SCIO briefing: Views of experts and scholars on Hong Kong's current situation
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E-mail China.org.cn, August 16, 2019
Lianhe Zaobao:
My question is about the definition of terrorism. The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said on Monday that a tendency of resorting to terrorism had emerged in Hong Kong, and after the airport violence the day before yesterday, the office voiced condemnation, saying that was almost a terrorist act. However, this definition of terrorism is inconsistent with the one that Hong Kong authorities mentioned at a press conference yesterday. They said that the incident at the Hong Kong airport was serious, but not a terrorist act. I would like to ask the academics and experts present here, what do you think of the issue? What is the definition of terrorism? Furthermore, what measures should be taken to punish terrorists?
Zhang Jian:
The question from Lianhe Zaobao is about a serious issue related to the current situation in Hong Kong that has raised great concerns. Why? It concerns how the central government defines the situation in Hong Kong as well as its overall position on the issues involved. From my point of view, first, I would like to recommend that media friends read an article focusing on domestic terrorism in the United States published in the latest issue of the Time magazine. The general idea is that the law enforcement departments and government officials in the United States right now have become increasingly prone to consider extremely violent acts occurring in its homeland as terrorism. Moreover, it also proposed a number of measures that the U.S. government, including the law enforcement authorities, have taken to address the challenge of such domestic terrorism. Of course, the extremely violent incidents are the main focus. The article also offered some further solutions.
Why are the extremely violent domestic acts being deemed as terrorism in the U.S.? I believe the media must be very concerned about this issue. We can tell from the news emanating from the United States that the country has been suffering foreign terrorist attacks ever since the "9/11" incidents [in 2001]. Actually, more and more incidents of domestic terrorism have been occurring in the U.S. It indicates it is making domestic national security a priority. As a matter of fact, terrorism in the U.S. stems from extremism and extremely violent acts.
Second, you can search the definitions of terrorism that the United Nations, the European Union, the International Criminal Police Organization and even the Oxford Dictionary offer. All these definitions have one thing in common -- they all define terrorism as the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, or disruptive behavior against national and civilian security, in the pursuit of political aims.
I discussed the definition of terrorism with some local government officials and academics in Germany and the Netherlands while attending academic exchanges held in the two countries at the end of last year. They generally agreed to consider extremely violent acts occurring in their countries as terrorism. I was surprised by their opinion. We all know that Germany and Netherlands are generally very safe countries within not only the E.U. but even in the entire world. Why did they shift their views? It was all because of the growing number of extremely violent acts that have plagued Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, France and other Western European countries in recent years.
Third, as has been mentioned, the extremely violent acts in Hong Kong over the past week, including the airport incident and petrol bomb attacks on police, have led to serious consequences. The journalist also mentioned the views of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on terrorism. If we analyze the wording of its statement carefully, it didn't say the current situation in Hong Kong is terrorism; it just said it had a tendency of being almost terrorist acts. Words such as "almost" and "tendency" describe the seriousness of the situation, which means the violent incidents in Hong Kong are moving toward this tendency, and if lawful measures are not taken to punish and stop these acts, the violent incidents might flare up into real terrorist acts.
How to stop the extremely violent acts that show signs of terrorism? Let's review the practices of some Western countries. As we all know, the "yellow vests" movement that broke out last year in France continues to these days. In April, the French government rushed through a law to curb violent protests. Hiding one's face while participating in a protest is now deemed a criminal act according to the law. If you refuse to remove the covering on your face, it will be deemed a criminal act, and you will face a sentence of at least one year if convicted. In the West, this is a very grave situation.
In recent days, after violent events occurred in Hong Kong, Hong Kong people from all walks of life have voiced their opposition to such acts. We observe that Hong Kong's response to the incidents is consistent with that of international society. Opposition to violence is an international consensus. How to contain the severe violence occurring in Hong Kong? First, Hong Kong society must have zero-tolerance for such violent acts and must criticize the perpetrators. Second, the Hong Kong law enforcement and judicial institutions must work to ensure strict law enforcement and impartial administration of justice in dealing with the individuals and groups inciting or committing severe violent acts. As we all know, Hong Kong reflects similar social values with the Western world. Western values have gained much appreciation from Hong Kong people from all walks of life. One of the most important aspects of Western values is the rule of law, apart from democracy, human rights, and personal freedom. There is a widespread saying in the United States: "Use of violence during rallies means you lose the right of peaceful demonstration granted to you by the Constitution."
All journalists present today look very young. You may have watched a lot of Hong Kong films and TV series. In the police-themed films and TV dramas, the police often said that Hong Kong has become an international financial center and the safest city in Asia because of the rule of law, which is the core value of the city. Professor Han has talked about this point just now. Therefore, let's focus on the original point. The rule of law is the fundamental solution to address the signs of terrorism shown in the extremely violent acts in Hong Kong.
Hence, stopping violence according to the law is the fundamental solution to address the signs of terrorism appearing in the violent acts being witnessed in Hong Kong, and it is a critical measure to ensure the personal safety of Hong Kong residents, and protect the overall interests of Hong Kong. Thank you.
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