Hong Kong Protests, Part 5

This afternoon, the Admiralty in Hong Kong has been cleared of protesters and their tents, other obstructions. I support the cause of the protesters -- greater political independence from China communist government. I support the street occupations, but only for a short period of time.

This morning, twitter photo from the Asian Correspondent.

Freedom of expression is good and noble, I support it, but it should not restrict or contradict freedom of mobility of other people. Street occupation for a few days or weeks is understandable. But for more than two months, I think it is wrong. Below, twitter pics from the Harbour Times.

I and some friends visited that site at the Admiralty last November 5, 2014. My immediate impression was that the protests have morphed to become a "tent movement" from the original "umbrella movement." So many tents with no one inside, except for a few tents at the protest center.

Four lanes each, total of eight lanes, were occupied by many tents and protestors at the Admiralty/ Many go home afterwards. People cannot live in tents for days or weeks -- no toilets, no showers. Portable toilets are good only for half-day or whole day rallies, but not for weeks and months.

There was "mass arrest" too. .I don't know the details why such action was done by the HK government. I think removing the tents and other obstructions should be enough.
 Poor Jimmy Lai. I heard him speak during the EFN Asia conference 2004 in Hong Kong. Very articulate, down to earth, and liberty-minded guy. Too bad that he is among those arrested.

I heard Emily Lau during the EFN Asia conference 2014 in Hong Kong, just last month. She too is a very articulate and passionate speaker.

Again, I support the cause of the protesters -- NO to more China communist government heavy hands in Hong Kong. But while the protesters have this freedom of expression, other people in HK, both locals and foreign visitors, also have the freedom of mobility to pass that busy road at the Admiralty, also in other occupied areas. The latter should not be sacrificed for many weeks and months at the altar of the former.
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See  also:
Hong Kong Democracy vs. China Dictatorship, Part 2, September 29, 2014
Lion Rock 13: LRI Position on the Hong Kong Protests, October 08, 2014
Hong Kong Democracy Vs. China Dictatorship, Part 3,October 14, 2014
Hong Kong Protests, Part 4, November 06, 2014

Hong Kong Protests, Part 4

After our roundtable discussion on Intellectual Property and Innovation in Asian Markets at Harbour Grand Hong Kong, I and some friends went to the Admiralty center to see the protests. Below, from left: me, Armin Reinartz (Germany), Ken Schooland (Hawaii), Jadranco Brkic (Crotia?), Barun Mitra (India), Wan Saiful Wan Jan (Malaysia).

Narwin Espiritu from FNF Manila (rightmost here) also joined us.

The main protest site. See a photo of China PM Xi, holding an umbrella. We went there around 5:30-6 pm, Not too many protesters and I noticed there were so many tents. Perhaps more tents than protesters that hour, or on most days and hours.

Four lanes on each side were closed to traffic. Imagine  the traffic congestion that are created everyday in alternate roads. Even the road in front of our hotel at North Point, locals said the traffic congestion has worsened. Travel time by car or buses has become longer.

I support the call for more democracy in Hong Kong, that the people here should have the final voice whom they should elect as their overall administrator or President or Prime Minister or other head of state, and not Beijing and the China Communist Party. But I do NOT support continued occupation of major roads by the protesters, or tent occupation. The freedom of expression by the protesters clearly violates the freedom of mobility of other people. Roads are for vehicles, not for people.

I read though that the HK police have removed the protesters from a park. If so, it was a bad move by the police. Protesters should do their thing in areas where inconvenience of other people is minimized. That way, both freedom of expression by protesters and freedom of mobility of other people do not collide. The protesters do not alienate many people and do not create unnecessary enemies from the public.

I think a more effective way in practicing freedom of expression is to have huge rallies, protesters stay for just a day or two then go home. Then repeat the process, say once a week or once a month, until their political demands are heeded by their government. There is danger of losing political momentum in this process of course, but inconvenience to  other people and motorists will be drastically minimized.

With Narwin, the giant structures including the IFC building in HK island at the background.

All photos I got from Jadranco and Wan Saiful's fb posts.
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See  also:
Part 1, September 25, 2014
Hong Kong Democracy vs. China Dictatorship, Part 2, September 29, 2014
Lion Rock 13: LRI Position on the Hong Kong Protests, October 08, 2014
Hong Kong Democracy Vs. China Dictatorship, Part 3,October 14, 2014