Street Sleepers Get Justice

Nine street sleepers finally got justice today, three years later

About three years ago, 22 police officers cleared Tung Chau Street Park in Sham Shui Po where some 80 to 100 street sleepers lived.

These homeless people were given three minutes to pack up their items and move on, the rest of their personal belongings were collected as garbage, which filled 12 rubbish containers, each with a volume of 600 litres.

I remember this story and the public outrage at how these homeless people were treated without any dignity.

The homeless lived in this park in Sham Shui Po

Yesterday nine of those street sleepers won a token HK$100 each in Small Claims Tribunal when it ruled in favour of them, as their personal items were disposed of without their consent.

Arthur Lam Hei-wei, the presiding adjudicator, awarded nominal damages of HK$100 to each of the nine claimants, as none of them could provide sufficient evidence of the value of their possessions.

Not all nine can claim this payment, as one died this month after becoming infected with Covid-19. 

Initially there were 14 claimants, seeking compensation ranging from HK$2,000 to HK$13,290 over the loss of their items, such as garments, mattresses, cash and travel documents.

However, two of the claimants have since died, and four others lost contact with the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO), a concern group supporting the street sleepers in the proceedings.

Lam found the department had failed to discharge its duty of care, as janitors made no independent identifications for the seized items items and left them in the depot, forcing the claimants, some of whom were physically disabled, to rummage through the rubbish containers. 

They only had minutes to pack their belongings

The Justice Department, representing the police and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, had asked the claimants to pay HK$26,000 as court expenses incurred by the authorities in the proceedings, but Lam refused and instead ordered both sides to shoulder their own costs.

One of the claimants, Chan Chi-wing, said the ruling had served justice to two of his fellow street sleepers who died earlier. Chan, who uses a wheelchair said: "It's not a matter of how much I can claim, I'm fine as long as justice is served."

SoCO community organiser Ng Wai-tung called the ruling "belated justice", adding it was "ridiculous" that authorities failed to keep visual records of the confiscated items.

"The homeless should not be subject to humiliation," he said. "Their belongings are also private property. The right to private property is a basic human right, of which nobody should be deprived."

This is the third time homeless people have taken the authorities to court over confiscating their personal items without prior notice. The previous lawsuits in 2012 and 2016 were settled out of court.

The claimants were awarded HK$100 each

It is terrible seeing people sleeping on the street, but where else can they go? The government is not providing them the assistance they need, and instead trying to sweep them under the carpet...

Other good news?

Today's case count for Covid-19 was below 7,000 at 6,976, 135 deaths of which 117 were in the last 24 hours, and 18 backlogged.

Here We Go Again

Today Lam announced tough measures to contain Omicron

Hong Kong is on the cusp of the fifth wave with several local cases of Omicron in the community, and the government has clamped down hard with some severe measures. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor held the 3.30pm press conference that the entire city tuned in to hear and it was bad news.

From midnight January 7-20, all restaurants must close by 6pm until 5am, and depending on if it is a B, C, or D restaurant, there will be two, four and six people per table respectively. Large gatherings of any kind are banned, bars, venues with live music, karaoke, dancing, gyms, swimming pools, gaming arcades, government-run leisure buildings are all shut for two weeks.

In addition all "cruises to no where", local tours are banned, as well as visits to elderly homes and hospitals, mahjong parlours and cinemas.

Nine on this cruise ship are a possible cluster

Hardly anyone will be able to enter Hong Kong, as eight countries have been banned from returning to the city from January 8 for two weeks: Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the US and UK, including via transit. 

My colleagues were in a bitter mood when they heard the news. One joked he was doing "Dry January" anyway -- where he had stopped drinking for a month to give his liver a break. Another was more sanguine, saying Hong Kong International Airport's third runway could be used to build a quarantine camp since there were no more flights coming and going. Golf carts would be needed to get around...

While Lam hoped these strict measures will help contain the virus in time for Chinese New Year, after having been through this so many times, Hongkongers are not holding their breath. It could be months before Omicron is contained.

It also demonstrates the Zero-Covid strategy is practically impossible to achieve -- there needs to be an increase in the number of vaccinations and an acceptance of the reality that the virus will continue to be in the community one way or another.

