Try the Moral High Ground - all of us

The vast majority of the protesters are peaceful, rational, and non-violent.  It is a small minority who are so frustrated that they feel a more forceful approach is needed.  Even when they used force, they were relatively restrained and targeted - aiming mostly at symbols of authority that they feel were already discredited.  However, the force that they use is providing the establishment an excuse to discredit the whole protest movement, and for the police to use brutal, overwhelming violence to suppress the protests.  If the protesters can refrain from all violence, it will further strengthen the moral authority of the protest movement.  It will help to bring more of the people behind the movement.  It will help to bring more people out.  

The police do have an obligation to maintain order in society.  They do have the authority to stop and arrest people who break the law.  The problem is when some of them use excessive force.  Some of them seem to pursue protesters even when the protesters are leaving the scene.   They sometimes seem to be slow in protecting the protesters and even bystanders from being attacked.  Some of the senior officers make very lame excuses when questioned.  Some of them display a hostile attitude towards even peaceful protesters.  It is understandable that the police is under a lot of pressure in these days.   However, if the police can refrain from unnecessary force, demonstrate that they are even handed, and are truly professional in carrying out their duties - they will surely earn the respect of the vast majority of the Hong Kong people.  And they will feel much less pressure in dealing with the situation.  It will also help to focus attention on the real political issues, rather than the police force itself. 

The key, ultimately, is the government.  Even though they have stopped pushing for the extradition bill, they have refused to withdraw the bill, as desired by so many.  Many people believe it is a matter of “face”.  If so, it is so very sad that the whole society is plunged into unnecessary continued conflict because of the “face” of one person.  It appears that many people are angry because the government is so condescending, dismissive, and intransigent.  It just does not appear to be sincere in admitting that it has mismanaged the whole thing.  If only the government can come out and sincerely apologise, try to understand why so many people are so angry, and try to work with the people to move things forward - the situation would be so very different.  Most people do understand Hong Kong is part of China, that we are still under many constraints, that many things cannot be pushed too quickly.  But we do need to see the government as working with us under the constraints, rather than working against us to tighten the constraints even further.  

While I understand I may be appealing to blocked ears, I still have to plead with all parties to take the moral high ground, to be magnanimous.   For practical reasons, let us start with ourselves.   If we feel we are in the right, let us start to forgive.   If we hold the power, let us start to forgive.  That is what God did.  If God had not forgiven us, there is no redemption for anyone of us.  Since God has forgiven us, let us try to forgive each other.  If we focus on the negative part of human nature, people often behave according to our expectations, and the spiral goes downwards to mutual destruction.  If we, instead, focus more on the positive aspects of human beings, people may also respond accordingly, towards a happier, sunnier outcome.  

Take the Moral High Ground

It has become a pattern.  There is a massive peaceful march protesting against the government: anti-extradition bill, stalemate in political reform, police brutality, …  The peaceful march is followed by confrontation between a small number of “forcefuls” and the police, which results in violence.  The police beat people up and arrest some, while some “forcefuls” throw things.  Most of the time it is difficult to determine which comes first and who is more violent than the other.  

What is clear is that the government is stonewalling.  It is also holding an overwhelming advantage in power.   There is no way, no mater how organised and well-prepared, for the few “forcefuls” to win.  Why do they still insist on forceful confrontations? 

What is also clear is that the vast majority of the protesters do not condone the tactics of the few “forcefuls”.  And the violence committed by a few is giving the government an excuse to put its foot down.  It also shifts the focus onto the confrontation rather than the government intransigence.  

I pray that all protesters, including those who are inclined to confront forcefully, to take the moral high ground.  Because this is not a struggle for power, or of power.   There is no way that the people can win by force.  Even if the protesters win by force, the result is just the replacement of one set of elites by another.  

History has taught us that violence only begets violence.  Jesus himself also said, “Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." [Matthew 26:52]

This is ultimately a struggle for a change of mindset.  We need the community to embrace openness, inclusiveness, fairness, kindness and ultimately, love.   Such a change of heart cannot be achieved by force or violent revolution.   It can only be achieved by demonstrating and convincing a majority of the community of the value and benefits of higher moral values.   Hence there is no other option but to insist on taking the moral high ground. 

