Daily Lessons from Life 29 October 2014 - Ex-China central banker warns Beijing could punish Hong Kong over protests

"Ex-China central banker warns Beijing could punish Hong Kong over protests - Reuters 29Oct 2014

HONG KONG - A member of China's central bank's advisory body warned on Wednesday that Beijing will punish Hong Kong if pro-democracy protests that have paralysed parts of the Chinese-controlled financial centre for a month are allowed to continue.

Joseph Yam, executive vice president of advisory body China Society for Finance and Banking and a former Hong Kong central bank chief, said the city's financial integrity and stability of its currency were also at risk.

"Hong Kong's economic prosperity was built on its intermediary role between the mainland and overseas, especially in the financial realm," said Yam, who urged student protesters to return to their homes.

"(When) the intermediary is uncooperative, unreliable, trouble making, the mainland will for sure reduce reliance, make a fresh start at another place, have two strings to its bow and lessen preferential policies towards Hong Kong amid the economic reform process.""

The protesters have dwindled to a few hundred as reported. One last hurrah?

Lessons for me are, still quite the same after slightly more than a month:

1. the protest sites are now 'must see for tourists' to Hkg SAR. I guessed most are surprised to see the sites STILL in tact! Some of them would have removed the protesters and the barricades they had erected IF their normal livelihood and daily routines were greatly disrupted! Of course, there will be some who might join the protesters as they feel that their cause is justified and worth fighting for!;

2. the undeniable truth is that business people are getting fed up with the disruptions to normal business lives. As Hkg SAR is a fairly expensive place to doing business in, a day of empty stores does not sit well with the business owners who are paying one of the most expensive retail shop rental in the world. They will want the protesters removed and the sites cleared! If the government is not going to do it, they probably will. Is that what the government is wanting for? For the police and law enforcement agencies to go out with a 'just cause' to clear the protesters and the sites with WHATEVER deemed 'just cause'!!??;

3. the supposed 'street votes' to be organized by the main protest organizers did not happened. It seems there are growing disagreement where to take the protest to next. It is totally understandable. If the organizers HAD some SMART goals (Specific and Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound), they can at least take stocks and be happy that they had: raised the awareness of the masses, demonstrated to the government that there were a sizable minority who feel passionate about having the 'free election' thingy, and they can always start this again IF their demands were not met (partially now or in some incremental releases, and ultimately in the future?0.

In this case, they can declare major objectives achieved and stop the protests and ask the protesters to go home peaceful. To fight another day IF needed.

Am I being too idealistic? Or just being weak to some? Their challenge, their solution really.