Opponents to movement fear HK will become another Thailand

By Joyce Ma

Tension between pro- and anti- Occupy Central continues to escalate as both parties plan on launching major campaigns this year.

Occupy Central with Love and Peace (OCLP)  and Silent Majority for Hong Kong (SMHK), the leading opposition group, both announced plans to rally public support through deliberation series or petitions.

Chan Kin-man, organizer of Occupy Central with Love and Peace, reiterated OCLP’s ultimate aim is to achieve universal suffrage up to international standards by the 2017 Chief Executive Election.He insisted legality is not a must in the battle for democracy.

“The civil disobedience campaigns initiated by  Gandhi and Mandela were illegal, but power always comes from peace”, Chan Kin-man said. Believing the campaign will be held harmoniously, Chan said the protesters will be required to sign an oath and attend lessons on non-violent protest beforehand. A picket line will be formed during the protest to ensure order.

  But one of the six conveners of Silent Majority for Hong Kong, Robert Chow Yung, was not convinced by Chan’s rationale, and stressed that people should fight for universal suffrage by peaceful and legal means.

In past interviews, Chow has constantly expressed worry the massive demonstration would block main streets in the city, resulting in serious traffic congestion, short supply of daily goods and even a breakdown of the social order.

The 64-year-old media celebrity said he was “very pessimistic” towards a peaceful outcome of Occupy Central.

Chow cited Thailand, where protests went violent in recent months, as an example, and claimed that Occupy Central would lead to riots if Hong Kong failed to carry out political reform smoothly.

Chow’s concern was echoed by Po Chun-chung, convener of Defend Hong Kong Campaign. Po said the occupy movement would disrupt social order and scare away tourists and foreign investors, dealing a blow to Hong Kong’s reputation.

Nevertheless, Chan refuted Chow’s allegations, and said the political situation in Thailand is different from Hong Kong’s.

“The public rally in Thailand is anti-democratic and should not be compared with Occupy Central,” Chan said.

Chan remained confident that Occupy Central will take place in a gentle manner, as past large-scale protests such as the anti-national-education-curriculum rally in 2012 which ended without bloodshed.

Vice-chairman of the Democratic Party Lo Kin-hei supported Chan’s view that the campaign will proceed in a peaceable manner, saying it is an exaggeration that a thousand police officers are needed to control the street protest.

OCLP is preparing to host the third Occupy Central’s deliberation day, which aims to come up with a proposal on Hong Kong’s constitutional reform. The date of the event remains in question.

An estimated 7,000-8,000 participants are expected to take part in the discussion forum.

 

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