Hard to Forget, Two Years Later

A woman remembers the events in Prince Edward MTR

 

It has been two years now since the August 31 attacks in the Prince Edward MTR station. But there are no public remembrances with the national security law in place.

There is no space for the public to reflect on the horrific scenes in the MTR carriage when police in military uniforms attacked unarmed commuters with batons.

These indelible images are a reminder of 2019

Instead Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor insists there is no crackdown on civil society groups, and even quibbled with the word "crackdown", saying the government was only ensuring that individuals and groups were not violating the national security law.

When reporters asked her about the legal status of the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, Lam said the police is only doing law enforcement work.

"We respect civic society. Hong Kong has large numbers of NGOs and think tanks and research agencies who are shouldering their civic responsibility in trying to improve Hong Kong's situation," she replied to the media before the weekly Executive Council meeting.

Lam says there's not crackdown on civic groups

"But where there are associations, whether they are registered or not registered, that exist in order to undermine Hong Kong's security, let alone to advocate independence or collude with external forces to harm Hong Kong and the country, that is not something we should condone."

She was probably also referring to Civil Human Rights Front, that had been around for 32 years, 30 of which it organized the annual Tiananmen Square candlelight vigil, and the 47-year-old Professional Teachers Union is not being recognized by the Education Bureau anymore.

Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee said that even if groups disbanded, there was no "indemnity" against investigation and that the force had gathered evidence against a variety of political organizations.

Siu says there is evidence against various groups

Political commentator Chung Kim-wah insisted there was clearly an ongoing crackdown on civil groups, given it was hard for many of them, including the alliance, to avoid connections with overseas pro-democracy bodies. He questioned, however, if authorities could silence dissent through such actions.

"The movement advocated by the alliance for more than 30 years has become part of the city's identity. The crackdown on it won't make people forget June 4," he said.

And by extension the anti-government protests of 2019...

China Limits Kids' Gaming to Three Hours a Week

Chinese kids under 18 can only play three days a week

 

Children under the age of 18 in China must be either fuming or trying to figure out a way to continue playing games on their smartphones after Beijing came down with a decree that they can only play it three days a week -- Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8pm to 9pm.

The rule came down from the National Press and Publication Administration (NAAP), China's top watchdog for gaming and other forms of online media, in a bid to stop gaming addiction among teenagers, according to state media outlet Xinhua.

Government wants to prevent gaming addiction

It had previously issued rules in 2019 that limited play time for minors to no more than 90 minutes each day, and three hours on statutory holidays.

While kids must be throwing tantrums, gaming companies may not take a big hit on the stock exchange as children don't make up a big part of their revenues, but it could result in a bigger impact in terms of the player bases, now that they can only play an hour a day for three days.

Imagine on a Friday night at 8pm, everyone in China will know what kids under 18 are doing -- furiously playing games on their phones.

There isn't much anyone can do about it because all players have to register with their real name and ID. It might inspire some children to start downloading VPNs to get around the system, but would that work? Or how about playing games developed by outside of China?

Gaming companies will be anxious to comply to the new rules because if they are caught having minors playing outside of the specified times, the government could easily shut them down. No one wants that.

Children don't spend much money on gaming

"Many parents have said that the gaming addiction problem among teens and children has gravely affected their ability to learn and study as well as their physical and mental health, even causing a series of societal problems," a spokesman for NAAP told Xinhua.

NAAP said gaming companies are responsible for stopping children from becoming addicted to gaming, and it seems this policy is yet another spanner in the wheel for gaming giants like Tencent, NetEase and Bilibili.

However, minors are only a small percentage of gaming receipts for these companies. For example for Tencent, players under 16 constitute just 2.6 percent of its gross gaming revenues in China, and those under 12 accounting for just 0.3 percent. Bilibili said minors only contributed 1 percent of the company's gaming revenue.

