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Hong Kong protests
OpinionComment
Peter Kammerer
Peter Kammerer

Opinion | It’s time for Hong Kong protesters to be realistic about their five demands and compromise, after district elections victory

  • Not all demands are equal: universal suffrage is not immediately likely, an amnesty is controversial and rioting is a charge best left to the courts
  • Protesters should instead focus on achieving more responsive governance, and push for an independent probe into police conduct

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Police officers disperse anti-government protesters at a lunchtime rally in Central, Hong Kong, on November 29. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Peter Kammerer
Victory is sweet, to be sure. Hong Kong’s district councils are now awash with pro-democrats after the recent elections and triumphalism is rife among protesters who helped drive the upset. But the movement needs to be realistic and less demanding. With Beijing and its supporters still reeling and searching for a response, now is the time for compromise.
Protesters, knowing that the authorities have been caught off guard, continue to hold rallies. The chant of “five demands, not one less” rings out as loud as ever. Considered most pressing is an independent investigation of alleged police brutality; 1,261 complaints against officers have so far been filed.

The others are the complete withdrawal of the extradition bill that sparked the first demonstrations six months ago, retraction of the designation of “riot” to describe the protests, an amnesty for arrested protesters, and genuine universal suffrage.

The 18 district councils are the most democratic part of Hong Kong’s flawed political system. Although politically weak, they give councillors an opportunity to listen and respond to grass-roots concerns and build support networks.

Having taken control of 17 of the bodies and claiming 392 of the 452 seats, the pro-democracy camp is now in a strong position to work for greater representation when it contests the Legislative Council election next September and influences the vote for the chief executive in 2022.

But under the present structure, which favours Beijing and the government, there is no chance of pan-democrats playing a decisive role in policy or decision-making.

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