Review: Coronation by Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei's documentary is about the pandemic in Wuhan

 

Let's face it -- 2020 has been completely shot -- thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and we still haven't tamed the virus thanks to people in parts of the world refusing to wear masks, or governments that didn't take it seriously in the beginning.

Over 1.29 million people have died since the pandemic began December 1, 2019, when the first case emerged in Wuhan, China.

Since then it spread to over 200 countries and now there are over 52.3 million cases.

Ai and his team edited 500 hours of footage

Artist and activist Ai Weiwei documented what happened in Wuhan with the help of intrepid volunteers who managed to get unprecedented access into hospitals to record first hand what was happening on the ground months after the pandemic gripped the Chinese city.

Called Coronation, the almost two-hour documentary is a series of vignettes and interviews with Wuhan citizens who had to come to grips with the reality of the virus and the decisions local and central governments made.

I saw the documentary last night with my friend YTSL, and also in the audience was former chief secretary Anson Chan Fong On-sang, Eric Wishart of the Foreign Correspondents' Club, and lawyer and author Antony Dapiran. We were in good company.

The opening image of Coronation is stark, viewers overlooking the high-speed rail lines in Wuhan that were paralyzed by the virus, completely empty, and the dreariness of the city. Three videographers record themselves driving back to the city and encounter a lot of police checks and frozen gas pumps.

A nurse helps an elderly patient with Covid-19

There are scenes in hospital patient rooms, watching an elderly patient in critical condition because one of the machines he is hooked up to is malfunctioning, others have faces as white as a sheet and are gasping for breath while breathing in oxygen. 

One gets access to the construction site of Huoshenshan Hospital, the emergency field hospital that was built within days to house 1,000 patients. Once it's completed, one of the doctors goes inside to report to work and he walks and walks along corridors until finally he reaches his locker.

Then there is the tedious task of putting on layers of personal protective equipment. He grabs a rubber glove with air in it to make sure there are no holes before putting it on. Very smart. Another person writes with a felt tip marker on his hazmat suit that he is a doctor and what his name is.

No wonder doctors couldn't go to the bathroom with all that stuff on.

A construction worker talks to his niece

Taking the PPE off too was another routine carefully monitored by someone in another room, instructing him what to do to avoid getting the virus on his own clothes and skin. Talk about an intense and stressful procedure.

One wishes the doctor would talk to the camera, but perhaps he was too hungry, as we watch him eat. Maybe we are already lucky to have such close access that we shouldn't demand much more.

However there are other stories, like the construction worker who helped build the hospital but is stranded in Wuhan and can't get out. He is stuck living in his car and charges his phone in a car park. He calls his young niece who reminds him to disinfect himself before they see each other.

It's light moments like these that keep Coronation not too sombre.

Perhaps one of the funniest vignettes is when a videographer stays with his mother, who is a die-hard revolutionary. She insists as long as you do what you are told, you will be looked after and shows off she has won many awards. 

Her son eggs her on to show them to him and she gathers a stack of red fabric books and dumps them unceremoniously on the table. There are certificates too that are rolled up like scrolls, though one is ripped and he jokes it's because it has Lin Biao's name on it.

A videographer (right) with his mother

Then there are people angry at the government regulations for not allowing them to be with their loved ones before they passed. This was not just happening in Wuhan, but around the world. Here, people openly complain in front of the camera, telling the world that they could not say good bye, or hold their hand as they lay dying.

One middle-aged son believed the government when it said there was no proof of human-to-human spreading of the virus and brought his elderly father back to Wuhan. He was soon infected and died; his son regretful, but wishes to do his duty to give his father a proper burial.

However, his father's danwei, or work unit refuses to allow him to retrieve his father's ashes alone; he must be accompanied by minders and he is adamant that this not happen. The danwei people realize they have not handled this carefully, but at the same time the son knows they are only doing their job, but he respectfully insists that he must not be accompanied by strangers who did not know his father at all.

The government tries to "disinfect" Wuhan

It's like a cat-and-mouse game that must have been infuriating for the son to deal with, let alone his regrets and mourning. He says that the government is so big there is no way one person can beat the system.

In a way Coronation is a warning for Hong Kong. We may laugh at the ridiculousness of the bureaucracy mainlanders have to deal with, but the reality is that Hongkongers will have to face this in real life very soon. In fact things are changing so fast that it is happening now, with Beijing destroying the veneer of "one country, two systems".

The mainlanders deal with authoritarian rule everyday, and some in the film know very clearly what is going on, others blindly following along. For some the pandemic has revealed the authorities' inability to humanize the situation, that everything is for the good of the state, even though it insists it is ruled by the people.

