The Moment

  • Dennis M. Sabangan / EPA

    Philippine police conduct an assault on a bus seized by a hostage-taker in Manila, Philippines 23 August 2010

    Because their city is so safe and even-tempered, Hong Kong's residents do not possess the sense of physical danger that many people elsewhere do. That feeling of security was shattered in Manila when a disgruntled Filipino policeman held hostage a bus filled with Hong Kong tourists. The rogue cop was shot dead but not before eight of the holidaymakers, among them a 14-year-old girl, were killed and several others wounded. All Hong Kong mourned those who perished, and raged at those who could not prevent the slaughter. The siege was broadcast live worldwide, and you didn't have to be an expert to conclude that the Philippine assault force lacked urgency, direction and tactical nous — more Keystone Kops than SWAT. It's not just poor training and equipment. Lawlessness is so woven into the fabric of Philippine society that an atrocity like the bloody hostage drama, or even worse, becomes numbingly routine to the point of inertia. Hong Kong, unaccustomed to such violence, is, by contrast, in deep shock. Eventually the city will get over its grief and anger, but its people may take longer to be assured their world is still a safe place.