Nevertheless, it seems China is determined to curb young people's addiction to gaming and possibly insist on more national education instead? Either way it will make young people resent the government even more, unless state media comes up with stories of kids who realize how much time they have wasted playing games and that studying Xi Jinping thought is the only way to enhance their lives...

Zen Moment with Lui Shou-kwan

Lui's Zen Painting (1971) with lively strokes

 

After looking at the disturbing art work at the Surrealism exhibit as documented in my previous post, my friend and I were relieved to see the perfect counterpoint on the same floor -- "When Form Matters: Following the Path of Lui Shou-kwan to Zen Painting".

Lui (1919-1975) was born in Guangzhou, and his father Lui Canming was also a painter. Lui junior studied economics at Guangzhou University then moved to Hong Kong in 1948. His day job was an inspector for the Hongkong and Yaumatei Ferry Company until 1966.

Lui could paint traditional Chinese paintings

But Lui was very involved in art and could paint traditional style paintings as evident in a few works shown in the exhibition (After Ni Zan's Riverside pavilion by mountains is an example), but he was also keen to experiment with ink and composition, which resulted in him being a leading figure in the New Ink Art Movement in Hong Kong.

This resulted in his Zen painting series, creating a new style of painting that was refreshing, minimalist, and encapsulated aesthetics of East and West through modulating his brush and ink.

And his Zen paintings really are fantastic works of abstraction created with powerful brushstrokes that are deliberate with texture and depth. They are minimalist in composition, but bring up many possibilities of the meanings behind them.

Tablet shows how Shek O, Hong Kong was painted

However, I do prefer his not so abstract paintings of Hong Kong. There's a horizontal landscape painting called Shek O, Hong Kong (1964), depicting the district as a quaint small village by the water that looks frothy and white in contrast to the dark hills in the background. 

Lui also painted scenes of places like Rennie's Mill, Kowloon typhoon shelter, and Kellet Island. These works show life a generation ago that seems nostalgic and slow, and feature lots of water that surrounds Hong Kong.

I also enjoyed looking at Cliffs of Ali Shan, Taiwan (1971), an ink painting that almost looks like a black and white photograph. Does the far right show a waterfall? Or where the cliff disappears into the water? It's hard to tell, but Lui seems to paint it as a beautiful idyllic place to take in the scenery.

Cliffs of Ali Shan, Taiwan painted in 1971

One irritating thing about the exhibition is its use of technology to make the art seem cool when it already is cool. 

In some of the works, visitors are invited to use a special tablet to scan the painting and it will automatically pretend to paint the work for you. How is this interesting or make the work more comprehensible?

At the end of the exhibition, visitors are invited to scan a QR code for Lui's abstract butterfly to fly around on the smartphone screen. How does this enhance the viewer's visit to the show? Not at all except it is a sad gimmick. Lui did not paint the work to have more than one butterfly flying around!

The museum seems to rely too much on computer animation to make the shows more interesting when it should be up to the curators and how they present the works to make it worthwhile to see the shows. Children's attention spans may be short, but animating paintings is not going to inspire them.

Computer animation is an unwelcome gimmick

When Form Matters: Following the Path of Lui Shou-kwan to Zen Painting

Until April 10

Hong Kong Museum of Art

10 Salisbury Road

Tsim Sha Tsui

 

 

 

Surrealism Provokes with Arresting Images

Wolf Table shows the animal snarling at its tail

 

Yesterday my friend and I finally made it to "Mythologies: Surrealism and Beyond  -- Masterpieces from Centre Pompidou" at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. I say finally because two weeks ago we went on a Thursday and were surprised to find it is closed on Thursdays! 

In any event we were excited to see the exhibition, but we were soon in for a shock as surrealism explored the subconscious, repressed feelings, mythical animals and a lot of violence against women.

Max Ernst's sculpture with bull fight

The movement was founded in 1924 by French poet Andre Breton when he published the Surrealism Manifesto in Paris, which became the important centre of the movement. From there it spread all over the world, not only in literature, but also in visual arts, film, photography, as well as political thought, philosophy and social theory.