Events like the Cyclothon is cancelled 

One piece of good news was that just over 50 percent of all seniors in Hong Kong have had at least one jab, though that means some 593,000 over 70 years of age have yet to be vaccinated.

That compares to 38,000 seniors in Singapore yet to be inoculated, which has a population of 5.6 million.

The other bit of relief for parents was that schooling has not been affected -- yet -- as Lam hoped to avoid as little disruption to classes as much as possible. 

She said the tough measures would be reviewed again on January 14 to see how well they were working or if even harsher measures needed to be adopted.

Health experts believe there could be up to 10 transmission chains already in the community. The cluster at Moon Palace restaurant has grown to six, and another cluster of nine people on board a cruise ship with 2,500 people; the ship had to turn around and come back a day earlier. There is also a possible dancing cluster -- again...

Restaurants must close by 6pm again

Meanwhile there are very long lines at vaccination centres to get either the first, second or third jab.

The government was caught flat-footed in anticipating demand for vaccines. Secretary for Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen will be questioned for sure on why the government has not prepared for the onslaught of people wanting to get jabbed. 

In the meantime people are disappointed 2022 has already started badly and wonder will happen in the next 360 days...

Can Jimmy Lai's Books be "Librarian's Choice"?

Can people borrow Jimmy Lai's books?

Now that the pro-democracy opposition has been ousted from the Legislative Council, pro-Beijing lawmakers are looking for ways to prove their patriotism. And they are going into overdrive.

One overzealous member of the pro-Beijing party, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong snapped a picture at the Shek Tong Tsui Public Library in Western district, showing a display of books by jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying labelled as "the librarian's choice".

DAB's Yeung posted the photos on Facebook

Yeung Hok-ming posted pictures of at least 10 of the books on his Facebook page on Thursday, which prompted an immediate investigation by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It said a "rigorous and thoroughly investigation" was being conducted, and added public libraries must ensure its collections complied with the national security law.

Lai's Chinese-language books are not focused on politics, but his thoughts on business management or his life. Nevertheless by Thursday evening the books had been replaced with those about culture and traditions.

Perhaps they were the librarian's second choice...

While the LCSD declined to say whether the books by Lai should be removed from libraries, others by pro-democracy activists, like Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Horace Chin Wan-kan, former Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan, and former Civic Party member Tanya Chan Suk-chong are not available for lending.

It seems Yeung has forced the issue of Lai's books, leaving the civil service scrambling to figure out what to do.

The library in question is in Shek Tong Tsui

Where are the red lines on these books that aren't political but are by someone currently in jail? And who is going to call the shots? More importantly who is going to take the fall for this incident?

The national security law has led to everyone second-guessing themselves and wondering if they are crossing the red line or not. This is going to make it harder for people to express themselves in public, particularly artists, writers, filmmakers and playwrights.

The paranoia is already well underway...

Fact of the Day: HK$5M in Fines

Hanging out at the beach means a visit from the authorities

The five-day Easter/Qing Ming break is over, and the Hong Kong government has netted HK$5 million (US$643,000) in fines because 980 residents violated social-distancing regulations.

The police gave out the most fines at 959 fixed-penalty notices, while the Leisure and Cultural Services Department issued 14,000 verbal warnings and 21 fines while inspecting its venues.

HK$5 million in fines were issued this holiday

During Easter break, some of the raids included illegal gambling halls, restaurants, unlicensed bars and party rooms, with 48 percent of the fines issued in Kowloon West.

Currently bars, karaoke, and party rooms remain closed, while people can dine four to a table in restaurants until 10pm.

With bars having been forced to close for over 200 days over the past 12 months, some bar operators are holding a hunger strike in a bid to get the government to lift restrictions on their premises. However, the authorities seem unmoved by their action, even though they have a strong argument that restaurants have been allowed to operate in the evenings.

Meanwhile during the holiday, people flocked to beaches and the outlying islands. There were big lines for the ferries to Cheung Chau and Peng Chau, and Sai Kung pier looked packed. People also enjoyed staycations in hotels and dined out in restaurants.

