Hong Kong: People act while govt dithers

THE social unrest gripping Hong Kong, now in its sixth month, worsened last week as violence reached new heights, universities were taken over by students, protests spread to the heart of the business

Both the government and the protesters are banking on public support. The government hopes that the silent majority will be turned off by protesters’ increasing violence while the protesters believe that disgust at the government runs so deep that they will retain majority support.

In between is the general public. They are the ones who can bestow legitimacy. But the public is tired of waiting for government action. Increasingly, they are taking matters into their own hands.

At one level, many have decided to clear neighborhoods of roadblocks. Civil society, too, is discussing the way forward for Hong Kong and exploring ways to create dialogue channels.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam ruled out any concessions last Monday when she said, “If there is still any wishful thinking that by escalating violence the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) government will yield to pressure to satisfy the so-called political demands, I’m making this statement clear and loud here: That will not happen.”

Having ruled out a political resolution, the government showed no sign of knowing how to tackle the protests, arrived and asked those clearing the road to leave because “it’s not safe here.” Both sides, it turned out, were preparing for a day-long battle, with police attempting to take back PolyU, which by Monday morning was still in the hands of protesters though the tide had clearly turned.

- versity in Kowloon Tong, where Renfrew Road was strewn with debris when occupying students withdrew from the campus, soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army emerged from their nearby barracks to help clear obstacles from the road. Dressed in shorts and T-shirts, they carried

The unexpected hour-long appearance of about 50 well- disciplined soldiers was a reminder by Beijing of its military presence. Subsequently, a Hong Kong spokesman said the government had not asked for help and the action was “purely a voluntary community activity.”

On a different level, another group of people who decided not to wait for the government to act held a forum for 500 people at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Center. It featured international speakers with experience in dispute resolution in countries such as South Africa, Northern Ireland, Nepal, Lebanon, Yemen, Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines.

The group calls itself the Hong Kong Forward Alliance. Its website describes the organizers as “a group of independent Hong Kong individuals from different walks of life and of different beliefs but bound together by a common desire and commitment to contribute towards constructive change.”

The day-long forum was held November 16, designated by the United Nations as International Day for Tolerance. It was meant to pave the