Cardinal Zen's Request for Hong Kong

Cardinal Zen on his recent unfruitful trip to the Vatican

Last week the 88-year-old Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun made the long flight from Hong Kong to Rome hoping to have a meeting with Pope Francis.

That never happened.

Instead Cardinal Zen could only hand a letter to Pope Francis' secretary to pass to the pope. In it Cardinal Zen advocated for the installation of a new bishop in Hong Kong that has seen political upheaval particularly in the past year.

Since Bishop Yeung Ming-cheung passed away in early 2019, Cardinal John Tong Hong has overseen the diocese -- replacing his successor. Cardinal Tong himself is 81 years old. While he is a conservative when it comes to LGBTQ rights, he seemed unfazed by the new national security law.

Cardinal John Tong is overseeing the dicocese

In late June before the new law was enacted, he said Article 32 in the Basic Law guarantees freedom of religion, freedom to preach and to conduct and participate in religious activities in public.

He also added that Article 141 of the Basic Law specifies the government does not interfere in the internal affairs of religious organizations and providing of services to the public.

Therefore, Cardinal Tong surmised "collusion with foreign forces" in the new national security law does not apply to the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong because its direct relationship with the Vatican should be regarded as an internal affair.

In any event, Cardinal Zen is a pro-democracy activist and is anxious for the Vatican to appoint someone "who is trusted by the people".

"As I did last year, I handed a letter to a secretary at Casa Santa Marta, hoping to see the Holy Father. I let him know how urgent it was, and how I was here only for a short time," Cardinal Zen said.

Father Choy has "the blessing of Beijing"

He was concerned that a bishop "who is trusted by the people" be installed as soon as possible,  as the faithful in both Hong Kong and China grow increasingly wary of what is being seen as political posturing by the Vatican.

"The Vatican seems to be guessing the mind of Beijing -- always seeking to anticipate what Beijing will do, always appeasing. It seems they are afraid to nominate Bishop Ha [Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing] as doing so may offend Beijing," said Cardinal Zen.

Bishop Ha is currently auxiliary bishop of the diocese and has publicly supported the protesters in Hong Kong, thus possibly perceived as antagonistic to Beijing.

"Bishop Ha has never done anything -- not like me -- to cause trouble," said Cardinal Zen.

However, Cardinal Zen says Father Peter Choy Wai-man has "the blessing of Beijing", and was reportedly identified by Cardinal Tong as the best successor; but Cardinal Zen says Father Choy is "unacceptable to many Catholic faithful", because he would support silencing voices for freedom and democracy.

The Vatican seems to be aware of Bishop Ha's political stance which would offend Beijing, while Father Choy would not be accepted by the faithful, so it is apparently now looking for a third option.

"It seems to be after one and a half years, the Holy Father must hear from his people in Hong Kong. I am afraid, after so long, that Cardinal Parolin and Cardinal Tong have procrastinated in order to try and go back to Beijing's favourite," Cardinal Zen said. "So I have come to Rome once more for my people, and for the Pope."

Bishop Ha's appointment could offend Beijing

But it seems the Vatican is keen on getting relations with Beijing back on track, which may explain why Pope Francis rebuffed Cardinal Zen, who is critical of how the Vatican is being so secretive about the negotiations with Beijing.

"If tomorrow, the Vatican chooses this bishop, blessed by Beijing -- if they appoint this bad bishop for Hong Kong, my job is finished. I will choose to disappear," Cardinal Zen said.

But he will not go down without a last act of defiance.

"My last act of protest will be to do just that, to now disappear with everyone knowing why. I put this in my last will and testament -- that my bones shall not be placed in the cathedral, I do not want to be buried with such men. I will be buried in a simple cemetery with what remains of the faithful people of God."

While Cardinal Zen says this was his last trip to Rome, as he said his legs can't handle the long flights anymore, he is still fiery in spirit. May God bless him for his love of Hong Kong.

Yellow Back in Force

Chan Kin-man waves to well wishers as he leaves Pik Uk prison in Sai Kung

Amid the crisis of the coronavirus spreading to over 100 countries in the world, at least there was a bit of good news on the political front in Hong Kong today.

Occupy co-founder Chan Kin-man was released on good behaviour after serving 11 months of his 16-month sentence for inciting and conspiring with others to cause substantial obstruction in 2014.

