Governments and their departments at all levels still don't have mechanisms that could resolve the contentious issues peacefully and reasonably. Some of them still don't realize that high-handedness doesn't pay when it comes to dealing with the public. As long as these governments don't change their attitude, it would be difficult to build a harmonious society.

Analyses of recent mass incidents show communications between governments (or officials) and the people have been weak, and the public in most cases was not given the chance to express its grievances. The governments have to be patient, and keep their eyes and ears open to people's problems.

Rapid economic growth can improve a nation's economic health. But if local officials think it can keep social conflicts at bay, too, they are mistaken. If social contradictions are not resolved, the "iceberg" of social conflicts will get bigger and bigger. And to resolve the social contradictions, public management reform must be made part of governments' agenda.

In critical economic times, unemployed migrant workers, jobless college graduates and unemployed urban middle-class people feel governments are not doing enough to get them jobs and redress their grievances. If they are not dealt with properly they could vent their anger through mass incidents.

So, it is important for the central government to devise a new strategy not only to deal with mass incidents, but also to prevent them.

It could set up high-level and cross-sectional national working committee with representatives (from, say, the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Education), and devise indicators and contingency plans at all levels to deal with mass conflicts.

Moreover, the central government must evaluate local governments not only on the basis of their economic growth rates and environmental protection measures, but also on the basis of the way they have handled mass incidents.

The author is chairman of the Hong Kong Public Governance Association and council member of the Central and Western District of Hong Kong.