English Lens

Putting words on paper or on the computer screen is more than mere communication, it is an art. It conveys meanings, ideas, images, emotions, thoughts and illusions. It can be wielded in so many forms. It can make you laugh, cry, angry, intrigued or even feel a surge of love. It is no wonder that as early as 1839, the power of writing was celebrated by English author Edward Bulmer-Lytton, who coined the phrase, “The pen is mightier than the sword.”

People in Hong Kong, under colonial rule, were for the most part, apolitical. They just wanted to be left alone to make a good life for themselves. However, ever since the handover in 1997, there has been a growing movement for the citizens to exercise some sort of control over their own destiny.

Once upon a time there was a kingdom called Nland. It was ruled by a king who sent emissaries all over the world to discover new places where Nland could be further enriched. One day an emissary returned with the news of a new place called Hong.

In Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, shelter runs second only to survival. It is a topic very much in the hearts of everyone who lives in Hong Kong right now. Anyone who has visited or lived in Hong Kong will believe the myth that it is very overcrowded and there is very little land available for development. It is a myth perpetrated by developers and silently aided and abetted by the government.

In my first article on the Hong Kong protests about the extradition bill, I had ended with:

Beijing may feel that the “One country, two systems” experiment has failed and decide that it may be best to have Hong Kong run like a province of China. This, Beijing can achieve with a mere stroke of a brush.

Never has the world faced such a cruel foe, so deadly and so unfeeling. It recognizes no borders. It does not discriminate between women, children or the elderly. It runs rampant through cultures, race, religion and political affiliations. In other words, it is an evil unto itself.

Now that the protests in Hong Kong have gone on for eight months and counting, it is perhaps time to take a closer look at what the fuss is all about. The initial impetus – objection to the extradition bill is long gone. The bill is dead, but the protests remain very much alive.