ABSTRACT
The form of state repression is not only a key variable in explaining movement mobilization or evolution, but also as a derivative of particular political system. That is, state coercion is viewed as something of a pathology – the actions and strategies deployed by political leaders are simply results of some system deficiency. This chapter tries to evaluate the nature of the post-1997 political authority by identifying the parallels as well as contrasts in the two episodes of monumental significance in the history of Hong Kong: the 1967 Riots and the Umbrella Movement in 2014. Interestingly, there are a lot of parallels in the state responses in these two confrontations. In both cases, the authority responded with firm actions. Yet the comparative exercise uncovers an important dimension of the statist account in explaining variation in state response towards protest: Hong Kong being a local state. As a subnational unit, Hong Kong never enjoys complete freedom in handling political challenge. And as seen in both cases, the sovereign’s diagnosis of the situation, and most importantly the leeway she allowed for metropolis Hong Kong in handling the crisis proves decisive. The eternal quest for reconciliation between the constitutional subservience inherent of her metropolis status and her relentless economic vitality and social vibrancy remains the curse for the tiny island of Hong Kong.
