Hostage-crisis survivor appeals for kindness toward OFWs in HK

A survivor of the Manila hostage crisis has emerged as a voice of reason amidst a maelstrom of outrage, both in Hong Kong and the Philippines, over the Manila hostage-taking tragedy last August 23. In an essay published on August 29 in the Ming Pao, a Chinese-language newspaper in Hong Kong, 36-year-old Lee Ying Chuen wrote, “The way to comfort the souls of the dead is not to blame the innocent Filipina domestic helpers and the people of the Philippines. Our focus should be clearly on the Philippines government and its police. We should support the people of the Philippines to build a more trustworthy government and a more just society." An English translation of the essay was posted on the EastSouthWestNorth, a popular blog that posts English translations of Chinese-language news articles. Portions of another translation of the essay were posted by Filipino-Chinese Joaquin Sy on his Facebook page, under a note entitled “A Voice of Reason." Lee was on vacation in Manila with her 67-year-old mother when their tour bus carrying 25 passengers was taken hostage by former policeman Rolando Mendoza. She and her mother were among the 13 Hong Kong nationals who survived the ordeal, while eight others and the hostage-taker were killed. Dismayed by reports that Filipino maids were being insulted and even fired by their employers after the hostage-taking, Lee asked the people of Hong Kong to recall that ethnic Chinese also suffered racist discrimination when their city was still a colony of the British empire. “The Filipina domestic helpers are the victims of their incompetent government, which was unable to provide a decent living for its people. That is why so many Filipinas have to leave their families. They work to take care of other's children while leaving their own children behind," wrote Lee. Around 150,000 Filipinos, most of whom work as domestic helpers, are based in Hong Kong. Since the hostage-taking, Filipino citizens in Hong Kong have been worried for their own safety. Lee wrote that she was appalled by calls from some Hong Kong residents to send home all Filipino domestic helpers as a form of economic punishment versus the Philippines, and by reports that Filipino maids were being insulted in the streets. “I am reminded of what the great Chinese writer Lu Xun said: When the brave gets angry, he turns his sword towards the mighty; but when the coward gets angry, he turns his sword towards the weak," she said. Though very angry with the Philippine government and police for what happened, Lee has tried to better understand the deep-seated problems that plague Philippine society. “I realized finally that even though I had some colleagues from the Philippines, I and most Hong Kong people know almost nothing about that country … We know that the Philippines is poor and that is why they export domestic workers all over the world. But how poor? I checked and I found out that one-third of its people live below the poverty line. Killings and kidnapping occur on a daily basis. Under such circumstances, why kind of life do the people have?" she wrote. She even tried to understand the social ills that may have driven the hostage-taker to desperation. “I kept thinking about what turned a former excellent policeman into a cold-blooded killer? Why did he have to choose to take hostages in order to force the government to review his case? Is there no way of making an appeal in that country?" she wondered. Lee closed her essay by urging Hong Kong residents to hold the Philippine government and police accountable for the bloodbath. “This is how Hong Kong truly becomes a member of the international community and a cosmopolitan city with humanitarian concerns." - HS, GMANews.TV