Coronation was remotely directed by Ai; the access the videographers got was impressive, though at times the camera is blurry and there are no second takes. It is a gritty film, though not as well produced as his previous work, Human Flow, about the refugees from Syria, Lebanon and Iraq who make their way to Europe.

Nevertheless, Coronation is an excellent record of what it was like in Wuhan, something the Chinese government cannot completely whitewash.

Coronation

Directed by Ai Weiwei

1hr 53 minutes

Out in Force

 

Some 40,000 people turned out for a civil servants' rally at Chater Garden

Organizers say 40,000 people turned out for the civil servants' rally at Chater Garden in Central tonight. It started at 7pm but there were already lots of people streaming into the public space an hour before.

There was also a rally at Edinburgh Place near the Central post office for healthcare professionals. They chant "Save lives, save Hong Kong". It is the second time this group of people have held a assembly to voice their frustration with the government along with issues like not enough protection of patients' privacy in public hospitals and police allegedly obstructing first-aid workers at protest scenes.

Earlier there was another one for healthcare professionals

Last Friday some 1,500 gathered at Queen Elizabeth Hospital to condemn the mob violence in Yuen Long on July 21.

Earlier in the day Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung warned civil servants to remain politically neutral. He warned them not to participate in the rally, saying they should not "do things in contrast with the government's views".

However, after more than eight weeks of no resolution in sight and escalating violence, thousands of them defied him and many interviewed by reporters said they were joining the rally as ordinary citizens during their off-work hours.

It was easy to tell the turnout was going to be huge this evening. At 7.20pm the Central MTR station was packed with people, mostly dressed in black T-shirts and walking towards Exit J where Chater Garden is. Partway through the large station, the massive crowd stopped because there were so many people slowed down by the turnstile exits. 

A massive crowd inching toward the exit in the MTR station

Slowly the mass of people inched forward and despite it being rush hour period, no one complained and calmly made their way to the exits. It was obvious they were all there for the same event. Outside police tried to keep the crowds from spilling out into Des Voeux Road, and for the most part everyone obeyed.

One well respected former chief secretary who came out to support the civil servants was Anson Chan Fang On-sang. She came out to speak at the rally, admiring those with the conscience and moral courage to come out despite the government's "stern and apparently intimidating statement" on Thursday night.

"To cultivate a civil service that is excellent and efficient at work, that has high morale, that adheres to political neutrality, we not only need civil servants to be loyal to their duties," Chan says. "More importantly, the chief executive and her leadership team must protect institutional justice and answer people's demands."

Former chief secretary Anson Chan addressing the crowd

A woman handed out a thick leaflet stapled together, listing the various government departments that were participating in the rally: the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Civil Engineering and Development Department, Hong Kong Housing Authority, Dental Surgeons, Dental Surgery Assistants and Dental Hygienists under the Department of Health and Lands Department, and Clerical staff of the Hospital Authority. 

Political scientist Joseph Chan Cho-wai of the University of Hong Kong took to the stage. He said he told senior government officials a few weeks ago there were only two ways to handle the protests -- to reform or to suppress.

"When public grievances sweep like floods, you either divert the water or build a dam. It's a pity that the government chose the dam," Joseph Chan says. "But a dam built with police using force, triad intimidating people, outdated laws and Beijing's intervention cannot stop this flood."

He said civil servants' duty is not to defend the dam, but the institutions protecting rule of law, justice and freedom. "Priority of rule of law is to constrain the government from abusing power," he says. "Civil servants should defend this tradition."

Protesters spilled onto Des Voeux Road by HSBC

Before 8.30pm the crowds had spilled onto Des Voeux Road so buses and other vehicles (except trams) had no choice but to go to Queens Road Central, causing a giant traffic jam. It also started to rain lightly, prompting everyone to open their umbrellas and huddle together.

Surely with such a turnout tonight, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has lost a big chunk of support from her own civil service? Does she even care?

Meanwhile inside the MTR station, there were people holding signs to encourage residents to take part in the general strike planned for this Monday.

How many people will join in? Apparently disruptions on the MTR will start at 7.30am, and massive rallies to be held in seven locations simultaneously from 1pm onwards.

CARRIE! WHERE ARE YOU?

By-Election Blues

An Au Nok-hin supporter earlier today

Today is the by-election for four of the six seats in the Legislative Council vacated by those who were disqualified for making improper oaths of office.

Despite rigorous campaigning, voter turnout seems blase about the event. By 9.30pm, an hour before polls closed, a total of 840,070 voters had cast their votes in the geographical constituency, an overall turnout rate of 39.97 percent. This compares to a 52.27 percent for the same time during the 2016 general elections.

