First Untraceable Case in Three Months

Lam says people must get at least one jab by February 24

The talk of the town tonight is the first untraceable infection in Tuen Mun -- the first in Hong Kong in three months, and how to bump up vaccination rates.

Health officials warn it could be an Omicron infection and that there could be silent transmission chains in the community.

The 42-year-old man did not visit Moon Palace restaurant in Festival Walk, the mall, or Kowloon Tong, or visit other high-risk places, or have contact with other infected patients.

Untraceable case did not go to Moon Palace

There are now six confirmed infections related to the restaurant, the latest is a 13-year-old who dined at Moon Palace with her mother, who is also infected.

The news of the untraceable infection came hours after Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told the media it was fortunate there were no untraceable cases in the community. 

She also announced the deadline for having one jab to be able to eat in restaurants, go to cinemas, gyms and other leisure and entertainment venues would be February 24 -- long after Chinese New Year -- to give businesses time to prepare.

Sounds like a political decision, as there was a proposal for people to at least get the first jab by January 20, just before the Year of the Tiger.

But now with Omicron probably in the community, there is an urgency to get more people vaccinated, especially those who haven't even gotten their jabs yet.

However, will they? Discussion around the dinner table tonight was that elderly people, though they like dim sum, are not going to get vaccinated, particularly if they are quite elderly and worry about the side effects.

Booster shots administered at Sai Wan Ho

Though the other argument is that Hong Kong needs to live with the virus, so vaccination is key to getting more protection, old or young.

It's interesting that those booking their third booster shot can only go to Sai Wan Ho on Hong Kong island, whereas before it was available in numerous locations. That explains the long lines at the Eastern district location, and some people waiting up to an hour to get their jab.

But what about those who have yet to get the shot? How many people are finally going to bite the bullet so they can eat out, watch a movie, go to the gym, or sing karaoke?

Only 63.26 percent of the population are fully vaccinated. This is utterly deplorable.

And now with Omicron probably in the community, the number of local infections could rise significantly.

Maybe that will finally scare people into getting the jab? Who knows...

Democracy with Chinese Characteristics

The results of the Legco election came out this morning

Yesterday's Legislative Council election was a foregone conclusion. As expected, the pro-Beijing camp swept all the seats except one in a "patriots only" overhaul of Hong Kong's electoral system.

Only 30.2 percent of people cast votes, or 1.35 million, a record low since 1997. The last Legco election saw 58.3 percent of eligible residents head to the polls in 2016. 

Rowse was genuinely disappointed

There were some high-profile candidates in the race, including Allan Zeman, best known for developing Lan Kwai Fong into an entertainment district decades ago, and Mike Rowse, a former government official. The latter seemed really disappointed that he did not win a seat, saying that the Liaison Office had picked him and Zeman to win.

"My impression is that the central government was genuinely pleased with the diversity of candidates. It may share my disappointment that none were successful," he said.

Perhaps Rowse should have known the two of them represented the "diversity" part of the election, and that with most of the voters being elderly, there would be a very slim chance an English speaker would get more votes than he did.

In any event, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) is the biggest pro-Beijing party in the city, and it naturally won big, with a seat in each of the 10 geographical constituencies. 

One of its winners is Edward Leung-hei in Hong Kong Island East, who had campaigned to have an MTR station at Sai Wan Ho where there is already one since 1985, the same year he was born.

Leung won in Hong Kong Island East

Reverend Canon Peter Koon Ho-ming, who is best known for shielding the young man who killed his girlfriend in Taiwan that sparked the extradition bill and the protests that followed, has won a seat as a member of the election committee constituency. He is the first religious leader to join the legislature.

The only non pro-establishment candidate was Tik Chi-yuen, who founded the self-declared centrist party called Third Side. He won in the social welfare functional constituency.

Tik said he was surprised supporters of the pan-democratic camp had refused to vote this time, but vowed to keep his chin up despite the prospect of facing 89 opponents in the legislature alone.

"The pan-democratic bloc has always been the minority in Legco and they have never won when it comes to voting [on bills]," the 63-year-old said. "But I am sure I can still exert my influence and get the government to listen to me."

