A columnist in another newspaper has proposed that Hong Kong should hold a "Day of Reconciliation" as a way of healing the current gulf dividing our community, and has suggested that it be held annually on Jan 26 - a day which he says marks the anniversary of the British occupation of Hong Kong Island in 1841. Surely the first day on which British occupation of Hong Kong began is a repugnant date for most of us; it signifies the beginning of 150 years of colonial oppression. Therefore we strongly oppose it being suggested as the day when this sad point in our history is commemorated.

On the morning of Jan 25, 1841 - not Jan 26 - Captain Edward Belcher of HMS Sulphur landed quite a large party from his ship on the shore at the foot of Tai Ping Shan. Belcher, his group of officers and an armed escort party were looking for a suitable site where they could raise the British flag and ceremoniously take possession of the island for Britain.

The party made its way inland to a hill with a fine view of the harbor that was suitably clear of shrubbery for Belcher's purposes. There they staged a ceremony on the following day when James Bremer, the commander-in-chief of the British forces in China, arrived. The ceremony included the raising of the Union Jack, the firing of a salute, the naming of the area as Possession Point, and the drinking of a toast to Queen Victoria that concluded with the traditional joie de vivre of delight at yet another conquest.

In the circumstances I would suggest that such a date should be the absolute last choice to be linked with the reconciliation of our divided community. The reasons for Britain occupying Hong Kong are a reminder of those grim times for China that began 175 years ago when, led by the grasping British, European countries plus the US and Japan joined forces either to attack China or to force her into making one territorial concession after another under unequal treaties.

That ceremony on Jan 26, 1841 set the pattern for those countries' land grabs from northern to southern China - excepting Macao, which was originally leased from China by Portugal some centuries earlier. What eventually developed into the emergence of Hong Kong as an "Asian Tiger" of the late 1970s and 1980s was brought about by the ingenuity, hard work and perseverance of its Chinese population. In those days there was no big "gap" dividing our population; they were all too busy earning a living to support their families - the families that eventually we were born into. And one of the particular goals of our forefathers and foremothers was to ensure that their sons and daughters have a far better education than they received as the children of refugees living in the clusters of squatter-hut settlements that then dotted hillsides on either side of the harbor.

"What squatter huts, never seen any - where are they?" we hear the young folk of today asking. Little do they know that the squatter problem led to a "Made-in-Hong Kong miracle" tracing back to the mid-1950s. That was when we launched what was to become the world's biggest public housing program. The first estates were "crammers" that squeezed squatter families into one smallish room, with cooking done on balconies. As the economy improved, bigger and more comfortable estates were built, and even a Home Ownership Scheme was launched. The next step was to open new towns across the New Territories.

Returning to our predecessors, all were imbued with the same unwavering spirit -to work hard, succeed and, in a modest fashion, prosper. The British colonial authorities who administered Hong Kong did not directly touch their lives. The Hong Kong people of those times looked forward to traditional Chinese festivals and celebrated each Lunar New Year with great gusto - and why not, since in those days before labor laws were introduced it provided them with their only public holiday of any length.

Almost all of Hong Kong's many achievements spring from the foresight, expertise and enthusiasm of its Chinese population. Despite the heavily restricted availability of land we developed one of the world's busiest and most prosperous container ports. When the information technology revolution exploded across the globe we joyfully embraced its time-saving innovations, keeping Hong Kong at the cutting edge of ingenuity.

But instead of rejoicing in all those triumphs of earlier times the younger generation of today are not happy with their lives. In turn it seems that other sections of the community are following suit by wanting change. At the same time demographics in the SAR are getting topsy-turvy as increasing numbers reach their late 60s and join the ranks of retirees.

By all means let reconciliation take place... and let's make every day Reconciliation Day!

The author is an international businessman and keen observer of Asian affairs.

(HK Edition 04/15/2016 page9)