Tycoon Lui Che-woo urges Hong Kong youth to think on where violence will lead, amid anti-government protests
- K Wah International chairman calls on government to help young people understand career opportunities and set up talks with different sectors
- He follows fellow billionaire Peter Woo in denouncing violence publicly
Hong Kong billionaire Lui Che-woo has urged the city’s young people to think hard about what caused the recent spate of violence across the city – and where it could lead – saying he was saddened to see conflicts that threaten to bring instability.
In a full-page advertisement in Chinese-language newspaper Sing Tao Daily, the chairman of property developer K Wah International also urged the government to devote more resources to helping young people understand more about their career opportunities, educating children about Chinese morals, and engaging in peace talks with different parties, so the city can return to harmony.
“I call on the government and various sectors to demonstrate sincerity, and open the doors for communication in a rational way,” he wrote.
Lui identified the city’s acute land and housing shortage as a deep-rooted problem behind the recent conflicts, and said a platform should be created for officials, legislators, respected figures, middle-class residents and citizens who could not afford to buy homes to sit down and find solutions.
The tycoon also praised the city’s embattled police force for dedication to maintaining public order, since the now-shelved extradition bill triggered the city’s worst social unrest in decades.