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The third way

Students, your voices have been heard. Now show some wisdom and change strategy

Stephanie Cheung says now their voices have been heard, Occupy protesters need to show some wisdom and seek an alternative path, one which embodies all that is good about democracy

Youth of Hong Kong, your demands for real democracy have been heard. Not only in Hong Kong, but in other parts of the world. You have acted with admirable self-discipline, respect and reason. Your good manners, tidiness, patience, peace and goodwill, sleeping out and studying in the streets, have not gone unnoticed.

You have earned support from many Hong Kong citizens who are inspired by your pure motives and courage, and wish to see you all safe and well.

However, you cannot sleep on the streets forever, or disrupt the running of the city indefinitely.

Everyone is watching now to see how the “umbrella movement” will end – with a bang (forcible eviction by the police) or a whimper (fizzling out with waning enthusiasm by supporters)?

It is unrealistic to pin your hopes on successful talks with the government to give yourselves an honourable discharge. To do so means that the future of the movement will hinge upon how the government responds. You will place yourselves at the mercy of uncompromising authorities in whose interest it is to drag out the talks, until the whimper happens.

It does not, however, need to be a choice just between two options.

If your efforts and sacrifice in the past weeks are not to go to waste, this is the time to seriously change tactics and create a third way out of the impasse. While you still have the energy and support, take active steps over which you can control, and which do not depend on how the authorities respond.

I suggest: First, move the site of your occupancy to somewhere that creates less disturbance to the public. Occupying busy thoroughfares has already woken up everyone in this city to your demands. To continue is unlikely to add significant benefit, but will surely backfire by stirring up ill will. There are families that need the days of lost wages and income.

If your choice spot outside government offices at Tamar is not approved, why not go somewhere like City Hall, the west wing of government headquarters in Admiralty, or Government House? These sites also have symbolic value, but will not cause as much disturbance for the rest of the general public. If all else fails, you can still do it in university grounds, or cyberspace.

Second, set up an “umbrella forum”. You have already had pockets of citizens in the occupy areas surrounding different microphones, where people freely share their stories and views. Setting up an umbrella forum will enable this tradition to continue and flourish. Even when enthusiasm for physical occupying fizzles out, the forum can go on with periodic discussions, and it need not be on a daily basis. It will be a legacy of the “umbrella movement” that you and your children can be proud of.

Third, do public education. While fighting for a democratic system, please do not neglect the underlying attitude of democracy. Democracy is an attitude inasmuch as a system.

Unlike totalitarianism, which imposes its own view as the only legitimate one, democracy assumes an attitude of humility in accepting that one’s ideas may not be the best or the only reasonable view, and hence a willingness to submit to the will of the majority.

At the same time as passionately advocating for one’s beliefs, democracy promotes an attitude of willingness to listen to others’ ideas and weighing up different views. It is an attitude of respect and acceptance for a plurality of ideas. From such diversity, creativity springs.

The democratic society you yearn for requires a society of citizens who are socially responsible, independent in thought, generous in spirit and respectful of differences.

There is much public education to be done in this area, if Hong Kong is to avoid the pitfalls of bought votes and corruption. The government is doing next to nothing in educating Hong Kong for democracy. The “umbrella movement” can earn a place in history as a catalyst for this public education process, but only if it does not lose its credibility by overstaying its welcome in the streets.

These suggestions are to show that the choice is not between ending with a bang or a whimper, but between bringing harm or bringing good to the society you love.

By all means, continue with your best efforts to hold talks with the government and continue your demands, but please don’t fantasise about an early victory, or overestimate the bargaining power of occupying the streets as nuisance value.

Making a decision to change strategy will require moral courage, as no doubt there will be boos from diehards, and misunderstanding of motives.

You have earned respect from many of us citizens of Hong Kong, who poured out into the streets to protest against police violence in an attempt to protect your selfless righteousness. The challenge now is to combine that righteousness with wisdom and consideration for other members of the public.

Stephanie Cheung participated in the student movements in the 1970s, and is currently a solicitor and mediator, and volunteer in youth work and education

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: The third way
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