Remembering Those who Defended HK

Japanese troops take over Tsim Sha Tsui

Every year around this time when I wear a poppy, some Hongkongers ask me where I got the pretty flower, others suddenly remember that it's that day where you remember the war dead, other expats don't seem to care or notice. 

I wear it to remember the Canadian soldiers who died for us, and in particular, think of those who tried to defend Hong Kong from the Japanese during the Battle of Hong Kong from December 8-25, 1941. This year is the 80th anniversary, but there is nothing in the news to remind people.

Some locals remember having to wear poppies at school, but students today don't wear them.

Sai Wan War Cemetery above Chai Wan

Is this part of the government's efforts to quietly forget what happened 80 years ago? Is it because it was an embarrassing defeat? Soldiers from Britain, Canada and India rushed over to try to defend the then British colony, but were not well prepared, didn't have much knowledge of the terrain and were overpowered, leading to the surrender on Christmas Day, 1941.

Over 1,500 Indian and Canadian soldiers died in battle.

Then the rest were taken in as prisoners of war in camps in Hong Kong and Japan until the Japanese surrendered in 1945.

Attending the Remembrance Day ceremony at Sai Wan Military Cemetery in 2018 was a moving experience, seeing over 1,500 graves, many of them Canadian soldiers who died in a place they were not familiar with.

What happened 80 years ago is a part of Hong Kong's history whether Beijing accepts it or not. It must be remembered by generations to come. 

Meanwhile fast-forward eight decades later where the freedoms these soldiers defended have now given way to the national security law.

Statue of Canadian soldier in HK Park

Today a second person was handed a lengthy sentence, not for committing murder or causing injury to someone or destroying property. It was for chanting pro-independence slogans during the anti-government protests, violating the national security law on the grounds of inciting secession.

Former delivery food worker Adam Ma Chun-man, 31, was accused of promoting separatism on 20 occasions between August 15 and November 22 last year, using expressions such as "Hong Kong independence, the way out", "Hongkongers, build our country", and "Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times",  a signature rallying call of the anti-government protests two years ago.

Judge Stanley Chan Kwong-chi said he found the national security law violation serious enough to warrant at least five years behind bars, as the defendant repeatedly incited others to separate Hong Kong from China, and failed to display even "the least bit of remorse" -- something Ma himself acknowledged.

Originally the sentence was set for six years, but Chan knocked off three months, saying Ma saved the court's time by agreeing to most of the prosecution's case.

However when the sentence was read out, people in the gallery shouted the sentence was "too long", and "insane".

While the defence counsel asked for a more lenient sentence, Chan refused, saying Ma's actions could have provoked others to resort to radical ways.

"Who knows? Maybe some of those incited would become another Adam Ma," said Chan.

Ma sentenced to almost six years in jail today

In a letter to the court, Ma wrote he was inspired by jailed activist Edward Leung Tin-kei, and felt he bore a responsibility to achieve the latter's aspirations for independence.

"Today is the 311th day I have been in jail," he wrote in his letter, dated September 28, the first day of the trial. "I have denied the allegation, but my mind is exceptionally calm, even with a bit of joy.

"Your Lordship, I do not feel any shame, nor do I have the least bit of remorse for what I have done in the past. I also promise that I will not display the slightest bit of weakness in the fight for democracy and justice," he added.

Amnesty International deputy secretary general Kyle Ward called Thursday's ruling "outrageous", and urged the Hong Kong government to stop criminalising "mere acts of expression".

"This conviction and sentencing clearly shows that restrictions on the right to freedom of expression in Hong Kong are dangerously disproportionate," he said.

While the outside world may be outraged, this is only the beginning. There are some defendants who are determined to stick by their beliefs to the end, even if the courts do not agree with them.

And they will pay dearly as we have seen today.

For them this is their sacrifice...

Picture of the Day: National Security Education Day

First I heard of it, but 2021 will be the sixth year of the event

 

The other day my walking buddy took me on a path to walk by the Cross Harbour Tunnel and it was there that we saw some new billboard signs.

All of them were covered with messages saying: "April 15 National Security Education Day".

It was the first I had heard of it, but I just looked it up and it has been happening since 2015 when China promulgated the state security law.

