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Yonden Lhatoo

I must say it hurts to visit Singapore if your heart is in Hong Kong.
I was there for a couple of days to attend an event that was originally supposed to be held here, but the organiser, a major multinational, changed the venue because of all the protest chaos that has pretty much destroyed our city’s reputation.
The contrast with Hong Kong was so acute, so in-your-face, that I couldn’t help feeling downright envious and borderline resentful about Singapore and its shiny, happy people. All those law-abiding folk skipping along spick and span streets, business booming in every shopping centre and street corner, uninterrupted commerce in gleaming office towers.
I found it warm and welcoming there, and, above all, so peaceful.
After an ample dose of that, our battle-scarred city looks more bent and broken than ever. And angry, always angry.

I’m back now in the middle of mass hysteria and scenes of anarchy as unhinged protesters attack the city’s railway facilities over wild rumours online that police “executed” half a dozen citizens in an MTR station and got rid of their bodies in secret. Really!
Just take a step back and process that – as utterly insane as it sounds, people actually believe this, encouraged by certain scurrilous activist-journalists spreading the word. It’s the twilight zone out here.
Prince Edward MTR station shut down as handful of protesters gather
“Is it even safe any more in Hong Kong? Have you thought about leaving?” I get asked frequently by friends and family members alarmed by the daily news barrage of rampaging mobs throwing petrol bombs and vandalising public property, brawls on trains and buses, fires burning on blocked roads and police brutalising masked youngsters.




Without glossing over the nihilistic violence or playing down the social and economic carnage, I’m contemplating a standardised answer to questions about how safe it is in Hong Kong in the form of a video clip that a colleague came back with after covering a recent riot.
Hong Kong leader’s withdrawal of extradition bill draws more scepticism than hope
It shows a middle-aged Caucasian man in Elvis impersonator-style clothes casually negotiating a road blockade while anti-government protesters are limbering up for another showdown with riot police. He cuts quite a quixotic figure, in his glittering silver pants and cowboy boots, climbing over barricades and passing unmolested through the mob of black-clad protesters before disappearing towards the direction of some bars and restaurants.

And that, I must say, is how safe Hong Kong is – in its own, curious, unique way – for the average person on the streets. For all the ferocity of their attacks on police, even hard-core protesters will generally leave “civilians” – especially tourists – alone unless you get into a fight with them over finding your way blocked or your peace disturbed. You’ll even see some of them hurriedly helping a frail granny to safety before all hell breaks loose.

Similarly, police issue multiple warnings before they fire tear gas or charge at protesters, mostly for the benefit of rubbernecking spectators who can be injured amid the chaos of an anti-riot operation. The number of curious bystanders and passers-by watching these stand-offs and showdowns from pavements and footbridges is, in itself, testament to how seemingly apocalyptic television footage does not necessarily reflect the reality on the ground.

Of course, it can get tricky and dangerous for innocent commuters when police storm into MTR stations to chase after protesters who take off their masks and change out of their signature black clothing to mingle with the crowds.
And yes, there are no guarantees when it comes to traffic and travel disruptions, which can erupt at any moment, anywhere, leaving you stranded.

“But Hong Kong has something else – it has a soul,” a Singaporean friend pointed out when I spoke of the painful contrast with the Lion City.
A soul worth saving. And a heart, too. That’s why, at the end of the day, despite everything, against all odds, I’ll say Hong Kong is still, strangely, safe.
Yonden Lhatoo is the chief news editor at the Post


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Is it safe to be in Hong Kong? Against all odds the answer is still a strange ‘yes’

A crowd parts to allow an ambulance through during a mass rally in Hong Kong. Photo: AFP

Exterior of the Marina Bay Sands shopping mall where tourists and locals are seen sitting with the Central Business District in in Singapore is seen in the background. 27MAY18 SCMP / Roy Issa

Anti-government protesters stand behind barricades on Wai Yip Street, outside of the Ngau Tau Kok Police Station, Ngau Tau Kok. Hundred of protesters barricaded part of Wai Yip Street in front of the Ngau Tau Kok Police Station after an approved anti-extradition bill protest march through Kwun Tong earlier. 24AUG19 SCMP / Sam Tsang

***ONE TIME USE ONLY, PLEASE CLEAR THE COPYRIGHTS BEFORE RE-USE - OTUO*** Police officers from the Special Tactical Squad hit four commuters inside an MTR train at Prince Edward station. Members of the Special Tactical Square, known as "Raptors", stormed into a train at Prince Edward Station and hit people and pepper sprayed them, seemingly indiscriminately. 31AUG19 Photo : Handout

TOPSHOT - Police personnel fire tear-gas shells to disperse Pro-Democracy protestors in the Sham Shui Po Area of Hong Kong on August 14, 2019. - More than 10 weeks of sometimes-violent demonstrations have wracked the semi-autonomous city, with millions taking to the streets to demand democratic reforms and police accountability. (Photo by Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP)

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Opinion


Yonden Lhatoo, after a recent visit to Singapore, says Hong Kong looks like it’s going through hell in contrast, but remains curiously safe for the average person on the street



Hong Kong protests

Hong Kong extradition bill

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Just Saying | Is it safe to be in Hong Kong? Against all odds the answer is still a strange ‘yes’

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Yonden Lhatoo, after a recent visit to Singapore, says Hong Kong looks like it’s going through hell in contrast, but remains curiously safe for the average person on the street

Just Saying | Is it safe to be in Hong Kong? Against all odds the answer is still a strange ‘yes’

Yonden Lhatoo, after a recent visit to Singapore, says Hong Kong looks like it’s going through hell in contrast, but remains curiously safe for the average person on the street