People lining up at Lai Chi Kok for their jab

While today there were seven new coronavirus cases, three of which were local, health experts caution that there may be a spike in cases in the next few days.

The surges and drops in cases seem never ending, and yet Hongkongers are not keen on getting the vaccine, which is frustrating to say the least.

The sooner Hong Kong has at least 70 percent of its residents vaccinated, the sooner restrictions can be lifted and perhaps build a stronger case for the city to take part in travel bubbles with other countries.

But at the rate we're going, it make take till next year...

 

 

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.

 

 

June 4 Candlelight Vigil in Doubt

Last year over 180,000 people marked the 30th anniversary of June 4

Today the Hong Kong government announced more relaxing of social-distancing measures with the coronavirus pretty much under control, but these will be in place up until June 4, which puts the commemoration of the upcoming 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre in Victoria Park in doubt.

Public swimming pools will reopen on Thursday

Meanwhile the authorities are allowing people to take part in religious gatherings of up to 50 percent capacity, which is good news for Christians, Buddhists, and in particular Muslims who are looking forward to Eid al-Fitr festival in a few days to mark the end of Ramadan.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will reopen 33 public swimming pools and 15 beaches. For the former opening on Thursday, there will be a limit on the number of people in the pool at any given time, as well as blocked off showers stalls and no more than eight people congregating.

This will be good news for seniors who have desperately missed their early morning swims. I may brave it and try it out in the evening.

But it is infuriating to hear that while these social-distancing measures are being relaxed for social and health activities, it isn't for such an important gathering on June 4.

Secretary for Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee in a press conference today explained large gatherings were "inappropriate and risky".

Note Sophia Chan not wearing government-made mask

"We have to look at what are the risks, including the risks from the activities inside the premises that we are closing and on public gatherings," she said. "All of our considerations are risk-based, and this is the main consideration. there are no other considerations, apart from public health considerations, in terms of the social-distancing measures."

The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China that organizes the annual June 4 candlelight vigil was not impressed by Chan's announcement.

"If the candlelight vigil is banned, it's going to be a symbolic moment, as we have been doing it for three decades. Our intention is to continue the tradition and we don't doubt the extension is a political decision," said alliance chairman Lee Cheuk-yan.

"Public exams have been going on fine and schools are allowed to reopen next week. Why are these restrictions being relaxed but political gatherings are banned?"

There has to be another way to mark the June 4 anniversary

The alliance said it had yet to receive approval from the police and the LCSD to gather at the basketball courts in Victoria Park.

Why can't a candlelight vigil happen? First of all the gathering is outdoors, second most people are spaced out and they can all wear masks and have their temperatures taken upon entry, just like at any other venue. For many people it is quite obvious Beijing does not want this vigil to happen and is using the guise of social-distancing measures to prevent this large gatherings.

But knowing Hongkongers, they will find an innovative way to commemorate the day.

Stay tuned.

No Singing Please

One singer has moved to the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry pier for an audience

Some people like to think they are artists and want to express themselves by singing or dancing in public -- in the hopes of earning a few dollars too.

They used to hang out in Sai Yeung Choi Street South in Mongkok, wearing outlandish costumes and belting out karaoke tunes, or young people who think they are the Hong Kong version of Ed Sheeran, or dancing aunties wanting to show off their dance moves.

But after that street was shut down to performers last year, they carried on, spreading out all over Hong Kong. Some could be found by the Central ferry piers, or at the Star Ferry pier in Tsim Sha Tsui -- well the ones that I have seen.

One street performer who showed off his skills in Mongkok

But it seems the Hong Kong government has had enough of these performers' antics and want them out -- well at least the bad ones weeded out.

Those who repeatedly cause a noise nuisance could be blacklisted, and retired policemen could be recruited to enforce the possible measures.

Lawmakers on the home affairs panel passed a non-binding motion to urge the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) to review the rules to mitigate noise nuisance in parks, eliminate cash rewards for performers and increase penalties.

It doesn't seem like lawmakers have done much research on buskers and street entertainers.