Pro-Beijing organizations participate in symposiums to learn more about the law, but perhaps we didn't really pay attention until now because it was sprung upon us late last June.

And to mark this year's event, five disciplined services, including police and customs officers will perform the Chinese military's "goose-stepping" style of ceremonial marching instead of the British foot drills.

"Performing British foot drills when promoting the importance of national security does not seem right. After all, we have been handed over for nearly 24 years," one top officer said, referring to the city's return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.

"The public performance on National Security Education Day this year is a good start to show the unity of the disciplinary forces, as some already plan to infuse the Chinese style into routing training."

In the Chinese military style of "goose-stepping", troops keep their legs rigidly straight when lifting them off the ground, while their arms swing at a 90-degree angle in front of their chest.

It sounds like a very uncomfortable way to march, but gotta integrate with China, right?

But yes, National Security Education Day. We'll be watching for it.

Hongkongers Skeptical of Vaccine Program

Professors reveal the acceptance of vaccines in HK is low

 

A lot of conversations in Hong Kong these days are about asking each other if they will get the vaccine. One would think Hongkongers who are so keen to travel would be up for it, but apparently not.

Chinese University's medical school did a survey gauging their receptiveness to the vaccine and only 37.2 percent were willing to get the jab.

Only 37 percent are willing to get the jab

"It's a very low figure, and we are a bit worried about it, as it is just around half of the recommended vaccination rate of 70 percent," said Professor Paul Chan Kay-sheung, chairman of the university's department of microbiology during a press conference today.

The survey of 1,200 residents was done between July 27 and August 27, well before the government announced its procurement plan.

He says the percentage is significantly lower than the acceptance rates of 60 to 90 percent in countries such as Australia, Germany, Britain and the United States.

In the breakdown of the age groups in Hong Kong, 40 percent of those aged 18 to 24 were willing to get the vaccine, while those 25 to 34 were the least receptive at 24.4 percent. The trend increased with the age of the respondents, with 47.6 percent of those 65 and older keen on getting vaccinated.

Many are concerned about side effects of the jab

Professor Martin Wong Chi-sang, from the university's public health noted young people may not be interested because it would be difficult to schedule a vaccination while working, or perhaps they felt they were healthy enough to avoid being infected.

Some of the respondents were concerned about the side effects of the vaccination, while those with chronic diseases were more interested in getting the jab.

However, the survey does not attribute the current political environment as a factor. The integrity of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has fallen so low that trust in the government has plummeted.

At first she claimed there would be no choice in which vaccine people would get, making residents concerned about possibly having to get the one from Sinovac from China, which was found to be only 78 percent effective in trials in Brazil compared to 95 percent for Pfizer-BioNTech and the jab from AstraZeneca-Oxford University at about 90 percent.

It's quite obvious most people want the non-Chinese vaccines for their effectiveness.

People would rather have Lam get vaccinated first

Many are calling for Lam to publicly be injected with the Sinovac vaccine first and then they will decide if they will follow suit.

This is where Hong Kong is at now -- highly skeptical and not supportive of the government's policies and decisions when it comes to fighting the pandemic. Perhaps that explains why the fourth wave still hasn't been tamed despite Lam's goal of getting the number of infections down to zero, which is quite an impossible task when she still hasn't shut down dance clubs that started this latest wave...

 

Ted Hui's Financial Woes Continue

Ted Hui's war of words with HSBC continues with credit cards

 

Exiled former lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung is being slowly financially strangled while living in the UK now that HSBC has suddenly cancelled his credit card and those of his family.

He claimed the bank did this due to "political considerations" and "unlawfully embezzling" their money.

Weeks earlier the Hong Kong police accused Hui of misappropriating money from a crowdfunding campaign and froze his bank accounts and those of his parents and wife, including ones with HSBC.

Hui's credit card was suddenly cancelled

In today's Facebook post, Hui said the bank told him that all credit cards belonging to him and his family had been cancelled without notice as a "commercial decision".

"The decision to cancel the credit cards is a political one, taken out of HSBC's own political considerations, with a view to aiding the regime in cracking down on opposition voices," he wrote. "This deed has no legal basis at all."