Tik is the only non pro-establishment to win seat

We wish him luck.

Just as the results were trickling in today, Beijing released its white paper titled: "Hong Kong: Democratic Progress Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems."

The report said the Communist Party of China "has championed whole process people's democracy in China, and this has laid the groundwork for developing democracy in Hong Kong under the framework of One Country, Two Systems."

"Over the past century, the CPC has led the Chinese people on a long and arduous journey to establish a model of democracy with Chinese characteristics", enabling them "to run their own country with extensive and substantive democratic rights," it states.

To put an end to the months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong, Xinhua news agency quoted the white paper as saying the CPC and Beijing took measures to restore order, returning the city's democratic process to a sound footing.

"With their political vision, the CPC and the Chinese government are certain of the long-term success of the socialist system on the mainland," the white paper said.

Beijing's white paper on HK's democracy overhaul

"They are equally certain of the long-term success of both the capitalist system in Hong Kong and a form of democracy suited to its realities."

With "improvements to the electoral system", the paper concludes, "governance by patriots will be further strengthened, rule of law and the business environment will continue to improve, and Hong Kong will become a more harmonious society".

It definitely sounds like democracy with Chinese characteristics.

It's pretty certain Beijing has been eager to present to the world its own version of democracy through this election and the ones to come, to prove that it brings peace and stability to the city.

With almost all the pro-democratic activists and lawmakers in jail or waiting trial or in exile, it's no doubt China's version of democracy will prevail.

But will it bring about a harmonious society? Perhaps the increasing emigration numbers are a sign...

Candidates Out of Touch with Reality

Leung seems to have no idea Sai Wan Ho has an MTR station

There's one Legislative Council candidate who is making a name for himself in the upcoming polls, but for the wrong reasons.

Hong Kong Island East candidate Edward Leung Hei is from the pro-Beijing DAB party, and during an election forum held by iCable, he was asked about the destination of ferries departing from Sai Wan Ho Ferry Pier.

The station was opened in May 1985

"Sai Wan Ho at the moment has a lot of different transport [options], we have always been fighting to get an MTR station..." said Leung -- who was born two months before the station was opened there in May 1985.

How can Leung not know there is an MTR station at Sai Wan Ho? Does he live under a rock? He probably does not live near his constituency at all.

While his blunder was the worst, the other candidates -- pre-approved by Beijing -- could not answer other simple questions such as how much is the tram fare for adults, where to change the MTR to get from Taikoo to Kwun Tong, and name the three hospitals in the constituency.

Others didn't know how much a tram ride is

It is absolutely appalling these people who are running for Hong Kong Island East have no idea what ordinary residents know off the tops of their heads. It also shows how out of touch they are and if they are even qualified to run for office...

Justice Secretary Halts Two Private Prosecutions

Teresa Cheng has intervened in two private prosecutions this week

In Hong Kong, most prosecutions are brought on by the Department of Justice, though the common law system allows for residents to pursue charges under the Magistrates Ordinance.

Lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung was exercising that right, trying to privately prosecute over two incidents that happened during the protests last year. One was when a policeman shot 21-year-old protester Chow Pak-kwan at point blank range during a confrontation in Sai Wan Ho last November.

Ted Hui wants to get justice for the victims

The other was when a 59-year-old taxi driver, Henry Cheng Kwok-chuen, drove into some people in Sham Shui Po protesting over the government ban on using masks to hide identities last October.

However with the space of three days this week, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah has intervened to halt both these prosecutions.

While the Department of Justice does have the final say in criminal prosecutions "free from interference", but both of them? In less than a week?

Hui accused Cheng of putting politics above the rule of law, saying: "Teresa Cheng has adopted improper means to terminate the private prosecution without providing any reasonable grounds."

He continued by saying her action jeopardized the right of the DoJ to have complete control over prosecutions "free from interference".

"This, in turn, becomes a support for violence used by the police and government supporters, upending rights and wrongs and seriously harming residents' right to bring private prosecutions under the common law," he said, vowing to lodge a judicial review to challenge the decision.

