Letters | As Hong Kong’s protests stretch the city’s ‘thin blue line’ to the limit, everyone suffers
- The central government is not likely to intervene in the current crisis, leaving Hong Kong to sink or swim. A breakdown in law and order will destroy the city’s reputation
As chairman of the Royal Hong Kong Police Association, based in the United Kingdom, I represent the interests of 1,000 retired police officers, most whom retired to their mother country.
Having just returned to Hong Kong to meet colleagues and former members, I am saddened by a law and order situation that is deteriorating by the day.
Under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the Hong Kong government is responsible for maintaining public order, which it does through the police. The “thin blue line”, and thereby the rule of law, is being stretched to the limit despite its valiant efforts to keep Hong Kong functioning on behalf of an administration that is conspicuously absent.
Does the public realise that current events are leading to a breakdown of the rule of law because of blatant disregard by protesters, whatever their motives, for law and order?
For the past 20 years, the reputation of Hong Kong has stood firm on maintaining this principle. How sad it will be if Hong Kong destroys itself from within by not appreciating that the maintenance of law and order is critical in this respect.