Hui also accused the bank of "acting like a robber", saying he was told it "might not be possible" for him to receive refunds for certain goods purchased with the cards.

"All private property is protected by Hong Kong's Basic Law. It has now been unlawfully embezzled by HSBC without any explanation," Hui said, adding he and his family had a good credit history. 

He said the move reflected the business community's obedience to the regime under the Beijing-imposed national security law, which he characterized as overriding existing frameworks and constraining regulators, forcing them to be "politically correct".

Hui claims the bank is "acting like a robber"

While HSBC refused to comment on specific accounts, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority only said banks were required to conduct business according to applicable laws and international regulatory standards.

One broker surmised the move may be HSBC's way of trying to cut its ties from politically sensitive figures, while another pointed out Hui was basically unemployed now that he was not a legislator nor a district councillor, so he didn't have a stable income anymore.

Hui was out on bail and facing several criminal charges related to last year's anti-government protests when he fled to Britain via Denmark last month.

The police confirmed they froze HK$850,000 (US$109,600) in Hui's accounts with HSBC, Hang Seng Bank and Bank of China. 

Hui last year during one of the protests

The former legislator denied embezzling funds, saying a law firm was holding the funds in another account. 

It's a war of words Hui is having with banks and the police, and in the meantime his financial resources are shrinking very fast. It seems the Hong Kong government and by extension Beijing is like a snake coiled around Hui and making it harder and harder for him to breathe.

How will he survive? It would be difficult for people in Hong Kong to send money to him, as they could be accused of helping a fugitive and possibly charged. 

It seems starting a new life in Britain will be much harder than Hui thought...

Exile Ted Hui Financially Strapped

Ted Hui has found at least five bank accounts are frozen

 

Former opposition lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung arrived in Britain with the intention of starting his new life there in exile, but found his Hong Kong bank accounts were frozen.

There are at least five bank accounts belonging to him, his wife and his parents that have been inaccessible since Saturday. One of the financial institutions is HSBC.

Some of the affected bank accounts are HSBC

Hui called the banks and was told there were "remarks" placed on their accounts and staff refused to divulge what this meant.

"I discovered it when I tried to log into my online bank accounts and found they were not functioning. Those were our life savings," he said. "It's obviously retaliation by economic duress."

The 38-year-old Hui absconded the several criminal charges he was facing in relation to last year's anti-government protests. He apparently crowdfunded HK$3.5 million to help fight five court cases, including a private prosecution of police over a shooting case last year. 

James To Kun-sun, a lawyer and member of the Democratic Party said he had no knowledge of the crowdfunding, but that jumping court bail was not legal grounds to freeze Hui and his family's bank accounts. 

"Unless evidence showed crowdfunding money went to the family accounts," To said. "But crowdfunding itself is not illegal. I think it is political prosecution."

To (centre) says freezing bank accounts illegal

It isn't clear when Hui was given the green light by Magistrate Peter Law Tak-chuen to travel to Denmark, but it obviously did not leave a lot of time for the former Democratic Party lawmaker to clearly plan out everything, including his finances before he and later his family left Hong Kong.

However, what the banks have done is illegal, particularly in the case of freezing the bank accounts of Hui's wife and his parents; it has the hallmarks of a mainland Chinese retaliation for him not appearing in court to face charges.

His case shows those who intend to flee the law need to take everything they need with them -- there is no going back. 

 

Forced to Stay, Forced to Flee

Lai arrives in court to face charges, but leaves in handcuffs

 

Today more developments have prompted people to wonder how much longer they can stay in Hong Kong.

Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying went to court today to face charges of fraud along with two other employees, Royston Chow Tak-kuen and Wong Wai-keung. They allegedly defrauded a government-owned enterprise by breaching land-lease terms. 

Lai transferred to jail until April 16, 2021

They are accused of improperly subleasing office space to a secretarial firm between June 27, 2016 and May 22, 2020.

While Chow, COO and CFO of Next Digital, and chief administrative officer Wong were granted bail, Lai was not because he was deemed a flight risk.

As a result Lai will be remanded in custody until April 16, 2021 when the case is heard in court.