To set the scene of surrealism, the exhibition began with pictures of Paris by night, followed by other themes, such as chimera [fire-breathing monster], minotaur [half man, half bull], and acephale [headless].

One painting by Salvador Dali is in the show, called William Tell painted in 1930. Instead of the Swiss story of the father who risks his son's life by shooting the apple on his head with an arrow, he substitutes his father for castrating the artist, as he had castigated Dali for having an affair with a married woman.

There are a few sculptures in the exhibition, and they are all quite scary. One called Wolf Table by Victor Brauner features a wolf snarling at its own tail, but its body is a wooden table. It's quite jarring, to look at, the wolf or is it a fox? trapped in time looking fierce, and even the back legs of the table look similar to hind legs.

One work by Pablo Picasso is shown -- the debut cover of a magazine called Minotaure. The style of the drawing is very much Picasso, and thankfully the minotaur looks relatively happy, though it is holding a dagger in its right hand looking back at the viewer. 

Magritte's The Rape is disturbing

Another is an etching of a minotaur holding a champagne glass with a man as they enjoy the presence of naked women throwing themselves at them. Is it any wonder it is titled Bacchanal Scene with the Minotaur?

Spaniard Joan Miro also only has a painting shown here, The Bull Fight which is considered a seminal work featuring a textured background and an abstract representation of the bull.

Max Ernst's The King Playing with the Queen features the top half of a bull in an abstract sense, playing with large chess pieces. It was an interesting juxtaposition with a black and white film of a bull fight in Spain.

Rene Magritte was a famous for his painting of a man in a bowler hat with an apple covering his face. But at this show we have the disturbing image of what looks like a woman's face, but instead is her torso. Is it meant to look pleasant with its pastel palette? But the painting is called The Rape. It refers to his mother's suicide when he was 14 years old and he witnessed her body pulled out of the river, her nightgown covering her face, revealing her naked body.

Giacometti's Woman with Her Throat Cut

Another violent image is Alberto Giacometti's Woman with Her Throat Cut, a bronze sculpture of a woman with her legs spread out as she is being brutally murdered. It looks like the perpetrator could be a crustacean or an insect. It just looks disturbing all the same.

Interestingly there is one Jackson Pollock painting that isn't his abstract drip paintings, called The Moon-Woman Cuts the Circle. Earlier in his career the American artist was influenced by Miro and Picasso and was inspired by the idea of using the the unconscious as the source of art.

While it's interesting to see these works, particularly in a strange time like now during the pandemic, the vast majority of the art focus on violence against women. Are these really repressed feelings or was this a group of artists trying to outdo the other with more shocking images?

The show left us quite disturbed, but maybe that was the point as well? Hopefully the surrealism movement will not come back again in a big way. Much of what is going on in the real world is already too hard to comprehend...

Pollack's earlier surrealist painting

Mythologies: Surrealism and Beyond -- Masterpieces from Centre Pompidou

Until September 15

Hong Kong Museum of Art

10 Salisbury Road

Tsim Sha Tsui 

Security Chief Questions 612 Fund's Donation Drive

Tang questions 612 fund's last donation push before October

 

Hong Kong's security chief warned the public not to help a fund supporting the anti-government movement, and questioned whether its true motive was to "make underhanded profit" from a final donation drive until it disbands in October.

The fund financially helped arrestees and injured

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung also reminded people that aiding and abetting crimes endangering national security would risk breaking the law.

While he did not name is outright, it is believed Tang is referring to the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund that is under police investigation.

"If any individual or organization breaks the law, our law enforcement agencies will go all out in investigating them, and make arrests and prosecute them if we have evidence," he said today.

Last week the fund announced it would close in October after distributing more than HK$243 million (US$31.2 million) to protester facing criminal prosecution or financial hardship as a result of the 2019 anti-government protests.

