Governments' TERRIBLE policy decisions are escalating the anthropocene.
The New York Times reports that in Brazil Jair Bolsonaro has scaled back efforts to fight illegal logging, mining and farming, which have led to widespread destruction in the world’s largest rainforest
In the US, Trump has pushed to keep toxic pesticides in use despite significant empirical research showing clear impacts on children's neurological health and insect viability.
Trump has more generally sought to undo every environmental, health, and economic regulatory apparatus whose stated objective is to serve public purpose. Trump has suborned public purpose to private gain.
There are plenty of hidden supporters for this predatory approach to government.
The global backlash against inequalities and exploitation is UNDERWAY.
Unfortunately the growing global backlash is too often violent. I agree with the rights to free expression and demonstration but believe intentional violence will only create more violence.
Tragically the situation in Hong Kong illustrates how violence can spiral out of control.
China is now poised for escalating human rights abuses against the nation's youth in Hong Kong. I fear massacre.
Violence by official Chinese forces will not serve the intention of unification and will unite world opinion against China. Brand China will suffer.
BELOW FIND LETTERS REGARDING CONDITIONS IN HONG KONG UNIVERSITIES
18 November 2019
Dear Friend,
As I write to you now, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
has been under siege by the police for almost twenty-four hours. We are in a
desperate situation, facing potential bloodshed and disintegration of the
movement for social justice in Hong Kong. Therefore, I beg of you to spare some
time to read this long letter I am writing to you.
This is the situation as I understand it:
The students and their supporters have stayed on the Hong Kong
Polytechnic University campus because it is located at the entrance of one of
the cross-harbour tunnels. Their aim was to cause disruption of the traffic as
part of the protest. This is the continuation of the same campaign that caused
threats of police attack at the Chinese University, another university campus,
early this week.
Yesterday 17th November Sunday late afternoon, the
atmosphere on campus started to become tense.
Early evening the police announced that people inside the
campus should leave, otherwise they would be considered rioters. There was no
mechanism to make sure the message was successfully received by the students
and their supporters inside, and there was no deadline for the permission to
leave.
Shortly after the announcement, the students and their
supporters found all entrances and exits closed off by the police. People who
walked out of the campus including first-aid volunteers and journalists were
searched, and some arrested.
The President of the Polytechnic University Prof Teng
Jinguang released a video this morning calling for students and protesters
inside the campus to step out. He said he had received assurance from the
police that they could leave the campus safely and he personally would
accompany them to the police to ensure fair treatment, implying that they would
be arrested. None of the University’s senior management have been seen on the
campus to mediate since the crisis started.
From last night until now citizens have attempted to
approach the campus to help the students and their protesters leave. A Catholic
Cardinal, as well as pastors and Legislators have demanded to meet with the
police commanders and the Chief Executive Carrie Lam, but their requests for a
meeting were all declined.
Since this morning the students and their supporters inside
the campus have made several attempts to leave, but were blocked off by the
police who fired teargas and other projectiles at them. They had to turn back
and take refuge inside the campus.
Black-clad protesters have gathered in nearby areas and
conflicts have broken out between them and police. Their alleged aim is to
distract the police in order to allow the students and their supporters trapped
inside the campus to find ways to leave. In one incident a 20-year old female protester
was arrested with an injury. She was put in ambulance with two policemen.
Protesters surrounded the ambulance to free her. During the incident the police
fired three shots using live bullets.
You might be baffled by the use of force on the part of the
protesters, and may not understand how the movement has developed to reach this
state. Let me share these personal observations with you:
The movement started as a Peaceful-Rational-NonViolent (和平理性非暴力,
or 和理非)
one, but the government has ignored the demands of the people after one
million, then two million citizens participated in demonstrations against the
Extradition (Amendment) Bill on June 9th and 12th. When the Chief
Executive finally announced withdrawal of the Bill on 4th September, the
anger of the people had already escalated to an uncontrollable extent.
