Public Eye | Public Eye: Get it straight - Hong Kong's self-styled democrats are always right

For those unfamiliar with Hong Kong's political playbook, will provide an idiot's guide.

The first thing to remember is you're not allowed to hold a different view from our self-proclaimed defenders of democracy. Whatever they say or do is morally right by default. If you dare challenge them in any way, you'll be mocked as a pro-Beijing stooge or, worse still, derided as a "Leung fun", which means a fan of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. If you refuse to cheer their missile-hurling, name-calling and frivolous filibustering, you're on the wrong side of democracy. Don't, for heaven's sake, say you genuinely support democracy but feel the 79-day occupation that paralysed key districts was the wrong way to achieve it. Only those who backed Occupy are true democrats. All others are Beijing bootlickers.

You must applaud the person who leaked audio clips of a confidential University of Hong Kong council meeting as a heroic whistle-blower. A whistle-blower is a person who exposes illegal or immoral activities. But the leaked audios exposed no wrongdoing. Having an opinion is fine, but only if you agree at all times with the self-proclaimed defenders of democracy. They wanted Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun, an Occupy supporter, as HKU pro-vice-chancellor. All those who opposed his appointment are shoeshiners who must be exposed. Even though the leaked material contained no smoking gun, it must still be regarded as a Watergate moment. Anyone who exercises his right to seek a court injunction against the leaks, as HKU Council chairman Leong Che-hung did, is muzzling the media and deserves to be smeared.

Never mind that a judge independently granted the temporary gag order ahead of a full hearing on Friday. In Hong Kong's political playbook, using our independent judiciary to legally challenge the so-called democrats is political persecution. But when the so-called democrats use our independent judiciary to challenge "Leung funs", it becomes a cherished right that must be protected.

You are not fit to be a university council member if you had disagreed with Occupy or the storming of an HKU council meeting by Chan supporters. The headlines will scream "CY appoints pro-Beijing figures to council" as if academic freedom is doomed. Academic freedom is safe only in the hands of those who storm council meetings, hold members hostage, leak meeting details and backed Occupy and Chan as pro-vice-chancellor.

's own playbook is succinct: we will never let anyone define our democratic credentials. Anyone who tries can go stick it where the sun doesn't shine.