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SCMP Series
Most read Letters to the Editor of 2021
5 of 10
1
Australia making a big mistake taking on China
A visitor looks at a display of Australian wines at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on November 5. Disputes over issues ranging from Xinjaing to 5G and Australia’s support for a probe into the origin of the coronavirus have sparked a trade spat and higher Chinese import duties or outright bans on Australian products, including wine and coal. Photo: AP
2
Zero-Covid Hong Kong could mean ‘World City’ Singapore
People dine in the Boat Quay nightlife area in Singapore on September 24. The country has reopened its borders to vaccinated international travellers. Photo: Reuters
3
Why Australia will regret making an enemy of China
Protesters at a demonstration in Sydney on June 23 call on the Australian government to boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics over China’s human rights record. Photo: AFP
4
In Canadian police’s refusal of street checks, a lesson for Hong Kong
Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers wearing masks stand outside the Senate of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, in September 2020. Many police forces in Ontario have resisted a re-introduction of street checks to combat Covid-19. Photo: Bloomberg
5
Hong Kong hotel quarantine rules: a plea for common sense and mercy
Coach registration counter at the Hong Kong International Airport, for passengers to be transported to designated quarantine hotels, on December 22. Photo: Nora Tam
6
UK’s ‘green list’ for travel: why is Singapore in and Hong Kong out?
People spend time in a Hong Kong park on April 30. Diplomats in both China and Britain should lobby for Hong Kong to be included in the UK’s green list of quarantine-free travel. Photo: AP
7
Think twice before leaving Hong Kong on BN(O) visa
About 300,000 Hong Kong citizens are expected to apply for a new British National (Overseas) visa route to settle in the UK, despite nearly 3 million being eligible. Photo: Bloomberg
8
Harsh Covid-19 rules raise risks of Hong Kong expat exodus
Hong Kong’s once-bustling nightlife district of Lan Kwai Fong wears a deserted look, in Central on June 14. Photo: Edmond So
9
Hongkongers moving to Canada for democracy are in for a shock
Friends and relatives take photos before boarding a London-bound flight at Hong Kong airport on August 8. Photo: EPA-EFE
10
There are worthier Bible lessons than ‘mark of the beast’
Anti-vaccination protesters take part in a rally against Covid-19 vaccine mandates in Santa Monica, California, on August 29. Photo: AFP
Coach registration counter at the Hong Kong International Airport, for passengers to be transported to designated quarantine hotels, on December 22. Photo: Nora Tam
OpinionLetters

Letters | Hong Kong hotel quarantine rules: a plea for common sense and mercy

  • A long, difficult journey to Hong Kong was endured in the strong belief and hope that all would be fine upon reaching the city. But those hopes were dashed
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March 4 was the worst day of my entire life. About a dozen officers working for the authorities took away both my sons, aged 14 and 19, from our quarantine hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui to an unknown place like criminals, in front of their begging and crying helpless mother. It was all because my younger son took one small step out of his hotel room to grab a packet of potato chips that his brother had thrown out of the room while their mother was putting out the garbage bag.

A 14-year-old child who is unaware of the law and has made a small mistake should be warned, if not ignored or obliged, but this is not a view the authorities subscribe to. In this situation, they did not show any mercy or offer any help in the face of our pleas not to punish us.

They took away both my sons and are keeping them apart from us, their parents, for 10 days. Our frightened children are locked up in a room, without their required Muslim meal, leaving their crying parents filled with tension and feeling like we are worse than animals, but there are still rules about treating animals well.
Hongkongers returning from Pakistan protest against poor food during compulsory quarantine at government facility
We are a family of five who arrived in Hong Kong from Pakistan and have been staying in the hotel since February 21, subject to quarantine terms and conditions for 21 days. We travelled a long way to come to Hong Kong and suffered a lot of problems and difficult conditions along the way, strong in our belief and hope that everything would be fine as soon as we reached the city.

We were not aware of how we would be treated worse than animals here.

We humbly request and beg the relevant Hong Kong authorities and policymakers to reconsider the quarantine laws with mercy, especially for children and families. Please give thought to the laws and approaches of other countries around the world for the sake of Hong Kong people’s convenience, comfort and affordability to foster a better quality of life in the city.

Waheed Butt, Kwai Chung

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