From Global Asia:
When it works well, however, democracy gives expression to the finest qualities of idealism and public service, but by its very nature, it is also vulnerable to human frailty. The crucial point is that a democracy is the only form of government that can be truly accountable to the people in whose name it governs. Democracy offers a fair and equal opportunity for every citizen to have a say in the selection of those who wield political power over them. Democracy maximizes the kind of civic participation that can ultimately stand the test of time.
Hong Kong is not just one of the most sophisticated and economically successful cities in the world; it is also home to an open, generally law-abiding and well-ordered society. Where else do you see, (as we do year after year on the July 1 anniversary of the hand-over) tens of thousands of ordinary citizens marching peacefully in support of universal suffrage, with no ugly confrontations with the police, no vandalism, no threat whatsoever to law and order? [Full Text]
Anson Chan (ÈôàÊñπÂÆâÁîü) was Chief Secretary in Hong Kong’s last British administration and in its first post-handover government. Read also Mature Enough for Democracy, And Sensible Too by Tsang Yok Sing (ÊõæÈí∞Êàê).
