Editorial | Let’s press the pause button to reflect on season of goodwill
- After more than six months of civil unrest, the people of Hong Kong should remember that Christmas is a time to put aside differences while looking for solutions to bitter partisanship
The Christmas message of peace and goodwill to all is one that should be warmly embraced in Hong Kong this year after more than six months of civil unrest and violence. The city has endured an annus horribilis, as peaceful anti-government protests turned violent. Clashes between radical protesters and police, with petrol bombs hurled and tear gas fired, have become all too familiar sights. There was more vandalism and destruction over the weekend. The crisis has left deep divisions in society. It has split friends and families.
The Christmas holiday, traditionally a time of celebration and kindness towards others, provides an opportunity to pause and to reflect on these traumatic events. We need to find a path to peace and reconciliation.
The troubles have had a dramatic impact on the city. There has been at least one fatality, numerous injuries and thousands of arrests. The economy has been badly hit. Many are suffering hardship. Our thoughts this Christmas are with all those who have suffered, to whatever degree, no matter which side of the political divide they are on.
Festivities have been scaled down because of the unrest. Some shopping malls have dropped plans for the usual elaborate installations for fear they will be targeted by protesters. This has also applied to Christmas trees. A large artificial tree in the atrium at Festival Walk mall was set alight by a petrol bomb thrown by a protester on November 12.
Violence flared at malls again during “Christmas shopping protests”; and protest songs have been heard as frequently as Christmas carols. Events have also been cancelled, notably the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display in the heart of the city.
But Christmas celebrations have continued as the city gears up for the holiday. For Christians, this is a time of deep religious significance and many will be attending church services. But the festival is marked in different ways by people of other faiths – and those with no faith at all. It is a chance for everyone to take a break from work, enjoy time with friends and relatives and to exchange gifts. It is a time for giving and for caring, as well as for having fun.
The biggest gift Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor could give the city would be a long-awaited political solution to the crisis. Most people’s wish list would include a resolution that would allow the city to enter the new year with a fresh spirit of optimism.
Meanwhile, it should be remembered that the festival’s message of peace, goodwill, forgiveness and love is universal. No matter what has gone before or how strongly people feel, they should at this time be thinking of others and striving to put aside their differences. The Post wishes all of its readers, in Hong Kong and around the world, a very happy and peaceful Christmas.