A Hope That From Now On There Will Only Be One Camp──‘Reclaimists’

Greetings everyone, I am ‘I demand laam caau’, colloquially referred to as ‘Laam Caau Brother’. The last time I made a public statement was during Chater Garden rally on the 16 August 2019. I’ve recently heard that a million-dollar bounty has been issued for my death, causing me to contemplate writing a will.  

2019 was the first time millions of Hongkongers risked their blood, sweat, livelihoods, futures and lives to ‘laam caao’ with totalitarianism. University campuses were besieged and bombarded by artillery and countless protestors sacrificed themselves. The number of martyrs killed or forced into exile is beyond count. 

However, we successfully blocked the passage of the extradition bill. We revived the slogan ‘Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times’──a legacy of Edward Leung. We composed our national anthem ‘Glory to Hong Kong’. We formed international alliances. We reclaimed the District Council. 

Having experienced the trials of 2014 and 2016, different camps finally learnt restraint and humility in 2019. Yet recently, they have sadly returned to their old habits: Stores that are part of the “Yellow Economic Circle”, localists and pan-democrats are engrossed in in-fighting.

On Pan-Democrats

During the rise of the anti-extradition movement, individual pan-democrats were aware of an imminent crisis and chose not to cut ties with localist groups and valiants––something they did in the past. However, the majority of pan-democrats continued in their old ways. For 40 years, they have mistakenly placed their trust in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), thoroughly lacked the willpower to become the ruling party, and claimed that the rule of law could be defended. Within the Legislative Council (LegCo), they hesitated to take up the role of president, said they were too busy to hold meetings, and even voted the wrong way.

Fearing disqualification or arrest, some pan-democrats have recently backtracked, internally suggesting self-preservation by cutting ties with valiants. Some are even considering kowtowing to the Liaison Office to save their own skin. 

If either one of two interdependent entities is lost, the other is adversely affected. 

In these 30 years, have you––the pan-democrats––not grown tired of bending over backwards? Did we elect you just for you to surrender to the CCP? You can’t even promise to ‘laam caau’ all government motions until all five demands are fulfilled, and have yet to coordinate primary elections. How will you persuade the people that the plan of ‘35+’ (winning a majority in the upcoming LegCo election in September) can be achieved? 

I'm not interested in counting out the long list of my grudges against the pan-democrats, but the bottom line is that any pan-democrat who does not have unyielding determination to break out of this predicament must step down. 

Moreover, Hongkongers’ ultimate goal isn't to safeguard the corpse of the rule of law. In order to liberate Hong Kong, we must start from scratch and reconstruct a new rule of law that truly represents this city.The reason America is the country it is today is, 200 years ago, a group of lawyers and citizens realized the rule of law was corrupted.Not only did they have the courage to admit the flaws in their existing knowledge, they also strategically and deftly contended with the British Empire in North America and in the international arena.

On Localists

Some localists continue to act haughtily, adamant that their set of ideas and methods alone is valid, and use deplorable attitudes to criticize the rest of the world. They laugh at others for ‘feeding’ the opponent (getting arrested and in so, benefitting the opponent). They throw around labels of ‘yellow corpses’ (pro-democracy supporters who are overly tolerant of their oppressors and intolerant of violent protest methods), ‘yellow nazis’ (or ‘yellow guards’; coined after the ‘red guards’ in the cultural revolution who recklessly caused death and destruction), ‘LIHKG guards’ (those who criticize others for not being supportive enough or brave enough to be at the frontline). How does this differ to labelling others as ‘hot-dogs’ (hot-headed, unethical and unprincipled)? Some even portray themselves as victims of ‘hot-dog’ labelling to claim a higher moral ground and evade condemnation.

As pan-democrats watched from afar, localist groups could not recover after being disqualified from elections in 2016. This is because some of them have become conceited after their ‘awakening’. One’s true self-worth can only be discerned by oneself. Outsiders cannot determine whether another's path is right. So what if you have a high IQ? How does your experience of oppression make you the boss? 

All this time, localist groups have lacked good leadership, an open-minded spirit and the belief that 'all roads lead to Rome'. They only complain that society has not 'awoken' and hold numerous personal grudges, while lacking a determination to become the ruling party and lead the nation out of the Red Sea. To reclaim Hong Kong, localists are in no position to obsess over purist ideologies, because ‘gathering around the hearth’ in small groups while ignoring the larger picture would only bring self-destruction. 

History repeats itself. Surveying world history, I do not see many instances of resistance movements succeeding through boycotts of unfair elections. Strategically, advances made in LegCo would not bring success. However, if the egg (in the ‘egg against a high wall’ metaphor) learns how to take advantage of the system, the legitimacy and international attention elections can bring, then we have a deal-breaker.

