A
row in a Hong Kong subway train between mainland Chinese and local passengers
has snowballed into an ugly exchange involving a Peking University professor
after he labelled Hong Kongers as "dogs".
It all began on January 15, when a Hong Kong
man riding the subway chided a mainland family for letting their child snack in
the carriage - which is not allowed - according to mainland and Hong Kong media
reports.
The subsequent quarrel was videotaped by
onlookers and put on the Internet, drawing comments from both sides of the Hong
Kong border - the most scathing of which came from Peking University professor
Kong Qingdong.
Speaking on a talk show on Internet television
site tv.V1.cn last week, the Chinese-language professor repeatedly used the
terms "dogs trained by colonialists", "worshippers of the
West" and "bastards" as he criticised Hong Kongers.
With an increasing number of Hong Kongers
resenting mainland immigrants and visitors because of concerns that their
living conditions and even birthrights will be threatened, Kong's remarks could
not have come at a worse time.
They quickly drew intense fire from the former
British colony, with a Hong Kong netizen reflecting the thoughts of many when
he asked: "How could a Peking University professor spew vulgarities so
thoughtlessly?"
Many netizens and media organisations in
mainland China also criticised him for being insensitive.
The mainland's China News Service quoted
associate professor Denny Ho of Hong Kong Polytechnic University as slamming
the 48-year-old for being "illogical" in suggesting that being
law-abiding was equivalent to being "servile", while being lawless
meant "having character".
In his comments, Kong had tried to argue that
Hong Kongers were not law-abiding by nature, but had been drilled to be by
their colonial masters.
"So why should they feel superior to
mainlanders since they have been trained to be the 'running dogs' of the
British government?" he asked.
He insisted that mainland Chinese were
"truer" to their own nature. "If a society had to maintain its
order through strict laws such as hefty fines for littering, as happened in
Singapore, its 'law-abiding' look does not reflect the true nature of its
people," he said. "Instead, it shows they are a servile bunch who can
be whipped into line."
Over the weekend, the academic continued to
put up a vigorous defence of his stance in China's ultra-leftist website,
Utopia.
But he also claimed in the commentary that his
words had been "twisted" by the Guangzhou-based Southern Daily Groups
- whose newspapers are known to defy government control - and some Hong Kong
media.
"I've never intended to call all Hong
Kongers 'dogs'," he wrote, adding that he had used the epithet only for
Hong Kongers who were mean to mainlanders.
He also said he had used the word
"bastard" to refer only to Hong Kongers who refused to speak Mandarin
when interacting with mainland Chinese, not to all Chinese who could not speak
Mandarin.
The issue also drew comments from prominent
figures such as Hong Kong's former chief secretary Henry Tang, who is now
running for the chief executive post. The rule of law is one of Hong Kong's
core values, he said, and Hong Kongers should be proud of this heritage.
The Ming Pao Daily News cited him as calling
for mutual understanding. Hong Kongers should try to understand mainlanders'
way of life, he said, while the latter should appreciate the freedom, openness
and human rights practice of Hong Kong society.
But he also added: "I won't make that
sort of comment that professor Kong made. A professor should observe his
dignity."
The South China Morning Post reported
yesterday that YouTube had deleted the footage of Kong's talkshow, citing
violation of the website's policy "prohibiting hate speech".
News Desk
The Straits Times
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