HK awaits apology from Manila mayor

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HK awaits apology from Manila mayor

Source:Globaltimes.cn Published: 2013-10-23 19:03:00

Latest News

PH govt won't apologize to HK for 2010 Manila hostage crisis
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said October 23 that the Philippine central government will not apologize to Hong Kong for the bloody Manila hostage crisis in 2010.

HK chief vows to seek justice for victims of hostage crisis
Hong Kong Chief Executive C Y Leung said Tuesday in Beijing that the Hong Kong government will seek justice for the families of the victims and injured people in the Hong Kong hostage crisis in Manila, the Philippines, three years ago.

Mayor to apologize over hostage crisis
The City Council of Manila has passed a resolution granting authority to Mayor Joseph Estrada to personally apologize to Hong Kong for the 2010 hostage crisis that left eight people dead, according to media reports on October 22.

Accident Review

The standoff

Post-accident timeline

August 23, 2010

Chinese government strongly condemned the hostage-taking in Manila and demanded the Philippine government thoroughly investigate the incident.

August 24, 2010

All government offices in Hong Kong lowered flags at half- mast to mourn Hong Kong tourists killed in the abduction tragedy in the Philippines.

August 31, 2010

The Philippine authorities promised a credible probe into the hijacking, but said the preliminary results of the investigation won't be made public.

September 9, 2010

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines urged the Philippines to press ahead with the investigation into the hostage crisis.

September 17, 2010

The Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) report on the hostage crisis was officially submitted to Philippine President Benigno Aquino III.

September 20, 2010

Manila delivers hostage-crisis report to China

The HKSAR government receivedfrom the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in Hong Kong a copy of the first report of the IIRC of the Philippines.

October 6, 2013

Several Hong Kong journalists were kicked out of the 2013 APEC summit in Manila because they shouted questions about the Manila hostage crisis at Benigno Aquino III.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered related Chinese departments to follow up on the issue.

October 7, 2013

China urged the Philippine government to properly handle the requests from family members of the eight Hong Kong residents.

Recent Reactions

Hong Kong government Hong Kong government will seek justice for the families of the victims and injured people in the Hong Kong hostage crisis in Manila three years ago. -- Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said October 22 in Beijing
Chinese central government China on October 7 urged the Philippines to take substantial measures to properly resolve the Manila hostage crisis which left eight Hong Kong tourists dead three years ago. "We urge the Philippine government to pay high attention to the requirements and concerns of the family members of those victims, take substantial measures so as to properly resolve the issue at an early date." -- Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying
Philippine government Philippine central government will not apologize to Hong Kong for the Manila hostage crisis in 2010. "When we apologize then it admits that we are at fault as a country, as a government and as a people. And we pointed out that from our perspective, there is one lone gunman responsible for this tragedy." -- Benigno Aquino III More related Philippines not to set aside HK hostage crisis: govt official Philippines 'deeply regrets' Manila hostage incident Philippine President says hostage crisis won't define his administration
Manila government The City Council of Manila has passed a resolution granting authority to Mayor Joseph Estrada to personally apologize to Hong Kong for the 2010 hostage crisis.
Crisis survivors For three years, survivors and relatives of the victims have been demanding an apology from the Philippine government, an offer of compensations, punishment for the officials responsible for the bungled police operation and improvements to tourist safety but the Philippine government never offered an apology or compensations.

HK Media Digest

Mingpao.com

As long as the Philippine government owes Hong Kong an apology and compensation for the Manila hostage crisis in 2010…anger will keep building among Hong Kong’s citizens, who will eventually turn to China’s central government for help and increase their appeals to put pressure on the Philippines.

However, a county’s foreign policy depends on many aspects, such as the overall interests of the country, regional security and international relations. The central government may not play the hard ball that the democratic activists in Hong Kong seek, which will in turn provoke further criticism from the pro-democracy camp. Therefore, the Hong Kong government should be open to opinions from all sides and seek effective ways to negotiate with the Philippine government. If the crisis remains unresolved, the Hong Kong government, or even the central government, will be put in an unfavorable position.

Stnn.cc
The hostage crisis is not a political liability for Joseph Estrada as it occurred when Alfredo Lim was the mayor of Manila. Estrada’s political reputation will not be ruined if he apologizes for the mistake of his predecessor. Estrada will even win more political support if he gains forgiveness from the victims and their relatives through apologies and compensation, persuades the Hong Kong government to lift its travel ban to the Philippines, and eliminate any risk of sanctions. The Philippines may benefit economically from Estrada’s visit to Beijing and Hong Kong in November.

Posted in: Diplomacy