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7 The Student Movement in Hong Kong: Transition to a Democratizing Society Benjamin K.P. Leung • Introductio n Hong Kong' s democratization , officiall y terme d th e developmen t toward s a representative government, began with the introduction in 1982 of the District Board, whic h ha d popularl y electe d member s i n it s composition . Th e democratization of politics at the district level since then eventually cumulated in the introduction of indirectly elected members in 1985, and directly elected members i n 1991 , to the Legislative Council. Concomitant wit h thi s gradua l opening up of the political system have been the rise and proliferation of political parties. Increasin g politicizatio n o f th e communit y ha s bee n on e mos t noteworthy featur e o f Hon g Kon g sinc e th e earl y 1980s . It i s a n iron y tha t students played but a marginal and inconspicuous role in this important period of th e territory' s politica l development . An d i t i s puzzling tha t th e studen t movement, which in the 1970 s had been a fervent advocate and agent of social and political reform, shoul d decline into oblivion at a time when reform wa s the subject o f heated debates and acute ideological and political rivalry in th e community. I n other words , the studen t movemen t seeme d t o have recede d into backstage when the drama of reform was being enacted. Is then the student movement in Hong Kong no more than an ephemeral phenomenon of little or no lasting social and political import? Has it any bearing at all on the society's current politica l development ? Thes e question s ar e th e guidin g thread s o f discussion in this chapter . 210 Benjami n K.R Leung This chapte r i s thus essentiall y a n exercis e in explorin g th e significanc e o f the student movemen t i n Hong Kong. It seeks to assess the rol e of the studen t movement i n generating a public forum fo r political discussion , i n carving ou t a publi c space fo r politica l institutionalization , an d i n fashionin g roles fo r professional politica l participation . I t seek s furthe r t o explor e th e cognitive significance o f th e studen t movemen t — what i t inform s u s abou t th e Hon g Kong ethos . Thes e objective s ar e premise d o n th e observatio n tha t bein g relatively free-floatin g intellectual s whos e experience s an d thinkin g hav e no t been routinize d b y occupationa l an d famil y responsibilities , student s ar e i n a particularly privilege d positio n fo r creativ e endeavours . W e believ e tha t th e significance an d th e caree r o f the studen t movemen t hav e to be understood i n terms o f it s historica l locatio n betwee n th e aftermat h o f th e 196 7 territory wide riot s an d th e onse t o f democratizatio n i n th e earl y 1980s . Th e studen t movement, a s we shall argue later in this chapter , wa s a cognitive articulatio n of th e majo r concern s an d etho s o f th e Hon g Kon g people i n th e wak e o f th e disturbances o f the mid-1960s, as well as an attempt t o address these concern s and ethos through practice. In so doing, the student activists of the 1970 s helped to furnish a direction and to prepare the ground for the territory's democratizatio n in the following decade . Our main thesi s is that both in terms of cognition an d practice, the student movement was a forerunner an d a facilitating factor in th e transition t o a democratizing societ y in Hong Kong. The examination below of the caree r o f the studen t movemen t revolve s aroun d thi s thesis. 1 • Origin s and Rise of the Student Movement in Hong Kong The studen t...

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