Letters | Hong Kong protesters throwing away city’s last edge over Shenzhen

I now avoid going weekend shopping with my family in districts such as Mong Kok or Tsim Sha Tsui, where there have been frequent outbreaks of violence by protesters, who have vandalised shops and MTR stations.

Last weekend, to avoid the risks in Hong Kong, we went shopping in Shenzhen and spent a very pleasant day. I felt totally at ease, as it was safe, people were reasonable and servers and shop assistants were cheerful and helpful.

I was blown away by the tremendous progress made by this special economic zone right next door to Hong Kong, particularly regarding the quality of service in the retail industry and the lifestyle of the general public, which appeared to be on a par with Hong Kong’s. Their technological and innovative capability and capacity are in fact said to be surpassing Hong Kong’s.

I think the protesters in Hong Kong, violent or not, must realise that the one quality that sets us apart from all other cities in China is the common law legal system and our respect for the rule of law. In the business and technological arena, Shenzhen has already caught up and in certain sectors might even have surpassed us.

The regular weekend havoc caused by protesters has done nothing to advance their cause except that they have certainly harmed our tourism industry, our economy and reputation for doing business in Hong Kong.

The violent protesters’ blatant disrespect for the rule of law, supported by the acquiescence of the pan-democrats, sends out a most dangerous message: to achieve their political objectives, they can forgo the rule of law, a core value we once held dearly and were proud of.

For them, the ends justify the means, which is the saddest thing I see in their political movement.

Tony Leung, Kwai Chung