Put your beard in the water!

The New Year’s riots in Hong Kong are, in my view, a warning shot for what governors may expect in the future. For this kind of conduct, I cannot defend either side. The agents provocateurs started the confrontation and the police responded dutifully. There was excessive behaviour from each side of the barricades and, in the end, the show made ‘good TV’. One thing is for sure: there are hidden tensions and social problems, there is a sentiment apparent in the young students that the future may not be as bright as they once thought. In addition, people in Hong Kong tend to be very keen and independent. They are truly entrepreneurial. And they want things to happen their own way. They have a feeling of ownership of a place. They feel that Hong Kong belongs to them and, above all, they have a feeling of citizenship! Well, and now, why is this guy writing about Hong Kong? First of all, Hong Kong is normally ahead in terms of social convulsions when compared with Macau. Then, what happens in Hong Kong is normally reflected – even with considerable delay – in Macau. And, thirdly, there will be elections for the Chief Executive in 2017, just one year ahead. Decisive moments in terms of the Special Administrative Regions are ahead and this could have been only the beginning of something bigger. A hidden tension normally explodes through an unrelated event, as, for example, in May 2014 in Macau or the umbrellas in Hong Kong. People are demanding more from their governors. People are not stupid, as some try to label them. They really know that the bigger the riot the more they are heard in Beijing. This serves not only as a warning call for all responsible persons in, especially, both Administrative Regions but also in the Mainland. There are social problems that need to be addressed. And despite all efforts for the new normal, a social explosion is what should be avoided by all means. The fact that this happened during the Chinese New Year, with thousands of visitors from the Mainland assisting was not innocent. The so-called ‘Scholarism’ comprises people who think and the worst that can happen to those that do not put the population first is when the population tends to start questioning the decisions and acts of their representatives. I do hope that Macau representatives can understand an old Portuguese adage (I like to play José Mourinho sometimes!): ‘When you come upon the beard of your neighbour burning, put yours in the water’.