Granted this is a by-election and not a general election, still it's important for the pro-democrats to try to regain ground in Legco. However, it seems voters may be jaded and feel there's no point in trying to vote for someone who represent their interests because the Hong Kong government, or rather Beijing, will find a way to disqualify them, or make it harder for pro-democracy lawmakers to do their work.

Pro-Beijing loyalists butt heads with Joshua Wong and Au

There's also still simmering tensions between pro-democracy and pro-Beijing parties. This morning at around 9am in Aberdeen, a group of middle-aged Beijing loyalists surrounded pro-democracy candidate Au Nok-hin along with Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Agnes Chow Ting.

"You are a traitor who betrayed your country! Why don't you go to Taiwan instead?" the pro-Beijing group shouted at them, along with some swear words.

The tensions also extended to former senior officials who had differing opinions on the state of politics in Hong Kong. Ex-chief executive Tung Chee-hwa said quarreling should end, saying advocates of Hong Kong independence and self-determination would cost a heavy toll.

"We should elect some people who are constructive, pragmatic and true-heartedly serving Hong Kong into the Legislative Council," he said.

Tung Chee-hwa says he wants Hong Kong to move forward

Don't we all want that? We know independence isn't going to get anywhere but what about at least upholding "one country, two systems"?

Meanwhile Tung's former No. 2 Anson Chan Fang On-sang had a different view.

"Hongkongers should never give up... we should vote to express our zero tolerance to the constant interventions in Hong Kong affairs and the devastating damage to the 'one country, two systems' principle by the local and central governments," she said.

"Tung called on citizens to vote for those who genuinely work for Hong Kong," Chan continued, addressing his earlier comments. "I believe voters have the wisdom to judge who truly represents the values of Hongkongers."

Anson Chan hopes votes reflect Hong Kong's sentiment

We will see in the next few hours what the results are and in what direction Hong Kong will be going in... we can only hope for the best.

Bow-tie Tsang Begins 20-Month Prison Term

Donald Tsang (in handcuffs) was escorted to court for sentencing today

Donald Tsang Yam-kuen heard his fate this morning and the judge handed him a 20-month sentence behind bars. Tsang is now the first knighted and highest-ranked official to be convicted for misconduct.

"Never in my judicial career have I seen a man fallen from so high," said Justice Andrew Chan Hing-wai. Tsang closed his eyes as he heard the sentence, while his wife Selina of almost 50 years began to cry in the public gallery.

The judge was originally going to sentence him to 30 months, but after receiving over 40 letters of mitigation from people like former Secretary for Administration Anson Chan Fong On-sang, pan-democrat Albert Ho Chun-yan, and chief executive hopefuls Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and John Tsang Chun-wah, Justice Chan lowered Tsang's jail time to 20 months.

Tsang's wife Selina cried upon hearing the 20-month jail term

Justice Chan said Tsang had breached the trust placed in him by both the people of Hong Kong and the people of China.

The prosecution has already indicated it will retry the charge of misconduct regarding the alleged HK$3.35 million in renovations on his Shenzhen apartment in exchange for approving Wave Media applications when the jury failed to reach a verdict last week.

People have mixed reactions about the sentencing. Some feel Tsang didn't do any harm to anyone and so he should receive a lighter sentence, or none at all. But he was the leader of Hong Kong -- there are expectations our senior officials are supposed to exercise strong moral judgment not only on what's best for the city, but also of their own behaviour.

While he did a lot of good for Hong Kong in his 45-year career with the government, he was caught red-handed hanging out with tycoons on one of their yachts in Macau. He tried to worm his way out of it, but the evidence was stark.

Rafael Hui is serving a 7.5 year jail sentence for bribery

Tsang's sentence sets a precedence so that all civil servants know that they cannot take advantage of their positions for personal gain. If he didn't do any time for that, then we might see even more corruption cases.

But now we're two for two -- Rafael Hui Si-yan, and now Tsang. They may be reunited in Stanley prison too.

Two is already too many -- why does Hong Kong have people like this in office? More importantly why has Beijing chosen these people?

Seeing the intense media interest in Tsang's trial shows that senior officials must prove their worth, otherwise they too will suffer the same fate -- the humiliation of having fallen from so high.

Hong Kong People fear for their Freedoms

The five people, including Lee Bo (bottom right) have disappeared so far

This afternoon around 6,000 people gathered at Hong Kong government headquarters at Tamar in Admiralty to march to the central liaison office in Western to protest against the disappearances of publisher Lee Bo and his four associates.

Many in Hong Kong now fear that anything they say or do that may anger Beijing will result in them being forcibly taken away to the mainland.

