HK youth groups reject PLA foot drill pressure
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s military-style youth groups rejected Chinese foot drills at an annual flag raising ceremony yesterday despite pressure to change their marching traditions inherited from the British colonial era.
The groups had received requests from China’s liaison office in Hong Kong in recent weeks to change their foot drills to follow those used by the People’s Liberation Army, which has a garrison in the semi-autonomous city.
It comes as Hong Kong’s freedoms are under increasing pressure from an assertive Beijing with authorities accused of trying to rewrite history.
As 14 groups dressed in their different uniforms gathered yesterday morning on the harbourfront in Hong Kong, only one used the PLA style.
“We’ve been using British foot drills all this time. We don’t have any plan to change them for the time being,” said Colonel Matthew Wong of the Hong Kong Adventure Corps ( HKAC), adding that they reflect the group’s traditions and cultural background.
HKAC was set up by some former staff of the Royal Hong Kong Regiment who had remained after Britain handed the city back to China in 1997.
Senior Boys’ Brigade drill instructor Alex Fong said members had ‘shown their concerns’ over the requests.
Its foot drills originated in Scotland and have been used for almost six decades.
The May 4 event marks studentled anti-imperialist protests in China in 1919 which reflected a surge in Chinese nationalism.
Youth groups told AFP they had been invited to the liaison office and to a meeting at a restaurant with the event organiser to discuss changing their drill style for the ceremony. They were offered help with retraining.
Last month, several youth groups were also invited to a fourday PLA foot drill training session at one of its barracks.
Although HKAC keeps an open mind on learning new skills, Wong said the response had not be ‘enthusiastic’, with only 14 of HKAC’s 5000 members taking up the offer.
Youth members who attended the ceremony said it’s not up to them to decide whether or not to change the foot drills in the future.
“We need to listen our Madame and Sir’s decision,” said Ms Ng, a Civil Aid Service Cadet Corps youth member, who had never learnt PLA foot drill. — AFP