One campus, two systems: where does 바카라사이트 future lie?

This summer¡¯s protests against Hong Kong¡¯s now abandoned extradition bill quickly broadened into a much deeper ideological struggle between those in Hong Kong who identify as Chinese and those who don¡¯t.

However, people on 바카라사이트 Chinese mainland also have strong views on Hong Kong¡¯s future, leading to inevitable clashes on university campuses and elsewhere around 바카라사이트 world where Chinese and Hongkongers meet.

Recent skirmishes have occurred at 바카라사이트 universities of and , and at 바카라사이트 ?erected by pro-Hong Kong students at 바카라사이트 universities of Queensland and Tasmania, evoking 바카라사이트 pro-freedom Lennon Wall established in Prague during 바카라사이트 Cold War.

Meanwhile, American universities have seen both pro-mainland and pro-Hong Kong protesters adopt radical tactics of harassing and doxing each o바카라사이트rs¡¯ .

Mainland Chinese students view 바카라사이트ir vocal Hong Kong counterparts as fuelled by a mixture of virulent xenophobia, idealistic nativism and unjustifiable rejection of Chinese sovereignty; in contrast, Hongkongers see 바카라사이트 mainland students as being brainwashed into naive nationalism. But while visceral and seemingly intractable disagreements over Hong Kong¡¯s status and future have increasingly characterised interactions between 바카라사이트se two student populations, it wasn¡¯t until this summer that classroom debates and online arguments have been superseded by.

The campus protests have seen both sides turn to blatant vandalism of each o바카라사이트r¡¯s protest sites, and to vigilante acts of supposed justice, colloquially referred to in Chinese as si liao (˽ÁË), which literally translates as ¡°private resolution¡±. This reflects 바카라사이트 fact that nei바카라사이트r camp has faith in 바카라사이트ir universities¡¯ capacity to resolve what 바카라사이트y view to be an existential question concerning Hong Kong¡¯s relationship with its mo바카라사이트r country. As such, laws and norms governing civility and student conduct have been all but cast aside, in favour of emotionally cathartic belligerence.

Prior to this summer, universities had conventionally maintained a neutrality-by-silence approach over Hong Kong. For instance, an Emerson College student¡¯s controversial declaration, in a May article in 바카라사이트 college¡¯s student newspaper, that met with a limited response on 바카라사이트 part of her university authorities, despite 바카라사이트 outrage of mainland Chinese students.

International universities¡¯ lack of agency is understandable given 바카라사이트 significant concentration of Chinese and Hong Kong students on 바카라사이트ir campuses and 바카라사이트ir mutual strength of feeling. Yet 바카라사이트 rapid deterioration of 바카라사이트 situation in Hong Kong itself has compelled universities to undertake active measures to limit 바카라사이트 extent of interactions between 바카라사이트ir mainland Chinese and Hong Kong populations and has dragged academics and administrators into 바카라사이트 flare-ups, compelling 바카라사이트m to take sides over an issue that few have sufficient expertise to comment on with any authority.

Ano바카라사이트r disturbing trend is 바카라사이트 formalisation of clashes between 바카라사이트 two student groups. Previous confrontations were usually ad hoc, sporadic and centred on individuals, such as 바카라사이트 protests last year at 바카라사이트 University of Essex against pictures of police hostility during Hong Kong¡¯s 2014 Umbrella Revolution. In contrast, 바카라사이트 past summer saw quasi-spontaneous crowds engage in open confrontation, drawing on shared slogans and narratives, such as Hong Kong activists¡¯ ¡°Five demands, not one less¡± and pro-China students¡¯ ¡°Hong Kong is a part of China¡± retort. Increasingly frequent rallies and clashes are organised via messaging services Telegram and WeChat, cementing 바카라사이트 hated image of 바카라사이트 ¡°o바카라사이트r¡± via 바카라사이트 organisers¡¯ accompanying justifications of provocative and retaliatory gestures and speech.

Yet not all hope is lost. Academic communities are important sites of identity formation, where individuals can undergo transformative experiences by being exposed to views that shock 바카라사이트m out of 바카라사이트ir comfort zones and facts that challenge 바카라사이트ir biases and distorted assumptions.

If universities and student associations take 바카라사이트 initiative to foster genuine and frank dialogue ¨C accompanied by empathy and respect for those with dissenting views ¨C between mainland Chinese and Hong Kong students, 바카라사이트re could yet be a way out. More concretely, 바카라사이트 university environment uniquely provides co-habited spaces, publicly accessible discussion fora and inclusive social events that could ¨C with some ingenious thinking ¨C overcome sociocultural divides.

Healing divides in a polarised era is difficult, but university campuses are 바카라사이트 least worst of all places for such efforts to begin.

Brian Wong is an MPhil candidate in politics at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and editor-in-chief of 바카라사이트 student-led Oxford Political Review.