HK girds itself for downtown blockade

HONGKONG - Additional phone lines have been registered so that calls can be re-routed.

Extra laptops have been bought and even cup noodles are being stocked up in case employees get stuck in their offices.

The Asia Financial insurance company near the Central MTR station has taken such precautionary steps in case Hong Kong's financial district shuts down during a proposed Occupy Central movement to lobby for universal suffrage, or the right to vote.

Meanwhile, Standard Chartered bank has hammered out a contingency plan to have some of its employees at its Central offices relocated to its back office in Kwun Tong at Kowloon.

Less time-critical functions will be taken over by colleagues in Singapore, one of its employees who declined to be named told The Straits Times. In response to queries, the bank only said it has a "comprehensive business continuity plan" in place.

Companies and banks are making such plans, in anticipation of the civil disobedience movement which aims to rally up to 10,000 people.

While its organisers have not confirmed when the blockade will take place, Hong Kong will hold its annual protest march on July 1. There are concerns that some protesters could begin a sit-in then, says Mr Bernard Chan, president of Asia Financial, and an executive councillor in the Hong Kong government.

Last Saturday, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) held an emergency drill with 55 banks. "The drill assumed that due to unexpected events, the headquarters or other important operating sites of banks in Central as well as the HKMA's office became inaccessible," it said in a statement.

"Hence, banks and the HKMA need to simulate the activation of their business continuity plans and operate in their respective backup offices."

Hongkong Land, the biggest property management player in Central with properties such as Exchange Square, says it has "worked very hard on preparation for possible impact to our internal building operations".

It is unclear to what extent the civil disobedience movement will mobilise its targeted numbers and derail activities in Hong Kong's financial district.

The city has a long tradition of marches and protests that have proceeded smoothly with little incident. The Occupy Central organisers have also said that the sit-in will be conducted peacefully.

However, some fear that the movement will be "hijacked" by radicals who could turn violent. "The problem is that all you need is a small group of radicals, a hundred, and it will turn upside down," says Mr Chan, citing a protest at the Legislative Council complex last Friday, when 13 people were arrested after trying to storm the building.

He adds that he is "not hopeful at all at this point" that consensus will be forged.

Temperatures in the city are rising as both the pan-democracy and pro-Beijing camps, engaging in steps and counter-steps, entrench themselves in ever-hardening positions.

Beijing has long promised Hong Kong universal suffrage but is now laying down the rule that candidates must "love the country, love Hong Kong" - which by its definition is almost certain to screen out pan-democrat candidates.

The pan-democracy camp is struggling to widen the fairways. Occupy Central is championing what it calls "international standards" of democracy.

It starts a week-long referendum today, asking Hong Kongers to choose one of three constitutional reform proposals - all of which incorporate public nominations. The turnout is thus seen as a proxy for the level of determination among Hong Kongers to continue pushing for a democratic system that Beijing has said no to, marking an impasse.

Ironically, some may be motivated to do so, after Beijing issued a White Paper last week that denotes a tightening of its grip over the city.

Meanwhile, a concern group called Silent Majority on Wednesday issued a video based on traffic studies warning hyperbolically of "catastrophic" consequences, including deaths, should Occupy Central take place. Hackers also shut down the websites of the movement and that of the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper.

But while large companies are taking steps to ensure it will be business as usual, small companies without resources such as back offices are the casualties, and some may close down if the occupation is prolonged, says Mr David Ting of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Small and Medium Business. This will hurt the city's reputation.

However, fund manager Ed Chin, who leads a group of finance professionals within the Occupy Central movement, argues that Hong Kong's long-term competitiveness lies in its fight for "true democracy and fair play".

He says: "In the long run, it will make Hong Kong stronger and more competitive as an international city."

xueying@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on June 20, 2014.
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