A video featuring these four talk about their fears for HK

Chanvinci is one of the producers of the local film Ten Years, that gives a bleak prediction of what the city will be like. He made a new video, interviewing a range of notable people in Hong Kong about the Lee Bo incident, including former Chief Secretary Anson Chan Fong An-sang, Scholarism founder Joshua Wong Chi-fung, barrister Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, law professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting, actor Gregory Wong Chung-yiu, and singer Anthony Wong Yiu-ming.

They all voice their concerns about Hong Kong's future that has supposedly run on the premise of "one country, two systems" since 1997.

The disappearances of the five people show China's disregard for the Basic Law, and Gregory Wong painted a frightening scenario reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution, where one never knows if they are safe talking to their friends or relatives, while Anthony Wong wonders if he might be next to disappear.

Chan, Lee and Ng plead for the international community to take notice and speak out on Hong Kong's behalf, otherwise the city's reputation as an international one will be tarnished forever.

The rally today protests against Lee Bo's disappearance

Many Hong Kong people wonder what kind of consular protection they will get depending on what government-issued documents they carry. It seems a Hong Kong passport or BNO don't give much protection, and one wonders if this will renew people's interest in immigrating to Canada, the United States or Australia.

Meanwhile, the Chinese side seems to be crumbling with regards to its handling of the situation.

The latest is that a pro-Beijing newspaper claims Lee Bo's wife received a video and letter in which he repeated going to the mainland was "a personal conduct". He also said he "didn't understand why it was made into such a big deal".

Lee apparently says everyone should respect his decision to go to the mainland and that it is none of anyone's business.

The paper, Headline News, didn't show any evidence of this purported video, in which Lee also allegedly says that taking part in today's protest would not be a good idea.

How contrived is this message?

Perhaps even more bizarre is how the Global Times, a nationalistic paper on the mainland has written its editorial. It claimed it was not problematic for mainland authorities to probe Causeway Bay Books because it "publishes and sells political books targeting mainland readers", and creates "special interference to the maintenance of order in the mainland".

A publisher finds a market in selling books that digs up dirt about senior Chinese officials. In this case it is possibly linked to the latest book that talks about Chinese President Xi Jinping's previous amorous relationships. If the mainland finds these books  a problem, then it should search every suitcase arriving from Hong Kong and punish those people for bringing them in.

Lee Bo is only doing what every other publisher is trying to do -- make money. And he can do it with the backing of freedom of the press in Hong Kong.

However, the Global Times article continues to say it would be "in accordance with Chinese laws" for the mainland to initiate an investigation. The editorial said it was constitutional for mainland authorities to find ways to "get around" local laws, and make one comply with their investigations "without breaching systemic bottom lines".

How is this possible, when, according to Basic Law, only Hong Kong police can investigate matters within the city. For the paper to say it was permissible for mainland authorities to go around local law is shocking and illegal.

We can continue going through the semantics, but it's very clear Beijing seems to think it can have an even tighter grip on Hong Kong and do whatever it wants with it and its people.

The longer the five do not show up, the more we wonder where they are, and fears for our own safety continue to magnify.

Seems like we're already getting a taste of what life in Hong Kong will be like after June 30, 2046...

Remembering Elsie Tu

Veteran Hong Kong politician Elsie Tu gave her life to the city and its people

We're going to miss Elsie Tu, a veteran politician who died this morning at 102.

102! That demonstrates her will to live and probably good genes.

She was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England in 1913, and Tu and her then husband William Elliot moved to Hong Kong to do missionary work in 1951. Soon after not only did she quit the church, but also the marriage.

She then met the late Andrew Tu Hsueh-kwei and they founded Mu Kuang English School in 1954. It wasn't until 1985 that their friendship led to marriage -- 30 years after the two teachers met. She was 71, he was 63.

Tu with husband Andrew, co-founded Mu Kuang English School

"Mr Tu was very outspoken... he taught me a lot of things to make me better understand Chinese ways," she said.

In 1963 she got into politics and won a set on the Urban Council that year.

She later got involved in fighting against corruption, which led to the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption in 1974.

In 1985 she was appointed as HKSAR Basic Law Consultative Committee member. Although she was English, Tu was very pro-Beijing, supporting then former security secretary Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee over Anson Chan Fang On-sang in the Legislative Council by-election.

Despite her political leanings, it was her standing up for the little guy that many admired about Tu.

Over two years ago she complained about tycoons who didn't have a conscience to care about the poor.

She didn't name names, but expressed support for striking dockworkers.

