Thousands of Hong Kong protesters gather to demand release of booksellers

I can answer this. My dad moved us from HK to Canada in the 90's because he was afraid things like this was going to happen during the handover. My brother and I were too young when it happened, so we don't really remember anything, but if there is one thing my normally mellow dad gets riled up about, it's the communist party, and their curtailing of individual freedom.

It's heartbreaking for him because of what Hong Kong has become. He said that after Japan's economic juggernaut, Asia had 4 tigers: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea. While the other smaller countries in Asia wallowed in the post war economy, these four little nations advanced, incorporated Western ideas into Eastern ones. People like my grandmother and grandfather had hard lives when my dad was growing up, but they could actually see Hong Kong improving around them. It was a beacon of advancement. Where the East and the West blended together. Now, the Chinese government was to suppress all of that. The other 3 tigers will keep on roaring while the Communist party's censorship will declaw and muzzle Hong Kong.

Normally my dad is the most mild-mannered person you could ever meet. He is chill and gets along with everyone. When democracy and the communist party, however, will get him red-faced and riled up. It upsets him that an HK icon like Jackie Chan has essentially become a mouthpiece for the communist party. When Jackie Chan came out and said that "Hong Kong has too much freedom," during the student protests, my dad almost lost his mind in anger.

I guess to sum up my long winded, rambling anecdote: It's mainly heartbreaking because of what Hong Kong was. It was a tiger, an economic powerhouse that made it's own way (with the help from the British). Now, it's being caged and neutered by the communist party. A lot of people expected it to happen, like my dad, and moved their families away, so it's not the shock of anger of 'how did this happen?' But more along the lines of 'this place that he grew up in, and is a huge part of his life is now being slowly eroded by this corrupt, freedom-hating government, and there's nothing to be done about it.'

Be aware of my huge bias against the Chinese government, as you read this however. I grew up in a household with a Taiwanese mom and my dad as described.

/r/books Thread Parent Link - theguardian.com