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A TVB cameraman is harassed and pushed out of the protest zone during a rally in Tamar on June 16. Hong Kong netizens who accuse TVB of biased reporting and call for a boycott of the broadcaster are becoming as extreme as the mainland internet vigilantes who forced Lancôme to cancel Denise Ho’s concert. Photo: Antony Dickson
Opinion
Opinion
by Audrey Jiajia Li
Opinion
by Audrey Jiajia Li

Hong Kong protesters must not become the monsters they are fighting and lose moral legitimacy

  • Recent scenes of young Hongkongers ganging up on others who don’t share their views recall the excesses of the Mao era. Behaving so, protesters risk losing the moral authority they have so far accumulated
As someone who calls Guangzhou – the Cantonese-speaking mainland city neighbouring Hong Kong – home, I have for years sympathised with Hong Kong protesters’ pursuit of freedom and democracy, and shared their frustration with the authorities’ encroachment on political freedom in the territory. Over the past few weeks, however, I have grown increasingly concerned about the apparent radicalisation of the movement.
Last week, a video of young demonstrators jostling and swearing at an elderly man who arrived at the Hong Kong airport went viral. There were conflicting stories as to how the incident began, some of which pointed to how he reacted to a protest poster. Regardless of how we feel about his behaviour, it was disgraceful for a crowd to harass a lone elderly traveller.
Not long ago, a similar incident unfolded when students took issue with University of Hong Kong president Zhang Xiang, who issued a statement condemning violence and the vandalism of the Legislative Council building. The students put up insulting posters and besieged his residence at night, demanding that he retract his statement.
These scenes bear an eerie resemblance to the political turmoil of the Mao era, when youngsters tormented their elders into making confessions. Although there is a distinct difference in that the Red Guards were instigated by the rulers, there is nevertheless no justification for mistreating people with different opinions – not even if the demonstrators believe they are on the right side of history.
Protesters stick notes to a display board as they hold a rally in the arrivals hall of the Hong Kong airport on July 26. Photo: AFP
It is also disheartening to see the movement targeting train operations. Protesters have blocked train doors and held rush-hour commuters hostage, showing no consideration for people who might have jobs to do or schedules to keep.
When I saw Hong Kong netizens accusing TVB of biased reporting and putting pressure on advertising clients to abandon the broadcaster, it reminded me of the mainland internet vigilantes who forced French cosmetic giant Lancôme to cancel Canto-pop star Denise Ho’s concert. I couldn’t help thinking of what German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said: “He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.”

How young people turned into thugs

For the movement to succeed, it is most important for participants to respect their fellow citizens’ rights and agree to disagree with those who do not share their vision. Also, it is a moral and practical matter that Hong Kong protesters refrain from vilifying mainlanders. True, there is heavy censorship on the mainland and people there may have access only to filtered information, especially about what is happening in Hong Kong. But just because people speak Mandarin and are offended by the defacing of the national emblem doesn’t make them slaves of the Communist Party and foes of democracy. It is lazy, counterproductive and plain wrong to write off people because of where they are from.
Further, most of the city’s police officers deserve some respect from protesters. I understand people’s anger whenever there is police misconduct or negligence; I actually wrote an op-ed supporting the conviction of the seven officers who assaulted an Occupy protester. However, it is equally wrong for demonstrators to provoke officers by hurling abuse at and doxxing them. It shatters their morale and hinders their ability to fulfil their duties, such as when they have to protect the same demonstrators from counterprotesters.

Yuen Long violence exposes villages’ turf mentality

At the moment, there is a stalemate over protesters’ demands for, among other things, an independent inquiry into the police’s actions and the unconditional release of arrested protesters.

While I agree that the government should be held accountable, I don’t think it is fair to insist on full amnesty for protesters and at the same time demand an inquiry into the police. This would be a case of all animals being equal, but some animals being more so than others, as the story goes in George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

A judge-led inquiry into the use of police force, as well as legal action against those involved in property damage, are both warranted. No one is above the law.

I recently interviewed Larry Diamond, a respected political scientist at Stanford University and an advocate of democracy. While he expressed admiration for the Hong Kong movement, he also worried about its radicalisation, saying “the movement has a great risk of losing some of the gains that it has made, and some of the moral authority that it has accumulated if it continues down this path”. This is a concern shared by many who cherish liberty and wish Hong Kong well.

Audrey Jiajia Li is a nonfiction writer and broadcast journalist

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