Advertisement
Letters | Hong Kong coronavirus lockdowns: why there’s no glory in ‘ambush’ measures
- The people who were locked down are not criminals – they only have the misfortune of living in cramped flats, the responsibility for which is to be laid squarely at the government’s door
Reading Time:1 minute
Why you can trust SCMP
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s use of the term “ambush” in relation to lockdowns conjures up an image of a swashbuckling superhero riding in to save the world. It is nauseating that Lam said she was thrilled with the success of these ambushes.
The people who were forcibly locked down are not criminals, nor have they breached any social norm – they only have the misfortune of living in cramped flats, the responsibility for which must be laid squarely at the door of the chief ambusher and her administration. The ambushed are treated with contempt, who deserve no compensation for the damage to their security of employment or businesses that the lockdown caused.
Surely the flip side of following a government order should be to have a reasonable expectation that you will be compensated for doing so?
Advertisement
While the chief executive used her power to lock down a whole community, she somehow can’t exercise that same power to prohibit employers from docking the pay and benefits of people who couldn’t go to work because of her decision.
01:43
Hong Kong ends second lockdown in Yau Ma Tei, finds one Covid-19 case
Hong Kong ends second lockdown in Yau Ma Tei, finds one Covid-19 case
She and her advisers have managed to tar a whole community, with a touch of racist ignorance and insensitivity thrown in for good measure. It will take months for those affected and their businesses to recover, if they ever can.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x