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SCMP Reporter

Be thankful for HK's colonial past
Anna Tse's letter ('Hamstrung by colonial past', December 30) illustrates various problems certain people in Hong Kong have with universal suffrage.
She presents  arguments, essentially for stalling or limiting its implementation, all of which we have heard before and none of which is legitimate.
She contends that universal suffrage need not be introduced instantly.
Presumably this is because, as she  implies,  Hong Kong residents  have not yet earned the right to  it because they lack 'political maturity' and cannot be trusted to resist the 'easy decline into demagogy'. 
It always strikes me as ironic that opponents of universal suffrage  prefer  the current crisis-ridden, non-mandated and stagnant political situation to real democracy, as if genuine democracy will end up being somehow even more chaotic.
There is no reason to deny  the city  immediate universal suffrage. It is an insult to suggest that Hongkongers  are political dupes,  yet this is a well-worn inference  trotted out by opponents of democracy. 
No doubt people like Ms Tse believe that only true patriots like herself are worthy of the exercise of political rights because the hoi polloi are  unreliable. So, Ms Tse complains about colonialist legacies yet seems to hold paternalist political beliefs - another irony.
Despite Ms Tse's obvious resentments, British common law and the widespread use of English in Hong Kong are not barriers to indigenous democracy;  reactionary nationalists are a much bigger hindrance.
Resorting to the predictable  rally cry to Chinese nationalism, Ms Tse declares that unless they fully embrace the Chinese Communist Party and its rule, Hong Kong people will remain enslaved by their colonial past. Even the English language must be purged.  Here we see yet another commonly used but flimsy argument that only true patriots can be endowed with political privileges. It's that old 'One must love Hong Kong and love China' mantra.
Why the right to vote must depend upon allegiance to the  Communist Party escapes me.
As to Ms Tse's assertion that China 'is not the repressive communist regime it used to be', I suggest she catches up on its recent imprisonment of Liu Xiabao , its persecution, detention and incarceration of countless other political and human rights activists, its de-licensing of human rights lawyers and its increasingly opaque legal system.  There is also  the regime's increasing censorship of the media, internet and free expression. Nationalism or patriotism aside, such a locomotive is not one to which I would entrust Hong Kong's future development, at least not politically.
As much as she may resent its colonial past, even Ms Tse concedes that there is evidence of democracy in Hong Kong. As limited as it is, this democracy is indeed a legacy of the past. That Ms Tse can freely express her views and not be arrested is because Hong Kong has rule of law, something not found on the other side of Lo Wu.
She should be thankful for Hong Kong's colonial past.
Gerard Crawford, Lam Tin
Extend range of CCTV cameras
Following the spate of acid attacks in Hong Kong, more closed-circuit television systems have been installed.
The bottles containing acid were thrown from a height.
This indicates that security in these buildings and in some parts of Hong Kong is not good.
Too often, people can enter ground floor lobbies in buildings without needing permission.
I welcome the decision to have more CCTV cameras. This might  act as a deterrent to criminals, if they know there is a chance that tapes could be used in evidence against them.
It is also good for residents in apartment blocks. 
If they see that there are now CCTV cameras at various key locations, they will feel more secure.
However, I would like to see even more of these systems installed throughout Hong Kong.
It is not good enough to wait until after an incident, before acting.
Nicholas Ho, Sha Tin
Airport chaos avoidable
You reported on the chaos at Beijing Capital International Airport. The relevant Beijing authorities should be embarrassed at their failure to handle what would have been in other countries a minor disruption. 
There was no snowstorm; the snow was overnight on Saturday and by Sunday morning, it was falling  lightly and visibility was okay. The  problem,  as reported to our pilot  of Hong Kong-bound Dragonair KA991,  was that the airport had only one de-icing truck. By 10pm  on Sunday this machine was reportedly out of action and there was  no de-icer left.  Terminal 3 alone is larger than the whole of London's Heathrow Airport. The average daytime winter temperature in Beijing  is below freezing. To not have measures to deal with ice  would seem to be rather more than a minor oversight. KA991 left Beijing  13 hours late.  
There was  little evidence that Beijing had  acted to combat the conditions - major roads, including the airport freeway, remained unploughed. This  points to an infrastructure not very reflective of an Olympic city. 
Tim Passey, Mid-Levels
Comments in court justified
I disagree with Will Lai ('Inappropriate', January 5), who said it was  inappropriate for Magistrate Symon Wong Yu-wing to bring his personal beliefs into the courtroom. In the story ('Caregiver jailed, fined for forcing faeces into elderly woman's mouth', December 30), it was reported that Mr Wong had said the caregiver would be 'punished by heaven'.
Mr Lai is clearly taking the magistrate's words literally when in fact  he was only using the phrase to express his moral nausea for such an inhuman act by the caregiver.
Most people would agree that the phrase is commonly and loosely used to condemn heinous acts. 
Simon Yau, Kowloon City
Proof that the system works
At 10.50am  on  Sunday, while waiting for a Hong Kong-bound tunnel bus at Hung Hom, we watched a  No106 bus pulled  up and load a passenger in a wheelchair. 
The driver, a young man with fashionably long, blond-dyed hair moved the bus forward a few inches to line it up, lowered the air suspension, put down a loading ramp, helped the passenger on board and although we did  not see it, no doubt he made sure his passenger was secure on board the bus.
The rest of the (longish) queue then boarded, walking up the ramp complete in some cases with suitcases on wheels.  
We were waiting in the company of some mainland visitors who, like us, were  impressed with the compassion and professionalism of the driver. They waited in turn, boarded  the bus, asked the driver for the destination to confirm they were on the right route,  which he did, and we all went on our way.
A small series of unimportant events which point to something far more important, the transport system works superbly.
Jeremy Kidner, Central
Good manners not in evidence
I am sure William Sim ('Rudeness not confined to Hong Kong', December 31) would have been appalled  on Thursday night as an attractive young lady pipped me, in my 90th  year, to the only vacant seat in the MTR carriage.
I spotted the sign, 'Please give up your seat to those in need', but the teenager seated beneath it determinedly averted my glances.
I should have confronted her and inquired, 'Can you read?', but I confess I took the easy way out and remained propped against a pole, kidding myself I did not look my age - a vain hope indeed. 
The effects of education, regarding politeness on the MTR, seem decidedly a case of delayed action.
Dan Waters, Mid-Levels
Dating that can end in death
The problem of compensated date has aroused public concern. 
Arranging a date like this may not be illegal. 
However, for the young women who get involved, this activity can prove very dangerous. It could end in violence, even in death.
A survey has shown that some teenagers do have moral misconceptions about compensated dating, thinking it is really no big deal. 
Some youngsters say they get involved in order to make money and buy brand-name products. Also, they say they want some excitement in their lives. 
The police need to look at this issue, especially with regard to the internet. 
The girls involved have to understand that they have a problem and they need to be helped. 
Talks should be held for adolescents so that they are fully aware of the risks involved. 
If adolescents feel bored, then more activities should be organised for them. 
Austin Wong, Sheung Shui 
Limited access
I would like to make a suggestion to the organisers of major events  in Hong Kong, especially those in Victoria Park. They should  show more consideration for the physically challenged and ensure  better access to the park. 
During the  Hong Kong Brands and Products  Expo, all the  soccer fields were occupied.  
It was actually dangerous for wheelchair users to negotiate the limited space allocated for pedestrians.  
I hope that organisers of future events and the relevant government departments will bear this in mind and find a way to accommodate wheelchairs.  
Nicholas Wu, Causeway Bay



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