As the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections rages on in Hong Kong and cases surged in some districts, Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin, EOC Chairperson recently published an article in Hong Kong Economic Journal, South China Morning Post and The Stand News, calling on all sectors to avoid racial bias and labelling in conversations about the pandemic.

“Nerves are frayed, fears are rife and fatigue is at an all-time high, making it a perfect climate for tolerance and empathy to be in short supply. However, at no other time have we needed them more. Given the helplessness we all feel against this invisible foe, it is easy to pick scapegoats to blame and focus our anger on. We have seen this on a global level with country heads playing the blame game against other countries, turning on people with every surge in cases. Back in Hong Kong, it has happened with mainland Chinese at the initial stages of COVID-19 to the recent targeting of the dance cluster members to foreign domestic workers and most recently the ethnic minority communities in the Yau Tsim Mong district,” wrote Mr Chu.

He continued, “But in the same district two months ago, we bore witness to an outpouring of compassion and solidarity following a tragic fire that claimed the lives of eight members of our local Nepalese community and caused injuries to many more. When speaking with members of the Nepalese community, I was overwhelmed to hear of the support they had received from the people of Hong Kong, not just fellow ethnic minorities. Indeed, we should all be talking about what we share in common rather than focus on the differences. We are all Hongkongers with shared dreams and aspirations for this beautiful city we call home. This is a time for us to come together as one human race. The virus makes no distinction; it would be a folly for us to.”

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