Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, the former president of the Legislative Council of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), speaks in an interview with Xinhua in Hong Kong, south China, Sept. 27, 2019. Saying that residents in HKSAR, especially the youth, should understand that Hong Kong's destiny is closely bound with the motherland, Fan called for an end to violence and chaos. Fan also expressed her wish for the restoration of social order and the rule of law in a recent interview with Xinhua as the Asian trading and financial hub has been rocked by unrest for months. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)
HONG KONG, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Saying that residents in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), especially the youth, should understand that Hong Kong's destiny is closely bound with the motherland, Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, the former president of the HKSAR Legislative Council, called for an end to violence and chaos.
Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai also expressed her wish for the restoration of social order and the rule of law in a recent interview with Xinhua as the Asian trading and financial hub has been rocked by unrest for months.
STOP VIOLENCE
Fan noted that violence erupted in Hong Kong amid the proposed ordinance amendments concerning fugitives. Now the amendments have been withdrawn already but the violence is not only continuing, but also escalating.
"Sadly many who played vanguard in the violent activities are youth," she said. "The Hong Kong society does not want to see the youth get hurt, so the police have exercised the maximum restraint even when their own safety is threatend. If this happens in the United States, the police would have opened fire already."
Some young people who supported violence said online that only by crippling the Hong Kong economy, could they force the HKSAR government to "listen to us."
"The protesters themselves need money to buy their trains, backpacks and clothes. If everything is gone, what is good for them?" Fan asked.
She would like to send a message to the young people that everything they are asking for, including democracy, freedom, human rights and good life, will only be taken further away from them if their violent activities continue.
"The day their so-called 'color revolution' succeeds, Hong Kong would fall into an abyss," she warned.
Fan pointed out that the education in Hong Kong is flawed by only teaching students critical thinking without telling them to reflect on and improve themselves. As a result, they criticize everything without being constructive.
BEHIND CHAOS
Five years ago on Sept. 28, the illegal "Occupy Central" movement started. In the following more than 70 days, protesters blocked roads and disrupted residents' normal life. The movement set a very bad example, Fan said.
"When it ended, people felt relieved without learning lessons and thinking what to do if such movements happen again," she said. "On the other hand, forces behind that chaos wasted no time to prepare for the next."
"Without the ordinance amendments, the forces would find some other excuses anyway."
Regarding the "five demands" of protesters, Fan said some are against the rule of law. "Some people even insist that the HKSAR must listen to them and there is no bargaining. This is very authoritarian, which is against the democracy and freedom as they flaunt."
Fan said that behind the violence there are financial support and instigators from the overseas. "The violent protesters are quick and accurate in delivering messages online. They are well-planned with their strategies," she said.
"Who do you think will be happy to see the failure of the 'one country, two systems' principle?" Fan went on to ask. "I think it would be the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. In recent years there were young people from Hong Kong who went to Taiwan to receive training."
She spoke positively of the first "community dialogue" session held on Thursday evening. "The HKSAR government wishes to talk to the residents in a peaceful and rational way," she said. "However harsh the criticism was, the chief executive would listen and respond carefully, with the willingness to shoulder responsibility."
THE ONLY ONE TO COUNT ON
On the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act 2019 passed by the two congressional committees in the United States, Fan said it was an interference in China's domestic affairs. Some Hong Kong politicians and the "Hong Kong Independence" activists are "not loyal to their own nation", she said. "They are loyal only to those who give them money, support and fame."
She stressed that the Basic Law of the HKSAR is the Chinese law and the Hong Kong issue is China's domestic affair. "However, the act asked U.S. politicians to judge if the Basic Law is implemented. It is a joke in itself. The United States is used to act as the world's policeman."
She warned that Hong Kong shouldn't pin its hope on the United States, citing the case of the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. "Many international speculators, represented by those from the Wall Street, were targeting the Hong Kong dollars," she said. "The strong support from our central government helped us survive the financial crisis. The SARS epidemic in 2003 is another example. Our country would be backing us whenever there are difficulties."
The prolonged chaos in Hong Kong has hurt local economy. Fan asked that if the Hong Kong economy collapses, would the United States or Britain step forward to help? "Wake up," she said. "Stopping dreaming the impossible. Your own country is the only one that you could always count on."
Fan said that after Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the policy of "one country, two systems" has been fully and faithfully implemented in strict compliance with China's Constitution and the Basic Law of the HKSAR, while legal system and open economy in Hong Kong are well-preserved. The freedom, human rights record and integrity of officials in Hong Kong have been recognized as one of the best in the world, an achievement that should be cherished.
"We should not give up our achievement and decent life only for a slogan, or a fantasy," she concluded. "Hong Kong people are smart. We should reflect on ourselves, and use our wisdom to rebuild Hong Kong."
