Yeung Kwong
Encyclopedia
Yeung Kwong, GBM
is a Hong Kong
Communist activist and murderer in the 1960s. He was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal
in 2001, when the Hong Kong government was under chief executive
Tung Chee-Hwa, who has close ties to the PRC
government
. The award became controversial as critics argued the event was a symbolic gesture for the approval of the 1967 leftist riots in which the leftists resorted to terrorist attacks, planting fake and real bombs in the city and murdering some members of the press who voiced their opposition to the violence.
Inspired by the mainland China
's Cultural Revolution
and the concession Portuguese
Macau
government made, he was thought to be the mastermind of the 1967 leftist riots in Hong Kong. When the leftists formed the Hong Kong and Kowloon Committee for Anti-Hong Kong British Persecution Struggle
(港九各界反抗港英迫害鬥爭委員會) in 1967, Yeung was appointed the chairman of committee.
radio host Lam Bun
during the leftist riots. On 24 August 1967, Lam Bun and his brother was driving from Lam's residence in Ho Man Tin
when leftist rioters, dressed as road construction workers, stopped Lam's car. The car was set on fire. Both Lam and his brother later died in a local hospital.
It was believed that Lam's popular radio show was a reason why the leftists decided to murder him. At the time, Lam's show, Failure to Strike (Chinese: 欲罷不能), poked fun at the leftist's action to strike and cause general unrest in Hong Kong.
After the murder occurred, an anonymous person, claiming to be from a leftist organisation, took responsibility for Lam Bun's murder. The person also called Lam a "Degenerate of the Chinese Race", "a lackey of the British Colonial Government", and that his murder is a "disciplinary action to cleanse the race". The person also vowed to kill other "degenerates" in the future. This statement galvanised public opinion against the leftists, and caused a widespread crackdown on leftist activities.
No person was ever arrested in connection to this case, and the case is still open .
, the highest honour in Hong Kong, to pro-Communist party
activist Yeung for his "involvement in improving worker's rights". Yeung was nominated by the FTU
for that honour.
The award ceremony was held on October 13, 2001, ironically exactly one month after PRC president Jiang Zemin
publicly admit the Chinese government
was determined to cooperate with the world community in eradicating all forms of terrorism
.
to the FTU, which is an important bloc of vote in the unique Chief Executive election system in Hong Kong. Some critics also asserted that Yeung is not suitable for the highest honour of the land. He remains to be a hugely controversial figure with possible ties to Lam Bun
's murder accusation. Critics argued the event was a symbolic gesture for the approval of the 1967 riot.
Hong Kong honours system
The existing Hong Kong honours system was created after transfer of government of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China as a special administrative region in 1997...
is a Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
Communist activist and murderer in the 1960s. He was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal
Grand Bauhinia Medal
The Grand Bauhinia Medal the highest award under the Hong Kong honours and awards system, is to recognise the selected person's lifelong and highly significant contribution to the well-being of Hong Kong. The awardee is entitled to the postnominal letters GBM and the style "The Honorable"...
in 2001, when the Hong Kong government was under chief executive
Chief Executive of Hong Kong
The Chief Executive of Hong Kong is the President of the Executive Council of Hong Kong and head of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The position was created to replace the Governor of Hong Kong, who was the head of the Hong Kong government during British rule...
Tung Chee-Hwa, who has close ties to the PRC
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
government
Government of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
. The award became controversial as critics argued the event was a symbolic gesture for the approval of the 1967 leftist riots in which the leftists resorted to terrorist attacks, planting fake and real bombs in the city and murdering some members of the press who voiced their opposition to the violence.
Biography
According to Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, Yeung joined the labour movement around 1948.Inspired by the mainland China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
's Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
and the concession Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
government made, he was thought to be the mastermind of the 1967 leftist riots in Hong Kong. When the leftists formed the Hong Kong and Kowloon Committee for Anti-Hong Kong British Persecution Struggle
Hong Kong and Kowloon Committee for Anti-Hong Kong British Persecution Struggle
The Hong Kong and Kowloon Committee for Anti-Hong Kong British Persecution Struggle or the Anti-British Struggle Committee was a committee established by pro-Communist Party of China activist Yeung Kwong in 1967. The party was established during the 1967 Hong Kong riot...
