Hong Kong’s crisis needs to be defused as chaos and economic woe loom
- The spectre of Occupy returned as police and crowds of protesters clashed over the extradition bill, escalating tensions and making a peaceful outcome even more elusive
The controversy over the extradition bill continues to deepen, with tens of thousands of opponents surrounding the government headquarters in an Occupy-style protest yesterday.
It paralysed traffic, disrupted government operations and forced the legislature to delay the passage of the law.
But Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor would not cave in. The escalating tension is worrying and is hardly conducive to Hong Kong’s stability. Restraint is called for to avoid the situation deteriorating further.
Protesters were understandably frustrated after the government ignored Sunday’s mass protest against the bill, which will allow the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions that Hong Kong lacks agreements with, including mainland China, Taiwan and Macau.
Calls for strikes and class boycotts were also backed by some businesses and students. Sociopolitical sentiments are so negative that they risk a repeat of Occupy, in which tens of thousands of people blocked streets for 79 days in 2014 to press Beijing for full democracy.
The clashes yesterday were similar to those witnessed during Occupy with tear gas and pepper spray used as crowds swarmed around Admiralty. Police vowed to act in what the force described as a riot.