Eradicating political radicalism crucial to curing social ills

In my last article, I discussed the social ills that are plaguing the hearts and minds of many in Hong Kong: high unemployment, a stagnating economy, the reemergence of emigration, disrupted overseas travel, and dangerous political radicals.

On July 1, when we were celebrating the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, a police officer was stabbed by a lone-wolf attacker on a busy street in Causeway Bay. The perpetrator then turned the knife on himself.

Investigations into the attacker’s state of mind revealed not only a violent anti-government and antipolice stance, but a deeply antisocial lifestyle. While the attacker did have his family in Hong Kong, the contact among them was limited. He opted to live a loner’s life.

Most media outlets labeled the man as a “lone wolf”, but the fact is that he was also a homegrown terrorist who wrought violence on Hong Kong soil.

The following is a widely accepted definition of a terrorist, as used by the Oxford English Dictionary: “A person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.”

Given the nature of the attack and the fact that the walls of the attacker’s home were covered with a great deal of anti-police material and propaganda, this man would have been classified as a terrorist in any other place, including Western democracies.

Thankfully, the enactment of the National Security Law for Hong Kong in June 2020 has allowed our police officers to bring order back to our streets and to crack down on the radicals threatening to destabilize the city.

Last month, the SAR government announced its intention to “fill the gaps” and revive legislation according to Article 23 of the Basic Law in a much-needed push to crack down on national security crimes.

Many members of the opposition camp have been arrested on national security offenses, and doxxing has finally become a criminal offense under which perpetrators will now be fined HK$5 million ($643,000) or sentenced to five years in prison.

But even with the arrests taking place, we cannot be sure that all is calm beneath the surface.

The civil service is a case in point. Over 100 civil servants — 129, to be precise —refused in August to swear allegiance to the HKSAR government and to uphold the Basic Law. Many of these individuals have since left their posts by way of termination of employment, retirement orders, resignation, or dismissal.

This undercurrent of disobedience within our civil service ranks is not the first of its kind. Over 500 holders of public office did the exact same thing in May, opposing the enactment of a new law requiring all lawmakers, district councilors and civil servants to pledge allegiance to the Basic Law and the HKSAR government.

While these acts of open disloyalty are not violent, they are symptoms of a greater political ill within our city.

I find myself harking back to one of my previous articles, in which I touched upon the success of de-radicalization programs in Australian prisons.

In 2007, the Australian federal government set up the Countering Violent Extremism Sub-Committee, which comprises representatives from the federal police force and police bodies across various Australian states, cultural affairs organizations, and other relevant bodies.

The CVESC focuses on countering radicalization through rehabilitation and prevention.

In summary, the strategy is designed to penetrate and address extremism on all levels, starting from the vigilance of ordinary citizens

I call on Hong Kong people to step up and do their part to bring peace back to our shores. I also call on our schools, universities, and businesses to take a stand against dangerous and radical ideas, and discourage extremism on all fronts. As many of us turn to our communities for comfort and security, we must also turn to them to rehabilitate a broken Hong Kong.

and community resilience, up to civil and judicial intervention.

Although the specifics of the program are kept under lock and key by the Australian government and the Attorney-General’s Department — Australia’s legal body — the CVESC’s main objectives can be found online.

The long and short of it is to identify and divert violent extremists, and, where possible, support them in disengaging from violent extremism by changing their views and attitudes.

Therefore, I implore Hong Kong people to remain vigilant and spot extremists around us. Reach out to them and guide them. But if you fear that they are beyond your help, seek professional help from social workers, medical professionals, or even government authorities.

Do not underestimate the power of ordinary individuals in our community, as it is through our everyday resilience that we can counter these dangerous forces.

I have previously also written about the effects of education on narrowing the wealth gap. Now, I am turning to education to contain extremism in all forms.

The CVESC’s version of this is through its “building community cohesion” and “youth mentoring programs”, which enhance community resilience and rehabilitate radicalized youths respectively.

Our version of this could start with school-age children and family education.

Not long ago, it was a common sight to see families at anti-government protests as parents took their young children to these events. I urge those families to question their judgment in subjecting their children to political activism so early in life.

Education must also take place across all key stages at schools, and children of all ages must understand national issues and the importance of our National Security Law. We must also teach our children that there is no place in our society for violence of any kind, and for whatever cause.

Provided we plant these seeds early enough, we can ensure that our education system produces morally upstanding citizens.

Therefore, I call on Hong Kong people to step up and do their part to bring peace back to our shores. I also call on our schools, universities, and businesses to take a stand against dangerous and radical ideas, and discourage extremism on all fronts.

As many of us turn to our communities for comfort and security, we must also turn to them to rehabilitate a broken Hong Kong.