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Equal Opportunities Commission
OpinionComment
Ricky Chu Man-kin
Ricky Chu Man-kin

Opinion | Hong Kong must end its eternal stalemate in the fight for equality

  • Rather than remaining stuck in polarised debates, the city should focus on the specifics of practical measures to address discrimination against marginalised groups
  • The Equal Opportunities Commission must not only press for change, but create the conditions for progress

Reading Time:3 minutes
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Activists form a human chain around a rainbow flag to mark the fourth annual International Day Against Homophobia in Hong Kong on May 18, 2008. Photo: AFP
Ricky Chu Man-kin
Since taking the reins of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) a month ago, I have been attending various community events and meeting stakeholders across different sectors. I am aware that my appointment has raised a few eyebrows, with a few NGOs writing off my 35 years of experience at the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) as irrelevant, or even a potential liability to human rights advancement. 
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As intense as it is, I see the public scrutiny as a positive sign. If anything, it shows that people continue to believe in the commission’s raison d'être and care strongly about what we do, and how we go about doing it. Apathy is indeed the last thing we need, especially when the communities we strive to empower often live in a disadvantaged position.

Still, I wish the scrutiny would come with a broader understanding of what a champion of social justice may look like. For one thing, my previous work at the ICAC and the Independent Police Complaints Council was inspired by an unflinching belief in building a fair and just society that is free from corruption and abuse of power. That same commitment to righting social wrongs underlies the work of the EOC, as we pledge to combat prejudice and discrimination against marginalised groups.

More importantly, leading the commission to deliver real impact on Hong Kong’s equality landscape requires not only a passion for social justice, but also solid expertise and practical experience – in handling complaints, spearheading research and lobbying parties to bridge differences.

Ethnic minority residents protest outside the government’s headquarters in Tamar, Admiralty, in October 2018. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Ethnic minority residents protest outside the government’s headquarters in Tamar, Admiralty, in October 2018. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
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My vision, specifically, is for the commission to go beyond being an advocate of change, and create the conditions favourable for progress. Calls for legislation against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status, for instance, have persisted over the years and yet, because of lingering concerns about infringement on the right to freedom of thought and expression and fears of “reverse discrimination”, the situation has seemingly descended into an eternal stalemate.

Organisations at home and abroad commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on May 17. I inevitably yearn for the stalemate to end and some progress to be made. The bottom line is, the reality and gravity of LGBT discrimination cannot be shrugged off.

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