, arts, and civic affairs from 1997 and worked as research director in the Home Affairs Bureau until 2007.[2]

He became one of the leading critical intellectual voices against the destruction of local communities and historical edifices amidst the craze of urban redevelopment. Using the pen name Chin Wan, he wrote for many newspaper columns and supported the young radicals who became increasingly militant in opposing Hong Kong and Chinese real estate tycoons and Beijing’s intervention in Hong Kong.[3] In 2009, he was hired as assistant professor at the Department of Chinese of the Lingnan University.[2]

Political views

In 2011, Chin published the book On the Hong Kong City-State. His book analysed Beijing’s neo-imperialist stance on Hong Kong. Responding to it, Chin rooted in a Hong Kong perspective, reflects the rising tide of Hong Kong localist ideology and actions. Chin emphasised the significance of Hong Kong autonomy for the sake of Hong Kongers. The book triggered fierce public debate and was popular among the young generation. It was selected as one of the best books of the year in 2011 by the Hong Kong Book Prize organized by Radio Television Hong Kong, and has been on the bestseller list of all major bookstore chains ever since its publication in late 2011.[3]

Chin argued that a democratic China could hurt Hong Kong more as populism will reign in the democratic Chinese legislature, dissolving the "one country, two systems" commitment and Hong Kong's valuable resources would become fair game to a voracious China.[4] "What we Hongkongers need is not a democratic China, but to build Hong Kong into an autonomous city-state first, merging the British culture with a restored Chinese culture," wrote Chin. He suggested that Hongkongers should push for a "Chinese Confederation" consisting of separate and parallel states in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.[4] He strongly criticised the candlevigil for the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests organised by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China in 2013 for their Chinese patriotic sentiment in their slogan.

Chin advocates “Hong Kong First” and “Hong Kong-China separation” positions and stressed that the influx of mainland tourists and immigrants as the largest threat to the established institutions and social customs of Hong Kong and is part of the scheme of Beijing's colonisation. He called for actions from the radical activists against the tourists and advocated violent actions as the means for defending Hong Kong's autonomy. Chin's opinions triggered huge arguments within the pro-democracy activists and he was condemned “xenophobic” and "nativist" by the mainstream activists and the government.[2][3]

Chin enjoys a growing, loyal following on the Internet.[5] He became the advisor of an autonomy organisation. More radical elements took his idea further, expressing a yearning for the bygone days of British rule and waving colonial flags[2] and even advocated for Hong Kong independence, in which Chin himself draws a line from it.

During the 2014 Hong Kong protests, Chin called for militant actions in comparison to the non-violent movement advocated by the mainstream organisers, Occupy Central with Love and Peace, Hong Kong Federation of Students and Scholarism. He was later on asked to report to the police in suspect of inciting and organizing an unauthorized assembly.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Nao (21 October 2014). "No buses are due on Nathan road - Mong Kok occupation 2.0 weekend sum-up". libcom.org.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lau, Stuart (10 June 2013). "Independent thinker Horace Chin treads bold path". South China Morning Post.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Hung, Ho Fung (3 November 2014). "Three Views of Local Consciousness in Hong Kong1 香港　地元の意識、三つの視点". The Asia-Pacific Journal 12 (44).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chang, Ping (9 June 2013). "Will a democratic China harm Hong Kong?". South China Morning Post.
  5. ↑ Tsoi, Grace (22 November 2012). "The Freedom Trail". HK Magazine.
  6. ↑ "Leung warning on further threats to social order". 7 January 2015.