She will be remembered for fighting for the poor

"I think shame on you. Why should you have [billions of dollars] when the poor can't even buy meat for their children's food? How could you have [billions of dollars] and still want more? The dockers are getting so little and their conditions are disgraceful."

Tu added there were some rich men with a conscience and some without, and there are many elderly who barely have enough to live on.

Who else is going to take up the fight for the underprivileged? Tu was a wonderful example to the end.

We will miss her indomitable spirit.

HKU Prof's New Claim to Fame

Professor Lo Chung-mau isn't just a respected surgeon but also an online meme

There's lots of drama going on at the University of Hong Kong and that's probably an understatement.

Earlier this week students protested the postponed appointment of HKU's former dean Johannes Chan Man-mun for the post of pro-vice-chancellor.

It is unclear what caused Dr Lo to fall and hug his right knee

They were not alone -- more than 2,400 people signed a petition against the delay that was published in newspapers, including 1,500 alumnae and former government officials like ex-chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang, former director of legal aid, Lady Pauline Cheung Cheng Po-lin, and ex-president of the Legislative Council Andrew Wong Wang-fat.

But since Johannes Chan's candidacy was revealed, pro-Beijing media have criticized his working relationship with HKU legal academic Benny Tai Yiu-ting, who co-founded the Occupy Central movement.

On Tuesday the university students stormed the venue where the governing body was having its meeting after it voted down a motion calling it to stop delaying Chan's appointment.

Some claim he was "football diving"

It was when the council meeting was overtaken by students clad in black that one of the council members, professor Lo Chung-mau, who is head of the HKU department of surgery and respected liver surgeon, suddenly fell down and started hugging his right knee.

Looking at video footage, there doesn't seem to be anyone provoking him to fall, which immediately made people think he was "diving", like footballers who fake injuries on the pitch.

However Lo denied doing such a thing, saying the accusation was "a big insult".

"[At that time] people were pushing others. I was standing right there, I heard some sounds, I wanted to move forward to see what was going on, then my right knee felt very painful, like bumping on to something, but I don't know what it was," Lo said, recounting the incident to RTHK.

"It was noisy, crowded and hot. I even felt difficulty breathing," he said.

After a day in hospital, Lo was released, but the doctor looking after him said Lo may even need surgery on his knee...

Lo's new talents include synchronized swimming

But too late -- Lo has been the laughing stock on social media, with images or meme of him superimposed of him hugging his knee in various settings, like synchronized swimming, or videos comparing him to footballers diving in the most outrageous situations.

The students are fighting for academic freedom, but Lo's apparent diving makes the resolution of Chan's appointment even harder to take the university council members seriously...

Not Exactly Choreographed

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam encountering views counter to the government...

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is having a tough time to say the least.

Not only did people boo her and her entourage when they tried to do a bus tour through some Hong Kong districts on the weekend, but she even encountered dissent at a pro-Beijing event this evening.

At a community outreach session supposedly choreographed by the Federation of Trade Unions at Lai Kok Estate in Cheung Sha Wan, Lam fielded questions from residents.

The media watched as the first man chosen by FTU lawmaker Chan Yuen-han to raise a question said to Lam, "I want universal suffrage."

Holding a microphone, the middle-aged man added Lam failed to deliver on her promise to get rid of illegal structures in rural New Territories when she was secretary for development.

His microphone was then switched off and taken away by helpers.

The next man to speak was accompanied by an FTU officer, who read into his ear: "Support the chief executive election in 2017."

How original.

Afterwards Lam said to the media: "I've heard such views. I don't hold the view that we are unaware of split views in society."

You don't say, Carrie! But what are you going to do about it?

Having someone demand universal suffrage at an event held by Beijing loyalists is surely very embarrassing to say the least.

Former chief secretary Anson Chan Fong On-sang speculated Lam was "between a rock and a hard place".

"Carrie has no power even though you can see, reading between the lines, she is very unhappy actually with the whole way this consultation and the package of the constitutional proposals has been presented," Chan said.

She even added, "I have the distinct impression that she doesn't believe what's coming out from her own mouth."

Ouch. Guess Lam isn't winning an Academy Award for Best Actress anytime soon -- or is Chan hinting the incumbent isn't very good at her job?

Think Tanked-Out

A new think tank to help Hong Kong thanks to Tung Chee-hwa

In 2000 then former Legislative Councillor Christine Loh Kung-wai left politics and set up Civic Exchange, a think tank that focuses on public policy with regards to social development, the environment and economic analysis.

Then in April 2013, former Chief Secretary Anson Chan Fong On-sang set up Hong Kong 2020 to monitor constitutional reform progress to achieve universal suffrage to vote for the chief executive by 2017, and all members of the Legislative Council by 2020.