That means the media tycoon will mark his 74th birthday in jail as well as Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year and Easter.

The trio could also face allegations of breaching the national security law.  

Meanwhile former opposition lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung has declared he is seeking exile in Britain and will not return to Hong Kong.

Hui arrived in Denmark a few days ago

Already suspicions were raised when a picture of him suddenly appeared on Twitter arriving in Denmark. A day or two later it was reported his two parents, wife and two children had also left Hong Kong.

If he goes back he will certainly be arrested as he faces nine charges, some related to last year's anti-government protests, and possible jail time. Hui is out on bail and got permission from the court to travel to Denmark to attend meetings on climate change. How many more will be allowed to do that, now that it is revealed the official invitation was just a ruse to get Hui out?

"There is no word to explain my pain and it's hard to hold back tears," Hui said in a statement on Thursday evening. "Since the national security law, we have fallen into the darkness of tyranny and it breaks my heart to hear the fate of many of my friends." 

Hui told B.T. newspaper: "My whole family feels threatened... If I come back to Hong Kong, there will be very, very serious consequences -- maybe at the airport immediately. It's too early to say where I should go and where I will go."

Hui insists he is not emigrating but in exile

He also resigned from the Democratic Party, and insisted he was not emigrating.

"My personal determination is that my exile will not be a migration. My only home is Hong Kong," he said, adding he would only return when the "bells of freedom" are ringing here.

Sadly Hui may never hear the bells of freedom ringing in Hong Kong. The repression continues daily and no one knows when it will end.

Museum Revamp Sparks Fears of Censorship

People went to see the Hong Kong exhibit before it closed

 

Today was the last day people could go see "The Hong Kong Story" at the Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui before it closes for a revamp. 

Many fear parts of the history recorded there would be changed so hundreds lined up today to record it in pictures and video. Others brought their children to teach them about the city's history, that it included being a British colony, which made Hong Kong a modern metropolis until 1997.

They worry the British history part will be gone

The exhibition charts the story of the island from 400 million years ago to Hong Kong's reunification with China 23 years ago. Since the show opened in 2001, "The Hong Kong Story" has had 10 million visits.

However, officials from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said it's time for an "extensive revamp", which is expected to take two years, and some of the content will be amended.

As a result, many people came to take one last look, taking lots of pictures of the artefacts and how the city's history was described as a record because they worry the updated exhibition will censor some of the material. 

Some worried England's part in Hong Kong's development will be cut.

"I want her [my daughter] to remember the history of Hong Kong, especially the part related to England. I think the content will be changed and mainly focused on China, maybe will cut the part of England," a mother told RTHK.

Will these governors' portraits still be around?

A university student hoped the parts about British rule of Hong Kong would be retained.

"I hope the history museum will not be a museum that recorded altered history," he said.

This is how sensitive people are about defending the city. They are worried even a museum exhibition will be altered, but their fears are justified after seeing Hong Kong's institutions changing rapidly within months.

At one point the museum goers began singing "Glory to Hong Kong" and then shouted "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time!" 

It was a rare moment for people to protest albeit very briefly without the police pouncing on them.

Jiang and his modified calligraphy message

In the exhibition there is a picture of then president Jiang Zemin holding calligraphy he wrote that says: "Hong Kong tomorrow will be better". But someone stood next to the picture with Chinese words for "liberate" on his smartphone to make it read: "Liberate Hong Kong tomorrow will be better".

Hope springs eternal.

 

 

Coronavirus Suvivors Need More Support

Virus survivors may suffer long-term psychological issues like anxiety

The coronavirus may be something we will have to live with for a long time to come, which is a scary thought -- perhaps eventually everyone will be infected one way or another -- and they could be re-infected too, which seems just as worrying.

And now scientists at Chinese University have released a study that found the virus may remain in the gut for a longer period of time, and so people may still be infectious even though nasal and throat swab tests may give them negative results.

Dr Chan says the virus can linger in the gut for a long time

"Our study proved that some discharged patients may still carry infectious stool samples that may transmit the virus to their family members or friends," said Professor Paul Chan Kay-sheung, chairman of the university's microbiology department. "Thus, they must be alert, maintain good hygiene and disinfect toilets and their homes regularly."

