Sunday will mark the tenth anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China. It should have also marked the beginning of universal suffrage as well as the direct election of Hong Kong's governor. But it won't, because the Chinese government has no intention of ever living up to its promises to its own citizens much less international agreements.
Despite a continuing policy of intimidation that has successfully muzzled much of the free press and independent voices once heard there, the people of Hong Kong have repeatedly demanded their right to govern themselves in the only way open to them, with massive street demonstrations involving hundreds of thousands on the anniversary of the turnover. (Upwards of 20% of the population has turned out at once.)
Whether or not a large demonstration can (or will) occur this Sunday remains to be seen, as the self-appointed rulers of China prefer a happy, glorious celebration by their adoring peasants. Everyone in Hong Kong is well aware that the government in Beijing is quite willing to murder its own children, if necessary, to maintain a tight grip on power.
Whatever happens (or doesn't happen) Sunday should be interesting. In the meantime, this serves as yet another reminder that the Chinese government's promises cannot be believed and that consuming any food products produced by companies operated or controlled by the People Liberation Army and party cadres can be hazardous to one's health. Thus far, intentionally-tainted-for-greater-profit seafood, cereals, pork, chicken, vegetables, toothpaste, children's cough syrup, and pet foods have killed or injured hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people around the word (mostly children) and thousands of animals as well.
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