And now earlier this week former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa set up Our Hong Kong Foundation to improve Hong Kong's standing in the Happy Planet Index, conduct research to improve people's lives, and provide facilities for new leisure activities.

Allan Zeman is part of Our Hong Kong Foundation

Tung is particularly concerned about the Umbrella Movement protests and yesterday gathered over 70 directors for a two-hour meeting.

While we know Grandpa Tung has good intentions, can we point out a few of the people attached to this foundation?

They are: former financial secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung, former Monetary Authority chief executive Joseph Yam Chi-kwong, Shun Tak managing director Pansy Ho Chiu-king, former Ocean Park CEO Allan Zeman and former chief justice Ti-Liang Yang.

The only person with a democratic background is Tik Chi-yuen.

Can we just stop here and observe that most of these people are tycoons and are certainly looking out for their own interests and not necessarily concerned about seriously engaging the protesters, most of whom are students.

Irons Sze says there should be more talks with young people

Leung remarked he was concerned about Hong Kong's economy if the protests continue to drag on. "I am worried it will also seriously affect the rule of law, which is a core value for the city's role as a financial centre," he said.

This is coming from the senior official who bought a luxury car shortly before announcing a proposal to sharply increase taxes on new cars...

And then Zeman mustered up this comment: "The most important thing is that we find the way that we can have harmony with the students and everyone can get back to the way Hong Kong was."

Zeman used to read trends and people well, but now he's completely lost touch with this statement. After these protests, Hong Kong will never be the same again. People have been greatly affected by the movement that was sparked by the police unleashing tear gas 87 times and resulted in the continued occupation of Causeway Bay, Admiralty and Mongkok. They have seen people's passion in their sacrifices in the hopes for universal suffrage.

How can he even begin to assume Hong Kong can be back to what it was before? That's what people don't want! They are trying to change things for the better.

So Tung's cozy club of some 70 people sounds very similar to those who visited Beijing over a month ago -- the uber rich who live in their own bubble. Irons Sze Wing-wai says it best. As Chinese Manufacturers' Association president, he suggested perhaps the think tank could work on improving communication with young people...

We wonder what that will entail...

Deadline Day

From John Lennon's song but very apt for the Umbrella Revolution in HK

Today is deadline day.

The police have reiterated many times that the streets have to be cleared for schools and government offices to open. The number of protesters was much smaller at the sites, and in Mongkok there were still verbal jousts here and there. Students didn't want to get into ideological fights with middle-aged men and women; they just wanted to stand their ground -- literally.

Then in the afternoon a man claiming to have three young children, climbed on top of one of the bridges at Admiralty and threatened to jump if he didn't get to speak to representatives of the Federation of Students and live coverage by foreign networks.

Around dinnertime people still wandering around Admiralty

He said that his three children were unable to go to to school for a week and wanted the Occupy movement to end. Firemen put out a giant inflated mat for him in case he did jump and Alex Chow of the federation did arrive, but wanted the man to come down first before they talked.

So jumping off a bridge is going to solve the problem? And it's only been one week, with two days that were public holidays. If you die, then your kids won't be able to go to school! He just made no sense.

Eventually after several hours and sips of water, he did come down. It was a pathetic way to try to hijack the protest...

Late in the afternoon I went to the gym for a swim and since it is located near Central, it was very quiet, or most members had already gone earlier in the day and didn't want to be there too late.

Around 6.30pm I headed over to Admiralty for one last look with my friend YTSL.

The messages on the Democracy Wall were heartening to read

While there was hardly the massive crowd that was there last night, there were still several hundred people there, like us, taking in probably the last time we can walk on a highway freely and breathe relatively clean air.

We checked out the Democracy Wall where there were thousands of colourful pieces of paper filled with messages of hope, encouragement, and love for Hong Kong and its people. Many said 香港加油！ or "Hong Kong add oil" or "Hong Kong keep going! and "Hong Kong for Democracy". There were a few calls for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to step down, but on the whole they were optimistic and proud.

Then we went on the Connaught Road overpass and walked towards Central and ended up at Motorino for dinner.

My own little message for everyone!

Coming home I am reading reports that there are many people who are still refusing to leave the protest sites despite numerous warnings from police, university chancellors and even protest leaders. It remains to be seen what will happen to them later tonight, but the Federation of Students is preparing to meet with Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor tonight.

On this possible last day, it made me think about what these eight days have achieved.

The protests have definitely shone a spotlight on the social and economic problems Hong Kong has faced in the last several years, how the rich continue to get richer, and the poor poorer.

