In a democracy, there will be protests

CHINA is allowing the people of Hong Kong to exercise democracy. If they have democracy then they have the right to protest. In a democracy, it is your right to support whom you want to support. We too live in a democracy and, hopefully, we should support people who also want democracy.

Yes, business and security will be affected. But just to remind everyone, do you think the French and Russian Revolutions could have happened if people kept quiet and worried only about business and security? What about the American Civil War and the civil rights protests of African-Americans led by Martin Luther King Jr? What about the Iran Revolution and the Arab Spring?

And let’s not forget the people power movements in this part of the world that overthrew Marcos, Soekarno, Suharto – all this happened and changed lives for the better because people protested.

There was also the Red and Yellow protests in Thailand. And we had our own protests in 1968 and 2008 and the protests by Bersih. Nothing will be changed by sitting at home.

It is not that people like to protest. What do you get for protesting except tear-gassed, sprayed by water cannon, arrested and even jailed. But saying people cannot protest insults people like King Jr and Nelson Mandela, and puts you on the side of dictators. Yes, there will be peace and security but also hardship and suffering.

Let me make my point very clearly: I am not supporting any country. I am just saying that things can only get better if there is protest. There are protests almost daily in India because they believe strongly in democracy. Today there are huge protests in the United States over the killing of an African-American by a white policeman.

We have to protest for change, we can’t just sit at home and write about it.

AMBIAGAPATHI SAMARASAN

George Town