A crowd of well-wishers, including Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Reverend Chu Yiu-ming, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, former Civic Party leader Alan Leong Kah-kit, and Democratic party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, waited for Chan, 61, to come out of Pik Uk Prison in Sai Kung at 9am.

Benny Tai (left) and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming flanked Chan

He rushed to his wife and they hugged before she gave him a bouquet of flowers. Chan then hugged Reverend Chu, who was suitably attired in a yellow sweater and wearing a yellow mask.

"I have been in jail for months, and time in jail must be hard. But I have no regrets because that's the price one has to pay for democracy," said Chan, adding he was happy to see his family and friends. They held a banner with Chinese calligraphy on it that read: "Noble spirits trot thousand mountains", that means with integrity, one could go a long way.

Interestingly the former sociology professor was holding a book by Alice Munro, Canadian and Nobel Prize-winning laureate in literature, whose short stories are set in small towns, and about the complexities life.

He believed the recent anti-government protests were a result of the 2014 disobedience movement, and accused the government of lacking openness, transparency and impartiality. Chan also said he was aware of young people becoming more radical over the past several months, but said the government was responsible for this.

Chan was jailed for his part in the 2014 Occupy movement

After Hong Kong has finished dealing with the coronavirus, protesters will be back on the streets again... will Chan & co be there actively participating or on the sidelines? Given how badly the economy has been battered by the protests and now the coronavirus, protesters may have new tactics on how to get their message across to the government.

The city can't afford to take much more of an economic hit, but at the same time it could be an opportune time to press the reset button in how Hong Kong's economy is run. Maybe protesters will take the lead?

Police Try to Stop Funding to Protesters

Protesters were angry at HSBC for shutting down Spark Alliance's account

The Hong Kong Police are further cracking down on the protests by shutting down a HSBC bank account that has about HK$70 million (US$9 million) set up for protesters, claiming it was laundering money.

Police officers claim the money, given by private donors, was being used for illegal activities, including rewarding protesters for participating, which the group in question, Spark Alliance HK, strongly denied.

Lunchtime protests were held around town

Four people were arrested between the ages of 17 and 50, according to acting senior superintendent Chan Wai-kei of the Narcotics Bureau's financial investigation unit.

In addition to seizing cash worth HK$130,000, there was also a receipt of HK$165,000 in supermarket coupons as well as protest gear like gas masks and helmets.

Spark Alliance was set up after the 2016 Mongkok riots to help arrested or jailed activists, and had crowdfunded about HK$80 million in the past six months. But the police claim it had come across suspicious transactions.

However, veteran criminal defense lawyer Christopher Morley said such arrests on the grounds of money laundering might be a "bit of a stretch".

"If police want to proceed with a prosecution, they would have to establish that the persons being charged had reasonable grounds to believe that they were handling money from crime proceeds," he said.

Veteran criminal defense lawyer Jonathan Midgley said prosecutors would have to establish that the accused knew or reasonably believed the money they used were the proceeds of a serious crime.

Margaret Ng, a trustee of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund

Spark Alliance is the second-largest crowd-funding platform for protests, the largest one being 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which was established by the likes of former lawmaker Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, Canto-pop singer Denise Ho Wan-sze, and retired cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun.

Ng was shocked by the police crackdown and said there was not enough evidence to arrest the four people with Spark Alliance.

"The government cannot stop volunteer lawyers from assisting frontline protesters, so they go and freeze the fund that is used to pay the lawyers," she said.

The 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund said it has raised HK$97.1 million as of November 30 and helped 6,946 people, spending HK$23.3 million mostly on direct economic aid or legal and medical needs of protesters.

As a result of the police arresting the four people who have since been released on bail, people have come out at lunchtime in different districts to protest the police and HSBC for distancing itself from the Spark Alliance bank account.

The police are using whatever means it can to take down the protests, in this case financially. This seems to be over-the-top, but perhaps we should not be surprised, given the vindictive nature of the police these days.

Maybe this is retaliation for a recent survey shows nearly three-quarters of people have lost trust in the police, and that two-thirds of respondents want to have an independent commission on the police handling of the protests...

Further Clamping Down on HK

Protesters held a laser pointer party outside the Hong Kong Space Museum

Hey folks -- two things you need to know today: a laser pointer can be considered an offensive weapon depending on the situation and intent, and next year's Chinese New Year flower market is going to be a dud.