The Peaceful-Rational-NonViolent demonstrators have
continued to apply for a Letter of No Objection from the police to organise
peaceful rallies, but many have failed. The right of peaceful, lawful assembly
is being eroded.
The government’s blatant neglect of the people’s wishes has
exposed the impossibility of democracy in our society under the current
electoral system for the Legislative Council and the Chief Executive. As a
result, the campaign has evolved into one that demands political reforms in
Hong Kong to ensure genuine democracy. This is what we and our young people are
fighting for.
Through June, July and August peaceful demonstrators in
rallies have endured police beating and abuse without defence. Demonstrators
remained peaceful until two landmark events took place: on 21st July thugs
were employed to beat citizens with rods in Yuen Long who were travelling back
from a peaceful rally. Many citizens called the police, but the police refused
to intervene. Then, on 31st August the police entered Prince Edward
Railway Station to beat passengers. The truth of what happened has been
white-washed and is still hidden from society at large. Following these two and
numerous other incidents of abuse of force by the police, protesters have
themselves adopted tactics of force.
In the past months the police have increased their use of
teargas in densely populated residential areas, shooting various kinds of
projectiles directly at crowds and individuals. Many arrests have made, and the
number of bodies of young people thrown down from buildings or found floating
in the harbour has increased as compared to the same period in previous years,
many in suspicious circumstances. There have been allegations of gang rape of
female arrestees by the police during detention and of other physical abuse,
including beating and prevention of medical treatment for the injured. Lawyers
have also complained about delay in meeting their arrested clients.
The people of Hong Kong have demanded an independent
commission of inquiry to be set up to investigate possible abuse of power by
the police, either to stop it, or to clear the name of the police force, but
this demand has been rejected by the Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who issued an
open and blanket assurance to the police force that she would not “sell
them out” on 13th July, without commenting on the need to seek truth,
maintain police discipline or uphold justice.
In spite of the disruption caused by the protests, many Hong
Kong citizens are firmly supporting the movement. This is evident in the
continuous turn-out of people in protests, and the overwhelming support for the
students in the Chinese University campus early this week when the campus was
threatened with police attack. Many supporters who flocked to the campus have
witnessed the students’ faith in defending Hong Kong’s freedom and limited democracy,
and their resolution to make sacrifices for that belief.
Many also commented
that the tense and sombre atmosphere that night reminded them of the Tian’anmen
Square events of 1989. Now, the hundreds of students and their supporters
trapped in the campus of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University are threatened
with the same potentially tragic but avoidable fate. I urge you to lend your
help to us. There are many ways of doing it. One way is to write to the Hong
Kong Chief Executive as an international academic to urge her to resolve the
present crisis peacefully. I have drafted a template of this letter below. If
you can help, please make whatever changes you consider suitable and send her
your letter (Please scroll down below).
I would be very grateful if you could help, continue to pay
attention to the development of our movement, and wish us well. If you happen
to have Hong Kong students in your university, please look upon them kindly. It
is a very difficult time for our young people studying overseas, who love their
city deeply but far away from home at this trying time.
In solidarity,
~
XXXXX
XXXXX
XXXXX
I have noted with great concern the unjustified attack by
riot police of the Chinese University of Hong Kong campus on 15th November,
and the present siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University campus. I am
writing to urge you to require the Hong Kong police force to respect
academic campuses as places of learning that ought to be free from this kind of
violence and intimidation by officers of the law. I also urge you to
resolve the present crisis peacefully by ordering the police besieging the
campus to stand down, so that the students inside the campus can leave without
harm.
As a result of these actions universities in Hong Kong have
closed for the current term, and overseas exchange students have decided or
been advised to leave. As international academics, we deplore these acts of
intrusion into university campuses, and seek your assurance that you will make
it incumbent on the Hong Kong Police to respect the autonomy of places of
learning. Not to do so would involve an attack on academic freedom and places
of higher learning which violates all the principles of international law and
human rights, and which would necessarily call for international
sanctions. We would appreciate your considered response to this letter of grave
concern regarding the safety of tertiary institutions in your city.
Yours faithfully,
Name, designation and affiliation
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