I am writing to express dismay at the coverage of the Equal Opportunities Commission in the report headlined, 'Bias team opens doors to criticism', which appeared in the South China Morning Post, on September 21.
As a member of the Hong Kong community concerned about our society's democratic and egalitarian development, I found the report to be biased and negative. As your reporter must be well aware, both the commission and its goals are very new to Hong Kong and represent a first step in a positive direction.
While any organisation should be ready to receive constructive criticism in the media, the very fact of the commission's existence points to a growing sophistication and humanism in Hong Kong's society. Your reporter's cynical negativity was gratuitous and serves only to undermine this momentum.
If co-operation, accurate information, feedback and support from the community, including the media, is desirable for the advancement of the commission's work - and indeed for the larger issue of eradicating discrimination in our society - then surely a sensational negative headline followed by a short cynical article containing scanty information is no help at all.
It is interesting to note that the media profile of the commission appears to have been much more fairly presented by the Chinese language press than yours.
Parties involved in the advancement of women's causes, from academics and politicians to grassroots activists, form a diversified group ranging from idealists to pragmatists, neither of which can question the other side's sincerity or accuracy of outlook. At the end of the day, especially in a society in transition like Hong Kong, moderation and understanding of all side's points of view, will facilitate attainment of our goals for a more equal and healthy society.