Today West Kowloon acting chief magistrate So Wai-tak said in his ruling that while a laser pointer may not be an offensive weapon in itself, it could become one depending on the circumstances and intent.

They were protesting in support of a student who was arrested

The then 15-year-old boy was arrested near a protest site in Tuen Mun on September 21. So said: "It [the use of the laser pointer] was meant to harm the eyes of police officers, causing them discomfort."

During a body search, the boy was found to be carrying a laser pointer, a modified umbrella and an hiking stick. He happened to be near an anti-government protest that was underway, and was apparently seen walking up and down along a police cordon with the umbrella before his arrest.

So found the boy guilty of one count of possessing offensive weapons in a public place, and another of possessing offensive weapons with intent because he had those items in his possession at the time of arrest. The ruling was based on circumstantial evidence, including a helmet and other protective gear on him.

An expert testified earlier in the trial that a laser pointer could cause harm if it was aimed at someone's eyes from a close distance and for a sufficient period of time.

Eddie Chu wrote a letter in support of the 15-year-old

"If he intended to take part in a peaceful assembly, there was no need to bring anything to protect himself from bodily contact," the magistrate said, adding that was especially the case for a laser pointer.

The boy's class teacher even enlisted the help of legislators Eddie Chu Hoi-dick and Roy Kwong Chun-yu and Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun to write letters to the judge on his behalf in mitigation, but they weren't enough to sway the magistrate.

And while Chinese New Year isn't that far away on January 25, the flower markets are going to be dull and boring now that only flowers and food will be allowed to be sold, and no dry goods, which usually meant politically-laced toys and products.

Usually these items that poked fun at local politicians and issues were hilarious and many bought these satirical products for a laugh, but this coming January there won't be much to look forward to.

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today that only flowers and food will be allowed at the 15 government-run fairs and festivals around Hong Kong from January 19-25.

The flower market is usually a fun place to check out satire

"The fairs in the past have been crowded with people, including children and the elderly. In view of the current social situation, the government -- as the venue manager and event organizer -- has the responsibility to ensure the safety of the stall owners and [visitors]," a department spokesman said.

"To safeguard public safety and public order, and to implement crowd control measures more effectively, the [department] will enlarge the sizes of the [stalls] to facilitate the sale of flowers. Public access will also be widened to alleviate crowding."

So basically the fairs will have less stalls and bigger stalls for flowers.

Yawn.

Who wants to go to the flower market then? My favourite part of visiting these markets in Victoria Park was to see what clever political satire they had come up with that year. Who can forget toilet paper with then Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's face on it?

By not allowing these things to be sold limits freedom of expression and an important outlet for people to release some pressure and frustration particularly in the past several months we have endured. Now that outlet is shut, resulting in people's anger to continue to fester.

One memorable product was Leung Chun-ying's toilet paper

Perhaps we will see food stalls selling dishes with subtle political message on them? Baos with slogans on them? Maybe "yellow" eateries will open stalls during the market or cakes made to look like yellow helmets or Lion Rock.

Anyone else have some brilliant delicious ideas?

Looking up to the Next Generation

Joshua Wong (in the red shirt) addresses the crowd at Admiralty

This is an editorial written by Lam Hang-chi, founder and former chief editor of the Hong Kong Economic Journal. The English version was published last weekend, but is still relevant:

Hong Kong's Next Generation of Democrat
The organizers of Occupy Central, as well as the city's democratic lawmakers, are fading into history.

Wednesday was the 11th day of Occupy Central, or the "Umbrella Movement."

It is evident that in Hong Kong's pursuit of genuine universal suffrage and full democracy, young students have come to the fore to lead the campaign. By contrast, Occupy organizers, as well as pan-democratic lawmakers, are fading into history.

It's safe to say that the aspirations of Hong Kong's youth for civil nomination in the selection of chief executive candidates have caught Leung Chun-ying 's administration off guard. Officials have been expecting their enthusiasm to fizzle out. How wrong they are.

Mr. Leung thought his heavy-handed approach early on—deploying riot squads and firing tear gas—would deter the students. This after white terror was unleashed by the early arrest and lengthy detention of student leaders before the sit-in began.

But the scare tactic backfired, galvanizing citizens to participate in the protest after the brutal police action on unarmed and peaceful demonstrators was splashed across the international media.

The truth is that the students are undaunted in the face of crackdowns.

