When I look out of my window, I am fearful that the harbour I see now will be turned into a river. If the current reclamation work continues, we will not need a Star Ferry; we will be able to walk over to Kowloon. My feelings for Victoria Harbour can be traced back to when I was a young boy living in Kennedy Terrace. Back then, there were fewer high-rise buildings, so you had a clear view out over the water, towards Kowloon. We did not swim in the water in those days, but in my spare time, when I was tired of reading and studying, I would look out, and the view was a beauty; a real beauty. I also remember seeing, when I was a young boy, the 30,000-tonne Empress of Britannia, which was moored off Kowloon. She only came into Hong Kong once a year and had to dock off Kowloon pier because she was so big. That was a very beautiful scene. I also remember watching young boys dive off the pier when tourists threw silver coins into the water. Back then, the water was crystal clear and the boys could fetch the coins from the sandy sea bed. But it is too polluted now. The first time I left Victoria Harbour sticks in my mind. It was immediately after the second world war and I caught a cargo ship to Singapore before eventually finding my way to Liverpool, in England. When I returned at the end of 1952, I came back on board the SS Canton. I felt at home when we entered the harbour's waters. These memories are why I would be very angry if anyone did anything more to spoil the harbour. I think that the condition of the harbour is tolerable now, but if the government carries out further reclamation, it will be irredeemable. It is these sentiments that spurred me into action on May 2, when I led 12,000 people in a rally against the government's reclamation practices. Over the last 30 years I have fought the government on many issues, even when I was on the judiciary. May 2, though, was the first time I had appeared in public to object. I was not looking for gratitude, although there was something gratifying about it. Obviously, some people were surprised to see me at the rally, where we unfurled a 3km-long ribbon along the Central foreshore. But many gave me a pat on the back. I only wanted to show that an old man over the age of 82 can come out and let the Hong Kong people know that they can join us in the fight to protect the harbour. If I am in Hong Kong when the next rally is on, look out for me, because I will again show my support. I think Hong Kong people are concerned about the environment, but they are inactive. The popular sentiment is: 'let someone else fight for it'. If they will not make a move, then nothing will be done and we will be left in the hands of civil servants. I was very proud of the turnout, but I only wish it had been 120,000 people, not 12,000. As far as I know, it was the first non-political rally to hit the streets of Hong Kong. And I did not hear one dissenting voice from the public as we marched along for our cause. I have made it quite clear that I will have nothing to do with universal suffrage or anything like that, but I am willing to stand up and say something for the harbour and the environment. When I look out over its waters, I realise how attached I am. This is why this time, with the Central reclamation scheme, it is the last straw. Simon Li Fook-sean, a retired High Court judge, was in the spotlight recently after leading a protest against the government reclamation policies
