HONG KONG – Government-sanctioned events, mainly in Beijing, mark October 1 as the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

Hong Kong, being full of obedient officials and keen-to-kowtow business people, also has anniversary events scheduled. But anyone pondering past the propaganda may find little to celebrate on this National Day.

For China, six decades amount to a trivial time-span. The nation’s recorded history dates back thousands of years.

What happened 60 years ago? In 1949, after Communist forces won a civil war, their chairman, Mao Tse-tung, declared the formation of the People’s Republic of China. Ever since, the Communist Party has ruled in a political dictatorship. Such leadership -- inflexible, brutal and corrupt -- weighs heavily on the nation’s 1.32 billion people.

Until the late 1970s, China’s Communist rulers easily ranked among the world’s worst – reigning over turmoil, upheaval, famine and the Cultural Revolution. Little Red Books fed no one. The Great Helmsman (Mao) wasn’t so great.

More recently, China has stabilized and shown consistent economic growth. Yet its people remain deprived of basic freedoms – for example, in politics, the media and of association. So what’s to celebrate?

The illustrations on colorful street-signs in Beijing, Hong Kong and elsewhere show smiling people gleefully celebrating this 60th anniversary. Does the same happen in real life? Not so much.


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