The 2,000 samples used for the study were those collected from children who arrived at the airport from overseas.

"We believe stool [of infected patients] can increase the risk of community transmissions," medical faculty dean Francis Chan Ka-leung said. "We understand [from the study] that infants and young children may have this problem -- they have no symptoms and become hidden transmitters."

Just another thing to worry about...

Having the physical strength and hope to beat the virus is a feat in itself, but dealing with the lasting psychological impact could change people completely. So far over 4,400 people in Hong Kong have recovered from the virus.

Wong was in the hospital for almost a month fighting the virus

A recent article in the newspaper talked to three survivors about how the pandemic has affected them.

One is a freelance translator in her 30s, who caught the virus after being on a cultural exchange trip in Europe in March.

She was hospitalized for 27 days, sharing a 100 sq ft hospital room with another patient and reported the experience was like being in prison.

Although she was discharged in April, the woman, surnamed Wong, still does not feel completely well, mentally or physically.

After she returned home to live with her parents, she didn't go out for a month, fearing crowds and the possibility of reinfection. Wong also says she has developed anxiety disorders, is unable to sleep well, is easily agitated, and washes her hands so frequently that her skin peels.

X-rays show her lungs are functioning normally, but she worries about the long-term effects of the virus.

For a 41-year-old man surnamed Siu, his family of five who live together were all infected with the virus and were all sent to hospital. Siu's father was the first to fall ill, who then infected his wife, himself, his older brother and four-year-old niece.

Wong washed her hands so much that her skin peeled

Siu also spent two weeks in a 100 sq ft hospital room with another patient and constantly worried about his family members who he could not see.

He, his older brother, and niece were all discharged the same day, though his father was discharged two weeks later. It wasn't because his father was physically ill, but because he was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the whole experience, while his mother was sent to ICU and needs a ventilator to breathe.

Since his father returned home, Siu has noticed his father's decline in memory, while he himself tries to stay busy even if it's housework to keep his mind off what they have gone through.

His mother is still in the ICU, though the viral count in her body is declining, albeit slowly.

Finally another woman who asked to be named Sophie, said her two-and-a-half year old son caught the virus after their trip to Britain in April. Her husband did not go on the trip.

As her son needed to be hospitalized, Sophie elected to stay with him for three weeks despite the possibility of catching the virus there.

Some survivors may suffer from depression and PTSD

When he was finally discharged, she quarantined at home for another two weeks because she was considered a close contact.

However, no one -- friends or family -- would help look after the son, and with her husband busy at work, Sophie had no choice but to take her son with her to quarantine together in a government-run centre.

"Doctors and nurses took good care of my son in hospital. But the moment we left the hospital, people seemed to be scared of us, and treated us like 'monsters'," she said. "I felt more isolated than ever."

When she came home, she noticed neighbours did not want to take the lift with her, and friends did not contact her to meet up. As a result, she herself stayed at home more, and before she goes out, she checks to see if anyone is outside in the hallway.

Psychiatrist Dr Ivan Mak Wing-chit says coronavirus survivors may suffer mental disorders, PTSD and anxiety.

Dr Mak says if disorders remain, people need to get help

He did a study on the long term psychiatric effects of SARS on survivors 30 months after the outbreak and found one-third had psychiatric disorders, one-quarter had PTSD, and 15.6 percent had depressive disorders.

"Some responses to acute stress are normal and they gradually disappear," he says. "But if they remain for more than one month, and people start losing confidence in their control over their lives, that should be taken seriously."

We must give survivors more sympathy and support to help them heal after such a traumatic event in their lives. They need to know others are caring for them even if it's a text message. To know others are thinking about them can help them get through another day.

Hong Kong's National Security Law Green Lighted

President Xi Jinping votes on the national security law

The deal is done.

This afternoon the National People's Congress voted to authorize the Standing Committee to tailor make a national security law for Hong Kong.

Matthew Cheung was on CNN today

How did the vote go down? 2,878 for, one against -- wonder who that was -- and six abstentions.

