Connection at the price of collusion: an analysis of ‘Hong Kong’s New Identity Politics: longing for the Local in the shadow of China’ (2020)

ABSTRACT

This article explores the politics of emotions around the recent Hong Kong protests, from the Umbrella Movement in 2014 to the Anti-extradition Movement in 2019–2020. The aim was to articulate the tensions faced by Left-leaning intellectuals in the current political climate in HK, and propose a constructive, ethical and intellectually-acceptable way forward. The recent writings of prominent scholar Ip lam-chong were critically reviewed from an hypothesised position of ‘Left in form, Right in essence’ (形左實右), using a lens of Left Melancholy. If academics and intellectuals assume this position, the risk is that the dark side of Left Melancholy may remain unacknowledged, and thus pose a barrier to intellectual growth. Left-leaning scholars may focus on retaining connections with the protesters in order to preserve their remaining political capital, at the expense of their intellectual obligations to engage critically with the future. This article discusses the price Left-leaning academics may have to pay to demonstrate loyalty, retain relevance and trustworthiness in the current politics of the HK movement. The risk is that the price could be high: in terms of loss of intellectual integrity, missed opportunities to provide feedback critical to steering the decisions of the movement, and the temptation to sell out to Right-wing populism.

KEYWORDS:

• Right wing populism
• social movement
• intellectual integrity
• politics of emotion
• Left Melancholy
• Hong Kong protests

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Petula Sik Ying Ho

Petula Sik Ying Ho is Professor of the Department of Social Work & Social Administration at The University of Hong Kong.