This is the place where random thoughts and observations are posted. Usually I don't have enough material to expand what are written here into articles. (In most cases, it is probably a good thing that I don't). Usually I make a post whenever some interesting notions hit my head.
Be warned! This may (and probably does) look like an on-line confessional and the things I post here may be even more confusing than my articles and can be quite depressing. So for the sake of your mental health, please set aside your faith in others and optimism before reading these posts.
Enjoy these "short" musings. Hopefully they won't make your head spin or drive you sleepless or confused.
January 13, 2025
A pollster, a former colleague of one of the recent additions to the list of individuals wanted on "national security" grounds, was questioned by the police on the grounds of "assisting for wanted person who has absconded overseas". The police also searched the polling firm's office and removed items such as computer servers for "investigation". Officials claim that the raid has nothing to do with the polling firm or its president, but one may wonder if the "national security police" are trying to using the polling firm's data to build a case against those working at the polling firm. After all, the firm has conducted regular polls asking respondants whether they identify themselves as Hong Kongers or Chinese. It has also involved in the primary vote which led to the imprisonment of 45 pro-democracy individuals. Besides, the police may be trying to use the data to identify new entries to the list of individuals wanted for "national security" crimes, all 600,000+ of them.
December 24, 2024
Hong Kong's "national security" authorities have issued warrants, with a bounty of $1 million each, to 6 exiled Hong Kongers for "inciting secession and colluding with foreign forces", expanding the list of individuals wanted on "national security" grounds to 19. Some of them are individuals one would never associate with the secession movement. (Of course, it takes special qualities to work in the "national security" authorities.) With the government facing a huge deficit, perhaps the "national security" authorities chose to issue new warrants to avoid their budget from being cut. (If they have such worries, they can rest easy as long as the current mayor remains in office.) The warrants and the photos (in black-and-white) of the 19 individuals are posted prominently in border crossings, among other places. The Hong Kong government should consider launching a campaign stating how safe the city is to foreigners, stating that "we have few violent, gang-related and white-collar crimes. Our most dangerous criminals are all national security-related.".
December 21, 2024
Football legends who previously played for Bacelona and Real Madrid played an exhibition match last night. Less than 8,000 attended the match, which was surprisng given the players' star power (even though most of them are long retired had their peak 15-20 years ago). The tickets were expensive, ranging from $680 to $2480, but it is expected that there would be more people (at least enough to fill the stadium's lower level) willing to watch the footballers play in person. (Was the match well-promoted?) Worse, those who purchased the "VIP package", which included entry to meet-and-greet and autograph session with the stars, came away fuming — people (friends of sponsors?) appearing to jump the queue, lining up repeatedly, to obtain autographs. It was so disorderly that one footballer slammed the table and left the session. After this and the debacle from the Inter Miami match earlier this year, one may wonder if football (or any other professional sports) teams would think twice before coming to Hong Kong. ("Would it be properly run?" "Would we play in a mostly-empty stadium?")
December 13, 2024
7 people, including one former legislator, were found guilty of rioting charges during the terror attack at Yuen Long Station on July 21, 2019. They were among the vicitms of the attack by well-equipped and well-prepared "white shirts". They were charged as they threw bottles and fired water hoses at the assailants in self-defense. (Would you try to fight back if someone you don't know hits you without any provocation when you have no way to leave &mash; the trains they arrived at did not leave the station.) Based on the number of people charged — only about a dozen among the 100 "white shirts"s; and about 10 "non-white shirts", most of which were passers-by, were charged — the Hong Kong government is trying to redefine the event as a (level) fight between two opposing groups. Not to mention that there were rumours that pro-government thugs (perhaps even the triads were involved) would carry out an indiscriminate attack to "teach them (the pro-democracy camp) a lesson". Those who incited the attack, including a former newspaper editor who told the audiance of pro-government rally to "set the kids straight" with ratten sticks and water pipes the day before the attack, are still at-large. They should be the ones charged with sedition (for making Hong Kongers lose their trust to the Hong Kong government and the police).
December 7, 2024
A naming contest was held to name the two recently-arrived young pandas, both of which already have a name. After receiving over 20,000 entries, the pandas' new names are their original names. Why hold a naming contest in the first place if the review committee ends up choosing the original names for both pandas? Can those who send different names ask the organizers to reimburse the money they spent on postage/stationary (if they submitted their entry by mail) or power usage/network data charge (if they submitted their entry electronically)? (Of course not, as it was a naming, NOT renaming, contest, so the organizers can select the original name.) In the near future there would be less interest in naming contests, especially if the object being named has an existing name — why should I waste time, thoughts on naming something that already has a name? Good thing (for the organizers) that Beijing is not likely to "gift" Hong Kong with new pandas (or other animals) soon. This serves as a perfect microcosm of Hong Kong today — ordinary Hong Kongers may have a say, but those in charge don' have to listen.
December 1, 2024
It is reported that feminine pads sold in China contain pads that are discoloured, made of recycled cotton, contain dark spots and, worse, insect eggs. Moreover, there are packages contain pads which don't match the size specified in the packaging. As a result mainland Chinese travel abroad, including Hong Kong (would saying that be considered breaking the universal "national security" law, to purchase pads in large quantities. Some even stating that they are buying a year's supply during their visit to Hong Kong. With Hong Kong trying to encourage mega event/low-altitude/panda/dinosaur/whatever idea officals think of off the top of their heads this morning tourism, perhaps the goverment should start a campaign promoting feminine pad economy to mainland Chinese. It would be less of a fad than panda or dinosaur economy as the demand would remain high in the long term.