Former Chief Secretary Anson Chan Fong On-sang wrote a brilliant piece in the Guardian today, accusing both Britain and China of not keeping their promises for what would happen to Hong Kong after 1997.

At the end of the opinion piece, she succinctly explains the generational divide in this protest and why so many young people are out in the streets because they have nothing to lose:

A last look at Admiralty with some determined to stay

Many of these young people only know life after Chinese rule. They are worried about many of the same things that worry young people in Britain and elsewhere. Will they find a job? Will they ever be able to buy a home?

For them, the big change in Hong Kong since I was their age is perhaps the decline in social mobility. In earlier decades, there was great social mobility -- if you worked hard, you could move swiftly up the social ladder. There was a certain sense of cohesion.

Now within the territory there is a sense of them and us. Those who make money are tempted to stay quiet, to maintain their links, their status. The rest, they want what many people want across the world -- a good education and an open society.

And through these protests that have been unprecedented, these young people have become more civic minded and politically active. They will not kowtow to Beijing that easily, nor will they believe everything senior Chinese leaders say.

They have become a force to be reckoned with and while tonight be a retreat, it is not a defeat. They will definitely come back to fight another day. And they know they can do it.

香港人加油！

Trying to Discredit Jimmy Lai

Jimmy Lai may have donated millions to pro-democracy politicians and groups

Someone or a group is out to take down media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying with the leak of his emails showing how much he has donated to pro-democracy groups in Hong Kong.

Two weeks ago there were leaked emails showing he donated millions of dollars to pan-democratic politicians such as Civic Party's Claudia Mo Man-ching, Democrat James To Kun-sun, and ex-lawmaker Tanya Chan, as well as Anson Chan Fang On-sang, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, and Martin Lee Chu-ming.

Donations ranged from HK$200,000 to HK$6 million (over two years).

And now the latest revelation from more leaked emails is that Lai helped fund the referendum that Occupy Central held in June.

Exchanges between the founder of Next Media and his top aide Mark Simon show Lai has spent between HK$3 million to HK$3.5 million on the plebiscite, though it is not clear what exactly the money was used for.

While Lai gave extensive advice to the pro-democracy group, he privately described Occupy Central as "idealist scholars" who "couldn't make the cut without help".

He added they had "no strategy", not to mention any organized plans or steps for actions". They "could accomplish nothing if there was no help".

While Lai and Simon would not comment, one of the Occupy Central organizers, Chinese University academic Dr Chan Kin-man dismissed the notion that Lai was the main force behind the campaign.

"Occupy Central has its own flow and schedule which are very transparent," he said.

He also condemned the leak as a smear campaign.

It is interesting these leaks have come out now as well as the contents of them. It should be no surprise that Lai would possibly support pro-democracy groups because of his critical stance towards the mainland.

And what he does with his money is his own business. Surely other tycoons are donating money to pro-Beijing camps, perhaps even the anti-Occupy Central group that's collecting signatures now, and the total has far surpassed 1 million.

Lai is an outsider -- like Li Ka-shing he has built his riches from the bottom up -- but instead Lai focuses on his media projects and uses them as his bullhorn to express his disapproval of China.

As a result, it is alleged by Simon that banks such as HSBC and Standard Chartered stopped advertising with Lai's popular Apple Daily thanks to an order from the Liaison Office in Hong Kong.

This hit Lai's Next Media hard financially, but he still manages to do OK.

Which is maybe perhaps most locals don't really care about these email leaks on Lai in terms of how much he's spending on pro-democracy groups and activities...

He's on their side.

What Do We Want?

What kind of democratic system does Hong Kong want to take for 2017?

Hong Kong has been promised universal suffrage by 2017 but what form will it take?

That is the issue people are squabbling over, including the Occupy Central movement.

The pan-democrats are proposing a "three-track system" where a candidate can be chosen by a public nomination or through support of political parties in addition to candidates picked by the nomination committee.

However the pro-Beijing camp says this is a waste of time because the Central Government will not like the idea and would probably prefer to control the race by having candidates it deems as politically correct to run in the race that everyone votes.

At the 12th National People's Congress going on right now in the Chinese capital, NPC member Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai said that the pro-democrat proposal would not achieve consensus and would result in Hong Kong people missing their chance for universal suffrage in 2017.

"We should stop insisting on civil nomination and discuss, say, the composition of the nominating committee," she said. "These are much needed contents in the future political reform package."

How can we miss the change for universal suffrage? We could have a referendum by a certain deadline and then majority rules. She is trying to scare people into thinking we must follow the pro-Beijing path.

In Hong Kong, former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang says the Hong Kong government should not rule out civil nomination at this early stage.

