Social governance

Who would have thought that the sudden Fugitive Offenders Ordinance would develop into a deadlock that would tear apart society? One side adheres to the principle of justice and hopes to bring absconding offenders to justice; the other side is concerned about the protection of personal safety and does not want to dismantle the firewall between the two places. The bill needs to be reviewed before the Legislative Council adjourns in July. Now that the government has enough votes and a firm stance, there is no doubt that the revised script will be passed and it will enter the countdown stage. However, the public opinion mobilized through signatures, rallies and marches is not easy to resolve, and the social atmosphere is restless. After this battle, the mutual trust between the government and the people urgently needs to be repaired.

Nativism spreads by taking advantage of the conflicts between the mainland and Hong Kong, impacting Hong Kong's political landscape. Democratic Ideas publishes the "One Country, Two Systems Index" every six months. The latest round has observed a significant decline in non-establishment supporters, society is showing signs of de-radicalization, and moderate politics is growing. Opponents firmly believe that even if radicalism ebbs, it will make a comeback if the situation changes in the future. They even use the excuse that the survey results only reflect the illusion that citizens are "moderate". If it is not due to a change in public sentiment and non-establishment factions turning to moderates and establishment factions, can the "indifferent theory" and "scorched earth theory" alone be enough to explain it?

The deadline for Britain's "hard Brexit" is imminent, and the uncertain future has made many young people feel despair about the future. Young people prefer to remain in the European Union, while older people prefer to leave the European Union. The generational gap emerged in the referendum two and a half years ago. The younger generation cannot influence the overall situation. They see their opportunities for free migration, work and study being stifled, and they will have to bear the consequences of Brexit at the mercy of the older generation for a long time to come. At present, the number of young voters has increased by 1.5 million. If history can repeat itself, I believe there will be a different outcome. The history of intergenerational injustice continues, and calls for a second referendum are rising, creating another democratic crisis.

"One country, two systems" is an unprecedented attempt and relies on the joint efforts of policymakers and people in society. In order to ensure that "one country, two systems" can be implemented stably and long-term, it must be continuously reviewed to provide the government and the public with a reliable reference. Democratic Thoughts compiled the first "One Country, Two Systems" index last year on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. It is published every six months. This week it released the third index in an attempt to comprehensively evaluate the implementation of "One Country, Two Systems".