Liam,
I think the latest CEP FAQ missive from the HKAOA puts all of this in perspective. It addresses most of your problems with respect to the discrimination charge. I still believe that it is discrimination against a mostly Chinese group from Hong Kong. The fact that a few from Hong Kong have managed to get expat allowances does not IMO weaken the charge.
No offense, but with views like yours I would imagine you are not a HKAOA member. However, I would be happy to send you the FAQ from the HKAOA if you would like to view them. Feel free to PM me.
CXorcist
PS - Your view about when an expat becomes a local disgusts me and will never gain traction if I have anything to say about it. Perhaps you are NR pretending to be a pilot????