To our fellow HongKongers and people all over the world,
5th August 2019 will forever be etched into Hong Kong's history. On this day:
- 7 districts simultaneously organised protests against the HKSAR Government
- Tear gas rained down on neighbourhoods all over the city, indiscriminately injuring bystanders and innocent citizens
- The police have blatantly turned a blind eye as Triad members terrorised local residents randomly, and
- Hong Kong citizens rallied together for a citywide strike, the largest since 1967. Among the various sectors, 3000+ Cathay Pacific Group and 640+ Hong Kong Airlines employees responded, and over 200 flights were cancelled.
This strike is not an attempt at industrial action, but rather a cry of outrage at the HKSAR Government. Members who answered the call in HK aviation industry were Air Traffic Controllers in CAD, our Pilots, Flight Attendants, Engineers, Logistics Planners, Ground staff, Catering and office staff.
Over 20 industries have echoed with the strike, crippling the city’s transportation systems, and contributing to a plunge in the city’s stock market. And yet, despite all this, Chief Executive Carrie Lam has refused to change course or back down. The government has continued to ignore the many well-documented cases of emotionally unstable police using excessive force, carrying out random attacks towards protestors and bystanders alike, sexually humiliating arrested females and working with the triads. We believe that these malicious and inhumane actions, apart from being morally indefensible, are obvious breaches of the Police Force Ordinance. When the government looks the other way as the police breaches the law, they annihilate whatever remains of the reputation once known as “Asia’s finest”, and rip apart the very fabric of society’s law and order.
Since June, as being reported by various media internationally, HongKongers have reiterated their five demands. As professionals from the aviation sector, we must point out that the five demands have absolutely nothing to do with the Hong Kong’s sovereignty under “One Country Two Systems”. Carrie Lam’s attempt to associate the social movements with the issue of sovereignty is obviously a smear campaign for the sake of avoiding the accountability of her failure and is totally unacceptable.
We are all broken-hearted to see our hometown in such a state, and every HongKonger hopes to liberate the city from such a chaotic state and restore our proud tradition as one of the world’s safest cities. The only person who maneuvers Hong Kong into going to a dead end, and police and protesters being dichotomous, is Carrie Lam.
As such, we reiterate that in accordance with the Principal Officials Accountability System, some corresponding Principal Officials must step down. Secondly, an independent investigation committee must be set up to hold the police accountable for the atrocities they have committed these past two months. These two demands are reasonable and easily implemented under Hong Kong’s rule of Law.
We hereby strongly condemn the Government’s obliviousness to the police’s unlawful actions in their frenzied attempt to uphold the law, and request that the government stop turning a deaf ear to the citizen’s five demands. Also, the police must restore their members’ discipline and immediately stop their ruthless and vicious acts. Otherwise, the aviation industry will coordinate with other professional sectors for further non-cooperation movements.
Only by upholding what makes Hong Kong unique and irreplaceable can we secure our industry and our beloved city’s safety and prosperity.
Your sincerely,
Signed by employees of (in no particular order):
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited
Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited
Hong Kong Airlines Limited
Hong Kong Express Airways Limited
Cathay Pacific Catering Services Limited
Cathay Pacific Services Limited
Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited
Hong Kong Airport Services Limited
Hong Kong Aviation Ground Services Limited