Then & Now: Imperial Mint
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.1975-1980: John Walden was Director of Home Affairs in the Hong Kong government. After his retirement he recorded the widely held belief among senior civil servants that democracy was neither necessary nor useful to Hong Kong:
'Throughout the 30 years that I was an official myself, from 1951 to 1981, 'democracy' was a dirty word. Officials were convinced that the introduction of democratic politics into Hong Kong would be the quickest and surest way to ruin Hong Kong's economy and create social and political instability . . .
'In all those years, civil servants who favoured democratic reform (there were a few, usually from former British colonies in Africa) were regarded as disloyal or even dangerous. Pressure groups advocating political reform or grassroots democracy were carefully monitored by the Government and the Special Branch of the Hong Kong police, and where possible their activities were discreetly obstructed or frustrated, sometimes by the use of highly questionable tactics. This deliberate and active discouragement of the growth of the democratic processes by the Government continued right up to 1980, to my certain knowledge.'
Quoted in The end of Hong Kong: the secret diplomacy of imperial retreat by Robert Cottrell, to be published next month.
March 1993: Governor Chris Patten gazettes a series of electoral reforms that greatly expand the franchise so that every Hong Kong citizen over the age of 18 will be able to vote, directly or indirectly, in elections set for 1995. China calls Patten a whore and accuses the British Government of perfidy.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments