HK protestors care for their freedoms

Published on: Sunday, October 27, 2019

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I refer to a report in the DE on Oct 17 where Datuk Yong Teck Lee is reported as saying that the Hong Kong protesters are nothing but pawns in US’ power play.

Now let me get this right, is he saying that millions of Hong Kong Chinese are so stupid that they can easily be manipulated by the US?

You have seen just like the rest of us that people all over the world have sacrificed their lives to demonstrate for the freedoms that come with democracy.

You are old enough to have seen the fall of communist governments in many countries in the 1990s because the people demonstrated for democracy.

You saw in recent years the people in several dictatorial Arab countries come out risking their lives to demonstrate for democracy. Are you implying that every time people anywhere in the world start demonstrating for democracy that they are simply pawns of US?

The USA adopted democracy long ago because they also wanted to be free of dictatorial monarchies. They wanted the freedom to be able to express their thoughts without fear, to have freedom of association and the freedom to choose one’s own government because this is the perfectly natural desire of all humans including the people of Hong Kong.

don’t you love living in a democracy?

Why do you want to deny the people of Hong Kong of their love for democracy? Here in Malaysia if you disagree with government policies you can speak out and have your voice heard or read in the newspaper without fear of being jailed.

Even Trump can’t always get his way. He has introduced several policies only to have a judge block them. That’s what democracy is all about and that’s why people all over the world including the people of Hong Kong like it.

Now if Xi were to introduce a policy do you think anyone in the Middle Kingdom would try to publicly criticise it? If someone were brave enough to speak out against it they would soon be handed a one-way ticket to jail.

So please dignify the millions of educated Chinese in Hong Kong who are self motivated to demonstrate for their freedom from authoritarian dictatorship. You should be commending them for their courage and endurance.

No one could be demonstrating so bravely for so long unless they have strong conviction in their cause.

If they were simply pawns of the US they would have given up months ago.

Datuk, over the years you have expressed many good opinions on a number of issues in your fight for a better Sabah and Malaysia.

And we would like to think that if ever democracy were under threat here in Malaysia that you would be in the forefront fighting to preserve it just as hard as the demonstrators in Hong Kong are fighting for their democracy.

So keep your positive opinions and suggestions for a better Sabah and Malaysia coming but please don’t resort to fear mongering with conspiracy theories.

Long live democracy! Long live free Hong Kong!

Observer