Eager young people can still rise above fray and take us forward

Rachel Cartland remains optimistic about outlook for youth in the city despite fracas from 'pan-democrats'

When I was interviewed by the BBC at the time of the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, I struck an optimistic note and cited the caliber of Hong Kong's young people as a reason for that confidence. I had the opportunity to interact with some of the most prominent among them and I was touched by their idealism and their passion to help make a difference for grass-roots people. As with any youth groups, there are bound to be some hotheads whose impatience to take action sometimes borders on extremism. But on the whole, I believe our new Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheung Yuet-ngor's conciliatory and open-door policy should find them welcome collaborators for social change.

As a conscientious voter, I have some views on the kind of person I want to see in the Legislative Council. I want someone who believes in the Basic Law and the principle of "one country, two systems" and Hong Kong's democratic development. I want someone who takes seriously the LegCo member's oath and duties, who is committed to advancing the interests of all in the community, particularly the have-nots, whose approach is one of practical problem-solving rather than turning issues like the border control co-location arrangement for the new Express Rail Link terminus into a political football. Sadly, there is currently no clear indication that the "democratic camp" is offering anything much to meet these rather modest aspirations which, I am sure, would be shared by many other electors.

Does this mean then that my earlier confidence in Hong Kong's future was misplaced? On the contrary, I would be at least as optimistic as in June and last month, and I have a few reasons to justify this.

The first may smack of wishful thinking. The fact is that this is such a uniquely vibrant, energetic place and the vast majority of its people so honest, diligent and down to earth that it seems indisputable that, difficult though the path may be, the city will eventually be able to forge a magnificent future for itself.

The second, the rule of law remains intact regardless of the hysterical comments from some factions in Hong Kong and baseless criticisms from foreign politicians and media. Prison sentences were imposed on the "Occupy" trio for offenses that have long been on the statute books, and the entire process was conducted in accordance with established procedures including written judgments fully explaining the reasoning. The rule of law is indeed one of our greatest treasures and we must be vigilant against the possibility of its erosion by political interference or unfounded accusations of such interference which will affect confidence in our judicial system.

And the third reason, these young people, by definition, have time on their side. None of the recently imprisoned radicals has reached the age of 30 and, thus, it can be assumed, have scope for further intellectual and character development and refinement of their ideas. In this connection, it is encouraging that some young activists are directing their energies to grassroots work helping residents to solve practical problems. They will not only get to understand the priorities and needs of ordinary working people but will also interact with frontline civil servants and, if they are open-minded, will come to acknowledge that many officials do indeed sincerely want to solve citizens' problems and make their lives better.

Finally, I have much faith in our new Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip Tak-kuen. I have had the pleasure of working with him and I know that he is one of those who deserve the Yiddish soubriquet of a "mensch", an all-around good guy of upright character. The politics of the social welfare world are harsh but Nip has made many friends there. It was not just his easy charm that appealed to them; they could see that he was someone who was genuinely caring and who was effective in bringing plans to fruition. In a government faced with many difficult tasks, Patrick has one of the most challenging portfolios but we can hope he will find a way to reach out to our young politicians to ensure they all have a good hearing.

Many of Hong Kong's political figures who are now middle-aged or older are, individually, admirable people. It must be admitted, however, that they have failed collectively to articulate a unifying and compelling vision to give hope and confidence to our community. But this can yet be achieved with the collaboration of the younger generation if they can be won over.

(HK Edition 08/31/2017 page8)