Edward Lau Kwok-fan of the DAB, said the current punishment for offenders is too lenient. He seemed to think performers could earn more than HK$1,000 a day busking, so a fine of HK$1,200 was not high enough to deter them from coming back.

LCSD director Michelle Li admitted it was not illegal to give money to performers, but perhaps repeat offenders could be blacklisted.

This guy is quite well known for his Waldo look...

The department is also going to make it easier for people to be witnesses, including nearby residents and park keepers, which basically means parks are going to be very quiet very fast as soon as complaints start piling in.


However Democratic Party lawmaker Roy Kwong Chun-yu had a good point -- would there be enough manpower to handle all these complaints and enforce the rules?

Li replied training would be provided to park managers and even retired policemen would be hired  to handle the situation. Glad to know the government is thinking about employing seniors...

But who gets to decide what sounds good and what sounds horrific?

That's what a performer called Ling asked.

"What may be music to our ears may seem loud to someone else, and now that nearby residents and park managers are free to file complaints as witnesses, it has made it easier to prosecute us," she said.

Ling regularly performs at Tuen Mun park and felt the government should define the level at which noise was considered a nuisance.

Good point!

"We're just having fun, enjoying a good time with our friends and it's not against the law," she added. "I don't understand why people are trying to drive us away."

Does this mean the LCSD has to go back to the drawing board and figure out the definition of noise nuisance? But what the performers are doing is exercising their freedom of expression. Bureaucracy can't silence that.

Picture of the Day: Festive Mix-Up

A pretty lantern in Kennedy Town, but the caption doesn't match the occasion

This weekend I've been busy getting ready for the Year of the Pig -- I cleaned out my flat -- even cleaning lamp shades that were very dusty! Washed windows and mopped the floor. I bought a small bouquet of flowers and even made lots of dumplings!

I even brought back the wrappers from Vancouver, which are very thin. However I did not estimate how much filling I would need and had to go out two more times to buy more minced pork and make the recipe again...

The wet market was doing a roaring trade -- well at least the food vendors were, and meanwhile recycling bins and garbage bins were overflowing... many doing a Marie Kondo of their homes. For me it's a continual exercise...

After dinner I went to the Kennedy Town pool for my usual Sunday swim and passed by Belcher Bay Park. They had a nice light display on and I decided to take some pictures on the way back. I admired the lantern and then looked down at the description.

It said the lantern display was for the Mid-Autumn Festival! Then I remembered that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department likes to rotate its displays around the 19 districts, so this was their way of recycling.

I'm glad they are re-using decorations, but why not at least update the description to say the lanterns are for Chinese New Year celebrations instead?

With Rain Comes Umbrellas and Plastic

The view of Victoria Harbour this morning from Kennedy Town

In the last few weeks we have had cloudy skies and intermittent rain storms throughout the day so you never know when you'll need an umbrella. The other day we even had a red rainstorm warning, but the heavy rains were in the New Territories and not on Hong Kong island or Kowloon.

Nevertheless, the reality is that with rain comes plastic in the form of umbrella covers so that there is less water on the floor, less mess to mop, and less chance of people slipping.

But it does create a lot of one-use plastic.

Make your umbrella less wet with this

A local environmental group called Greens Action shamed the Hong Kong government for encouraging people to use the plastic umbrella covers at 60 of its 83 buildings managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

"We are very disappointed that while the government has been encouraging citizens to adopt a greener lifestyle, some departments have failed to follow their own environmentally friendly policies," Greeners Action's Yip Chui-man said.

We have to agree. Even the MTR, which services millions of commuters everyday, doesn't give out plastic covers for umbrellas when it rains, but employs the use of industrial fans to blow dry the floor.

I recently wandered into Pacific Place in Admiralty and they had an interesting contraption to get rid of most of the water off umbrellas.

I haven't actually tried it, but basically you stick the umbrella in the slot and move it up and down to wipe off as much water as possible. The only downside is that you can't stick folded umbrellas in the contraption.

Nevertheless it's a start. The less plastic we use the better -- even if it means having wet floors.

The LGBT Fight in Hong Kong Continues

Books on LGBT should be easily available in Hong Kong's libraries

Hong Kong is still in the dark ages when it comes to LGBT issues.