The moment when Chow was shot by a police officer

In her blog post in June, Cheng wrote private prosecutions "which are groundless or frivolous or brought out of improper motives or political considerations should not be condoned".

Do these two cases fit her above descriptions of those that should not be prosecuted?

In the case of Chow the student, he was shot in the abdomen and had to have one of his kidneys and half his liver removed because of the damage caused by the bullet. Chow has had to quit studying because he has trouble concentrating and needs psychological counselling. He was charged with attempting to steal a Hong Kong policeman's gun. Hui was trying to prosecute the police officer.

Meanwhile Hui also wanted to prosecute taxi driver Cheng, though he claims to have no idea how he lost control of his car. A 23-year-old woman suffered serious fractures to both legs when the vehicle mounted the pavement outside Cheung Sha Wan government offices before smashing a store front.

Cheng's taxi crashed into protesters last November

Right after, witnesses dragged Cheng out of the taxi and beat him up, leaving him with fractured ribs and had to have four stitches in his head. But he was never charged in the incident, though two other men at the scene were charged with rioting and later released on bail.

Hui will meet the justice secretary in about 15 days' time to discuss the latter case; maybe then she will reveal the real reason behind halting the prosecutions, which has only been done twice in 51 cases from 1996 to 2013...

Tear Gas Collection a Crime

Protesters trying to put out tear gas with water on the streets of Hong Kong

In the past five months, the Hong Kong police have fired around 10,000 canisters of tear gas at protesters and bystanders, and even those at home when the distinctive peppery smell wafts into their flats.

The vast majority of Hongkongers have had a "tear gas buffet", though breathing in the fumes is carcinogenic.

Police have fired over 10,000 rounds of tear gas

And so it's understandable for reporters and activists alike to collect these spent canisters to try to estimate how many rounds were fired.

Some residents have collected the canisters and strung them together on walkways as a kind of protest art.

But it turns out you need a license to carry ammunition, even when they're spent.

Chow Man, a 26-year-old reporter found that out the hard way when he was caught by police at an MTR exit at Sai Wan Ho in the early hours of November 18 to be in possession of spent tear gas canisters, tear gas grenades, sponge grenade and rubber bullet.

The spent canisters have been used to make protest art

He was charged with possession of ammunition without a license today in Eastern Court, but Chow was denied bail. While he didn't have to enter his plea, his next court date won't be until January 14.

If convicted, Chow could face a sentence of up to 14 years in jail and a fine of up to HK$100,000.

So even trying to clean up the streets of Hong Kong of tear gas canisters and rubber bullets is a crime...

Meanwhile there are reports of lots of birds spotted dead on the ground, thanks to inhaling so much tear gas.

Hong Kong's Remembrance of November 11

A Remembrance Day ceremony was held at the Cenotaph in Central

Today is Remembrance Day, when we are supposed to pause and remember the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the greater good.

But in Hong Kong today will also be remembered as a day of sheer horror.

The moment before the protester was shot with a live round

Before I even left my home to go to work, a police officer had already shot a 21-year-old protester surnamed Chow at point blank range in Sai Wan Ho at around 8am this morning.

What was also horrific was seeing how the police handled Chow's body as he lay unconscious on the road. Is there no protocol in dealing with what is essentially a crime scene?

The police force later claimed a protester was trying to reach for the gun and so the officer didn't have time to shoot a warning shot. However others dispute this because the protester was completely unarmed.

Then there was a policeman, now identified as a traffic cop, who drove his motorcycle into a group of protesters, weaving in between them like a drunk driver. It was revealed later in the afternoon that that traffic cop had been suspended immediately. Probably with pay.

After lunch was the horrific news that a man had been set on fire in Ma On Shan. A shocking clip shows a man arguing with protesters and one of them throws colourless liquid on him and someone lights a lighter and the man is immediately engulfed in flames.

People running for cover after tear gas shot at The Landmark

The victim, 57-year-old Leung Chi-cheung is fighting for his life in hospital after suffering severe burns on 30 percent of his body. He was already suffering from head injuries from an earlier altercation with protesters.

