Letters | Hong Kong is a better, safer city with national security law in place

After the social unrest, crime and violence during the 2019 protests, the national security law has helped to make Hong Kong peaceful again. Complaints about suppression of freedom are not based on the full facts

Reading Time:2 minutes

A member of security staff urges caution as he tries to extinguish a burning Christmas tree at an upscale mall in Kowloon Tong district of Hong Kong, after it was stormed by anti-government protesters on November 12, 2019. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:45am, 7 Nov 2020Updated: 6:45am, 7 Nov 2020

I refer to the letter “Hong Kong’s freedoms are things of the past under new law” (November 6).

Before complaining about the impact of the national security law, we should first reflect on why the law was introduced in Hong Kong. The social unrest that wreaked havoc on the city in the past year was the main reason for the central government to draft the law on its own and have the city government implement it. Before then, it was clear that there was no way to stop the violent protests.

However, no sooner had the new law been enacted than the social unrest reduced significantly. The foreign support for the unrest was proven, as there was no law to stop the support before July this year. When that support line was cut, the violence stopped. Could we say that the hot-headed protesters expected that? They never lived up to their slogan “be water” but were very rigid politically. Anyway, the new law did bring peace back to Hong Kong.

I absolutely agree with your reader that the law and order situation in our city is getting worse. This is mainly because there have been lots of criminal offences such as murder, arsons, assaults, riots and colossal damage to shops and public utilities in the past year. Who should be blamed for that?

As for tourism, the main reasons it has declined are the coronavirus pandemic and the fact that tourists – especially those from the mainland and the mainstay of the local sector – have been scared off by our rascal youth who kicked their suitcases.