February 18, 2015

Leader asks Hong Kongers to behave more like sheep

editor:	Neelo Aysha Scholz

Happy Chinese New Year and let us please behave more like the sheep. This was the essence of the message from Hong Kong’s leader, CY Leung to his people in his Lunar New Year address. Surely that’s exactly what the Chinese Government in Beijing would like to see.

2015 heralds the year of the sheep in the Chinese zodiac and Chinese people all over the world are celebrating the Lunar New Year today. The Chinese zodiac characterises people born under the year of the sheep to be loyal, docile and peace loving. But as South China Morning Post pointed out, dictionary definitions also say “sheep” refer to people who are too easily led or influenced. Indeed, to most people’s minds, being a sheep, not the brightest of animals means to blindly follow the flock.

2014 was a year of rare civil unrest in Hong Kong, which saw mass pro- democracy demonstrations demanding universal suffrage under the Occupy Central movement. It was precisely to prevent another leader willing to follow Beijing’s orders to a tee in the semi- autonomous state’s issues that people took to the streets.

Leung himself was quoted last October saying that free elections are unacceptable because that would give the poorer half of the population a voice in politics.

And today, “Last year was no easy ride for Hong Kong. Our society was rife with differences and conflicts.

“In the coming year, I hope that all people in Hong Kong will take inspiration from the sheep’s character and pull together in an accommodating manner to work for Hong Kong’s future,”

So much for subtlety, eh?