Hong Kong experienced unprecedented political turmoil in 2019, immediately following the new crown epidemic.
With the inauguration of the new SAR government and the return of local epidemic prevention to normal, social issues that have been suspended in the past have resurfaced.
President Xi Jinping came to Hong Kong on July 1 to deliver an important speech, in which he mentioned the importance of youth development; the team of the new Chief Executive, Li Jiachao, also repeatedly mentioned that the youth policy will be strengthened.
In an exclusive interview with "Hong Kong 01", Convener of the Executive Council, Ye Liu Shuyi, said that the society has now returned to calm, and she proposed three directions and elements for the government to repair social tears. She even bluntly believed that the repair work will take at least ten years.
Further reading: Part 1
Most of the arrested young people regret it
Mrs. Ye mentioned that in order to mend social rifts, the government needs to restore public confidence with three principles.
One is to respect the rule of law and establish a law-abiding consciousness.
She explained: "Recently (the Commissioner of Police) Xiao Zeyi has said that they have come into contact with a lot of young people (arrested in the anti-amendment turmoil), and they regret it." She pointed out that these young people thought that bricks and bricks, Violent acts such as throwing petrol bombs can be done without worries, even thinking that they can "seize power".
Therefore, the government's top priority is to make citizens respect the rule of law, know and abide by the law, so that everyone should not make decisions that they regret easily.
The second is to solve the problem of people's livelihood.
Ye Liu Shuyi pointed out that Hong Kong needs to solve the deep-seated problems in order to stabilize the development of Hong Kong. Whenever there are demonstrations in the society, some people's demands are not aimed at the original issues, but are based on people's livelihood issues.
"Why do so many people take to the streets, whether it's the National Security Ordinance, which is handled by me, or the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, which is proposed by Mrs. Lam (Carrie Lam)?"
The 2003 parade was mixed with many dissatisfaction with people's livelihood
She pointed out that many of the protesters were indeed professional "disruptors" who were very skilled in digging bricks and dismantling iron fences, but there were also many citizens who took to the streets with diversified demands for people's livelihood.
For example, during the "July 1st" march in Hong Kong in 2003, in addition to expressing concerns about the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law, citizens were more dissatisfied with the government's improper handling of SARS, the sacrifice of medical staff, and the issue of negative assets.
She believes that today, Hong Kong's economic development is still stagnant, and the government needs to deal with deep-seated problems such as high property prices, poor living environment, widening gap between rich and poor, narrow opportunities for young people, and imperfect retirement protection.
The third, and most important, is to build common values in society, such as the idea of maintaining national security.
Mrs. Ye emphasized that this is not intolerant of dissent. For example, "LegCo members also have many different opinions. For example, I support the protection of the rights of minorities, including sexual minorities, but some members think their behavior is 'immoral'." The most important thing is that everyone will regard supporting the country and safeguarding national security as the mainstream values. By expressing opinions on this basis, we can achieve what President Xi Jinping called the establishment of a society of "inclusiveness and mutual aid, harmony but difference".
Epidemic highlights major 'identity contradiction' in Hong Kong
Ye Tai said frankly that tearing is a common problem faced by many regions in the world, and the causes are different.
In the context of Hong Kong, one of the core contradictions lies in the issue of "identity" under "one country, two systems". The epidemic has exposed this contradiction. The mainland implements a "dynamic zero" policy, but on the other hand, foreign countries and some business people It advocates "coexistence with the virus" and believes that maintaining openness is one of the elements of Hong Kong's international status.
She believes that these contradictions are not directly related to the epidemic itself. The epidemic only highlights the acuteness of the problem.
She recalled that she witnessed several waves of immigration in her life, including the June 7 riots, Sino-British negotiations, the early 1990s, and the current situation after the political environment has changed. She believes that this has always been personal freedom, just as she also witnessed many senior government affairs before the handover. Officials are reluctant to accept new changes and resign, but at the same time, there are also people who are happy to "embracing the future". Acceptance or not depends entirely on viewpoints and perspectives.
Chief Executive Li Jiachao appointed Ye Liu Shuyi as the convener of the guild.
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The idea of criticizing "revenge justice" is immature: there were also police quarters set on fire at that time
In theory, this is true, but many serious incidents accumulated in the 2019 amendment bill are still stumbling blocks for the government to repair relations with citizens. For example, the 7.21 attack in Yuen Long, which just celebrated its third anniversary, and the resentment accumulated by many demonstrations.
Ye Tai said bluntly: "Some people have to be a little bit more open. Could it be that if someone kicks you, you have to kick back to be fair? This is 'Retributive Justice'. This view of justice is very narrow."
Ye Liu Shuyi pointed out that during the conflict in 2019, police dormitories were also attacked or even set on fire, and police family members were arrested.
She believes that illegal acts must of course be dealt with in accordance with the law, but sometimes it is impossible to catch 100% in reality. Just like the 2021 U.S. Capitol Hill riots, more than 200 people have been wanted but have not been arrested so far.
She stated that she did not agree with the concept of "a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye", and believed that the youth needed to be more mature in their actions and ideas, and the society also needed a good system to maximize the well-being of the public. She believed that the entire restoration period would last for ten years. Long.
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