So now the Standing Committee will draft the law, as early as June, that will prohibit acts of secession, subversion, terrorism or conspiring with foreign influences in Hong Kong. It will also allow mainland agencies, like the secret police to legally operate in the city.

What the law will look like is anyone's guess, but it has apparently included the phrase: any actsthat "seriously endanger national security", an umbrella term for... anything.

Meanwhile Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung was on CNN trying to reassure viewers that life will be the same in Hong Kong for 99.99 percent of the people, but could not provide any specifics or guarantees this would be the case.

Carrie Lam signed her name supporting the law

He kept saying the law was being drafted and that the concerns and aspirations of people would be passed on to the Standing Committee...

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was also seen on the streets of North Point, saying how so many people supported the national security law.

Are they trying to convince themselves? Because they aren't doing a good job of convincing the rest of us.

But at the same time, China still needs Hong Kong as a legitimate financial hub.

According to stats from Refinitiv, since the handover Hong Kong has handled 356 Chinese companies' IPOs, which exceeds 281 in Shanghai, 59 in the New York Stock Exchange, 22 on the Nasdaq, and 4.8 in London.

Graph showing HK's importance for China IPOs

If Beijing wants Chinese companies to continue having legit IPOs then Hong Kong's freedoms need to remain. Once those freedoms are threatened, Beijing can kiss those IPOs good-bye.

Late last night word came down that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Hong Kong was not sufficiently autonomous from the mainland to warrant its special trade status, and that sanctions could be imposed.

China reacted with furious words, describing the US as having "gangster logic", saying it was "utterly imperious, unreasonable and shameless for some in the US to stigmatize and demonize China's just and legitimate measures to plug the loopholes in national security, and even threaten with sanctions based on their domestic law," adding that the US went "all out to reinforce their own national security legal system".

Mike Pompeo says Hong Kong not autonomous

The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act was approved by the US Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in November. It requires the State Department to certify at least once a year that the city retains enough autonomy to justify favourable trading terms. It also specifies that officials responsible for human rights violations in the city could be subject to sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes.

This seems like a stronger threat to Beijing, though the implications for American businesses in Hong Kong will be murky.

At least it was a stronger signal than the joint statement from Canada, the US, UK and Australia expressing concern, but not much else. Does Beijing care? Words sadly won't be enough to move Beijing to take the moral high ground. Instead it will consider these four countries as meddling in Hong Kong's affairs and will be determined to enact the law as soon as possible.

Food and Beverage Industry in Coronavirus Peril

Lan Kwai Fong is quite quiet following a rash of coronavirus cases there

The Hong Kong government has announced more stringent measures to try to stem the imminent wave of coronavirus, by finally banning all visitors to the city, except those from Macau and the mainland, and is proposing that all 8,600 bars, restaurants and nightclubs with liquor licenses stop serving alcohol.

At the press conference this afternoon, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor explained the reason for banning alcohol by saying: "Sometimes people get a bit intimate when they're drunk, and this will raise the risk of cross infection."

Carrie Lam proposes banning alcohol sales to stop gatherings

She was probably referring to the 11 positive cases that were found in Lan Kwai Fong, with several cases involving people who were bar hopping in the area. A Wall Street Journal reporter's March 13 picture of nearby Peel Street packed with people, mostly non-Chinese and not wearing masks was also used as evidence to cut down on social gatherings.

However many criticized Lam for assuming people only drink alcohol to get drunk... and then have sexual relations.

Nevertheless, restaurant and bar owners are clamouring for the government to promise subsidies to pay staff and rent; reporters asked Lam if Hong Kong would follow the UK and pay 80 percent of wages, but she was vague in her reply.

A WSJ reporter's picture of Peel Street on March 13

Some restaurants and bars didn't wait for Lam's announcement and decided to close temporarily. Even if they put really strict measures in place, such as having tables 1-metre apart, hand sanitizing, have guests fill out health declaration forms, and staff wearing masks, is it really worth putting all that effort in and not make enough money to pay staff, let alone guarantee their safety either?

Following hotels that are empty, pretty much the entire food and beverage industry could be in peril if the government does not step in to keep it afloat. Restaurants don't make much money from serving food, it's from serving alcoholic drinks.

