Letters | More intercultural dialogue can make Hong Kong safer for all

Readers discuss the need to fight stereotypes and build an inclusive intercultural community, how library books should be stacked, the effectiveness of Western sanctions against Russia, and the hyped-up Indian stock market

Hong Kong society

Letters

Published: 11:30am, 18 May 2024

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The recent case of vandalism targeting the homes of ethnic minority families in a Kwai Chung housing estate may well be an isolated incident. The despicable acts, which included leaving waste and rubbish outside flats and hurling bags filled with water from a height at children who were playing, have no place in Hong Kong. Police have since arrested an individual suspected of carrying out these acts.

While these incidents are rare and extreme, and would no doubt be universally decried by all Hong Kong residents, I wonder if stronger community cohesion could further prevent future occurrences. At the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), we have long pushed for more platforms to encourage social interactions of people from different cultural and ethnic communities, which can make the shift from parallel existence to harmonious, respectful and enjoyable coexistence.

Having a friendly chat with a neighbour, classmate or fellow passenger in everyday settings is a powerful first step to dispelling biases and misconceptions that may have formed through years of social conditioning.

The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development on May 21 serves as a timely reminder of the need for more understanding and cooperation to bridge cultural divides. First declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2002, following Unesco’s adoption of the 2001 Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, the day serves to highlight not only the richness of the world’s cultures, but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development.

We need to facilitate more people-to-people interactions to build connections. In my conversation with Kowloon City district councillor Dr Rizwan Ullah, also a member of EOC, he attributed his fluent Cantonese and understanding of local culture to his childhood friendship with ethnic Chinese kids he met at neighbourhood football pitches. His story speaks to the power of sports in breaking barriers and cultivating a sense of belonging.

The Racial Diversity & Inclusion Sports Day we held recently is an example of using sports as a platform to break down stereotypes. Some local NGOs and sports clubs have also been forming mixed teams of Chinese and ethnic minorities in football, basketball and running.

We believe this approach can be expanded and adapted to further strengthen intercultural community relations and foster inclusive community building. We hope community and district leaders will take up the task.

Linda Lam, chairperson, Equal Opportunities Commission

Make library books more user-friendly please

Why are books packed so tightly in public libraries that they are difficult to pull out? I often visit the reference section of the Kowloon Public Library. I find it hard sometimes to pull out the books I want and have had to seek help from the librarians. It does seem like library staff just try to put as many books as possible on a shelf, without a thought for user-friendliness.

Goods poorly displayed in a shop may turn off shoppers. Similarly, books thoughtlessly arranged on a shelf puts people off reading.

Fung Zhan Hong, Ho Man Tin

History shows the futility of Western sanctions

I refer to the article, “China, Russia could bypass barriers to buoy business as Western sanctions bite, researchers say” (May 13).

Sometimes protectionism backfires. Look at how Microsoft Windows became the most popular desktop operating system in the world not despite but because of the refusal by Apple, its key rival, to share its OS with other companies.

Travelling through West Berlin for the first time in 1990, I as a young Russian was surprised by the sheer number of BMW and Mercedes cars there, never mind that the Soviet Union once tried to fully blockade the enclave in 1948-1949.

In 1994, I got a job at a Moscow commercial bank and used a basic computer with an American bank’s software for transfers in dollars. The same can now be done with a Chinese bank’s software for renminbi payment. Increasingly it’s a case of Hobson’s choice for the Global South: either pay for Russian energy resources in yuan or make do without them.

The British have a proverb, “Let sleeping dogs lie”. Perhaps after Western sanctions have turned Russia and China into a giant West Berlin they will modify it to “Let the Bear and the Yellow Peril lie”, as that’s what they pejoratively call us.

Mergen Mongush, Moscow

Are Indian stocks due for a correction?

While India has been a darling of global investors since the pandemic, its stock market has probably had its best run and could be due for a correction. Firstly, valuations may be getting ahead of themselves; secondly, amid its roaring economy, its urban infrastructure is struggling to keep up and problems like air pollution are worsening.

But more importantly, the stock market has become the talk of the town. Rickshaw drivers are giving stock tips, housewives are trading futures and options and everybody, it seems, believes the stock market will continue to rise as the economy booms.

There’s so much cash that we can probably go higher before we realise we are in a bubble. But what will happen to the retail investors when the market does crash?

Rishi Teckchandani, Mid-Levels

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