Hong Kong: Will History Be Re-Written?

The present situation and emerging dangerous consequences can evaporate the basic norms and
ethics in this society. All who involved in this remarkable event must act wisely before it gate
too late to make corrections.
| by Nilantha Ilangamuwa
click here or here to read the first part of this series
( October 6, 20!, "ong #ong $%&, $ri 'anka (uardian) &aymond *han, who is in the
beginning +ehemently refused to talk about what is going on in "ong #ong had a
change of mind and indeed, once he got started he was difficult to stop,
"is words were enthusiastic and prophesy emerged along with the fear of the future of
what he called the first genuine protest he has e+er seen in his life, %round 60 years of
age, he attended the protest along with his wife, and I met both while walking with a
small group of +olunteers helping writers and reporters in translation,
-h
otograph . Nilantha Ilangamuwa
I ha+e ne+er seen this type of non/+iolent protest in my entire life0 perhaps I1m
strongly supporting these innocents who are yelling for the real freedom of this
country2, &aymond said,
"owe+er, 3I1m afraid what will happen in coming few days, On the one hand the
degree of systematic +iolence is escalating, On the other hand there are many political
mo+ements and certain foreign countries and organisations are rushing to high4ack the
situation to get ad+antage out of the pure ideology established by those students,2 he
predicted,
3$o they (the students) must be well aware of this and must be careful about e+ery
step2, he added,
5he remarkable protest known as the 36mbrella &e+olution2, has entered its eighth
day,
"owe+er, many local scholars are unhappy about the terminology used by the foreign
media and analysts and they e7pressed their disagreement, especially with the use of
the word, 3re+olution2,
5he statement published by the 5ranslating the 6mbrella 8o+ement, a group of
+olunteers, headed by an undergraduate on neuroscience at the 9ohns "opkins
6ni+ersity, reads as follows:
&egarding foreign correspondents terming the occupy mo+ement as the 3umbrella
re+olution2, -rofessor #uan "sin *hi of *6"#1s department of go+ernment ; public
administration belie+es that if e+en "ong #ongers use this terminology, it may affect
the *-(1s ( *entral -eople1s (o+ernment) decision,2
-rof, #uan strongly opposes the term 3re+olution2, as this mo+ement is not to
o+erthrow the go+ernment nor the country, If it is described as a re+olution, the *-(
may relate to color re+olutions, thus classifying the mo+ement as +iolence,2 the group
posted on their social media network while <uoting a barrister and former 'eg*o
member %udrey =u,
"owe+er, it1s an impressi+e that many scholars acti+ely participate in the protest as
well as the ongoing intellectual debate on the political and social trends in the
territory,
-hotograph .
Nilantha Ilangamuwa
8eanwhile, the go+ernment headed by 'eung *hun/ying continued his red warning
against protestors, "e has stated clearly that the protestors must allow things to return
to normal by 8onday morning and that schools should be allowed to reopen, "e was
particular about go+ernment offices being allowed to reopen, "e said that he was
determined to 3take all necessary actions to restore social order2,
6nder the circumstances it is <uite easy to realise that the situation is now on a knife
edge,
$adly, the tension that has arisen between the people and the protestors is spreading,
not only within the protest areas but also around the territory,
=motionally moti+ated groups ha+e started assaulting not only on students, but also
those who are wearing the yellow ribbon, the symbol of occupy mo+ement, e+en in the
public transport,
5his dangerous trend could be dri+ing the situation of "ong #ong into an abyss if the
go+ernment continues their policy of ignoring the core issues of the crisis and
e7pressing anger against the protesters,
5he hardline anti/protestors were able to attack students while widespread allegations
against the police were raised for not taking proper action against those who assaulted
students0 something the police ha+e categorically denied,
Indeed, the social order of "ong #ong is being weakened o+er the position the
go+ernment is taking o+er the historical protest, the aim of which is to achie+e
uni+ersal suffrage in the ne7t election due to be held in 20>,
#arina 5sang,
>, with her colleague, ?oth of them are +olunteering with the 5ranslating the
6mbrella 8o+ement
One remarkable factor is the support, the protest is recei+ing from certain groups that
came from 8ainland *hina,
I1m a witness to what happened in 5iananmen $<uare in @A@, where numbers of my
friends lost their li+es2, 5he speaker did not wish to be named,
$he was with protestors for a few days, and stayed on the street with the students,
I rushed to "ong #ong, to show support 4ust after I heard the news that there are
people demanding freedom in "ong #ong, 5his is the only place where we can come
and 4oin to show our solidarity those who are fighting for freedom, %pparently, it is a
day dream for us to ha+e this type of protest in the mainland,2 she added,
5he +ery important phenomenon in this protest is the remarkable unity and collecti+e
responsibilities of each of the participants, 5heir unity is uni+ersal, It is genuine and
they ha+e only one hope, which is winning true of freedom through non/+iolent
protest,
5here is always something that is beyond human, beyond system, beyond races,
beyond languages, beyond identities, It is light, %midst darkness, can we see hopeB No
matter where you are, behind or beyond the border, let us face all the absurdity, we
need your +oice,2 a social media group based in 8ainland *hina posted while
condemning the +iolence erupted against the students in 8ong #ong and *auseway
bay,
=mily 'au, *hairwoman of the Cemocratic 3-arty2 in "ong #ong, was +ery happy
about the protest when I spoke to her for the first time to get her point of +iew, ?ut
hours later, during the second brief discussion we had, she e7pressed her fear and
urged the go+ernment to address the issues genuinely,
5his is +ery dangerous de+elopment, 5he go+ernment must ensure basic rights of
e+ery citiDen in this territory, Now there are certain groups which are attacking on
those students, but sadly the go+ernment is not doing enough to pre+ent the attacks,2
she said,
I ha+e no proof, who is behind those attacks but allegations by students cannot be
ignored easily,2 she added,
8eanwhile, 8artin 'ee, a longtime democracy ad+ocate and the founding chairman of
the Cemocratic -arty of "ong #ong, addressing the students who are protesting before
the 'eg*o, encouraged the students to fight for the freedom,
5his is what we fought for in my entire life, now you are (students) the dri+ing force of
achie+ing what we need in "ong #ong,2 he told the crowd,
8eanwhile, 3the people of "ong #ong will fight for our freedom and way of life, %t a
time when the world is wondering if *hina will be a responsible member of the global
community, "ong #ong has become the essential test,2 he noted in his recent op/ed to
the media,
5he "ong #ong $%& is getting ready to re/write her history, ?ut there is not a silk road
to walk but an acrimonious long path narrow path,
5he way to win the freedom should not result in the loss of the <uality constructed
throughout generations,
-hotograph . Nilantha Ilangamuwa
"ong #ong as the one of best territories in the continent has taught the great lesson of
o+ercoming difficulties of humanity, Erom anti/corruption to maintaining the social
order through the genuine policing system and the public 4ustice system which were
gifted by past generations,
"owe+er, the present situation and emerging dangerous conse<uences can e+aporate
the basic norms and ethics in this society, %ll who in+ol+ed in this remarkable e+ent
must act wisely before it gate too late to make corrections,