Also keep in mind hotels are owned by tycoons, while the vast majority of bars and restaurants are owned by small independents. After the coronavirus crisis is over, hotels will be open, but will bars and restaurants?

Hongkongers Fleeing Home

A lot of students doing a "we-fie" as they fly back to Hong Kong

After the Hong Kong government announced mandatory home quarantine for all travelers starting on March 19, people, many of them students, are scrambling to come back before the deadline.

First of all because of the scarcity of flights, prices have gone through the roof. A one-way ticket from London to Hong Kong now costs HK$51,817 (US$6,672) -- and that's just economy.

Check out the price of a one-way ticket back to Hong Kong!

Second, sitting on a plane for several hours raises people's fears of catching the coronavirus. One student was photographed today at Hong Kong International Airport wearing a hazmat suit, goggles and a mask.

He was probably right to do that.

Hong Kong now has 165 cases as of today, including an 18-year-old who was studying in Switzerland, a 21-year-old male university student who studied in London, a 27-year-old who studied elsewhere in Britain and a 24-year-old who worked in Denmark.

Other cases include a 69-year-old man who had traveled to Britain, Paris and Spain; and Cathay Pacific flight attendant who had been to Madrid, and a 30-year-old woman who had visited Paris and London.

A student didn't take any chances and suited up for the flight

Yesterday it was found at least 20 passengers who arrived at Hong Kong airport had a fever and were immediately sent to hospital. In addition there were about a dozen people who wrote on their health declaration form that they had symptoms (turns out mostly respiratory symptoms) and they too were hospitalized.

As a result Hong Kong's health care system is getting close to its limit in dealing with all these cases.

Unfortunately it has to be spelled out to everyone regardless of when they came back to Hong Kong that they should really self-isolate for two weeks out of courtesy and safety for everyone else. But there are some people who don't think this applies to them and go about their regular routine and may possibly be infecting others.

Hong Kong airport is much busier than in the last few weeks

Hong Kong's number of confirmed cases are going to increase in the next few days and weeks ahead. While we are doing well compared to other cities and countries, it would be less stressful for the rest of us who haven't traveled in the past two months if those who have (even before March 19) were more considerate towards the wider community during this time and do the right thing.

Welcome to Our World

Shelves completely stripped bare in a supermarket in the UK

It is shocking amazing that US President Donald Trump did not test positive for the coronavirus after he was exposed to at least two people in the last few days who had tested positive.

He must be gloating...

In the meantime the rest of the world (outside of China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan) is now experiencing what we did back in late January: events being cancelled, panic-buying in supermarkets, restaurants, hotels and shops empty, and everyone generally paranoid and terrified.

This man has hoarded a lot of cleaning products for sale

Welcome to our world, folks.

What they thought was only happening in Asia has now spread all over the world.

My mom told me of people (mostly men) rushing to the supermarket and buying up everything, and especially rice, pasta, toilet paper... there is no hand sanitizer left.

I read two articles about people who bought up all kinds of cleaning products to sell for several times the price on Amazon in order to make money out of people's desperation. These hoarders didn't think they were doing anything morally wrong -- for them it is a livelihood and a way to make quick money. Needless to say Amazon has shut down their accounts and many others doing similar things. Now they're stuck with tons of bottles of hand sanitizers and masks when frontline medical staff really need them...

In 2011 Japanese snapped up salt to protect from radiation

My cousin in Canada is trying to make sense of the toilet paper panic-buying. I explain to him that in Hong Kong, there were rumours on social media that the border between the city and China would shut and there would be no more toilet paper left, and that with the coronavirus, the factories wouldn't be starting up after Chinese New Year so it was hinted they should stock up now.

He reminded me of when the Japanese bought out all the salt following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster caused by the earthquake and tsunami. They thought the salt would protect them against radiation exposure...

Humans can be very irrational at times.

While over 90 percent of people in Hong Kong are wearing masks, it is worrying to see pictures of expats congregating in a small area on a Friday night. There's a picture going around that a journalist took on Peel Street in Soho, crammed with expats having drinks.

