Shame on politicians using Manila tragedy for their own ends

The Hong Kong government and some of its more unlikely allies are threatening to turn the Manila bus killing tragedy into a farce. Three years after Hong Kong residents were killed and injured during a bungled hostage rescue, officials are working on a plan to penalise all the people who were not involved in this tragic event.

Details have not been revealed but a one-month deadline has been set for retaliation, which could include measures such as curbing the import of Philippine domestic helpers, ending the visa-free entry regime for Philippine visitors, and goodness knows what else.

Among the most vocal proponents of this retaliation offensive are pan-democrats who should know better. Piling in behind them are the usual band of opportunists who see no tragedy as being too small to ignore if there is a chance of furthering their political careers. And now the hapless Leung Chun-ying administration has seized on this as a possible way of restoring its battered credibility.

They want President Benigno Aquino to apologise and insist that large sums of cash are paid to the victims and their families. Imposing sanctions on hapless Philippine citizens will not work. In fact, it is likely to be counterproductive.

One of the reasons for Aquino's popularity in the Philippines is that he cleverly plays the nationalistic card and has acquired a reputation for standing up to foreigners. He has already demonstrated that standing up to tiny Hong Kong is popular and risk-free.

The great brains in the Hong Kong government think the best response to this intransigence is a range of measures that will reduce the growing tourist business with the Philippines and penalise both employers and domestic helpers who work here. Could there be a better example of self-inflicted damage?

Lurking behind this stupidity is a suspicion that the demands for apologies and compensation stem from a racist attitude towards the Philippines.