Violent young protesters aren’t fighting a noble cause, they will only do lasting damage to themselves and Hong Kong

There is an old Chinese adage, “Who killed your horse but the bystanders?” It comes from a story where a good horse dies of exhaustion after bystanders cheer it on to run ever faster. I fear this is what a large swathe of our community is doing to the violent youngsters wreaking havoc in Hong Kong now. 

The violence shows no sign of abating because a large number of highly educated and respected adults, including senior members of the legal profession and university vice-chancellors, give them reason to believe that violence, though undesirable, is justified if used to pursue a noble cause.

This halo of glory is spurring thousands of students, some as young as 12 , to commit heinous crimes. Many have been arrested and, if charged and convicted, would struggle to fit in to mainstream society in the future.

I will give credit to the protesters, whose relentless clamouring did eventually pressure Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to abandon the unpopular extradition bill.

Unfortunately, the campaign has morphed into a thinly veiled pro-independence movement, with the slogan “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times” painted on public roads and buildings all over the city. Mainland-controlled and China-friendly enterprises have been vandalised and ordinary citizens attacked for voicing dissenting views.

People who cheer on the violent young protesters should realise that this will not only destroy their future, but make what was originally a lofty goal into one even more distant and out of reach.

For instance, the demand for universal suffrage elections to choose the chief executive and the whole Legislative Council, unlike the extradition bill, falls outside the powers of the Hong Kong government, and it is naive to think that violence will make the central government grant their wish.

Worse, the fact the movement has touched the red line of sovereignty and taken on the characteristics of a “colour revolution” has reinforced Beijing’s erroneous belief that the Hong Kong people’s demand for greater democracy is an attempt towards eventual independence, or “self-determination”, as it is called locally.

Sympathisers of protesters claim the violent acts are a result of the “excessive force” and lack of restraint by police. But, for millions of Hong Kong people who have in the past four months witnessed endless unauthorised demonstrations, as well as violent attacks on police and fellow citizens, this view is detached from reality.

Many, in fact, consider that the police have shown excessive restraint and would like to see stronger force used to protect ordinary citizens who simply wish to go about making a living.

Any excessive force by the police is deplorable, but complaints are being dealt with, and judging by past cases (such as the one involving officers assaulting an activist during the Occupy movement in 2014), justice will prevail.

Liu Xiaobo’s fate holds lessons for Hong Kong protesters

At the same time, the people of Hong Kong should beware of the protesters’ propaganda machine, which has successfully led some to believe that one protester lost an eye after being shot by police; that people were killed  by officers inside Prince Edward MTR station, and; that the police were somehow responsible for the suicide of a 15-year-old student .

The feeling that our police need to ramp up their action has a new-found basis in the unrest springing up around the world. The protesters in Hong Kong have inspired similar tactics elsewhere, but those people are less fortunate, as much more draconian measures have been used.

For instance, a state of emergency has been declared in Santiago, Chile, after widespread anti-government protests and vandalism; Spain has shut down a separatist website; and London’s Metropolitan Police has banned all demonstrations by the Extinction Rebellion climate activists.

Using fake news to defame Hong Kong’s police

As Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said, the aim of the emergency order is “to ensure public order and the safety of public and private property. There will be no room for violence in a country with the rule of law at its core.”

All those who sympathise with violent protesters should take heed, before a whole generation of our youth bury themselves in a self-glorified utopia.

Raymond Young Lap-moon is a former civil servant and currently CEO of the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association