Ng says fund needs additional HK$25M

But even with the closure, barrister Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, one of the fund's trustees, said a final donations push would be needed to raise HK$25 million to cover financial relief and other expenses totaling HK$30 million.

Without naming the fund, Tang said: "The organization that was founded to raise funds and help arrestees in litigation... I noticed that they urged people to donate a large amount of money, were they trying to make underhanded profit before their closure?"

The fund's trustees said it had no comment on Tang's remarks.

 

And then There was One

Cheng says he doesn't understand why he was disqualified

Up until today, Hong Kong's Legislative Council had two opposition lawmakers. Now it only has one.

Civic Passion's Cheng Chung-tai was expected to be part of the Election Committee to choose the next chief executive, but instead he was ousted from his seat in Legco after national security officials deemed him unfit to be on the committee because he is "not patriotic" enough.

Lee said Cheng is not patriotic enough

Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu made the announcement as chairman of the seven member Candidate Eligibility Review Committee, which screens people to be on the Election Committee as well as Legco election candidates.

"The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee will not allow anyone who pretends to uphold the Basic Law or pretends to bear allegiance to the city to enter the system," said Lee, who was previously the SAR's security chief.

"Scammers are skilled in playing different roles. But for these people who pretend to bear allegiance, I will not be tricked by their words as they try to cleanse themselves."

Cheng, from the Civic Passion localist party, was convicted in 2017 of desecrating the national and Hong Kong flags after he turned them upside down during a Legco debate the previous year and fined HK$5,000 (US$645).

After Lee's announcement, Cheng said he could not understand why he was ousted.

In 2016 Cheng put flags upside down in Legco

"If you ask me if I think I should be qualified as a patriot; of course, I would say yes, I should be. But under the prevailing system, I can only say that I will respect the decision by the review committee," he said.

He also doesn't have much choice as he cannot appeal the decision.

Not only can Cheng not help select the next chief executive, he is banned from running for public office for five years.

He said the vetting committee sent him a stack of papers over 2cm high, asking him to explain the various public comments he has made over the years.

"Basically, they asked me to explain my points in my previous speeches, statements made in public, posts on social media accounts and behaviour inside and outside the Legco chamber going back to 2015," he said. "I was also asked if I, as a lawmaker, had fulfilled my constitutional responsibilities in safeguarding the city's interests and rights as it faced different situations."

Legco now only has 42 lawmakers

Why keep Cheng on in Legco if he had been convicted of desecrating the flags? Or was this the plan all along to throw him under the bus later to show Beijing that Hong Kong had done a good vetting job and was keeping the Election Committee totally above board?

However, Lee denied the vetting committee was eliminating dissent, saying it had approved some hopefuls for the Election Committee who were unaffiliated with the pro-establishment camp.

"One can express oppositional views," he said. "The most important thing is that one must not have done anything to harm the country or Hong Kong's interests."

With Cheng disqualified with immediate effect, this leaves 41 pro-establishment lawmakers and one independent, Pierre Chan, who represents the medical sector.

National Security Police Investigate June 4 Alliance

For 30 years the alliance organized the annual June 4 vigil

 

The crackdown on civil society groups continues now with the national security police investigating the group that for three decades -- up until two years ago -- organized the annual Tiananmen candlelight vigil in Victoria Park, for allegedly colluding with foreign forces.

Letters were sent to 12 members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, requesting information related to the group's ties with foreign groups and the deadline is in two weeks' time.

Chow says allegations are "ridiculous"

This is the first time the national security police is exercising its power to deal with foreign powers and their agents, with the alliance being targeted as an agent.

"The information [sought] includes the member list, the group's financial reports and activities information," a senior police source said.

"We are investigating the relationship between the group and these foreign organizations," continued the source. "We are also looking into whether the group is the Hong Kong agent of overseas organizations and if it received any financial support or donations from those organizations."

Chow Hang-tung, vice-chairwoman of the alliance, confirmed all seven members of its standing committee had received the letters and are seeking legal advice over whether to handover the requested documents.

