Prelude to Conflict: Asia, October 13

HK police violence was angering as it was unusual. Hong Kong woke up, then Hong Kongers woke up the world. Beijing will neither listen nor crackdown. Instead, they make fools of themselves. No Tiananmen part deux, condolences to Western media. This week, the world learned: Neither the current Beijing government, nor the former Beijing-based KMT in Taiwan, can be trusted. You read it here first.

Stupid item of the week…

Hong Kong… “It was a nationwide decision and the decision has to face the country’s 1.3 billion people,”

— Rita Fan (范徐麗泰), courtesy Taipei Times, HK protest numbers dwindle while talks make slow progress

…Beijing really said something stupid: If HK is a “nationwide decision” as Rita Fan reportedly says, then 1. Why don’t Chinese government decisions involve their own 1.3 billion people? 2. That would mean Beijing reneged on their 1984 promise that HK rule was a HK decision. #headdesk

As the saying goes, “Never interrupt people making complete fools of themselves.”

Occupy protest has made its mark by lifting Hong Kong out of its apathy

…they woke up.

Foreign media reports of protests give a distorted view of our free city

…you read it here first. Deaf, dumb Beijing, peaceful police, a few bad apples.

Why China won’t back down on Hong Kong

…because, with economics, China really doesn’t care. (see ‘working class’)

OCCUPY CENTRAL – DAY 15: Full coverage of the day’s events

OCCUPY CENTRAL – DAY 12: Full coverage of the day’s events

…remember, Hong Kongers don’t have their own military, making their quest for democracy very unusual. This won’t follow the Western script of “democratic revolution”. But HK’s “umbrella revolution” can gain a lot of ground as their resolve forces Beijing to show its true colors and as the world watches and learns the truth. If the West wants to help, they would do well to drop expectations and just listen. HK has a lot to offer. The West just might learn something.

And here’s what the New York Times has to say…

Hong Kong Police Move on Protesters’ Barricades

Speaking of elections…

Greater Kaohsiung mayor hits back at Ma’s allegations

…absurd infighting within Taiwan’s parties and regions. Ultimately, the controlling KMT-Nationalists criticize themselves because the problems in Kaohsiung developed while Kaohsiung was ruled by KMT appointees, rather than locally-elected leaders. The KMT only recently allowed free elections.

Ma urges Beijing to embrace democracy

…but, now, the KMT is a sudden supporter of democracy.

Protesters hurt democracy: president

…but the KMT also thinks that protests hurt democracy.

Taiwan’s Digital Democracy

Military

Taiwan ‘important’ to US: official

China policy can improve, but strong overall: Jiang

Arms sales talk reignited at US-Taiwan summit

Taiwan Oil Scandal

DPP questions treatment of Wei Ying-chun

Court detains four men amid widening inquiry