Sharon Au: As a Singaporean, I come from a society with a very different relationship to public order, but 9 years in Paris have taught me a lot

SINGAPORE: Earlier this week, Singaporean actress Sharon Au penned a thoughtful and insightful post about the turmoil in Paris, the city she has called home for almost a decade.

The demonstrations in the city began in mid-September and were initially about poor school conditions, but later began to encompass broader cost of living issues due to impending government spending cuts of €54 billion (S$77.4 billion).

Last weekend, the demonstrations spiralled into the worst riots the city has seen in years, with violent clashes, destruction of property, and thousands of injuries and arrests.

In a lengthy post, Ms Au wrote that she has since received many messages from friends and family, but added that she is safe and away from the areas where the unrest has taken place.

“I am not a political commentator. Nor do I pretend to understand the full complexity of the grievances that brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets… I have not lived the frustrations of French students, teachers or families who feel let down by their institutions,” the actress wrote.

And while having lived in Paris has taught her many things, she admitted that this does not entitle her “to pass judgment on an entire nation.”

Neither is she allowing the worst of the incidents to influence her thoughts about the situation.

“I reminded myself not to mistake the depth of my emotions for the strength of my understanding,” Ms Au added.

The actress also acknowledged that France has “a proud tradition of dissent,” which she respects, though she doesn’t always agree with its methods.

“I struggle to reconcile the pursuit of a better society with the destruction of the very society one seeks to improve,”  Ms Au wrote, noting the damage done to small businesses and the lives raised by firefighters, adding that it is ordinary people, “including those already struggling to make ends meet,” who must bear the cost of the destruction.

“That is the contradiction I cannot ignore. We must distinguish between those who march peacefully for legitimate grievances and those who exploit public anger to commit violence… Understanding anger does not oblige us to justify violence,” she added.

She also recognised that her perspectives on such matters are different, having come from a society such as Singapore’s, and that having lived in France has been a challenge to her preconceived notions, for which she is thankful.

Ms Au ended her post by writing, “I did not move halfway across the world simply to have my existing beliefs reaffirmed. I came to experience another way of living, thinking and understanding the world. That includes accepting that democracy can be uncomfortable, messy, imperfect and deeply frustrating. But surely, freedom must also come with responsibility towards those with whom we share that freedom.”

For now, amid the turmoil in Paris, it is still home, she added. /TISG

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