"But the allegation that the alliance is a foreign agent is ridiculous," Chow said, who is also a lawyer.

Lee (far left) and Ho (centre) are currently in jail

The national security police is looking for details and financial dealings of the alliance with the New School for Democracy, Asia Democracy Network, China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, and other organizations funded by the US-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

The police is also asking the alliance about its dealings with Mark Simon, the right-hand man of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying.

Among those who received the letters include alliance chairman Lee Cheuk-yan, and former Democratic Party leader Albert Ho Chun-yan. Both are in jail for their roles in the unauthorized protests in 2019.

Just last month, the alliance reduced its standing committee membership to seven from 14, and dismissed all staff members, citing a rapid deterioration of freedom in the city's political landscape.

Police looking for link with Mark Simon

Even though the group has planned to disband, it is in a difficult position: Failure to comply to the national security police's request constitutes an offence punishable by a fine of up to HK$100,000 (US$12,840) and six months' imprisonment.

It is also an offence to provide information that is "false, incorrect or incomplete", and that carries a fine of HK$100,000 and a jail term of up to two years.

Previous Films Could Breach National Security Law

Hong Kong's struggling film industry will be at even more risk

When the national security law was going to be implemented, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the law would not be retroactive.

But now we are seeing the opposite, looking back past June 30, 2020 to prove a person was actively planning to something that would breach the national security law.

And this now applies to films as well.

Yau says new measures to close up loopholes

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah made the announcement today, saying the Chief Secretary will have the authority to ban previously approved productions if they are deemed to be threats to national security.

If someone holds an unauthorized screening, the proposed maximum penalty will be three years in jail and a HK$1 million fine. Currently it is one year in jail and a HK$200,000 fine.

The amendment follows up on guidelines for censors in the film industry that was issued in June. At the time censors were to ban movies that were deemed to be supporting or glorifying acts that could endanger national security.

"The amendments this time are simple and straightforward. The aim is to consolidate our legal foundation regarding film censorship to prevent acts against national security," Yau said.

Will Ten Years be banned? Govt says no list yet

When asked by the media if this meant films like the dystopian series of shorts in Ten Years, or Stephen Chow's From Beijing with Love would be banned, Yau replied the government did not have a list of banned films yet. 

"We needed this provision to cater for circumstances where there might be chances that a film, which was graded or approved before, but given the new law enacted and the new guidelines issued, needs to be reconsidered," he said. "We need such legal power to cater for such circumstances."

Having a list or not is not the point -- it creates a chilling effect on the film industry which is already struggling to forge its identity in the shadow of China's colossal movie market.

And yet Yau said there's still room for filmmakers to make good movies as the government continues to communicate with the sector.

Productions need to be pre-approved before shoot

But who will want to make a film in Hong Kong now? Even if the story line may not seem political, a pro-Beijing loyalist may claim it to be otherwise. The risk is not worth it anymore. 

Books have already been banned and now films will be. Art is already on shaky ground, and will music be next?

Hong Kong was once derided as a cultural desert, then flowers managed to bloom fueled by a hot art market, but now it will wither away again, the desert sand too hot to the touch...

 

Beijing Officials Tell Hong Kong to Catch Up

Huang tells Hong Kong to speed up economic development

Today senior Beijing officials told Hong Kong legislators the city needs to play catch up if it wants to have a brighter economic future with the mainland.

They claimed Hong Kong wasted too much time on politicking and infighting and meanwhile in China's 14th five-year plan, the city needs to fulfill its role as part of the nation's overall development.

Huang met with legislators in two-hour session

Deputy director Huang Liuquan of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the imposition of the city's national security law, alongside Beijing's drastic overhaul of the electoral system, had ensured the steadfast and successful implementation of the "one country, two systems" governing principle.

"A favourable situation does not come easily," he told dozens of lawmakers who attended the two-hour seminar at Tamar. "Hong Kong right now needs to roll up its sleeves to focus on its development."

