It has Come to This

Hong Kong is now pulled closer to China in "second handover"

The national security law has been gazetted and basically in effect now -- though we only now get to see what's in it (in Chinese).

The media are pouring over it now with precious minutes to point out things before midnight.

Then Governor Chris Patten at the 1997 handover

So it has come to this, which Beijing is promoting as the "second handover", the one with all the bells and whistles sorted out.

I still remember 23 years ago watching the handover on a large screen projected in a cafeteria in Chinese University. It was pouring rain, and Prince Charles stood stoically in the rain, while then Governor Chris Patten received the folded British flag as if it was draped on the coffin of a dead soldier.

There was anxiety about what was about to happen, but for the most part Hongkongers were glad to finally get rid of their colonial masters and feel proud to be Chinese.

That feeling soured in 2003 when some half a million people took to the streets to protest against the enactment of Article 23, and after the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and has gotten worse since then.

Carrie Lam refusing to answer NSL questions

Meanwhile Hong Kong was being governed by Hongkongers, but by leaders completely incapable of doing their job. It wasn't our fault -- Beijing wanted them installed as chief executive, and each successive one has been worse than the previous one.

And now we are stuck with Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who has been completely sidelined by Beijing and yet still being paid a pretty penny for being the most hated person in Hong Kong by both camps.

Beijing has lost its patience with Hong Kong -- it lost major face last year with the protesters defacing the Legislative Council and in particular the national emblem at the Liaison Office. The nail in the coffin was the district council elections in November, when 17 of the 18 districts became yellow overnight.

While Hongkongers were celebrating, Beijing was plotting its revenge to gain back control of the city with the national security law that was suddenly sprung on us on May 22 and was approved on May 28 and now here we are on the eve of the handover this draconian law is being enacted.

Wong, Law and Chow quitting Demosisto today

We don't know what's in it, but it's enough to scare the leadership of Demosisto -- Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Agnes Chow Ting -- to quit the party. People are deleting posts on social media, while some yellow shops are taking down their mini Lennon Walls to avoid attracting attention.

The reign of terror has already begun. One owner of a cafe that was part of the "yellow economic circle" said he was followed by strangers and received threatening messages that his family would be harmed.

With some 200 staff working for him, he decided it was better to formally leave this network than to have any problems.

Some die-hard protesters are sad and upset people are caving in, but can you blame them? Their concerns are very real.

Remember Hong Kong before June 30, 2020. Remember as much as you can because future generations depend on us to tell them what happened pre-NSL. Pre-1997.

Hong Kong will never be the same again.