Silent Majority for Hong Kong

The Silent Majority for Hong Kong (Chinese: 幫港出聲; lit. 'Help Hong Kong to speak out') is an anti-Occupy Central pro-Beijing[2][3] political group in Hong Kong. It was founded on 8 August 2013 by members of the pro-Beijing alliance including former RTHK radio host Robert Chow[4] and Professor of Economics at Lingnan University Ho Lok-sang.[5]

Silent Majority for Hong Kong

幫港出聲
ConvenorRobert Chow[1]
Founded8 August 2013
IdeologyChinese nationalism
Pro-Communist Party of China, Government of China and Government of Hong Kong
Anti-Occupy Central
National affiliationPro-Beijing camp
ColoursBlack
Slogan"Democracy without Chaos"
Website
www.silentmajority.hk
Silent Majority for Hong Kong
Traditional Chinese幫港出聲
Simplified Chinese帮港出声

The group, which opposed the Occupy Central with Love and Peace movement, released a video on YouTube predicting deaths and chaos if the Occupy Central protests were to proceed,[2] and organised numerous activities opposing the Occupy Central movement under the name Alliance for Peace and Democracy,[6] such as a signature campaign and a march.

Objectives

The Group claims to strive for "democracy without chaos", and to support peace and the implementation of universal suffrage in Hong Kong, but to oppose violence and the Occupy Central Movement. It also supports the 2014 Hong Kong electoral reform consultation, but support the reform proposal to exclude the pan-democracy camp to join the race.[7]

Controversies

Connection with Chinese government

Chow is quoted as saying "China will not deal with people ... it will only deal with [political] parties”. Chow's authoritative threat that political parties supporting the occupy movement risked "fading into political obscurity” led some media and individuals, especially from the pro-democracy camp, to denounce the group as pro-establishment[6][8] Hong Kong "mouthpiece" for the Communist Party of China.[9] As a result of its alleged close connection with the Chinese government, the group has been called by the pro-democracy camp as "Help the [Chinese Communist] Party to speak out" (Chinese: 幫黨出聲).[10]

Misrepresentation of survey results

Silent Majority claimed to represent 75% of Hong Kong people based on a University of Hong Kong poll that concluded only 25% of people at the time believed Occupy Central would “succeed” in its objectives. Chow took this to mean 75% of Hong Kong people were the "silent majority" that supported his group. Although members of the survey team challenged the interpretation, Chow continued to trumpet his assertion.[6]

YouTube video

On 17 June 2014, the group posted a video on YouTube entitled "They can kill the city!", depicting possible repercussions of the Occupy Central movement.[11] The video shows total chaos in Hong Kong should an occupation of Central take place, such as territory-wide traffic jams, automatic weapons and people dying of strokes.[12] Members of the pro-democracy camp and supporters of the Occupy Central movement criticised the group's use of fearmongering tactics[13] and exaggeration[9] in an attempt to scare Hong Kong people from participating in the civil disobedience movement.

References
  1. Ng, Kang-chung (28 July 2014). "Robert Chow Yung: There is another voice in Hong Kong". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  2. Sun, Nikki; Alice Woodhouse (22 June 2014). "Hundreds of thousands vote in Hong Kong democracy 'poll' in defiance of Beijing". Hong Kong. Reuters. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  3. Chan, Samuel (14 July 2014). "Hundreds join march against Occupy Central". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  4. "Chow doesn't want broadcasting job". The Standard. Hong Kong. 15 August 2014. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  5. Silent Majority for Hong Kong Archived 19 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Fowler, Evan (10 July 2014). "How Robert Chow's Pro-Gov't 'Silent Majority' Groups Lost the Plot". Hong Kong: Hong Kong Free Press.
  7. About Us-Silent Majority for Hong Kong Archived 19 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  8. CHENG, Joseph Y.S. (2014). New Trends of Political Participation in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: City University of Hong Kong Press. ISBN 978-9629372330.
  9. Ramzy, Austin; Alan Wong (19 June 2014). "Opponents of Hong Kong's Occupy Central Envision Chaos". The New York Times. Hong Kong. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  10. 「公民提名小圈子選舉」 (in Chinese) Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  11. 佔領中環 --- They can kill this city! (Eng)
  12. Grundy, Tom (18 June 2014). "VIDEO – Anti-Occupy Central Video Predicts Apocalyptic Scenes in HK". Hong Kong: hongwrong. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  13. "Death Destruction and Traffic Jams Anti-occupy Campaigners Warn Doomsday". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
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