It's quite simple to speed up the city's economic development -- open the border. Every property development for sale, insurance company, hotel, restaurant, boutique, shopping mall is ready to open its arms to mainland visitors. They are so ready to pounce.

However, Hong Kong is at the mercy of China's insistence on zero Covid-19 cases which is near impossible and as a result refuses to lift border restrictions. 

And yet China tells Hong Kong to speed up its economic development...

HK businesses are waiting for mainlanders

So pro-Beijing lawmakers are now urging the mainland and Hong Kong authorities to start discussions on reopening the border.

"The business sector is ready to invest," said Felix Chung Kwok-pan of the Liberal Party. "Hong Kong and overseas businesses all think that the future market is in China, but we're hindered by the border closure."

Meanwhile Starry Lee Wai-king of the DAB said her party told Huang that people want to see the border reopened.

So... let's get on with it then. And reopening the border may prompt more locals to get vaccinated!

Sounds like a win-win to me...

HK's Pathetic Vaccine Rate Keeps City Isolated

An elderly couple (right) takes a selfie after getting the jab

 

Hongkongers are still dragging their feet when it comes to vaccinations for Covid-19, and health experts are saying the city needs to have 80 to 90 percent of the population inoculated before social-distancing restrictions could be further relaxed.

Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, co-convenor of the Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following Covid-19 Immunization, says the government's strategy of "zero infections" is unrealistic and would rather see more people vaccinated.

Hung warns elderly to get inoculated

"We can maintain the zero-infection streak, but Hong Kong cannot isolate itself forever as we are an international business hub. Our strategy needs to change over time," Hung said. "But without achieving a very high vaccination rate of up to 90 percent, we don't have the conditions to open up."

So far 42.2 percent of the 7.5 million residents are fully vaccinated, and the numbers across different age groups vary wildly.

Those aged 40-49 leading the way at 62.8 percent with second doses, followed closely by the 50-59 group at 56.3 percent. Even those aged 30-39 are trailing at 53.7 percent.

But perhaps the most pathetic are those 80 and above at an appalling 6.9 percent fully vaccinated, and those 70-79 at 24.5 percent. 

Interestingly 54.2 percent of women have gotten the vaccine compared to 45.8 percent of men.

Many elderly are worried about side effects, but Hung said the jabs are safe for them, including those with diabetes and high blood pressure, and that less than 2 percent suffered serious side effects, such as facial paralysis, or strong allergic reactions.  

Only 42.2 percent of population is vaccinated

He warned people over 75 years old who contract Covid-19 are much more likely to die than younger patients.

But will the elderly heed Hung's call?

Many are worried the vaccinations are fatal -- there were news reports early on of seniors getting vaccinated and dying a few days later, mainly from preexisting health issues, but that was enough to scare the elderly from getting jabbed.

They also feel that with so few cases in the community that they don't see the need in getting vaccinated.

Meanwhile those who have been vaccinated are waiting for everyone else to get on board the inoculation wagon, but by the time we get to 90 percent we will probably need booster shots.

It's never ending...

 

Picture of the Day: Taxi Commendation Scheme

Good taxi driver? Take down all his info first

 

Yesterday afternoon I flagged down a taxi on Staunton Street near Tai Kwun in Central. At first the driver asked where I was going as he was a Kowloon taxi and needed to return the car, but agreed to take me in.

After a while I noticed in front of me was this sign: "Taxi Service Commendation Scheme", asking riders to scan the QR code and recommend your driver.

The nomination period already began on July 15 and goes on until September 30, and then the voting period is from October 22 to December 17.

When you scan the QR code, you have to enter the driver's name, mobile number, the taxi registration number and the license plate, when and where you got the ride from, and a section called "experience sharing" to add any other additional comments.

The form is exhausting to say the least, and what's the point?

Most people are not going to pay attention to fill out all these details and even the driver's mobile number? Obviously the people creating the form have not thought of the reality of having to fill it out.