A WSJ reporter's pic of Peel Street on Friday night

A lot of non-Chinese in Hong Kong seem to think the coronavirus has nothing to do with them, or that they have listened to the advice of non-Hong Kong health experts who say if you're not sick you shouldn't wear a mask. But the coronavirus is different -- you can be asymptomatic and pass on the virus to others.

Isn't it better to take further precautions and protect everyone from getting the coronavirus including yourself?

Hong Kong has now issued a red travel alert to the United States, Britain and Ireland, with those people arriving from those countries needing to self quarantine for 14 days.

It's best just to stay where you are now...

More Victims of Online Scams

One woman gave away a mind boggling US$23 million to a "British engineer"

We are still reading more stories of people being duped from online romance scams.

The latest one this week was a 66-year-old widow who thought her boyfriend was a "British engineer" and needed money for his business. So she gave him HK$180 million! (US$23 million) in four years.

Like seriously? Why give anyone that much money -- and on top of that -- to someone you have NEVER MET IN PERSON?

In 2014 they met on the dating website Lovestruck

It's unbelievable that someone would even do something like that, but she has and now police are investigating.

She met the scam artist online on the online dating website Lovestruck in April 2014 and they apparently struck up a relationship.

"The fraudster claimed he had financial difficulties with his business, and asked the victim for money repeatedly between May 2014 and July this year," police said in a statement.

The victim is described as "wealthy" and is said to run a real estate investment company.

During the four-year period she deposited money into bank accounts in Hong Kong, mainland China, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, Britain, and Germany in more than 200 transactions.

Throughout the period the fraudster claimed he would pay her back as soon as the engineering project was finished.

90 percent of women are conned into giving away money

It was only after the widow spoke to her family about it did she realize she was duped.

The police report in the last two months, an average of one report per day was made to the authorities about online love scams. Most victims lost between hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions.

While some of the victims were aware of online scams through the news, they didn't think they themselves were being duped.

"They could not believe they had been scammed because they felt deep in the relationship and did not want to pull out," one source said. The scammers were very good at pretending to be "considerate".

Some skeptical people are starting to think these online romance scams are ways of laundering money, putting it in bank accounts around the world, but then why cry foul about it and get the police involved?

At the same time it's hard to understand why women -- 90 percent of the victims are females -- would be so easily scammed?

There will probably be another victim reported next week...

Fact of the Day: 61 Million Left-Behind Children

There are 61 million left-behind children like these ones in China

In China, the latest survey by the National Health and Family Planning Commission reveals there's a staggering 61 million left-behind children, a third of them younger than 17, who are not raised by their parents.

The mothers and fathers have gone to mostly coastal cities to find work to send money home and only see their children once or maybe twice a year.

The lack of hukou or residence permit in big cities prevents parents from bringing their children with them because they don't have access to decent housing, schooling and health care.

Many are raised by grandparents or relatives in hometowns

So these children are left to mostly grandparents or relatives to care for, and there are many sad cases of them dying.

Last June, four left-behind children from the same family, ranging in ages from give to 13, committed suicide together by swallowing pesticide in Bijie, Guizhou province. And in November 2012, five boys died from carbon monoxide poisoning after starting a charcoal fire to keep warm inside a dumpster.

Experts believe these incidents happened because the parents were not around to raise them.

But at the same time, where else can these parents go to try to make a better life for their families? Provinces like Anhui, Henan and Sichuan are the sources for the most migrant workers, as 44 percent of rural children in these areas are left behind, way above the national average of 35.6 percent.

What is the central government's response?

In February, the State Council, China's cabinet, issued a guideline to local authorities to improve the physical and psychological health of such children. But there are no details on exactly how they would do that. And would Beijing come to check on the the local authorities to see if the have implemented any programs to benefit left-behind children?

They only have access to basic education which isn't enough

They are the most neglected people in society next to orphans.

Sixty-one million children is not a number to dismiss -- it's almost the population of Britain. And yet they barely get basic education and health care, let alone the emotional support they need to grow up to be confident and relatively happy people with decent jobs.

The government needs to do more for these children, but anything effective and immediate doesn't seem to be a priority. Beijing likes to parrot how it has lifted more than 800 million people out of of poverty.

But what about these 61 million children? They are the next generation who deserve at least a chance to thrive.