- Thu
- Oct 3, 2013
- Updated: 3:10pm
Occupy Central
Occupy Central is a proposed civil disobedience protest which would take place in Central, Hong Kong in July 2014 for universal suffrage. The movement is initiated by Benny Tai Yiu-ting, an associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, in January 2013.
Silent Majority for Hong Kong takes on Occupy Central in campaign 'to protect city's interests'
While Occupy Central aims to cause gridlock in streets, new group aims for support of 100,000 for peaceful campaign to protect city's interests
A new group launched yesterday to counter the pro-democracy Occupy Central movement says it wants to win the backing of at least 100,000 Hongkongers for a peaceful campaign to protect the city’s interests.
Silent Majority for Hong Kong, formed by more than 40 academics and professionals, is keen to distinguish itself from pro-government groups after scuffles broke out between hundreds of supporters of an outspoken teacher and her detractors in Mong Kok on Sunday.
They oppose University of Hong Kong law professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting’s call for at least 10,000 people to block roads in Central next July as a last resort in the pursuit of democracy.
Six convenors lead the group: former RTHK radio host Robert Chow Yung; Chinese University political scientist Dr Chang Chak-yan; Lingnan University public policy professor Ho Lok-sang; Liberal Party member Fung Ka-pun; Peter Wong Kwok-keung, chairman and CEO of constructor Kum Shing Group and a local delegate to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; and Spencer Li Wing-kwai, head of an innovation and technology association.
Questioning Tai’s proposition that his civil disobedience plan will be “strictly non-violent”, Chow said: “Don’t believe what people tell you – watch their deeds.
There are only 28,000 police officers in Hong Kong. What would happen [when at least 10,000 occupy Central]?
“Does Mr Tai have a monopoly to say if he doesn’t get his way, then everyone in Hong Kong should suffer?
“We want the rest of Hong Kong to come out with us and tell Mr Tai, ‘Stop it, please’. Or at least we can minimise its scale, so it won’t jeopardise public safety and the economy.” Chow emphasised they were in favour of electing the city’s next leader in 2017 by universal suffrage, but the details should be discussed by Hongkongers.
The group has raised more than HK$1 million so far, mainly among themselves, and will canvass for support on the internet and by collecting signatures. It plans to run full-page adverts in newspapers next Tuesday.
“We also welcome a discussion with the [organisers] of Occupy Central,” Chow said.
On Sunday, the Parents’ Association of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Action staged a rally against a teacher who was seen shouting foul language at police officers.
But the event escalated into a political row, with pro-democracy protesters storming a stage and waving the colonial flag.
Last month, Occupy Central condemned the Caring Hong Kong Power group for rowdy scenes at a public forum.
Patrick Ko Tat-pun, convenor of the pro-government Voice of Loving Hong Kong, said he might consider working with Chow’s group.
But Chow said that while his group welcomed people with different political backgrounds, they were determined to do things peacefully.
“We don’t have any connections [with pro-government bodies]. We do things separately,” Chow said. “We want to talk sensibly and peacefully.”
Tai could not be reached for comment yesterday.
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11:34am
7:51am
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Democracy is predicated on POPULAR PARTICIPATION of EDUCATED citizens
There isn’t an absolute answer for the myriad questions about SM,
an Anti-Democratic conjectural fluid construct
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There isn’t a definite criterion for minimum qualification for “educated”
If education refers to schooling, as usually the case to facilitate conversation
a little education can be worse than none
as evidenced by the majority of those who care to ventilate in this forum
In fact a few seem to have mistaken this as an arena
for their enactment of Kristallnacht
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Not a political faction with rightist or leftist commitment
SM is a political chameleon
In normal times and normalcy always returns
people opt for social order where they can work for livelihood improvements
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Positive humanism depends on law abiding and hardworking citizens,
proverbial fools dedicated to the quiet removal of Mt molehills
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After the democrazy farce of all these years
there is certainty a good chance that many of the hitherto silent majority
would want to come in from the cold
to shout down trouble-making democrazies
6:19pm
12:57am
Actually I have a better idea. If I were reincarnated again as a scientist in my next life, I would rather be a biologist than a physicist. I would then be in the driver's seat inventing genetically modified colored cotton and make white folks grow them.
As for the second part, i.e., motivating white people to grow my new cotton, I need to be a venture capitalist as well. That would be quite doable for me too. I have already enough knowledge to be a venture capitalist in my next life, after having offered some M&A fairness opinions and smoke and mirrors business plans.
8:00am
If you do, why do you hate democracy?
If you do not, why do their opinions matter here, other than that anti-Democrats may claim THEY know what the silent majority thinks without actually allowing them to express it themselves?
12:02pm
Why don't you define democracy, at least on an imbecile level?
12:56pm
Somehow thought you might.
So do you respect the brains and political wisdom of the "silent majority" or not?
If you are scared they will elect sex movie stars, why do their views matter to you? Oh, and as for "good and evil", you need to listen to Mr Robert Chow.
11:19pm
You're perfectly right though. We Chinese cannot ascend. Thanks to supercilious white folks and self-hate bananas, which never sell as well internationally as American Oriole cookies, we should know our rightful place, which ought to be fantasizing about Democracy and God of Abraham in our opium dens and transporting you folks around in rickshaws. If we are lucky enough to stash away in our piggy bank a few pennies above subsistence for the day, we must earmark them as bailout funds for deadbeats in Ireland, Greece, the UK and the US, so that they could continue to spend like there is no tomorrow.
BTW, I have no relation to HK government but a product of Irish Brothers of Christian schools. Honest, we have nothing but love and respect for your kind, who, despite a Brogue accent that can't be cut through with the best of Sheffield steel, managed to civilize us in the English language. Between your Potato famine and our Great Leap Forward, we have many things in common to commiserate together.
jpinst: You've confirmed kevin.m highfalutin lecture about us. Taiwan's democracy is great entertainment. Where else do you find female prizefights -- all for free on Youtube -- of elected politicians with razor sharp manicured nails going at one another's eyeballs and jugular. Deranged readers here without sense of humor have best exemplified yellow folks’ Achilles, 民族劣根性.
8:17pm
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