Hong Kong’s protests will destroy the city we love if opposing sides fail to start a dialogue
- The different sides of the dispute are of different generations and values, but both want to make the city better
- The lack of compromise and the turn to violence can only escalate, though, ruining the Hong Kong we love
The professional and impartial image the government of Hong Kong had built up has been destroyed by the events of the past two months, and our society’s mutual respect and trust has broken down.
Differences in opinion are expected, as the opposing sides come from different generations, with different values and experiences. However, prolonged and intensified conflicts will only result in further distrust and the breakdown of relationships, which will be detrimental to further development. Escalating violence can only beget more violence and more harm to innocent lives.
Our 24-hour online emotional support service indicates that the number of users requiring emotional support increased by about 30 per cent during June and July. The number of high-risk and crisis-level cases more than doubled.
While those presenting themselves as low-risk may not face immediate suicide risk, the pervading mood is one of persisting negativity. Regardless of whether they took part in the protests, they felt hopeless over the turn of events and in need of counselling.
Towards the end of July, those seeking help expressed fatigue and feelings of helplessness. They also expressed difficulty in dealing with political differences in their families and how they had avoided family contact to reduce conflict.