(Image courtesy : commons.wikimedia.org via Google)
Apparently, many of HK’s legislators feel
that there is absolutely no need to extend the deadline for imposing sanctions
on the Philippines because of the Philippine President’s unequivocal stand of
not issuing a personal apology and matters of compensation over the bus
disaster. Frederick Fung, Tam-Yiu
Chung, Fernando Cheung are all reported to have said that there is no need to
defer sanctions because there is absolutely no connection between the recent
typhoon that devastated the Philippines and the need to impose sanctions. In fact, C.Y.Leung has done one better – like
he usually does. According to him, the
Philippines Govt have not requested for an extension of the deadline over
imposing sanctions on the Philippines.
Quite evidently, it has not occurred to any
of these mighty minds that the Philippines government might, just might be busy,
desperately trying to bring their country back on track ? On the one hand, we have a country that has
seen massive destruction over the past few days, the country has been ravaged,
thousands of people killed, people struggling to find shelter because in some
places there is none left, entire towns have been wiped out without as much as
a single survivor and in the midst of all this, our legislators (if one can call
them that) want to impose sanctions ??
How did this whole thing start ? This issue of imposing sanctions on the
Philippines, I mean. It all started with
the bus tragedy three years back when many HK tourists were killed in a
shootout in the Philippines. I, among
many others for sure, do understand the anger among the relatives of the
tourists killed. The whole world knows
that the way the hostage crisis was handled was completely botched. The whole incident was awful and tragic and
it did expose the fact that the authorities there were ill-trained and
ill-equipped to handle the crisis or the situation that arose from a lone,
deranged man acting on his own. He did
not have a political agenda nor was he affiliated to any terrorist
faction. Whatever happened was truly
tragic. Innocents lost their lives and
yes, that is very very difficult for their loved ones to come to terms with,
let alone forgive and forget.
But to adamantly expect the President of a
nation to personally apologize is, in reality, stretching things a bit too
far. HK saw the Lamma ferry disaster on
National Day in 2012. Undoubtedly one of
the worst maritime incidents in HK waters, under the watch of the HK Marine
Department, with rescue efforts undertaken by the Firemen and Police Divers
from HK’s Police Force. There were still
casualties. Did C.Y.Leung apologize to
the public or to the bereaved families ?
Going by the same principle that some lawmakers and families expect a
personal apology from President Aquino, why was C.Y.Leung not expected to do
the same ?
The Philippines government has declared a
state of calamity, which, after the havoc wrecked by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda),
the country truly faces. Navy ships are
being diverted towards the Philippines from countries far and wide, supplies
are being sent via aircrafts from countries like India. Relief efforts are pouring in from all around
the world. Most countries in the international community
have pledged millions of dollars towards aid while the government in China has
pledged a 100000 dollars. The HK
Government has done one better, yet again.
The very same HK Government which reported a surplus budget of HKD 64
something billion dollars is yet to announce financial aid. Let alone financial aid, while the other countries
are pouring in towards relief efforts, C.Y.Leung and his band of legislators
are thinking of imposing sanctions. Well
done, HK !! Beam with pride !!
It is particularly at times like these that
the little bubble becomes so very obvious.
The little bubble that HongKong lives in, with its bunch of politicians who have absolutely no idea
and worse still, who simply don’t seem to care about HK’s standing around the
world. Standing in terms of a society
which cares, empathises, in terms of a welfare society that wishes to be a part
of this giant planet that we all inhabit.
Helping those in need is never a sign of
weakness. It takes a very strong mindset
to step out of one’s comfort zone, take a good look around and arrive at a
decision. These are precisely the things
the legislators and the CE of HK seem unable to do. That shroud of apathy which has always been
one of the hallmarks of HongKong, is making itself rather appallingly obvious.
What HongKong and its legislators need to
actively seek and work towards the whole bus tragedy fiasco, is closure - diplomatic closure, not a punitive one. I do sincerely hope that the people who walk into the Chambers in LEGCO have the common sense, the willingness, the guts and the gumption to work towards a peaceful closure rather than thump their chests like gorillas in the jungle and bay for blood by way of retaliatory and castigatory measures.
1 voice(s) said so:
Loved the post as it highlighted the high handed attitude that the HK Govt is taking towards Philippines, that too at a time when the country has been ravaged by probably the worst ever natural disaster it has seen in a long time.
Wonder when politicians will stop playing politics with people's lives.
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