Since the 1997 handover, numerous marches and public processions have earned Hong Kong a reputation as the protest capital. These students, who have been polite and well organized since the first day of the demonstration, have drawn solidarity from people around the world.

The only place that is unmoved is mainland China, where the government-run media and propaganda organizations have labeled the protests unlawful.

Alex Chow, secretary general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, told his fellow protesters that they have taken a big step forward but a lot more has to be done before final victory is in sight.

I deeply admire these young people and I also appreciate the support from their elders, who choose to maintain a low profile and let the young democrats take the stage. Still, when it comes to whether we can ultimately win, I am still in grave doubt.

It remains unclear whether talks between the students and government can resolve the crisis. Meanwhile, repeated appeals from former government officials, university presidents and other well-known figures for an end to the protest are raising some eyebrows.

I am particularly disappointed with some of our dignitaries and religious leaders, who should have helped dissuade the government from using force instead of showing superficial concern for the students by asking them to withdraw immediately to avoid bloodshed.

These people asked the students to surrender even before the government showed the slightest sign it was willing to compromise.

The right thing to do would have been to lobby the government. Only when there was a chance of a good response should they have told the students to leave.

For instance, when Cardinal Joseph Zen, the former bishop of Hong Kong and a predominant figure in the democratic campaign, told the students to leave, it appeared to me his words were nothing but a disclaimer: If you get hurt or find yourselves in danger, it has nothing to do with me.

By the same token, I have some serious doubts about the motive of former chief justice Andrew Li.

Former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa joined the appeal last week. But I sincerely hope he would also spare some time conveying public views and social sentiments back to Beijing the same way he relayed messages from the central authorities after leading a group of Hong Kong tycoons to the capital last month.

In this sense, I must pay respect to Joseph Wong, former secretary for the civil service; Joseph Ha, auxiliary bishop; Edward Chan, former chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association; as well as a number of university professors and lecturers for their petition to get the government talking as soon as possible and ensure the safety of the students.

Scholarism founder Joshua Wong warned that pepper spray and tear gas are just a prelude to more severe means to suppress the protesters. He urged high-school students to leave first.

The purpose of the protests is not to create martyrs. A mass protest can only last a dozen days and it's unrealistic to achieve all the goals in one go.

What's the point of sacrifice if the protesters are injured and hospitalized before civil nomination is realized? Mr. Wong's remarks show that on top of their dedication and enthusiasm, the protesters are rational and realistic.

When scuffles first broke out in Mong Kok, where several students were shoved and punched, one young student spoke in front of a television camera, saying they would be playing into the government's hands if they surrendered to their fear and gave up.

In him, I see a new generation of Hongkongers who are well educated, more civil and more courageous and committed.

The movement is inevitably causing inconvenience and losses to residents and shops. But taking to the streets to voice our discontent is perhaps the only bargaining chip we have in our pursuit of genuine universal suffrage.

It remains a daunting task to press ahead with the campaign while minimizing disturbance to society and avoiding provocation and further clashes. For the time being, talks without further ado are the only solution.

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.

Marching to be Heard

Gathering in Victoria Park before the start of the march

July 1 is Hong Kong SAR Day, and usually the public holiday is reserved for sleeping in, shopping and eating out. But hundreds of thousands of people chose not to pamper themselves but instead turned out to march for several hours, from small children to the elderly.

Conservative estimates put the numbers at 510,000 and the Hong Kong Police dare to say there were only 92,000. So how do they explain why there were people still setting off at Victoria Park at 7pm when the march started at 3pm?

This sign perfectly encapsulates what we want to say

Before the march I ran 5K on the treadmill which took me 36 minutes, but over seven hours to walk almost the same distance. That demonstrates how many people want to show their displeasure at the Hong Kong government and Beijing, but also how the police tried to frustrate us along the way.

My friends and I (including YTSL) had planned to meet at 3pm at Tin Hau, but when I arrived at Tin Hau station, the escalators were not working and we had to walk up the stairs and then I realized why -- there were still tons of people not exiting the station fast enough.

When we finally got together we walked towards Victoria Park but were diverted to the lawn area where we waited and waited... and waited. We even waited in the pouring rain (and got soaked).

It's evening and we're only at Hysan Place

Then there was some movement around 5pm, inching towards the pitch and then for some reason moving towards Tin Hau instead of Causeway Bay. At one point we saw a helicopter flying by to check us out so we all waved and shouted. We hope they got a good shot of us. One or two may have given it the finger...

