Letters | Liberate Hong Kong? First, let’s not be prisoners of our political views

People are not their thoughts. Those who identify too much with whatever their minds say are trapped by their thoughts
The rift in Hong Kong is a result of people from the yellow and blue camps clinging too firmly to their own ideas

Hong Kong protests

Letters

Published: 6:40am, 13 Sep 2019

Why you can trust SCMP

People are welcome to have political views and to take positions on the present situation in Hong Kong. Nevertheless, they should not take their views so seriously. In other words, they should not identify too much with what their minds say about the situation.

It is important to know you are not your thoughts. If people take their thoughts and viewpoints to be their identity – their sense of self – then they will be trapped or imprisoned in them. They will be unable to see things clearly. Buddha says that if you want to end suffering, you need to be liberated from your mind.

In a situation like the one in Hong Kong, awareness is the key. Realise that the rift in society is a result of people – from either the yellow or blue camps – clinging too firmly to their ideology. To strengthen their sense of self or ego, they fight, sometimes resorting to violence. To prevent their identity from collapsing, they make someone else the enemy.

The unconsciousness of human beings is the crux of the problems today. Peace can only come when people go deep within themselves and beyond their minds, to the core of who they truly are. To paraphrase Thich Nhat Hanh, if you free yourself from views and words, reality reveals itself to you. There is peace, joy and love, and this is nirvana.

Patrick Wong, Pok Fu Lam

Hongkongers, think critically and debunk fake news

The recent unrest in Hong Kong has led to people becoming highly emotional, which is worsened by the deluge of rumours, misinformation and fake news. It is therefore imperative that Hongkongers resolve to stay calm and clear-headed, and to act rationally.

It is common for people to confuse beliefs with facts. Beliefs are what people think and may not reflect reality. For example, the case of a woman who was hit in the eye in August has fuelled the anger of protesters, who blame the injury on police’s beanbag rounds. So far the woman has neither revealed her identity nor agreed to release her medical report.

Although the case is still under investigation, it has already been widely publicised in posters and slogans as evidence of police brutality. Many people appeared with their right eyes covered with gauze at sit-ins.

Protesters also believe some people were killed during a clash with police at Prince Edward MTR station on August 31. Subsequently, many people gathered at the station to mourn the supposedly dead. This would usually end in a heated fight between protesters and police.

Li Ka-shing is right: young people need a way out

Evidence is the key to distinguishing between belief and fact. Have the protesters in mourning checked with the Hospital Authority whether there were any casualties recorded that night, or wondered why no bereaved families spoke out or sued the police for killing their loved ones?

The Hospital Authority has since confirmed that it has no record of deaths related to the incident at Prince Edward MTR station.

So whenever we see a piece of news or a forwarded message, we must ask: Is the message a belief, an opinion or a fact? Is there any reliable evidence supporting the news? What is the strength of the evidence in relation to the credibility of the source? Is there any bias? Is the conclusion drawn supported by the evidence presented? And, most importantly, we must learn to separate our emotional responses from logical thoughts.

Only through critical thinking will we be able to make wise assessments of news or messages we receive every day and not be blinded by misinformation. This is particularly necessary in this time of turmoil.

Sally Fok, Ho Man Tin

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