The latest battle is in the city's libraries. In April, an anti-LGBT group, the Family School Sexual Orientation Discrimination Ordinance Concern Group, complained to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department about how 10 LGBT books for children were easily accessible.

Some of the LGBT books in Hong Kong's libraries

The library complied and moved the books, one of which has the title And Tango Makes Three to the "closed stacks" sections of local libraries. This meant readers would need to file a request to borrow the books.

Since then a gay rights activist has applied for a judicial review of the decision, and now Human Rights Watch has written a letter to the head of the Home Affairs Bureau and the LCSD criticizing this arrangement, as it limits citizens' access to information about homosexuality and discriminated against LGBT youth based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.

"Discriminatory placement of LGBT content in libraries not only sends a stigmatizing message that LGBT content is inherently inappropriate, but deprives people of their right to access information that could be important to their development, health, and safety," wrote the group's LGBT rights advocacy director Boris Dittrich.

Roy Kwong can't understand why these books are restricted

He also warned Hong Kong's actions would violate its international obligation to protect equality, and that it could also contradict Unesco's public library manifesto, which states it should provide services "on the basis of equality of access for all".

The LCSD previously said it would adhere to the manifesto but not use library materials to promote a point of view. Hello! This is a library! It is a place to get information whether one agrees with it or not!

Democratic Party lawmaker Roy Kwong Chun-yu, who sat on the government-appointed Public Library Advisory Committee, said it was alarming for the public library to limit certain books, and that doing so was against the norms of an open society.

The fact that the LCSD bowed to pressure from one group without any kind of public discussion illustrates how scared the government is about angering certain groups in society.

Roger Wong is pushing a homophobic agenda in Hong Kong

And the irony is that the Family School Sexual Orientation Discrimination Ordinance Concern Group is convened by Roger Wong Wai-ming -- Joshua Wong Chi-fung's father.

The son is pushing for some kind of democracy in Hong Kong, and the father wants to promote bigotry.

One household, two different views.

Hong Kong needs to be more open to diverse backgrounds, sexual orientation, languages and cultures in order to compete effectively on the global stage.

Why are we letting bigotry prevent us from being better?

Where to Start July 1 March?

Last year's July 1 march had a colourful and healthy turnout

The annual July 1 march is weeks away and organizers still haven't secured a spot where protestors can gather before it starts.

It turns out a pro-Beijing association has taken over the usual spot, Victoria Park, with a three-day cultural event featuring lion and dragon dances to mark the 21st anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to China.

For the second year in a row, the Hong Kong Celebrations Association, an umbrella group of 40 pro-Beijing societies, has been given priority to use all six of the park's pitches over the annual march that draws tens of thousands of people.

Will Victoria Park look like this instead with many lions?

Civil Human Rights Front deputy convenor Au Nok-hin said the Leisure and Cultural Services Department had been "unfair" in processing applications to use the park's football pitches on July 1.

"With the participation of political parties, it has become a political event, not a charity event," Au said.

Meanwhile the pro-Beijing association chairman Cheng Yiu-tong said it was necessary for the three-day event to have all six pitches. "We need such a large venue... Even if we were willing to share the six pitches [with the front], the police would not agree to it."

Really? Six pitches are needed for three days of lion and dragon dancing? Surely there are other ways to celebrate July 1? Oh wait -- there is also an exhibition on the "Greater Bay Area" plan -- a social and economic integration of Hong Kong with Macau and nine mainland cities.

Encountering pro-Beijing protestors along the way

Another way to remind us that we're a part of China and that Hong Kong is just another Chinese city...

In the meantime the front organizers are struggling to secure a meeting spot for its march. While it has applied for the march to begin at either East Point Road or Great George Street, the police would rather the march started on the park's central lawn.

Aren't we back at the beginning again? None of this would be a problem if the LCSD just approved the march to start at Victoria Park on July 1 and then allow the pro-Beijing group to have its festival on July 2. Monday is a holiday anyway...

Bad Bureaucratic Optics

Every July 1, marcher congregate at Victoria Park -- what about this year?

 Every year on July 1, Hong Kong celebrates another anniversary of its handover back to China, and pro-democracy activists mark the occasion with an annual protest march.

