Radicalism, Hong Kong style has now degenerated into personal provocation and physical confrontation. Instead of defending other people's freedom of speech, young radicals block it and shout it down. According to some frontline reporters, these self-styled radical youths number less than twenty, but their high profile performances in front of the TV cameras give the impression that this is the new style of the now fashionable Y-generation.

If mainstream society does not condemn such perverse behaviors and continues to allow these hooligans to appear regularly on TV like movie stars, we are in fact encouraging copy cats. More are appearing as a result, and sooner than you know, they will be all over the city and become the new triad squads. Anyone who does not speak or behave as they do will be bullied. Violence is bound to occur in the not too distant future.

No single person can stop this from spreading, so we have to act in concert. The June 19 rally in Victoria Park is one of the rare occasions for the usually shy silent majority to get together and express disapproval of the current unhealthy development. The hooligans do not like it and they have openly vowed they will attack the rally on that day.

There is absolutely no way a bunch of wild kids can intimidate a much bigger crowd. They will be looking for trouble, shouting loud, calling names, lying down to block the march, and may even pick fights with some marchers. The hooligans know that this is going to be the decisive battle, for if they should succeed in intimidating the large crowd estimated to reach over 100,000 people, they can do almost whatever they like in Hong Kong from then on. White terror will prevail.

The best way to treat such provocation is to keep our calm and disregard these hooligans. They are attention seeking, but we will choose not to give them any attention. The best way is to treat them as completely transparent. We don't see them, we don't hear them, and we don't have physical contact with them. Should they lie down on the road, as it appears to be their usual tactics, we will walk around them. Failing to do so, just walk over them without touching them. Should they attack people, let the police and the courts handle them.

We have had enough, but we will not fall into the dissidents' trap of violence and anarchy.

The author is a member of the Commission on Strategic Development.

(HK Edition 06/18/2010 page2)