Chinese officials have criticised the “
hypocrisy” of the West’s condemnation of the Hong Kong government’s measures to deal with the recent protests, including the enactment and
enforcement of the anti-mask law. These allegations of “hypocrisy” are misguided.
Western governments’ use of force, including the enactment and enforcement of some form of
anti-mask laws against violent protesters, must be looked at in the context of their political systems.
In a functional democracy, there are outlets for citizens to express their views and general elections at all levels of government (local, state/provincial and national). Press freedom provides further tools for the expression of opinions. In such a society, there is less support for the notion that violent civic disruptions
have merit. The idea is: if you are so unhappy, vote out the government in the next election.
In a society lacking such outlets for expression, where there are no means for citizens to vote their representatives in or out of government, and/or where press freedom is severely restricted, civic disruptions may be viewed in a different light.
While violent protests
solve nothing and are unlikely to achieve their initial objectives, there must be a thorough examination of the causes of such violence. Once a government is able to offer more outlets for its citizens to express their opinions, then perhaps, it may be justified in using measures to quell such violence.
Andrew Hung, Vancouver, Canada
Make concessions, stop the blame game
There has been much conflict around the world in the last few months: the “
yellow vest” movement in France, Britain’s
Brexit, the
trade war between China and the United States, and the Hong Kong
protests. People are taking to the streets to ensure their demands are met, despite the danger of being killed. They are fighting, they are shouting, they are hurting, they are bleeding and their hearts are breaking.
The news is filled with images of street fires and damage to buildings and public facilities. Everyone is exhausted.
Very often in a clash, both sides are at fault. So I am not going to judge which side is right or wrong. I am sure no one wants the conflict to continue.
Why do these conflicts occur? The high graduate unemployment rate, inflation, low incomes, rejection of new policies and government unpopularity are some of the causes.
Who can end these disputes? The government, citizens or both? Everyone must play a part in solving these crises. The governments must listen to the appeals of its people and adopt reasonable policies. Otherwise, these conflicts will
never end and may even result in armed conflict.
Behind almost all conflicts is the protection of self-interest. There can be progress if everyone is willing to make concessions and stop blaming the other side. People must calm down and try to find solutions.
Winnie Wan Ko-fei, Kwai Chung
