Christine Loh is chief development strategist at the Institute for the Environment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
When Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and seven principal officials bowed deeply before the cameras on October 29, Hong Kong witnessed something rare: a collective government apology.
It came 11 months after the Wang Fuk Court fire claimed 168 lives and uprooted 1,984 households. A minister has resigned. Many reforms have been promised. Yet public reaction remains divided. That division reveals what people expect an apology to achieve, and how differently they understand political responsibility.
A political apology should acknowledge failure, accept responsibility and express remorse. It should also commit the government to preventing a recurrence. The purpose of a political apology is to bring closure. While the chief executive would like closure, he cannot yet declare that it has been achieved.