We finally got to get out of the park and move at a decent pace, but it was stop and start and people kept shouting "open the road!" and then the crowd would move but then it would stop again...

It was nightfall by the time we reached Sogo -- only steps away from Victoria Park -- and we wondered how long it would take us to get to Central. But there were political parties who set up shop along the way, chanting slogans like "Leung Chun-ying step down!" or "We want to choose our leaders" to buoy people's spirits.

We spied actor and director Derek Tsang Kwok-cheung, son of entertainer Eric Tsang Chi-wai in front of us, and gay artists Denise Ho and Anthony Wong lent their support as well.

Abandoned buses and cars on the opposite side of the road

The convenient stores along the way did really good business, particularly the 7-11s where people stocked up on water and snacks. One friend pointed out there were no porta potties along the route and I said that there were none, but then there was no need either because we were sweating so much.

By the time we arrived near Admiralty, there was an Occupy Central stand with the founders there including Benny Tai Yiu-ting waving to the crowds and accepting donations. Everyone waved to them and shouted. It was a huge boost for the group, that up until several weeks ago looked sketchy. It was Beijing's white paper that really boost the group's support, as demonstrated by the turnout for the referendum.

Cardinal Zen getting lots of attention

Soon afterwards we finally reached our destination -- Central! Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun was there collecting donations and posing for photographs with fans. He has advocated for civil disobedience and encouraged people to vote on the referendum. He is one cool dude.

When we arrived at 10pm -- seven hours after we started -- there were tons of people milling around Central. Along Chater Road people sat rapt listening to Scholarism leader Joshua Wong Chi-fung who told the crowd that they had to stand up for the next generation and the generation after that. The audience cheered and clapped.

The Scholarism group was about to go to the Chief Executive's Office in Tamar and stay there the night, but I'd had enough for the day and managed to catch the express bus home!

What a day. My feet are tired, but spirits are high. How can the Hong Kong government and Central government ignore so many people out in the streets. The ball is now in their court to see how they respond.

The crowd "occupies Central"

They had better be careful -- we have no qualms marching in big numbers again if need be.

Starved for Attention

The pan-democrats who pledged to participate in a hunger strike -- five remain

At the HSBC headquarters in Central, the gates have come down and heavy equipment parked in the public walkway apparently for some repairs there, or is it to deter the pan-democrats from occupying the area?

The politicians are conducting a hunger strike here on the north side of the building with tents set up just outside the indoor public path. They are into the eighth day but as one headline wittily says, they are "starved of support".

Seventeen of them started the "universal suffrage hunger strike" on March 28, but only five of them are remaining because their biological indicators fell to critical levels.

Some critics -- even fellow democrats -- criticize them for being "old school" in trying to garner attention for their cause, while the participants are disappointed that Hong Kong people are so jaded that they aren't paying much attention to what they are doing.

"There is too much negative sentiment in society about everything," said Lee Cheuk-yan, Labour Party chairman and organizer of the hunger strike. "Even if I don't agree with certain approaches [in fighting for democracy] I won't discourage them...

"The hunger strike does not have the total endorsement of the pan-democratic camp... We have invited other pan-democratic parties, including the Civic Party. But this is how it has turned out," he said.

Lee said there were misunderstandings of the fast. It was earlier reported that it would be a hunger-strike relay, but he said this was not the case.

"The action will end when the last of this batch of 17 people gives up. Then we will organize the second and third waves of hunger strikes around July, depending on the reform developments of the government and Beijing-loyalist camp."

He added heavyweights like Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun and Democrats' founding chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming have volunteered to join, hinting their participation would arouse public attention.

However the 82-year-old Zen may not be allowed to fast for health reasons. In 2011 he only drank water for three days to protest the government's school management reforms. "We were advised to deter the cardinal from joining the strike... We will seek further advice," Lee said.

Next Media chairman Jimmy Lai Chee-ying is considering taking part and that would definitely get media attention. One wonders how Apple Daily and Next magazine would cover their boss's hunger strike.

We can imagine the coverage now: not only would there be stories about the cause, but also an animated clip of them hanging out at HSBC headquarters cracking jokes about Beijing, or better yet produce a theme song that goes viral.

That would definitely irk Zhongnanhai and rope more people into being more supportive of the democratic cause.

How about it, Jimmy?