Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) turned its back on Hong Kong Medical Crisis
#OpinionArticle
(19 Nov) Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been contributing to worldwide humanitarian relief and providing assistance to people of conflicts. However, its responses to recent Hong Kong is disappointing. Given the situation in Hong Kong appears to be worsening in the past few months and the tear gas deployment by Hong Kong riot police has been the “world-first” against population density, my friends from Iraq, Syria and the Federal Republic of Somalia also warned that Hong Kong has been an uninhabitable war zone, especially for children and elderly. In fact, loads of Hong Kong medical workers have been providing assistance to people at the frontline of the conflicts in certain adverse condition, but they were treated as “one of those rioters” by the Hong Kong Police Force. Days ago, the police arrested tens of medical volunteers in Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), leading to the delay in humanitarian aid. These volunteers may even be charged with rioting over the protests, as defined by Secretary for Security, Mr. John Lee Ka-chiu. Looking around the world, it is totally inconceivable!
Governments in countries like Iraq and Syria often assault medical workers, impede medical operation team of the enemy and retain poor hygiene condition in battlefields - once these "endemic diseases" outbreak in cities like Hong Kong, it does desire more concerns – “it represents the slump of a prosperous city.” Although MSF emphasised that the medical supports and reliefs provided by the society of Hong Kong in the past few months were more than enough, the distribution of the supplies was in fact totally uneven. One side in the conflicts had better medical relief while another side chose to “heal” themselves rather than seeking proper medical treatment - they were fearful of their privacy being invaded in the hospital and even being arrested. Those medical workers either trying to provide impartial medical service or expressing their supports to the social movements were insulted by the side with force and power. Doesn’t this indicate a humanitarian crisis?
Taking a step back from the main issue, MSF may consider the current situation in Hong Kong as “still fine”, to which social media is now paying too much attention. Nevertheless, MSF, which operates on a regional basis, should make the largest efforts on its base - Hong Kong. To recall, MSF used to provide assistance in support to Hong Kong only for twice: SARS in 2003 and the forced repatriation of Vietnamese boat people by former British-Hong Kong-Government in 1994. After forcibly repatriated to Vietnam from Hong Kong, human rights violation of boat people was also found common in Vietnam. However, comparing to the previous time Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong refugee camp, in which MSF carried out its relief work, the crisis now Hongkongers facing is even worse.
We don’t like conspiracy theories. However, according to MSF organisation chart, the mainland China branch is also under MSF office in Hong Kong, of which offices in Beijing and Guangzhou are responsible for different “valuable” projects in mainland China, including 20 times of disaster relief fundraisings, cures for infectious disease, hydraulic and hygiene engineerings. If MSF, whether retains neutral, does support Hong Kong teens or doctors-be-insulted as if helping doctor-be-attacked in Syria, its operation in mainland China may inevitably be adversely affected. But is it fair for Hong Kong donors? According to its annual report, the donations MSF office in Hong Kong received last year amounted to HK$518 million, which was distributed by the headquarter to different regions such as Hong Kong branch which includes mainland China. 90% of the donations were received from 200,000 of active individual donors, making a monthly donation of HK$200.00 each.
The funds may not be totally donated by Hongkongers but are definitely raised by MSF office in Hong Kong. How ridiculous MSF is, providing “no” support at all to the Hongkongers today because of bureaucracy and the projects in mainland China, which by the way, are mainly funded by the Hongkongers!
Excerpt: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2843978832302915&id=223783954322429
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