And when do you fill it out? When a driver returns your smartphone to you or gets you across the harbour in 10 minutes?

We understand the taxi industry is trying hard to improve its services in its competition with car hailing apps like Uber, but this "Taxi Service Commendation Scheme" is not going to make drivers stop smoking in their vehicles, clean them better or have a sunnier attitude.

Though I have to say this driver had an Octopus reader and just as we were nearing my destination I asked if I could pay my ride with Octopus.

"You should have told me earlier," the driver replied with a surly attitude, turning it on.

He saved me the time and effort from having to fill out the form...

 

Singapore's Opening -- Any Takers?

The Lion City is welcoming visitors from HK and Macau

 

Just as the travel bubble or corridor between Hong Kong and Singapore was officially dead, the Lion City announced it would receive visitors from Hong Kong and Macau without quarantine from August 26.

It is part of a months-old scheme Singapore has with China, Taiwan and New Zealand.

Iswaran says two cities have different strategies

Singapore residents, permanent residents and long-term pass holders arriving from Hong Kong and Macau can go back home as early as Saturday. 

Travelers from Hong Kong and Macau don't even need to be vaccinated, and only need to have a negative result from a polymerase chain reaction test. However, they would still need to quarantine upon their return to their respective cities.

The travel bubble was pronounced dead according to Singapore transport minister S. Iswaran, as both cities' pandemic strategies differed, "with Singapore now taking steps towards becoming a Covid-resilient nation".

Meanwhile Hong Kong, following Beijing's lead, is trying to keep it at zero Covid-19 cases, which many, including the international business community in Hong Kong are clamouring is unrealistic and makes it another reason to move operations elsewhere.

Can HK really reach zero Covid-19 cases?

So... anyone in Hong Kong rushing to buy tickets to go to Singapore?

Didn't think so...

Nicole Kidman's Quarantine-Free Stay in HK Sparks Anger

 

Kidman is in Hong Kong filming a TV series for Amazon

Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman is in town filming a television series for Amazon called Expats and she really is living the glamorous expatriate life in Hong Kong.

She flew into Hong Kong from Sydney in a private jet and even got permission from the government to avoid having to quarantine, much to the shock of the rest of us who have had to suffer through the authorities' extreme measures of up to 21 days in quarantine to keep the Covid-19 virus out.

She was shopping in Cos, not in quarantine

The Australian celebrity was spotted in fashion boutique Cos -- which made people wonder why considering she is living in a residence up on the Peak for HK$650,000 (US$83,500) a month, and apparently staying until October.

When asked to explain why Kidman was already out and about two days after her arrival when she should have been in hotel quarantine for seven days, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau clarified today she was given permission to carry out "designated professional work... conducive to maintaining the necessary operation and development of Hong Kong's economy."

What about the rest of us? Are we not contributing to the local economy?

This privilege of avoiding quarantine came with other conditions, that Kidman take at least three Covid-19 tests in the first two weeks of her stay, submit an itinerary of her job activities, travel only point-to-point, and stay off public transport.

Oh guess we won't be seeing her on the MTR then.

A select few others get to avoid quarantine as well, such as top business executives and diplomats, subject to the approval of the Chief Secretary.

A complicated quarantine graphic shows Kidman free to go

On social media Kidman was criticized for taking advantage of these perks and living the high life while residents are literally trying to leave the city because of the repressive measures the government is imposing.

This is not the first time Kidman has been hit out for her living arrangements -- last year she and her husband Keith Urban came back to Sydney and didn't have to do quarantine in government quarters, but in the comfort of their holiday home with their two daughters.

So today Kidman is on par with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in terms of their popularity ratings. 

There's going to be lots more questions about this at Lam's Tuesday morning press conference...

 

 

Protest-Related Humanitarian Fund to Shut

The fund was set up on June 15, 2019

Another civil society group has announced it will disband for fear of crossing the red line with the national security law.

