What Snowden can teach the Occupy Central movement
Surya Deva says civil disobedience has a rightful place in the democratic playbook, and Hong Kong's Occupy Central movement can learn a thing or two from Snowden's approach
Since Edward Snowden first broke cover in Hong Kong, many people have been puzzled about his choice of this city to take on the US government. Despite being wedded to the rule of law and having independent courts, Hong Kong is not a "safe haven" against extradition to the US by any means. Nor is the Hong Kong government known for treating asylum claims or refugees very humanely.
Snowden's initial explanation that he chose Hong Kong because of its "strong tradition of free speech" also could not be the tipping point; there are many other jurisdictions with similar or even higher levels of protection of free speech.
If used properly, civil disobedience can achieve what judicial reviews and elections may not accomplish
So why Hong Kong? Was it to embarrass the US about its own human rights record? After all, human rights defenders - like the blind activist Chen Guangcheng - have looked to the US for protection from repressive and authoritarian regimes.
Snowden's recent interview with the Post brings more clarity on his rationale for choosing Hong Kong. He said: "I am not here to hide from justice; I am here to reveal criminality."
What Snowden is seeking to do resonates clearly with civil disobedience, and Hong Kong is not a bad place to practise this. The idea of civil disobedience has been popularised here of late by the Occupy Central proposal. Nevertheless, the debate in the media about its propriety has generally shown a lack of a clear understanding of this concept.
Over the years, many renowned thinkers and political activists - from Henry Thoreau to Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, John Rawls and Ronald Dworkin - have articulated the contours of civil disobedience or practised them. Although their ideas vary, in my view the following six key conditions should determine whether civil disobedience is a justified device in a democracy: