Silent majority's voice growing
Updated: 2013-09-10 07:12
By Albert Lin(HK Edition)
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At last some sanity has emerged in Hong Kong with the welcome appearance of six wise men who vigorously oppose the crazy concept of the "Occupy Central" campaign planned for next July. And, since the six co-convenors are a sage group, what more appropriate title could this forward-looking group have chosen for their organization than "The Silent Majority for Hong Kong" (SMHK).
When the group surfaced last month, it immediately burst into prominence with its concept of peacefully confronting and facing down the hotheads and troublemakers who plan to throttle traffic and other activities in Central to make their point about universal suffrage.
And so the pendulum has swung away from those who would senselessly imperil the very prosperity of Hong Kong with a demonstration of undetermined length deliberately aimed at creating a massive lockdown across our key financial Central District. The six men wise enough to try to thwart this massive folly are Chinese University of Hong Kong political scientist Chang Chak-yan, Lingnan University public policy professor Ho Lok-sang, Liberal Party member Fung Ka-pun, Kum Shing Construction Group Chairman Peter Wong Kwok-keung (also a local delegate to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), Spencer Li Wing-kwai, head of an innovation and technology association, and broadcaster Robert Chow Yung.
Just when it seemed that nobody was taking serious notice of the threatened massive disruption to business posed by "Occupy", the SMHK has snatched back the initiative with its groundswell of peaceful opposition plus old-fashioned common sense.
In case anybody missed the group's debut on Hong Kong's civic stage, the SMHK recently fired off a thunderous broadside of full-page ads in 11 newspapers. The adverts pointed out that planned "blockade" of the "Occupy" campaign could quickly become a far greater security problem than the chaotic situation that developed in Mong Kok on Aug 4 involving 3,000 people.
The ads highlighted the possibility that if unchallenged, "Occupy" might be 10 times larger than the chaotic situation in Mong Kok, warning: "Will the 28,000-strong Hong Kong Police Force be able to control the scene? Can the campaign organizers guarantee it will not end up in riots?"
Not surprisingly the most outspoken of the SMHK's convenors is radio "shock jock" Robert Chow Yung, who says, "We want the rest of Hong Kong to come out with us and tell (top organizer of "Occupy") Mr Benny Tai Yiu-ting to 'Stop it, please!' Or at least minimize its scale so it won't jeopardize public safety and security. Does Hong Kong want to see anarchy and financial ruin; people pulling out their investments, selling their stocks, the housing market crashing to rock bottom? The threatened 'civil disobedience' could eventually take Hong Kong into a state of anarchy - I wonder if the police force could handle it?"
Asked if the SMHK was acting on behalf of the government, Chow replied: "We don't have any connection with them." Well known for his regular criticisms of government policies and therefore definitely no yes-man, Chow portrays himself as a true Hongkonger wanting to peacefully help fight off the very serious threat posed by "Occupy".
Another convenor, Lingnan's Professor Ho Lok-sang, believes the so-called social "injustices" facing Hong Kong are not sufficient to justify the large-scale protest actions of "Occupy". "Hong Kong is not a tyranny - we don't have anything like oppression of minority groups," he says. Forty years ago he gained his degree at HKU's Pok Fu Lam campus where Tai now teaches. As a student Ho envisioned an ideal world of the future, but is now content with his life here, describing Hong Kong as "quite desirable".
Another interesting development was the decision of one of the "Occupy" organizers, CUHK sociology professor Chan Kin-man, to step down as director of the university's prestigious Service Center for China Studies last month. He did not want the center's work to be impeded by any political fallout resulting from next July's "Occupy" action. For the past 50 years the center has helped the research work of China Studies scholars around the world. It holds the honor of sharing equal recognition with US's Harvard University as a resource center on the subject.
Fortunately, July 2014 is still 10 months away so the SMHK has sufficient time to fine-tune its strategy and so nullify the "Occupy" plans to willfully obstruct traffic in the heart of Central and likely cause massive damage not just to banking, business and commerce, but to Hong Kong's international image. In the interim, our heretofore silent citizens should speak their mind on this issue that could affect us all.
The author is a PR and media consultant.
(HK Edition 09/10/2013 page1)