Localists believe that those who do not have the resolve to ‘laam caau’ with the enemy, who only want to maintain their LegCo membership, are all part of the ‘surrendering party’. Yet purists who mock, ridicule and accuse others for being 'communist spies', 'silly yellow corpses' and 'feeders' are all cynics themselves. 

Localists won’t contemplate how they can put themselves to good use, while pan-democrats are afraid of putting themselves to good use. The label 'plastic' (an obtuse and unrealistic person) applies both to those on the left ('leftards') and those on the right.

In this day and age, Hongkongers face an enemy much stronger than the Soviet Union. On the proverbial road to liberation, not one of these three components──the streets, the legislature, and the international front──can be neglected. 

Without rallies in the streets and international support, the legislature will be unable to fight back. Without international support and ‘laam caau’ in LegCo, those on the streets would have sacrificed themselves in vain. Without legislators elected by the people and pressure from action on the streets, international advocacy would be ‘sailing against the current’.

On Strategy

In 2019, we stopped the extradition bill through ‘laam caau’ and unity between valiants and ‘peaceful-rational-nonviolents’ (those who adhere to protesting peacefully, rationally and non-violently). But if we focus solely on the defensive, how many more times can we block CCP’s attacks? Instead of passively defending, Hongkongers should creatively and actively move to break out of this predicament. The CCP isn't the only one who knows ‘the best defense is a good offense’.

For example, after our landslide victory in the District Council elections, aside from laughing at PK Tang, the current Commissioner of Police in Hong Kong, and shaming the government for undermining the power of district councils, have we tried to gain the upper hand and make them play by our rules? Apart from focusing on '35+', why don't we use the unfair elections funded by the government to establish a bicameral legislature of our own, under which every Hongkonger is equal.

On one hand, we have 400 seats in the District Council. On the other hand, Swedish cities have cut off their twin city agreements with Chinese cities. This is a good opportunity for Hong Kong's legislative bodies to work with international entities, and actively demonstrate 'Hong Kong is NOT China'.

I earnestly request that the 18 District Councils join with accredited civil society organizations, such as 'Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.', to motion for non-governmental diplomacy for twin city agreements, paving the way for an international counterattack. I, Laam Caau Brother, am willing to travel to Scandinavia to strive for international pacts for Hong Kong. Even though the Wuhan coronavirus rages, branches of 'Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.' in North America, the UK and Scandinavia are all ready to aid Hong Kong through her plight.

The aforementioned hypothetical bicameral legislature formed by district councillors, can authorize various civic associations and parties around the world to advocate for Hong Kong as de facto Hong Kong representatives, the agreed upon pacts to be signed by the legislature. When diplomacy on certain issues succeeds, such as on American sanctions, or twin city agreements, the association or party's authorisation would be terminated. Different entities can be authorized to advocate for the same issue, to prevent an overconcentration of power in one organisation.

In the medium term, Hongkongers can consider establishing funds to finance their own legislative body and LegCo members who are disqualified, effectively evading the issues of LegCo disqualifications.

In the long term, we can even use these funds to organize our own elections for our legislative body, fully breaking out of the system and achieving liberalisation.

Elected members of the district councils and LegCo are representatives of public opinion. These are identities that hold influential power in the international community. To reclaim Hong Kong, you must evolve: taking the initiative instead of being timid and overcautious. Even if disqualification results, your words and actions continue to have weight.

Hongkongers, it is time to launch a three-pronged attack in the legislature, the streets, and the international front. A good offense is the best defense.

Lately the Hong Kong government and Chinese Liaison Office have repeatedly mentioned 'laam caao', placing responsibility for the government's failures onto the shoulders of Hongkongers. I must reiterate that 'laam caao' emerged because the CCP stripped Hongkongers of their livelihood, freedom, culture and democracy. This method was the weaker side's reaction to being backed into the corner by a great power.

"Laam caao" is not ‘burnism’. Rather, it is ‘phoenixism’: the crucial stage for the rebirth of a phoenix. Hongkongers, we no longer have the capacity to compromise with the CCP.

A hope that from now on, every person will be awaken, and divisions between the public, localists and pan-democrats disappear.

A hope that we may bid farewell to cynicism, to fatalism, to in-fighting.

A hope that there will only be ‘reclaimists’, who fight courageously for the promise that we will, one day, meet victorious at LegCo.

We would rather become floating ashes than sinking dust. 

If we burn, you burn with us.

Editor's Note: 

The term 攬炒(‘laam2 caau2’) means mutual destruction. Originating from the words for ‘stir frying food together’, the term first held meanings of ‘if we burn, you burn with us.’ However, this implies the passivity on the protestors’ part, when in reality, Hongkongers are attempting to change the political system by actively organizing, advocating, boycotting and fundraising etc. For simplicity, 攬炒shall be referred to as ‘laam caau’, but please bear in mind the implied meaning of the term is still evolving.

Source: Laam Caau Recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qwbVF3q2HI