It is very easy to see who falls in which camp based on their opinion about 2017, which the Hong Kong government is currently soliciting public opinion.

Today during the NPC, China's legislature said it will allow Hong Kong people to directly choose their leader in 2017.

"It is the hope of Hong Kong's people, as well as the long-standing stance of the central government, that the chief executive [of Hong Kong] can be returned by universal suffrage in 2017 in accordance with the law," said Fu Ying, spokeswoman for the NPC.

"Implementing universal suffrage is a big issue for Hong Kong. It is also about the future stability and development of Hong Kong," she said. "We believe [the Hong Kong government] can deal with all aspects of the issue in accordance with the law. We also hope various sectors of the Hong Kong community can work hard together to achieve universal suffrage in accordance with the Basic Law and the rulings of the National People's Congress.

"From the viewpoint of the National People's Congress, we would like to see that universal suffrage [in Hong Kong] can be smoothly implemented."

It is in what form universal suffrage will take that is the issue. Will we get to choose the nominations or will they be decided for us by Beijing?

One tends to think it will be latter, but we can't give up hope yet. While it's true in the west citizens don't get to choose their candidates -- they are picked by their political parties -- but at least they aren't endorsed by some looming authority elsewhere.

Do the Hong Kong people understand the issue at hand and really want to stand up and make the voice heard on the nomination process? Many seem cynical about this, believing it's self-defeating to even bother giving their opinions, or do they even care?

Now if the pan-democrats could stop squabbling amongst themselves and put away their iPads filled with women clad in bikinis then maybe -- just maybe -- the public might take their cause more seriously?

Chan's Focus on Hong Kong

Anson Chan Fang On-sang reminds us to protect Hong Kong's core values

Finally -- a voice of reason has spoken out. Former Chief Secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang has said that Hong Kong must "determine for itself" the role it plays in the development of China, and that it should not be content to be just another Chinese city.

She insists she is not "anti-China" but criticized those who seemed to blindly follow whatever Beijing wanted.

Chan said it was important for SAR leaders to safeguard Hong Kong's core values.

"What is best about Hong Kong is the fact that we are a pluralistic society, we are open, we are tolerant," she said. "But above all, we have proper regard for human dignity, for rights and freedoms and above all for the rule of law. These are Hong Kong's strengths and these strengths are what set Hong Kong apart from mainland China."

She warned that those who simply did what Beijing or the central government's liaison office wanted needed to reflect.

"They don't stop to think what is it that makes Hong Kong tick... We have neither the land nor the human resources, so where do we compete if not relying on our strengths?" Chan asked. "Why do business come here? Why are we the pre-eminent financial centre for China and not Shanghai and not Beijing?

Chan said those who had benefited from living and working in Hong Kong "owe a duty and a commitment to the general public" to protect its core values, because "for some of the richer people, they always have a choice, if things go wrong here, they can up and go".

"Hong Kong is our home, but it's our home for very specific reasons, we don't want to turn into another Chinese city," she said.

In light of the tensions between mainlanders and locals in the city, China says it is time to rethink the city's role being a part of China.

"I'm not anti-China. I fully respect 'one country, two systems', but I place equal emphasis on both one country and two systems," she said. "If you see things happening that are chipping away at 'one country, two systems' and eroding our rights and freedoms, then you have a duty to stand up and have the courage of your convictions, that's all I am doing."

When it comes to democracy, Chan says those "who have the ear of Beijing should impress upon them that the SAR's current constitutional framework needs reform such as genuine steps towards universal suffrage and the development of political parties to make Hong Kong stable," she said, adding that if this was not done, "Hong Kong will become increasingly ungovernable".

The Occupy Central movement led by associate law professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting is regarded as the last ditch attempt to force both the Hong Kong and central governments' hand in pushing through democracy for 2017. So far those against it have criticized it at every opportunity, but Chan says it would be better if the government tried to forge consensus and establish an electoral package that would be agreeable to all.

Where's the wolf Leung Chun-ying Hong Kong was scared of?

Reading Chan's comments helps focus Hong Kong back to where it should be. When we had the election for chief executive last year, we hoped Leung Chun-ying would be the better alternative to Henry Tang Ying-yen. We thought Leung would speak for the rest of us, and not the 1 percent that Tang represents.

We were wrong. Instead Leung is going through the motions of what Beijing and the Liaison Office want, and not thinking clearly about what is best for Hong Kong.

He is in a difficult position, but his plunging ratings show that he's not the smartest cookie in the city. He was described as a wolf, but really he seems like an obedient lamb.

Where's the wolf to protect Hong Kong's interests?