Coronavirus crisis brings out worst in toxic Hong Kong society already scarred by the revolution of our times
- Yonden Lhatoo despairs for the city, given the ugly public mood on the streets as the global health emergency bites hard and an indecisive government inspires no confidence
But those were different days, when the good people of Hong Kong rallied together to fight the ravages of severe acute respiratory syndrome in a heart-warming display of camaraderie, self-sacrifice and empathy for fellow human beings.
Daily stories of charity, magnanimity and heroism against daunting odds inspired us during the worst periods of doom and gloom, uplifting our spirits and steeling us with the fortitude to emerge from it all as a stronger and more united society.
Fast forward to 2020 and this is a changed city, in a far uglier mood now, and no more Mr Nice Guy after nearly eight months of anti-government protests that have brought out the worst in us.
Now that we have a terrible new scourge upon our heads with the coronavirus epidemic that first emerged in the mainland Chinese city of Wuhan, it feels like the end of days once again, but this time it’s even more depressing and distressing because of the toxic social atmosphere.