November 26, 2024
The chair Hong Kong Bar & Club Association annouced that, with immediate effect, new members have to attend a course on national security. He made the annoucement after he completed the National Security Education District Tutor Training Scheme. (So presumably he would be the course's instructor.) There is no word on whether existing members have to attend the course when they renew their membership. (If not, new members may cry foul.) Sure，"national security" is all that matters in Hong Kong now, but wouldn't this mean less business and visitors to bars and clubs? Patrons would avoid going to bars and clubs out of the fear that they may (spontaneously) say something or make gestures which may be considered (by the owner or the staff) seditious or "threat to national security", with or without the influence of alcohol. (Perhaps the chair enrolled in the scheme after learning that governments can be toppled by rebels who conceived their plans in bars.)
November 19, 2024
45 pro-democracy candidates who took part in the primary poll for the (later-cancelled) 2020 Legislative Conucil elections were sentenced to jail terms ranging from 50 months to 10 years after they were found guilty of conspiring to commit subversion. The jail terms were shorter than I expected. (Of course, they shouldn't have been charged in the first place as what they do are completely legal under the Basic Law, which is now superceded by the Universal national "security" law). Shortly after, a family member of one of the 45 held up a sign stating "Righteous people will live; Wicked people will die". Police officers immediately charged towards her and brought her to a van. What a great way to "tell a good Hong Kong story" (or should it be "tell a Hong Kong story well"?, I still haven't figured out which is the more appropriate translation from 說好香港故事) in front of the international press and representatives of foreign governments inside and outside the courthouse building for the sentencing.
November 9, 2024
TVB pulled Planet Under Fire, a documentary series covering the conflict in Ukraine and Gaza after two of ten episodes were aired. A special feature on Donald Trump's return to the White House was aired in its place in the last three days (when was the last time the network aired a programme dedicated to the US election for 3 straight days on its news channel, let alone the main channel?), followed by a programme about eating in Shantou. The network didn't provide any reason for pulling the programme from air, but the network stopped airing the documentary after pro-Beijing groups accused the programme and its host of anti-Russia bias by omitting their perspective. They seem to forget (or purposely ignore) that it was Putin who started the war and most of the conflict takes place in the Urkaine. This will make outsiders to wonder if Hong Kong is in fact on Russia's side, or reinforce that notion. (There are reports that Russians are opening shell companies in Hong Kong to skirt sanctions.)
November 5, 2024
Decorated filmmaker Johnnie To said in an interview that, in he finds it difficult to write films in recent times, saying that as "some of the things I had planned to write for my films has become reality" (referring to a sequel to Election 2) and that he, and Hong Kong's film industry, "has lost its soul". Naturally, the Beijing mouthpieces and pro-Beijing filmmakers struck back, claiming that quot;creative freedom in Hong Kong did not have any change" and that certain films cannot be screened in other countries. The papers stated that films produced by North Korea are banned in South Korea — would you show a (propaganda) film from a country you are at war with? If there is indeed no change to creative freedom in Hong Kong, why would the setting of any recent film featuring corrupt police and/or government officials be prior to the handover? (Sure, there were plenty of corrupt of officials from that period, but did all of them become clean at midnight, July 1, 1997?) Moreover, authorities have ordered filmmakers to delete or black out scenes which show images of or references to the 2014 and 2019 protests, no matter how brief, have to be cut in order to be the film to receive screening permission. One of the filmmakers rebuking To produced From Beijing with Love, which contained a scene in which the protagonist saved himself from being executed by offering his executioners (Chinese soliders) one 100-yuan bill and a few cigarettes, dare to film something similar today?
October 26, 2024
The government is planning to give training to community care team, created to support (usurp?) district councilors, members (consisting mainly of seniors) to become tutors. The tutors will in turn hold events to promote awareness in national security to at least 30 people in their neighbourhood. There is no details on what kind of events would be held or what happens to those being tutored? Would those being tutored become tutors themselves after attending the tutorials? It is likely that the tutors would encourage their students to eavesdrop on neighbours' conversations and report activities which "endanger national security". This reminds me of a "educational" TV programme, which featured a scene in which a parent tells a boy to be watch his words as their are "eyes and ears across the wall" I watched in school >30 years ago. I think the producers (and the colonial government) were trying to protray China as an authoritarian state which monitors peoples' thoughts and actions. It appears that this scene has become a reality in Hong Kong.
October 17, 2024
Hong Kong's mayor has proposed "providing information at the airport in Arabic and encouraging taxi fleets to provide fleet service information in Arabic" in order to attract visitors and business from the Middle East. This is quite a logical proposal since the city is pivoting away from the West (Europe and North America) to the "Belt and Road" countries. The Middle Eastern countries are the main target as they are flush with petro wealth. (Speaking of which, when will Alira return?) One may ask if this is necessary though. The wealthy from Middle Eastern countries often have business deals with Western countries and therefore can speak adequate English. They are also likely to hire private drivers when they visit the city, so they may not need to travel around the city in taxis. Besides, the general English proficiency, or lack thereof, of local taxi drivers are well known. It would take a lot of incentives to convince them to learn another language. (Though there are now Arabic translations of a few popular terms spoken by taxi drivers to refuse service such as "No crossing the [Victoria] harbour", "My shift's ending", "On my way to refill", "I don't know the area" etc.)