On June 4, the European Union’s Office in Hong Kong, which is headed by Thomas Gnocchi, displayed candles to recall the social unrest in Beijing in 1989. It then, to reach a wider audience, posted photographs of them on social media. Although the US consulate, headed by Hanscom Smith, did the same thing, it, of course, knew no better, and is always on the lookout for ways of discomfiting its host. But it might have been hoped that the EU would not, contrary to diplomatic norms, also have engaged in such a stunt, which the Chinese foreign ministry calls a “clumsy political show”.
However, not much can be expected of the EU. The British people, of course, long ago got its measure, which is why, on June 23, 2016, they voted, in their largest ever vote on any issue, to quit the bloc and reclaim their freedoms. They knew only too well how the UK’s democracy was being subordinated to a faceless Brussels bureaucracy, how their money was being wasted on grandiose projects, like an EU army and a foreign service, and how the hard-won rights of the nation states were being trampled underfoot in the rush to create a European superstate, wholly disconnected from ordinary people.
It is, therefore, no real surprise that the EU has now shown such insensitivity, and its hypocrisy is well documented. In 2019, for example, after the Hong Kong government proposed a mechanism whereby, subject to judicial oversight, the city would be able to return fugitive offenders to the Chinese mainland and other jurisdictions with which it had no surrender arrangements, it was openly criticized by the EU, which questioned China’s bona fides. This, of course, was extraordinary, as nine EU member states had already signed extradition agreements of their own with China, and Bulgaria, France, Italy and Spain had all recently returned criminal fugitives to Beijing, without problem. Even though Hong Kong is an integral part of China, the EU tried to prevent Hong Kong from having the arrangements already enjoyed by many of its own members, which was hypocrisy writ large.
On October 4, 2021, it will be the 150th anniversary of the “Chinese massacre”, which occurred in Los Angeles, California, USA, in 1871. Racist mobs, brandishing a variety of weapons, attacked the city’s Chinese immigrants, of whom there were only 173 at the time, killing 19, while the authorities stood by. Will Gnocchi (Thomas Gnocchi), who is committed to “universal human rights”, now be reminding the EU’s Los Angeles office to light some candles on October 4, and then post the images on social media
In a message on Twitter about its candles, the EU’s Office sought to explain away its disregard of its host’s sensibilities by announcing that “The European Union upholds universal human rights at home and calls for their respect at home”. In light of this, it will be interesting to see if it now adopts “candle-lighting” as an act of policy around the world, or whether it will simply confine itself to China baiting. Gnocci will hopefully clarify the position, but if his candles do indeed herald a new policy, the EU will find its work cut out for it.
On August 16, 2021, for example, it will be the 202nd anniversary of the “Peterloo Massacre”, which occurred in Manchester, England, in 1819. The cavalry, supported by infantry and artillery, attacked a crowd of about 60,000 people, who had gathered in the city center to demand parliamentary representation, leaving 18 people dead and over 400 injured. Will Gnocchi, with his belief in “universal human rights”, now be reminding the EU’s Manchester office to light some candles on August 16, and then post the images on social media?
On October 4, 2021, it will be the 150th anniversary of the “Chinese massacre”, which occurred in Los Angeles, California, USA, in 1871. Racist mobs, brandishing a variety of weapons, attacked the city’s Chinese immigrants, of whom there were only 173 at the time, killing 19, while the authorities stood by. Will Gnocchi, who is committed to “universal human rights”, now be reminding the EU’s Los Angeles office to light some candles on October 4, and then post the images on social media?
On April 13, 2022, it will be the 103rd anniversary of the “Amritsar Massacre”, when Indian troops, under British command, opened fire on a crowd of unarmed civilians in a confined area, in Amritsar, Punjab, India, killing at least 379 people, and injuring over 1,200. Will Gnocchi, believing as he does in “universal human rights”, now be reminding the EU’s offices in both London and New Delhi to light some candles on April 13, and then post the images on social media?
Just prior to “June 4”, moreover, on June 1, it was the 100th anniversary of the “Tulsa Massacre”, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. A white mob destroyed an African-American township in 1921, killing approximately 300 people, injuring some 800 others, and destroying over 1,250 homes. It would, therefore, given his new-found interest in “candle-lighting”, be intriguing to know if, just before his own stunt, Gnocchi advised the EU’s office in Washington DC to also light some candles on June 1, and then post the images on social media?
Although Gnocchi only assumed his post in Hong Kong in 2020, this appears to be the first time the EU Office has engaged in this sort of tendentious gesturing. Whether he planned it with Hanscom Smith is unclear, but the evidence certainly points in that direction. If, however, he does not now urge the EU to light its candles whenever there are anniversaries of events which give rise to human rights concerns around the world, his actions will inevitably be seen as just another hypocritical attempt to needle China. If so, it will be obvious to everybody in Hong Kong that there are ulterior motives at play, and it will also underline the prescience of the British people in voting to quit the EU while there was still time.
The author is a senior counsel, law professor and criminal justice analyst, and was previously the director of public prosecutions of the Hong Kong SAR.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.