北京四合院 - Chinese Courtyard House

I came with a big team of staff and students to organise the Beijing session of a youth conference.  As soon as we got off the plane, our Beijing partner took us to a restaurant in a traditional Beijing courtyard house - the famous Siheyuan (四合院).

From the outside, it is not easy to imagine what is behind the wall - unless you are familiar with the concept of a 四合院.  

The entrance is set near the right hand corner of the house.  Immediately on the right, upon entering, is the kitchen.  

We turned left, through a circular entrance, into a long, narrow courtyard.  On the left hand side of the narrow courtyard is a row of houses with their back to the wall.  

On the right hand side of the narrow courtyard is the main entrance to the courtyard.  

We turned right to walk through the main entrance, and found ourselves in a spacious central courtyard.  

Across from the courtyard, on the far side, is the two-storey, main house - usually occupied by the owner of the house.  On both sides of the courtyard are rows of houses - usually occupied by the children of the owner and their families.  The courtyard is the focal point of the courtyard house.  

When we reached the two-storey main house and turned around, we can see what the owner sees from his house.  This is a private world protected from the outside. 

I wonder how much does one has to pay to acquire such a house now. 

This is actually a famous restaurant.  One of the dishes we had this evening is puffer fish.  

There are two ways to remove the poison from a puffer fish.  One is to remove the guts carefully.  The other is to carefully control the diet of the puffer fish, to avoid certain types of shellfish.  I believe this restaurant use the diet method.  

Roasted suckling pigs, anyone?

We were finding our way to check on some students who were wiring up some houses in a valley in Kibara, Rwanda when we stumbled upon a pile of piglets.  When I moved closer to take a photo, one of them discovered me, and looked up. 

Soon the others began to wake up as well, and scrambled through a hole to find their mother, in the next pen. 

Perhaps they feel more secure while suckling their mother?

However, it wasn’t too long before they realised I posed no threat.  One by one, they came back through he hole, to look at me.   I am actually not too sure what the interest was.  

They were cute.  But I had to go back down the hill to find other students.  So I turned around after taking a few photos. 

I didn’t realise that they were following me down the hill, until I turned around and found them scrambling after me.  

When I stopped, they also stopped and looked up at me.  Perhaps they are thinking: "What now?".  

I was tempted to take one back to the guest house and see whether I can make a roasted suckling pig.  Of course, I would be quite happy to pay for it.  I don’t think it will be very expensive.  But it will be a much welcomed change of diet.  However, it would be messy to try to kill a pig at the guest house.  And it might even be illegal.  I am pretty sure it is illegal in Hong Kong - to slaughter a pig at home.  

No more violence, please!

I was afraid something like this would happen.  When my wife and I, together with some friends from church, were marching, together with hundreds of thousands of people, peacefully on July 1, we heard that some people were trying to break into the Legislative Council Building.  

When we reached home, we saw on TV that more than a hundred people broke into the building.  Fortunately, it appeared that no one was seriously hurt in the process. But what purpose does it serve?  Except that it gave the establishment another excuse to condemn the opposition, justify the use of force against the people, and dismiss the legitimate demands of the hundreds of thousands who marched peacefully.  

I can see how the intransigence of the government may cause some people to feel extremely frustrated, that there is no way out.  But breaking glasses, destroying things, defacing walls and furnishings do not achieve any real purpose.   While the frustration is understandable, it does not justify the violence. 

Some police are violent, but most are just doing their job.  Do not make enemies of all the police.  We should trust and respect our courts in dealing with the consequences of the confrontations.  Some legislators are dishonest, some support the bad law against our interest.  Let us vote them out of office when there is a chance.  Let us not make life even more difficult for those pan-democrat legislators. 

We have to take the moral high ground.  There is no other choice.  Violence is not the solution.  

On the other hand, if the government is to retain any semblance of legitimacy, it should respond appropriately to the legitimate concerns of such a large number of its citizens.  Intransigence is not effective governance.