LettersFirst Victor Mallet, now Eddie Chu: Hong Kong democracy and free speech are clearly damaged
- Many young politicians are now being barred from elections and suppressed by the government, and this can only add to public discontent
There is no real democracy in Hong Kong. We are like muppets: 2047 has arrived early and the rest of the world has to listen to what China says. We are an integral part of China, so we don’t have our own voice. Mainland politicians will decide our fate and what is good for us. We may make our requests very politely or softly: if the leaders listen, then we would be very lucky, else we suffer in silence.
The work visa renewal for Victor Mallet, Asia news editor for London’s Financial Times, was unjustly denied and the rejection remains unexplained, tarnishing the image of Hong Kong as an international city and business hub. He has even been barred from entering Hong Kong as a tourist. This kind of short-sightedness will harm China’s reputation in the long run.
I urge mainland leaders to avoid getting too tough with Hong Kong, or it will lead to more discontent and loss of public support.
A. L. Nanik, Tsim Sha Tsui