Letters | While Carrie Lam focuses on Hong Kong protester violence, she is turning a blind eye to legitimate concerns

The protesters are against Beijing’s tightening grip but hope the crisis can be resolved within Hong Kong’s existing systems. It is preposterous to suggest that they are attempting to overthrow the establishment through violent revolution

Hong Kong protests

Letters

Published: 6:40am, 25 Aug 2019

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I am disturbed by the Hong Kong government’s continued refusal to pacify the protesters spurred to action by the extradition bill, by effectively addressing their five demands.

The government’s stance on the protests, which escalated into violent clashes with police, has toughened. On August 5, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor blamed the protesters for disrupting public order and challenging the “one country, two systems” principle. Financial secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also warned of the impact on Hong Kong’s economy.

However, we should not overlook the historical significance of the general strike on August 5, the first since 1997. Tens of thousands of Hongkongers joined hands to bring the city to a halt and attended public assemblies held simultaneously in seven districts. According to the organiser, the assembly at Admiralty alone was attended by 150,000 people.

Therefore, although protesters’ use of force might not be what most Hongkongers wish to see, as the turnout at protests following the first major clash between the police and anti-extradition protesters on June 12 and the general strike show, the cause of freedom and democracy in Hong Kong cannot be ignored.

Compared with the violent methods of some protesters, it is the police indifference to the mob violence against people in Yuen Long, North Point and Tsuen Wan that worries me more in terms of the decay of Hong Kong’s socio-economic order.

Until now, the police have not provided sound explanations for not promptly ordering action against the gangsters who had gathered on Yuen Long streets after nightfall and later attacked protesters and homeward-bound residents at the Yuen Long MTR station on July 21.

On July 27, tens of thousands of Hongkongers flocked to Yuen Long despite a police ban on a demonstration, in response to the assault the previous week. Among them were customers queuing up to buy sweetheart cakes and pastries at the renowned Hang Heung bakery in the afternoon. As a Yuen Long resident, I would say that these people, who might be labelled by some as participants in an unlawful assembly or even “rioters”, did more than the government to restore our economic life and confidence following the assault.

I am not turning a blind eye to the many acts by the protesters that are interpreted as challenging China’s sovereignty. Yet, these acts should be understood as a radical expression of the anger of many Hongkongers over Beijing’s increasingly interventionist policy towards Hong Kong – from the case of the missing booksellers to the disqualification of electoral candidates and even legislators-elect – which has undermined the credibility of “one country, two systems”.

Hong Kong protests almost like ‘colour revolution’: top Beijing official

The protesters still hope that the current crisis can be resolved within the establishment. Their five demands include the establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate the events of the past months, especially police brutality, and political reform that would bring true universal suffrage. It is, therefore, preposterous to suggest that the protesters are attempting to overthrow the establishment through violent revolution.

Highlighting acts that involve violence and allegedly hurt national sovereignty, while continually turning its back on the people, who are still calling for action within the existing system, does not befit a responsible government.

Ben L.P. Tsang, Yuen Long

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