Opinion | The American civil war offers Hong Kong lessons in how to compromise and end conflict

The ending of America’s divisive conflict shows how it took great political courage and wisdom for the victor to offer generous and compassionate terms of surrender, promising peace and no prosecution. There are useful lessons here for Hong Kong’s government

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Protesters emerge from Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hung Hom after being encouraged to surrender to the police on November 19. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Published: 6:30am, 23 Nov 2019Updated: 7:41am, 23 Nov 2019

Hong Kong has experienced more than five months of confrontation, with no light at the end of the tunnel. The level of violence, number of injuries and arrests have only increased. Trust between the police and demonstrators is nearly non-existent.

We have talked to students. Some are exhausted and frustrated at the lack of progress in advancing their demands and improving governance. The government is simply relying on the police to restore law and order. Neither side has made any significant concessions or compromise, and the whole community is suffering.

Compromise is not a sign of weakness; it requires strength and wisdom to break a deadlock and provide an opportunity for recovery. Perhaps we can learn from the ending of the American civil war that broke out in April 1861 between the northern Union states and the southern Confederate states.

Four years in, the Confederate state army, already disadvantaged in terms of manpower, industrial capacity and economy, was facing low morale, food shortages and exhaustion. Knowing this, General Ulysses S. Grant, who led the Union army, wrote to general Robert E. Lee, leader of the Confederate state army of northern Virginia, to persuade him to surrender.

Protesters gather for the four-month anniversary of the July 21 Yuen Long attack on commuters, at Yoho Mall in Yeun Long. People are increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress in advancing their demands and improving governance. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Lee negotiated surrender terms that allowed his men to keep their swords and personal belongings, and to return home in peace as long as they did not turn against the Union or break the law. These were generous terms for the men, who had expected to be imprisoned.

In addition, Lee asked for his soldiers to be allowed to keep their horses and while this could not be added to the surrender documents, Grant instructed his soldiers to allow it. Grant also arranged for transport and food supplies for the more than 1,000 men, who had not eaten for days.