Opinion | Officials' dire warnings about Occupy protests aren't borne out by the realities

Occupied streets and protesting students are all to do with my job, but nothing to do with my everyday life. My home, office and places that need to be visited have all been far removed from the trouble spots. Yet there I was recently on holiday in Australia, with Hong Kong seemingly of the utmost interest to all who learned where I live. Through their media connectivity, I was kept informed up to the minute of what was taking place, despite my efforts to switch off.

"Those students who are protesting have a lot of guts," the woman who helped me to the city shuttle bus opined shortly after I arrived at Brisbane airport. The receptionist at the hotel I was checking into looked up from the registration form I had just filled out and said: "That was a terrible murder in Wan Chai, wasn't it?" There were similar comments throughout my two-week stay; the awareness of ordinary people about events in a city that I would have thought of little or no interest to them was astonishing. Since returning, I've heard similar accounts from work colleagues and friends who have been on trips to other countries, the theme being that the world isn't as small, insular and uninformed as some officials make it out to be.

Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah has been on the frontlines of the anti-Occupy bandwagon, warning that the demonstrations will have dire consequences for Hong Kong's economy. Just over 10 weeks since they began, there is no sign of such an impact; there has been an economic slowdown, but that is Asia-wide and cannot be specifically put down to the protests. Contrary to his previous predictions, the Hang Seng index has been largely unaffected, while tourism numbers, retail sales and property transactions are up. Some shops near protest zones have undoubtedly suffered, as have the bus, tram and taxi companies - but there are also some among such firms which have benefited through being innovative.

The internet means that reality is just a click or two away. Hong Kong's success is based on open borders, a free market and high-quality infrastructure. Most of us carry smartphones and those wanting specific information have no difficulty finding it, especially when the story is hot. For officials to tell a different version of events to those that others see and hear is to harm their credibility and damage faith in the city they are governing.

I am no supporter of the way the students have gone about their campaign. People should be able to govern themselves, but attaining that aim has to first be done through lobbying, negotiations and finding a common path. If these fail to bear fruit after years, perhaps decades, then there is reason to resort to more forceful measures. Breaking the law by blocking roads, stopping the government from doing its business, barring customers from shops and taking up makeshift weapons are harmful, not beneficial, to their cause.

But law-breakers or not, it is wrong to contend that the protesters are damaging Hong Kong's business environment and image. The packed aircraft flying from Brisbane anecdotally told me that. The support voiced for the "plucky protesters" and the financial data confirmed it.