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"dogmatic statements, which reflected a very deep level of personal conviction.
"The "typical" communist prisoner seemed to be a product of three powerful factors in the society of Hongkong: the communist, the nationalist and the discontented. Their "redness" and their absolute dedication to Mao's thoughts could not be doubted. One statement (echoed by several prisoners) claimed: "We will achieve victory in the end. They have locked us up but the struggle will continue. Even if they kill us, the struggle will go on.
And we are not afraid of anything they might do to us. Blood debts will be repaid with blood."
"As to how and when they expect to win ultimate victory the universal comment was. that this would have to depend on directions from Peking, though an ex-white-collar worker estimated that victory would be achieved within 10 years. What is victory? Everyone was agreed on this question: "The five demands must be satisfied, and the Hongkong British must kou tow." It is perhaps significant that not one of them made any mention of victory being won through the return of Kongkong to China.
much in ti "It is li move." Do China?
kong's top
"When questioned about the basic status of Hongkong, their attitude could be summed up in the words of one prisoner: "It entirely depends on Peking. It is up to the motherland to decide when Hongkong should be liberated. And this timing will depend on devel- opments axcurd the world and the state of play between capitalis
socialist countries." They see very id context. Several used this analogy: hess game and Hongkong is the only agree that Hongkong is useful to er scholarship student of one of Hong- tools stated: "Yes, Hongkong is useful to China but Peking would always put the interests of Hongkong compatriots before its own economic interests." i also asked what were the chances that once they got out of prison some communists might continue the "struggle" themselves in defiance of orders from Paking. "Absolutely impossible," one prisoner emphasised, "We all obey orders from Peking."
"For these men, the world can be analysed in crudely Maoist terms: "The world is divided into two camps the socialist and the capitalist and all world affairs must be interpreted in terms of the conflict between the two blocs. Russia is allied to the US imperialists to conspire against our motherland. Without politics, man has no soul. And in politics there is no middle road: either you love your own country or you hate your country. Where there is class, there must be class conflict." Familiar quota- tions from the works of Chairman Mao poured out naturally and spontaneously in the course of conversa- tion.
"Despite their earnestness and the constant repetition of Maoist slogans their use of communist dogmas gave a predictably stilted quality to discussions. While they were convinced of the evils of the capitalist system, they gave the impression that they trotted out their theories mainly to demonstrate what good communists they were; just as a certain kind of Christian cannot resist the temptation to preach at his less religious
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