Civil Unrest and Governance in Hong Kong: Law and Order from Historical and Cultural Perspectives [Hardcover]

This book examines important social movements in Hong Kong from the perspectives of historical and cultural studies. Conventionally regarded as one of the most politically stable cities in Asia, Hong Kong has yet witnessed many demonstrations and struggles against the colonial and post-colonial governments during the past one hundred years. Many of these movements were brought about in the name of justice and unfolded against the context of global unrest. Focusing on the local developments yet mindful of the international backdrop, this volume explores the imaginaries of law and order that these movements engendered, revealing a complex interplay among evolving notions of justice, governance, law and order and cultural creations throughout the under-explored history of instability in Hong Kong. Underscoring the apparently contrasting discourses on the relationship among the rule of law, law and order and social movements in Hong Kong, the contributors emphasise the need to re-examine the conventional juxtaposition of the law and civil unrest. Readers who have an interest in Asian studies, socio-political studies, legal studies, cultural studies and history would welcome this volume of unique interdisciplinarity.

Introduction: negotiating the legitimacy of governance

Part I The past matters:  governance, coloniality of power and law
1. Rule of law in Hong Kong history demythologised: student umbrella movement of 1919
2. Our best trump card: a brief history of deportation in Hong Kong, 18571955
3. Exclusion as oppression: a quest for extra-legal status for Chinese medicine in colonial Hong Kong
4. How the 1967 riots changed Hong Kongs political landscape, with the repercussions still felt today
5. 'Flying MPs' and political changes in a colonial setting: political reform under MacLehoses governorship of HlC©