Letters | While Carrie Lam focuses on Hong Kong protester violence, she is turning a blind eye to legitimate concerns

I am disturbed by the Hong Kong government’s continued refusal to pacify the protesters spurred to action by the extradition bill, by effectively addressing their five demands.

The government’s stance on the protests, which escalated into violent clashes with police, has toughened. On August 5, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor blamed the protesters for disrupting public order and challenging the “one country, two systems” principle. Financial secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also warned of the impact on Hong Kong’s economy.

However, we should not overlook the historical significance of the general strike on August 5, the first since 1997. Tens of thousands of Hongkongers joined hands to bring the city to a halt and attended public assemblies held simultaneously in seven districts. According to the organiser, the assembly at Admiralty alone was attended by 150,000 people.

Therefore, although protesters’ use of force might not be what most Hongkongers wish to see, as the turnout at protests following the first major clash between the police and anti-extradition protesters on June 12 and the general strike show, the cause of freedom and democracy in Hong Kong cannot be ignored.

Compared with the violent methods of some protesters, it is the police indifference to the mob violence against people in Yuen Long, North Point and Tsuen Wan that worries me more in terms of the decay of Hong Kong’s socio-economic order.