Letters | Three reasons why China must see the light on Hong Kong protests
- Elections results have made it impossible for Beijing to keep pretending that the Hong Kong protests are just a public order issue
- The widely supported social unrest has political roots that must be addressed
Before the 2019 district council elections in Hong Kong, Beijing had been portraying the unrest in the semi-autonomous city as a public order problem, a chaotic situation caused by a “small group of rioters” and incited by foreign anti-China forces. But, for three reasons, it is now no longer possible, nor meaningful, to gloss over the true political nature of the current situation.
Therefore, even if Beijing takes a harder line against a few radicals, it will still have to spend a huge amount of time and effort if it intends to win back millions of hearts and minds in Hong Kong. A meaningful political dialogue would seem to be an inevitable part of the process.
Second, the pro-democracy camp now has time on its side. Unlike street protests that will usually lose some momentum when people’s passion fades, a group of pro-democracy elites now sits in the chambers of the district councils, and they get paid to do their jobs. This means their struggle can last longer.
Also, because the newly elected, young pro-democracy candidates will gain experience by serving their constituencies, their political significance in the future looks more definite. Some of these young people were once just activists on the streets, and now they have the chance to learn how to manage local affairs. It means Beijing is likely to have to face them down the road.