612 Humanitarian Relief Fund was set up after the anti-extradition protests began in June 2019, helping to provide humanitarian aid and financial support to those who were injured, attacked, arrested or threatened with violence during the protests. 

The fund provided legal, medical, psychological and emergency financial assistance, and depended on donations from the public.

Cardinal Zen and Barrister Ng set up the chairs

But today 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund announced it would not take on new cases from Wednesday (today), and will shut down by the end of October.

The public donations were collected through a bank account belonging to the Alliance for True Democracy. The fund decided to stop operations after learning the alliance will shut down, citing the latest social developments.

"Without a bank account, we cannot operate at all. As to whether there's any political pressure behind, I don't think we are in a position to guess and in a way it's not relevant for us to guess," said Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, former Civic Party lawmaker and trustee of the 612 fund.

"We have remained vigilant in the unpredictable political environment, the day has come that the fund is forced to shut down."

In total the fund had a staggering over HK$236 million, though only HK$2 million is left. They helped 43 percent of cases, or 947 of them, of which 231 had the charges dropped or acquitted. Then there were 371 cases that were convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentence (alternative to prison sentence), and 345 convicted and sentenced to jail.

Cardinal Zen, Ng and singer Denise Ho (far right)

However, there are still 1,274 cases pending, and Ng says not all these cases can be helped. Only about 100 of them can be helped until the fund ceases to exist.

Nevertheless the fund is still accepting donations until September 21 before it closes October 31.

612 Humanitarian Relief Fund was specifically established to help people get the appropriate funding or help they needed, whether it be legal representation, paying for surgeries, or counselling. 

But alas it will soon be no more, though Ng remains optimistic for the future:

"A fair and just society, the rights and freedoms everyone is entitled to under the law will remain the joint hope and endeavour of Hong Kong's civil society."

Is hope enough to keep Hong Kong's civil society going? Hard to say, but it's looking very bleak these days. Yet another light snuffed out in the eerie dark future of the city...

 

 

HK Restarts Extreme Quarantine Measures

Lam said today the measures were to prevent another outbreak

 

People in Hong Kong are gutted the government is changing the quarantine rules from seven days to 14 after a fully vaccinated domestic helper was found to be infectious in the community beyond the seven-day quarantine with the highly infectious Delta variant.

Those who are already traveling in what are now deemed medium-risk countries will have to scramble to extend their hotel quarantine stay to 14 days, and another seven days at home.

Dr Yuen says three in quarantine have same virus

And it doesn't matter if you've been vaccinated and have a positive antibody test.

Government pandemic adviser Dr Yuen Kwok-yung says the helper could have been infected by a couple staying in the same quarantine hotel, the Dorsett Wan Chai, as they were staying opposite to the helper and all three have the same genome sequencing.

There are concerns the couple left the window open in their room, which allowed the contaminated air to flow out of their room. Yuen added the air flow in the two rooms was not up to standard.

While Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor says the changes are being made to prevent the city from having another outbreak, some feel Hong Kong's fearful approach to the virus is wrong and isolationist.

They all stayed at the Dorsett Wan Chai

They feel that the city has had a vaccination program running for months now and there is no excuse for people not to get inoculated from Covid-19, and that the authorities should stop protecting those who are not vaccinated at the expense of those who have gotten the jab.

In addition, with vaccines available, people abroad who have been inoculated should be able to enter Hong Kong.

With today's news and China still trying to stamp out infections with its zero-case policy, there are predictions the mainland may not open its borders with Hong Kong until the end of next year.

It is possible more people will leave, in particular expats who, while they are grateful to live in a safe city like Hong Kong, they have had enough of the extremely quarantine and social-distancing measures and want to go home and see their loved ones. 

Some argue residents should be allowed into HK

They feel not having seen their family for almost two years is too much, and those with young children or about to retire and throwing in the towel and moving out.

In the meantime Hong Kong's economy is going to continue to sputter along, as it is so dependent on mainlanders coming in to shop, dine and buy property.

How much longer the city can survive like this is hard to say...