Opinion | The political violence won’t end as long as Hong Kong and Beijing officials keep adding fuel to the fire
- Across the world, the roots of political violence can be traced to unresolved grievances, a weak sense of belonging and an unresponsive government
- To reduce the tensions in Hong Kong, officials should start listening to people’s concerns, and find new ways to redress wrongs
Like furious, wronged children whose families have failed them, violent political actors strike out at society. Facing political violence on both sides, Hong Kong can either wrong more people to fuel it further or redress wrongs to reduce tensions.
Political violence is more likely to (a) occur in societies with collectivist cultures, declining economies, societal changes or unresponsive governments – like Hong Kong; and (b) be the work of individuals with unresolved grievances, a weaker sense of belonging, or a superior education or skills.
People who perceive their opportunities for employment as being worse than their parents’ are often pessimistic, aggrieved and more prone to political violence. This is seen in countries like Egypt, Somalia and Syria. In contrast, poor people with better job prospects are optimistic and rarely participate in political violence – take Costa Rica as an example.