Letters | Protesters who defaced Hong Kong’s clock tower disrespected fallen heroes of World War II

I am writing regarding the defacing of the clock tower at Tsim Sha Tsui on August 7 by three perpetrators. Completed in 1915, the clock tower is the only remaining part of the now-demolished terminus of the Kowloon-Canton Railway and was declared a monument in 1990. In addition, the tower has seen its fair share of war – it was hit by shrapnel in December 1941 during the Battle of Hong Kong. The scars are still visible on its external wall. It is part of the collective memory of generations of Hongkongers, and it will always be one of the key icons of Hong Kong’s cultural, railway and military history.

Mid-August is when many veterans commemorate the end of World War II when Hong Kong was liberated from Japanese occupation. On August 11, ex-servicemen who fought in the Battle of Hong Kong honoured the fallen at City Hall. Defacing a landmark of Hong Kong’s railway development and military history is extremely disrespectful of our heritage and tarnishes sacrifices the soldiers who defended Hong Kong made for us.

As the protests progress and the violence increases, I wonder how many more monuments will be damaged by this wave of political fervour? Those who defaced the clock tower did not even come close to conveying their message and demands. Instead, they ruined a well-loved structure cherished by many Hong Kong residents and tourists, assaulted a passerby who called them out and angered those with cultural awareness.

As society needs to start regrouping and healing, steps must be taken to protect our historical monuments, especially in an age when history is being gradually forgotten. Those who defaced the clock tower ought to do community service by cleaning up the mess they made, and pay their respects to the fallen at the Sai Wan War Cemetery and the Stanley Military Cemetery.