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.
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 producted 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 that 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 of local taxi drivers are well documented. 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.)
October 11, 2024
Since Hong Kong's chance of qualifying for the World Cup is perpetually slim (unless FIFA decides to expand the field to the point where Asia receives 30 slots), it is rare for the Hong Kong football team to face teams from outside the continent. So it is quite surprising to see Hong Kong travelling to Liechtenstein to play a friendly match. It is such a rare event that 200-300 fans travelled to the tiny nation to watch the match in person. (One may wonder if the visiting fans outnumbered the supporters of the home team in the stadium.) Not sure if the group included the one superfan who travelled alone (during the heights of the pandemic, with mandatory lengthy quarantine upon his return) to India to witness Hong Kong qualifying for the last Asian Cup. How many of them are currently living in Europe?
October 4, 2024
The Convenor of the Executive Council, the Hong Kong government's top advisory body, made a post on social media stating that "Israel may be winning its battles against Hamas and Hezbollah, but losing its country." (It was the direct quote.) She then invited Israelis seeking safety to move to Hong Kong, where she claimed that they would "live well and be happy". Everyone knows officials in Hong Kong are desparate to attract talent, foreigners in particular, but would her post backfire? Israelis would wonder if Hong Kong government condones, or even agrees, with her statement. Worse, Israelis may wonder if Hong Kong officials are on the side of Hamas, Hezbollah et al. Westerners would be driven away from, rather than drawn to, the city if that perception holds.
September 28, 2024
The Hong Kong government has announced a series of special deals to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the People's Republic of China. The deals include half-priced movie tickets, free or discounted rides public transport, free use of government sports facilities and museums. A number of restaurants and shops have also rolled out discounts to mark the occassion. Would these giveaways and discounts persuade Hong Kongers to spend their holiday within the city instead of travelling to Shenzhen? (Do officials dare to say spending the day in Hong Kong instead of Shenzhen makes one less patriotic? After all, they frequently encourage Hong Kongers to go the Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area for work and leisure.) Most of the shops offer a 25% discount (or 75% of the original price) for the day. Does that mean the shops would set the price to 76% of the original price (to mark the 76th anniversary) next year? Would there be no discount in 2049 and a price hike of 1% in 2050? Why don't the business owners offer a 75% discount instead? That way the discount would increase each year.
September 17, 2024
Hong Kong's largest journalist organization recently annoucned that journalists, their family and landlords as well as the family's employers have received letters and phone calls, some of which made by individuals claiming to be national security police, "demanding" them to halt their work (for the journalists) or (for others) dissociate themselves from the journalists. Otherwise they risk violating the national security law for the association with the journalists. Some even received death threats (in the form of letters containing knives and crosshairs). How did the letters' senders find the information of the journalists' family, employers and landlords with such ease — in one case, a journalist received threats within hours after returning to the city, with details of one's return. Isn't doxing a criminal act? If the police fails to find and apprenhend those who sent the threats, one may wonder if the infomation was supplied by someone from the government.
September 13, 2024
China failed to score in the first 2 matches in the current round of World Cup qualification tournament. (The team's only goal scored so far was an own goal by a Saudi Arabian player.) Chinese football fans are calling for firing of the team's head coach. The question is, would the coach who follows him do any better? A Hong Kong entertainer has volunteered to become coach and proclaimed that, under his helm, the Chinese team would not just qualify the tournament but reach the last 8. Ignoring the fact that he has no coaching qualifications, he would make matches involving the Chinese national team a must-watch if he is hired — fans would be eager to see how he motivates his players, deflects blame when things go wrong, gets into verbal (and perhaps physical) confrontations with match officials, staff, opposing (or even his own) players, fans and (perhaps) stewards as well as physios. He may even try to subtitute himself into a match. (The only thing preventing that happening is that he has to register himself as a player first.)
September 1, 2024
Recently an ethnic Chinese real estate agent was murdered in Toronto. 3 were arrested for their alledged involvement in the murder, while a 4th suspect has left Canada. Where did the suspect travel to? Hong Kong. One may wonder if this suspect has travelled to mainland China or, like the suspect of another murder case, gone into hiding deep in the woods. Since there is no longer an extradiction agreement between Canada and Hong Kong, the chance of him return is basically zero. If he is arrested in Hong Kong (or turns himself in), chances are that he won't be extradicted back to Canada, as the Hong Kong government would probably demand Canadian authorities to hand over Agnes Chow, an pro-democracy activist currently studying (and effectively exiled) in Canada, in return.
August 30, 2024
6 of 7 defendants were found not guilty in an attempted bomb plot to murder police officers during the 2019 democracy protests by a jury. After the verdict was handed down a senior legal advisor to the government claimed that the defendants should have been tried by a judge alone, instead of having their case heard in a jury trial. Perhaps he (and the government) are seething at the fact that, in jury trials, the case cannot be appealed under the same charge. He claimed that jurors, unlike judges, are not knowledgible of the law and may not be capable of separating personal feelings towards a case and the evidence presented. On the same day, a judge found 2 editors of a new-defunct online media outlet guilty of sedition for posting articles (he claimed) provoking hatred toward local and Chinese authorities. His personal feelings can be found all over the sentence. (Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised, as he lauded the defendant of a stabbing case which occurred during the 2019 protests for having "noble qualities".) Sure, it was only one judge, but we have a counterexample to the legal advisor's claims on the same day he made the remark.
August 21, 2024
An open-top bus parade was held this morning to honour the athletes who took part in the Paris Olympics and to celebrate those who medalled. Thousands (10,000 if we are generous) gathered along to route to watch the parade, during which the buses travelled at near-normal speed. Why did officials held the parade on a Wednesday morning, when most people are at work, instead of early evening (or even the weekend), when more people would can see the athletes on person? Why didn't the authorities close the parade route so the buses can travel more slowly so that the atheletes and spectators along the route can see each other better, creating a better atmosphere? Perhaps the authorities are still worried that someone and/or something undesirable (or threats to "national security" or remnants of "black thugs") would emerge if roads are closed for public events（especially on weekends).