Editorial | Inclusivity is key to Hong Kong’s success
- Action, not just words, needed to to help members of city’s ethnic minority groups better integrate into society and enjoy education and career opportunities
Before taking office as chief executive, John Lee Ka-chiu met with leaders from the city’s ethnic minority groups, emerging from one such session saying that Hong Kong’s success depended on diversity, and that he welcomed their suggestions on how to better integrate minorities into society.
While this critical work is ongoing, recent reports suggest there is still a long way to go to break down discriminatory barriers.
In one alarming case, police arrested a man in April for vandalism and nuisance-related acts targeting ethnic minority households in a housing estate.
Mufti Muhammad Arshad, the city’s chief imam, condemned the incidents but said it was likely an individual case. That he had to address it at all is saddening, and a glaring admission that discrimination in its worst forms still troubles Hong Kong.
Another was the results of a survey of 509 people aged 16 to 25 that found that 82 per cent of ethnic minority respondents were unable to find internships in Hong Kong.
The NGO KELY Support Group urged the government to do more to develop job opportunities for young minorities, arguing rightly that companies could benefit from diverse cultural backgrounds and talent.
