Opposing groups cross swords in radio battle over Occupy Central
New group Silent Majority's convenor crosses swords with civil disobedience movement organiser
A new group established just last week has fired its opening salvo against the Occupy Central campaign for democracy, splashing out on full-page print adverts urging the silent majority to speak up against the planned acts of civil disobedience.
The cash-rich Silent Majority for Hong Kong took out the ads in 11 major Chinese-language newspapers, putting its words into action for the first time since it vowed on Thursday to protect the city's interests.
We cannot solve everyone's problems, nor can we pacify their anger. We are not the root of the problem. Why must the fury and discontent of the minority inflict harm on the innocent
The generous undertaking was aided by its victory in its first battle - the group raised more than HK$1 million from its 40 founders, while Occupy Central raised HK$800,000 from protesters in the annual July 1 rally.
But the civil disobedience movement is unlikely to be stopped any time soon. Its core organiser, University of Hong Kong law professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting, said about 1,000 people had signalled their intention to join a 10,000-strong protest to block Central roads by next July as a last resort to strive for genuine universal suffrage in 2017.
Yesterday, the organisers of the two campaigns again crossed swords on a radio programme.
Former radio host Robert Chow Yung, one of the Silent Majority's six convenors, said on RTHK that the group had "taken the offensive" by running the ads, which laid out the group's vision: to call on the public to join it in speaking up.
"We cannot solve everyone's problems, nor can we pacify their anger," the ad read. "[But] we are not the root of the problem. Why must the fury and discontent of the minority inflict harm on the innocent?