(港九各界反抗港英迫害鬥爭委員會) in 1967, Yeung was appointed the chairman of committee.
Murder Accusations
It is widely believed by many that Yeung was deeply involved in the murder of Commercial Radio Hong KongCommercial Radio Hong Kong
Commercial Radio Hong Kong , aka Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Company Limited is one of only two commercial radio broadcasting companies in Hong Kong along with Metro Radio Hong Kong. It contains a balanced array of entertainment including informative, educational, arts and cultural programmes...
radio host Lam Bun
Lam Bun
Lam Bun was a radio commentator at Commercial Radio Hong Kong who was fiercely critical of leftists. He was assassinated during the Hong Kong 1967 riots, and has become an icon for free speech in Hong Kong.-Biography:...
during the leftist riots. On 24 August 1967, Lam Bun and his brother was driving from Lam's residence in Ho Man Tin
Ho Man Tin
Ho Man Tin is a mostly residential area in Kowloon, Hong Kong, part of the Kowloon City District.-History:The original area of Ho Man Tin was quite different from the present-day one. It was located in the heart of nowaday Mong Kok. With cultivated lands,...
when leftist rioters, dressed as road construction workers, stopped Lam's car. The car was set on fire. Both Lam and his brother later died in a local hospital.
It was believed that Lam's popular radio show was a reason why the leftists decided to murder him. At the time, Lam's show, Failure to Strike (Chinese: 欲罷不能), poked fun at the leftist's action to strike and cause general unrest in Hong Kong.
After the murder occurred, an anonymous person, claiming to be from a leftist organisation, took responsibility for Lam Bun's murder. The person also called Lam a "Degenerate of the Chinese Race", "a lackey of the British Colonial Government", and that his murder is a "disciplinary action to cleanse the race". The person also vowed to kill other "degenerates" in the future. This statement galvanised public opinion against the leftists, and caused a widespread crackdown on leftist activities.
No person was ever arrested in connection to this case, and the case is still open .
Praise
Yeung is not without supporters. The leftist establishments often credit Yeung for helping to foster great strides in liberties after the riot. However, critics often point out that in reality, the improvement of worker's conditions only happened in the 1970s, years after Yeung's tenure as FTU's chairman concluded.Award
In 2001, then Chief Executive Tung Chee-Hwa awarded the Grand Bauhinia MedalGrand Bauhinia Medal
The Grand Bauhinia Medal the highest award under the Hong Kong honours and awards system, is to recognise the selected person's lifelong and highly significant contribution to the well-being of Hong Kong. The awardee is entitled to the postnominal letters GBM and the style "The Honorable"...
, the highest honour in Hong Kong, to pro-Communist party
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
activist Yeung for his "involvement in improving worker's rights". Yeung was nominated by the FTU
Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions
The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions is a pro-Beijing labour and political group in Hong Kong. It is the largest labour group in Hong Kong with over 341,000 members in 181 affiliates and 62 associated trade unions.-Policies:...
for that honour.
The award ceremony was held on October 13, 2001, ironically exactly one month after PRC president Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin is a former Chinese politician, who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1989 to 2002, as President of the People's Republic of China from 1993 to 2003, and as Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2005...
publicly admit the Chinese government
Government of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
was determined to cooperate with the world community in eradicating all forms of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
.
Controversy
Controversy immediately rose after the announcement, with many people believing that Tung, who was seeking reelection at the time, was panderingPandering (politics)
Pandering is the act of expressing one's views in accordance with the likes of a group to which one is attempting to appeal. The term is most notably associated with politics...
to the FTU, which is an important bloc of vote in the unique Chief Executive election system in Hong Kong. Some critics also asserted that Yeung is not suitable for the highest honour of the land. He remains to be a hugely controversial figure with possible ties to Lam Bun
Lam Bun
Lam Bun was a radio commentator at Commercial Radio Hong Kong who was fiercely critical of leftists. He was assassinated during the Hong Kong 1967 riots, and has become an icon for free speech in Hong Kong.-Biography:...
's murder accusation. Critics argued the event was a symbolic gesture for the approval of the 1967 riot.