Analysis | Protesters who conceal faces feel coerced

Parents of Colégio Diocesano de São José students hand a petition to a representative of the Bishop. Some of them conceal their faces with masks

Many locals seem unwilling to show up in demonstrations 16 years after the establishment of the SAR unless the protest is directly related to them, according to Macau lawmaker Pereira Coutinho. And even when they do so, they usually opt to conceal their faces with masks, even if the issue is not particularly sensitive.
That was the case last week, when a group of parents of Colégio Diocesano de São José students – some of them wearing masks – delivered a letter requesting a meeting with Bishop Stephen Lee. Even the person handing the petition to the Diocese’s representative was wearing a mask, which was only partially removed.
Asked to comment on the large number of protesters that prefer to conceal their faces with masks during rallies or petitions, Coutinho admits that members of the public are afraid to be recognized by employers and friends, and that Macau still has a long way to go before locals can actively express their opinions.
“The best way to do that is to educate them, to have the government leading the way to educate people to participate in demonstrations because those rights are constitutional rights,” explained the lawmaker.
Coutinho also criticized the city’s education system, since university courses lack subjects related to global political systems. He linked this to factors that could affect local youth’s sense of belonging.
“This is just to say that education on political issues and education on Macau history will help to create a real sense of belonging […] it will really set on their mind that they need to participate even if the issues are not related to them,” stressed Coutinho.
He also argued that Macau, being dominated by the gaming industry, has eroded traditional family values and morals. Though the lawmaker believes that there are no major restrictions on freedom of speech in Macau, he emphasized that the frequent mask-wearing could be solved with “better education” by local schools.
Coutinho added that the quality of education in Macau and Hong Kong is “incomparable” as Hong Kong institutions prepare students to “care about local issues.”
Larry So, a scholar from Macau Polytechnic Institute, told the Times that expressing oneself without being identified is “popular”, especially among the younger generation, as they are deeply involved in local politics and prone to expressing anonymous opinions on the Internet and social media.
“Being anonymous on the Internet is good […] they are not that kind of responsible to their own statement and comment […] so we’re transferring the culture of the Internet to the real world,” says So.
The scholar admits that some are still affected by the tradition of obeying the government, especially the elderly generation, which encourages youth not to oppose the government so as to remain unidentified, especially if they aim to work as civil servants.
“It’s a belief [of] the elderly generation. That’s how we have been taught. If you go to any demonstration [wearing masks] you kind of keep yourself anonymous, then feel more secure,” says the scholar.
So also stressed that the tendency to protest anonymously is common in many segments of local society.  Staff reporter