Of all the rumors fabricated during the “black revolution”, the claim that several men were killed by police inside Prince Edward MTR station on Aug 31 last year has to be the most terrifying one. The so-called “8.31” incident not only destroyed social harmony, but also escalated street violence to new, bloody highs. It is fair to say that rumors related to the “8.31 horror story” were instrumental in sustaining the “black revolution”. Perpetuating those rumors was one of the opposition camp’s key tactics to sustain the anti-government campaign last year.

The return to life of “Hon Bo-sun” from fictional martyrdom not only proves the opposition camp comprises habitual liars who cannot be trusted, but also serves as a reminder that such political deceit will never go away simply because it has been exposed as fake

One year on, many “8.31” fans woke up to the revelations by a man in the United Kingdom via a video on social media, who apparently is “Hon Bo-sun”, a rioter said to have been killed by police inside the Prince Edward station last year, that he had fled Hong Kong and kept a low profile for the sake of the “black revolution”. Suddenly, a key emotional stimulant that had kept their hatred for the central authorities, the SAR government and particularly the Hong Kong police was proved fake. Also gone with those rumors was the credibility of the wild, groundless accusations against the long-withdrawn extradition law amendment bill that was made an excuse for starting the yearlong violence, destruction and social unrest.

“Hon”, whose real name is Wong Mau-chun, appeared last week in a video from his residence in the UK and declared he was very much alive, obviously, adding that he’s in contact with a group of pro-independence activists. During an interview, he revealed a jaw-dropping secret: The opposition leaders knew he was alive but allowed him to flee and hide to keep the accusations against the police “valid”.

Hon’s “coming back from the dead” proves at least two points.

First, the “8.31” incident is a conspiracy with fake deaths to justify the black-shirts’ criminal acts. According to Wong, his friends knew he did not die in the “8.31” incident, but they kept their mouth shut. There was also a bunch of “dissident lawyers” fighting for “justice” for him. It is safe to say the whole opposition camp knew about the truth of the lies. The reason they kept the scam a secret for more than a year was to save face on the one hand, and smear the Hong Kong Police Force as well as the SAR government on the other.

Such tactics were inspired by “martyrs” in the “color revolutions” in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, including victims of the shootings in the capital of Ukraine, students killed at Liberation Square in Cairo, Egypt and a jobless man “electrocuted” in Tunisia. The stories that triggered wanton street violence went on for months and became a fixture in all “color revolutions” around the world.

Second, the opposition camp is likely scouting for another “Hon” to keep the flames of hatred alive. The “black revolution” is designed to help the opposition seize Hong Kong’s governing power, which means the external forces would not allow the opposition camp to stop even if it wants to. That is why Wong admitted that he is pretty much “dead already” — it won’t be long before a “Cheung Bo-sun” or “Lee Bo-sun” appears in some headlines. 

Just like activists Ray Wong Toi-yeung, Alan Li Tung-sing and Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Wong Mau-chun is a pawn doing certain foreign powers’ bidding for a fee. What motivated his confession was apparently the fear of becoming “cheap” in the foreign powers’ eyes and being readily replaced like a used tire. 

Members of the public in Hong Kong are better off to ignore any “touching story” churned out by the opposition rumor mill hereafter.

The return to life of “Hon Bo-sun” from fictional martyrdom not only proves the opposition camp comprises habitual liars who cannot be trusted, but also serves as a reminder that such political deceit will never go away simply because it has been exposed as fake. For young people who still believe someone was killed at the Prince Edward station last year, the confession by Wong should be a valuable lesson.

The author is a current affairs commentator. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.