Hong Kong must make a choice: stability or turmoil?
Hong Kong’s recent protests and riots have shown obvious characteristics of a color revolution. A few rioters even used gasoline bombs against Hong Kong police on Sunday, causing injuries. The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Monday strongly condemned these acts, saying that they have shown “signs of terrorism.”
Recent history has taught us the connection between color revolutions and terrorism. Take the “Arab Spring.” Since the “Jasmine Revolution” in Tunisia in 2010, a series of anti-government uprisings spread across the Middle East and North Africa. Many countries experienced terrorism during the protests, including Islamic terrorism. In fact, many Arab countries suffered from the Arab Winter instead of peacefully actualizing democracy. The terrorist activities in Syria, Libya and other Arab countries synchronized with the color revolutions. Even today, terrorism still haunts the Arab world.
In many countries where color revolutions occurred, when there was political turmoil and the police were attacked, extreme terrorism would seize the opportunity. Although some protesters may want to make their appeals reasonable and legitimate, they would finally be drawn into the attacks plotted by terrorists. They would finally become the victims and pawns of terrorist activities.
Will this be the future of Hong Kong? Absolutely not. But we still have to remain vigilant against the rising trend of terrorism. Protesters used bricks, steel balls, daggers and other lethal weapons to attack police. What’s more, thousands of protesters illegally occupied the Hong Kong International Airport and all departures on Monday had to be canceled. The airport, one of the world’s busiest, was almost paralyzed. It reopened on Tuesday but a great part of flight movements was still affected.
These rioters’ acts perfectly match Wikipedia’s definition of terrorism: “Terrorism is, in the broadest sense, the use of intentional violence, generally against civilians, for political purposes.”
Chinese people will never let a handful of rioters and terrorists take advantage of the chaos and mess up Hong Kong or even the whole country. We must firmly crack down on the terror infiltration in Hong Kong. These rioters’ activities must be investigated. No matter where they will hide, they must be punished severely. No terrorists can escape in the end. The forces that helped and hyped the riots in Hong Kong should also be punished.
Hong Kong should also adjust its law to attach more importance to fighting terrorism. The People’s Police Law of China and Counterterrorism Law of China are not listed in the Basic Law’s Annex III (national laws to be applied in Hong Kong). Hong Kong has the existing United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance. But under the current circumstances, Hong Kong should further provide its own definition of specific violent terrorist activities, and identify the groups that implement terrorist activities with political motives.
Hong Kong will have to choose. If it provides chances for terrorism, the city will be engulfed in turmoil and most Hongkongers will lose their stable life. But if Hong Kong chooses stability, then it should not give any chance for terrorism and should firmly crack down on terrorist activities. A middle course does not exist.