Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and teacher, Szeto Wah has died at the age of 79 from lung cancer

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From Hong Kong Mr Szeto was a thorn in its side: a man who clearly gave the lie to the party’s claim to be the sole representative of Chinese patriotism. Mr Szeto was a critic of British colonial rule, but also of the party’s dictatorial ways.

The pro-Beijing press in the territory tried to smear him as a pawn of the West (for a typical rant, see this article in Chinese in Wenwei Po, a pro-Communist newspaper in Hong Kong). But Mr Szeto was a grassroots campaigner for social justice who never acquired the polished English and suave manners of Hong Kong’s elite. He was a former primary-school principal, steeped in Chinese culture. Unlike many in Hong Kong he spoke fluent Mandarin. Few in the territory saw him as anything but a dedicated patriot.

Asia Sentinel writes a little less diplomatically:

All in all Szeto’s death is a huge loss not just for Hong Kong but for all those who believe that the territory can and could contribute more to China than self-serving bureaucrats, party apparatchiks and “greed is good” actual or aspirant tycoons. Only a few months before his death he dismissed as “crocodile tears” an appeal by Regina Ip, a legislator with close Beijing connections, that he be allowed to return to the mainland where he was born.

He could easily spot the hypocrisy of this self-serving bureaucrat turned united front politician who now pretends to like democracy.

The praise from Tsang, Tang, Ip and others must be making his bones quiver in rage as they await cremation. Some of his ashes will be sprinkled on Hong Kong soil, some on the mainland – if they are allowed back. While the crocodile tears for Szeto are being shed by Tsang & Co., the government will be barring overseas activists who were inspired by him from attending his funeral.

Beijing and its HK allies sure know how to insult a patriot.

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Filed under: East Asia, Politics Tagged: china, donald tsang, hong kong, postaday2011, prc, szeto wah