Since 2003, it always starts from Victoria Park and I've participated in a few.

But this year with the 20th anniversary of the handover and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to visit for the festivities, it looks like the Hong Kong government is not taking any chances in terms of dissent.

Xi Jinping's possible visit is making the government anxious

Instead of allowing the Civil Human Rights Front to stage its yearly march, the space in Victoria Park will be given to HongKong Celebrations Association, which is comprised of 40 pro-Beijing groups, including business chambers, and the Federation of Trade Unions.

A fun fact is that Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and Zhang Xiaoming, director of Beijing's liaison office, are its honorary patrons.

Au Nok-hin, convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front, queried the decision by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, which is responsible for allocating the venue.

"A department member of staff called us telling us that they would allocate the football pitch to another group based on an internal guideline, which said if two groups applied for using the same venue at the same time, consideration would be based on the 'nature of the organization'." says Au.

"Is the government trying to shut out opposing voices when the state leader is in town? Is it only allowing celebrations but no demonstration? I don't rule out political factors are in play," Au added.

Zhang (l) and Leung have links to Federation of Trade Unions

Previously, the pro-Beijing group would apply to use the space in the morning, and the Civil Human Rights Front could use Victoria Park in the afternoon. However this time, HongKong Celebrations Association has applied to use the space all day. Au says it is an obvious ploy to prevent the pro-democracy activists from congregating and marching.

Apparently the decision is not security related, as a police inside source told the media that the annual pro-democracy march had been flagged as a possible security problem, but the police had no objections.

Another interesting thing to note is that anyone who wishes to put in an application to use the space, must do so three months before the date. Civil Human Rights Front did so in April, while the pro-Beijing group submitted theirs on March 15.

The optics aren't good in this case -- the government is just adding fuel to the fire. So much for supposedly trying to foster harmony in the community. It seems one-sided.

Overly Sensitive HK Bureaucracy

Lau Kong-wah says Hong Kong welcomes cultural exchanges

The Hong Kong government bureaucracy has become so sensitive about language that it needs a good slap in the face to fall back to reality.

A Hong Kong artist, Suie Lo Shuk-yin, was the executive producer for a play called Three Novels: The Third Lie, that was staged at Tsuen Wan Town Hall last Friday to Sunday by local drama group The Nonsensemakers.

For the program, she had provided a brief biography of herself and she mentioned her alma mater, Taipei National University of the Arts.

Taipei National University of the Arts campus

However the Leisure and Cultural Services Department verbally told Lo that she could not use the word "national" in the program in either English or Chinese.

Excuse me? How can you demand someone to take that word out of their biography, when it's part of the university's name?

In the end Lo cleverly rewrote her bio, taking out the mention of her alma mater and instead added a photograph of her holding a graduation certificate that showed the full name of the university.

As soon as this was reported in the media, a tsunami of outrage flooded the government, and it was forced to explain itself with a very red face.

Yesterday Home Affairs Secretary Lau Kong-wah read a two-minute statement -- in both Chinese and English -- that Hong Kong welcomed good relations with other countries, particularly through cultural exchanges. He did not specifically mention the controversy.

Tsuen Wan Town Hall where the drama was staged

But apparently this is not the first time this kind of incident has happened. In 2014, the word "national" for the same university was taken out of text of a program regarding some 20 dancers who studied there.

Cheung Siu-wing, chairman of the Leisure Services Staff General Union said the department's guideline stated only that cultural events at its venues should not involve politics.

But the guideline did not specify that the word "national" in the context of Taiwan universities was not allowed.

"I believe that our colleagues might have been oversensitive in this case," Cheung said.

You don't say!

He suggested that perhaps the issue only came to the attention of senior officials after it was reported to the media.

A cultural expert at Chinese University, Oscar Ho Hing-kay, described Lau's statement as an "empty response".

"If the government respected the arts group, why did the LCSD prohibit that word in the first place? Those were such rubbish comments coming out of his mouth," he said.

It just shows the staff working at the LCSD are not passionate about the arts, otherwise they would respect other people's backgrounds, wherever they came from.