Yellow Economic Circle

jul20

Hong Kong national security law leaves ‘Lennon Walls’ in restaurants blank, protest posters out

7/7
“Economia amarela” começa a desaparecer Assim que a nova lei de segurança nacional de Hong Kong entrou em vigor, Ivan Ng removeu todas as pinturas, posteres e bandeiras com temas de protesto da lista de itens à venda em sua loja Onestep Printing.vSandra Leung, da Wefund.hk, que vende obras de arte e acessórios com temas de protesto, disse que suspendeu a venda de equipamentos de proteção usados ​​pelos manifestantes, bandeiras com o slogan “Liberate Hong Kong” e outros itens com cantos populares. Jeffrey Cheong, proprietário do Hair Guys Salon, disse que fechou a loja por alguns dias na semana passada para remover as decorações pró-democracia. Segundo a Reuters, Ng, Leung e Cheong são três das 4.500 pequenas empresas da “economia amarela” de Hong Kong, que apoiam manifestantes pró-democracia e vice-versa. Esse círculo de apoio está mostrando sinais de enfraquecimento diante da nova lei. “Nós retiramos todos os produtos relacionados a protestos logo após a lei ser implementada, porque a lei não tem limites muito claros de (o que constitui) a subversão”, disse Ng. Na semana passada, ele disse que suas vendas totais caíram até 80%. Leung disse que retirou itens à venda que descreveu como “sensíveis”, como máscaras de gás usadas por manifestantes e itens com slogans anti-policiais. https://jtm.com.mo/actual/chefe-executivo-diz-vai-aplicar-vigorosamente-lei/

30/6

More subtle signs of a chilling effect were also in evidence Tuesday, as shops and businesses which had previously been highly visible supporters of the city's protest movement began removing slogans and imagery that could be deemed illegal. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/30/asia/hong-kong-china-national-security-law-intl-hnk/index.html

4/5

Beijing’s office in Hong Kong has slammed shoppers’ support for pro-democracy businesses as “violating” free market principles. In a statement issued on Saturday, the office said “extreme radicals” had initiated illegal assemblies, disturbed shops and hurled petrol bombs during the May 1 holiday, despite demonstrations remaining low-key. It accused opposition lawmakers of using the “yellow economy” promotion to secure seats in the Legislative Council election in September, claiming that Hong Kong’s economy had been “kidnapped” by politics. “Opposition lawmakers ignored the rules of the free market and made an utmost effort in hyping up the so-called ‘yellow economic circle’,” the statement read. https://hongkongfp.com/2020/05/04/hongkongers-support-of-pro-democracy-shops-violates-the-free-market-says-beijing/

18/6

A Hong Kong children’s clothing store has been warned to remove a pro-democracy Lady Liberty statue by the shopping centre’s management company, citing a lack of prior approval and inconsistency with the lease agreement. The mall belongs to a local property conglomerate that publicly voiced support for the police and city’s leader during last year’s protests and unrest.

12/6

As street protests and assemblies become more and more high risk due to unchecked police violence, Hong Kong activists mobilised to create economic resistance, and popularised the concept of a “yellow economic circle.” Hongkongers are encouraged to patronise local small businesses that support the movement, in order to counter chains owned by pro-Beijing corporations or individuals. This form of grassroots resistance allows Hongkongers from all walks of life to participate, which in turn promote a deep sense of solidarity and support for the movement. International businesses like Apple, Starbucks, Activision Blizzard, and the NBA have been boycotted and called out by Hong Kong activists for prioritising their profits in the Chinese market over human rights concerns. This critique is not only relevant to the Hong Kong anti-extradition law movement. It also directs our attention to the more global socioeconomic problem of collusion between multinational corporations and oppressive state regimes. The yellow economic circle, in other words, has far-reaching impacts in and out of Hong Kong. Sharom Yam https://hongkongfp.com/2020/06/12/progress-and-radical-hope-reflecting-on-a-year-of-hong-kongs-anti-authoritarian-struggle/

20/5

(definição) The Yellow Economic Circle (YEC), which grew out of the movement, is a collection of businesses openly promoting protest messages. The businesses often are small local eateries with pro-democracy posters and attract supporters who want to continue the movement.

opinião Despite many challenges, the YEC potentially could flourish into a global ecosystem, detached from the influence of the Hong Kong government and big enterprises, and shape the city’s future. In lieu of witch-hunting, the YEC’s priority should be converting more businesses to participate and include more middle-ground civilians to promote the cause. Currently, pro-establishment businesses hoard the majority of Hong Kong resources. A complete separation from them would limit the YEC’s development. When the promise of “one country, two systems” is broken while dissidents are doxxed and retaliated against in their workplace, Hong Kongers are seeking a way to escape the oppression. Hong Kongers, with their rich resources and strong international networks, may build a future based on the YEC, where different facets of daily life are free from authoritarianism, truly realizing the “revolution of our time.”

problemas: Solely relying on customer feedback to identify the political stances of local businesses isn’t a quick fix to the problem; moreover, it may promote online shaming and a call-out culture in pursuit of ideological purity, which will polarize the pro-democracy camp and ultimately catalyze the collapse of the circle when the momentum goes down

 Dr. Simon Shen is the Founding Chairman of GLOs (Glocal Learning Offices), an international relations start-up company. He also serves as an adjunct associate professor in the University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and associate director of the Master of Global Political Economy Programme of the CUHK. https://thediplomat.com/2020/05/how-the-yellow-economic-circle-can-revolutionize-hong-kong/