I am writing to say thank you. Thank you to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor for hearing our plea and
suspending the controversial extradition bill. Thank you to the Hong Kong Police Force, for serving with courage and restraint during such troubled times. And thank you to the people of Hong Kong, who came out
in force, with dignity and pride, to send a powerful message.
Now it’s time for society to heal. I suggest that the chief executive consider declaring an amnesty over this affair – no charges against any of the protesters and no
inquiry into the use of force by the police. I see only further harm to our society if this incident is prolonged or revived intermittently – by court prosecutions, questions at the Legislative Council and so on.
At the same time, average Hongkongers should do what we can to mend ties. Perhaps businesses and restaurants could offer discounts
to police and protesters alike; a small gesture, but one that I am sure would be appreciated. At the very least, it might move everyone away from a combative mindset to a more conciliatory one.
Kien Ng, Wan Chai
What is driving protesters now, and who stands to gain?
The protests in Hong Kong don’t affect me, but I am saddened and also puzzled as I watch the course of events. While grievances may have been built up over the years, the developments over the past few days are unfortunate and seemingly over the top.
I’m reminded of the Chinese idiom 借题发挥 (jie ti fa hui), which can be loosely translated as, “seizing on a topic as a pretext for making a fuss”.
The actions over the past week disrupted the
livelihood of many common people. There also seem to be more emotions and herd instinct than rational thought and civic-mindedness to the protesters’ actions.
By June 16, I had thought that the movement would cease after the government announced the suspension of the proposed bill. But a group of largely young protesters were still lying down on the road near the Legislative Council on the following morning.
It seems that as long as it is something that involves the mainland, there will be protests.
As an outsider looking in, the mass actions seem more for the sake of political expediency than fighting for any long-held ideology of democracy. I wonder whether, with these opportunistic manoeuvres, the ultimate beneficiaries will actually be the rich and powerful, while the
ordinary folk take the biggest hit?
Gary Tan, Singapore
