My Take | Plea for ceasefire to start the road to peace
- As a participant at a conference involving about 400 prominent social and political figures, Chandran Nair, who runs independent think tank the Global Institute for Tomorrow, called on the local news media to dedicate their front pages to the declaration of a ceasefire that may allow for peaceful leadership to emerge
Hong Kong apparently had its first peace conference at the weekend, with about 400 prominent social and political figures meeting to figure a way out for the city.
“We, the media, must recognise our power and responsibility and use it to help move our city forward. We have the power to chart the course for our city.
“I want to call on all newspapers to dedicate their front page for three days to the declaration of a ceasefire. We must cast aside our desire to generate headlines or chase advertising money and accept that what is happening now is bigger than that.
“After five months, many may have thought Hong Kong’s current unrest would have been resolved in some way. However, particularly in the last week, we have only seen a rapid approach to the point of no return with the continued escalation of violence.
“We must realise that there needs to be a retreat, as the intensifying spiral of violence and destruction will only lead to a loss of human life that few in Hong Kong have ever seen. This violence hardens positions and the resolve of each side to prevail at any cost, stokes the flames of hate and mistrust and prevents us from seeking solutions.