How did Hong Kong descend to this?

At 6pm Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor held a press conference and again labelled the protesters as "rioters" and "mobs".

"[I] will send a clear message that there is no question that escalating violence can get what the rioters want -- not from the government, not from society at large," she says, wearing a giant scarf around her neck. "Violence will only lead to more violence."

She adds she is sure there will be more violence if the government satisfies all five demands.

But she should remember that if she had never proposed the extradition bill in the first place we would not be in this tragic mess we are in now.

Carrie Lam bundled up in 25-degree weather today

The MTR was one of the main targets of protesters today. This morning I took the Island line going from Kennedy Town to Causeway Bay. I usually sit in the last carriage because it's closest to the MTR exit I need to go to. When the train stopped at Sai Ying Pun, a young man wearing a baseball cap and no mask, carrying a backpack, burst out of the driver's cabin and fled the scene.

A woman sitting next to me nervously looked in the direction of the cabin wondering what would happen. Minutes later MTR staff arrived and checked it out. On their walkie talkies they reported they couldn't find any serious damage and the train eventually continued on, with a young skinny man in MTR uniform standing in front of the cabin to prevent more sabotage. I made it to work in one piece.

Meanwhile, Central was a complete war zone this at lunchtime, some protesters in their suits, carried umbrellas to shield themselves from teargas that was shot on Pedder Street, right in front of the luxury shopping mall The Landmark.

People in office wear trying to avoid being pepper sprayed

But towards the end of the day, there was a video circulating on Twitter of office workers in Central, picking up railings and bricks off the road so that vehicles could go through.

The Hang Seng Index plunged 724 points, down 2.62 percent. It's the worst tumble in three months thanks to all the dramatic incidents today. What will happen tomorrow? We are still trying to process what occurred today...

Nice Day for a 10K Run

Finally making it to the starting line before starting the 10K run

I went to bed early hoping to get a decent night's sleep, but was a bit anxious about running the 10K in the Standard Chartered Marathon. While my start time wasn't too early, I still had to wake up early to get ready and get to the site.

When I ran it in 2015, I overdressed and got overheated, resulting in me walking twice to catch my breath. This time I followed what other experienced runners do -- wear a plastic rain poncho to keep warm.

Several thousand people ran together this morning

And it pretty much did the job, and the weather cooperated as well. However, I drank a bit too much water in the morning and had to go line up for the porta-potty three times...!

By the time I got to the starting line -- I was way, way back. It took me five minutes just to walk to the starting line. And then we were off! But the first almost two kilometres were crazy, dodging people and trying to get some rhythm in my pace. It was hard, thanks to the narrow road (one lane was closed off because of construction), and so it took a while just to jockey out of the crowd.

At first my hands were very cold -- I had shake them periodically to get the blood circulating. The sun was out and so it was nice to be in the shade thanks to buildings covering the sunshine.

In about half an hour we reached and passed the Film Archive building in Sai Wan Ho and turned around to go back. The highway was undulating up and down. I just tried to keep my pace. At the five-kilometre mark I looked at my phone that had an app tracking my progress and it was at 33 minutes. Pretty good.

The view this morning from Tin Hau starting point

Soon it was 6km, 7km... and there were more people walking. I've said this before, but it bears repeating -- people who plan to walk, should move off to the side so that they don't get in the way of runners, particularly in the beginning. But by this point we were decently spread out and I was catching up to people who had been up in the front.

There were also people taking pictures at each sign that indicated which kilometre we were at. Really? Don't you want to run as fast as you can and not waste time taking pictures with your friends?

Past the 8km mark was the second drinks station and the end was in sight. I even saw one of my colleagues and shouted his name and waved to him, and he took some pictures of me...

Just past 9km, I was starting to get really tired, but I had to tell myself to keep going because it was almost over. Getting onto the on ramp (actually the cars use it as an off ramp) was tough because it was pretty steep, but I kept my pace. Many people were walking at this point, others began running again at the top because it was downhill from there.

It took me five minutes to walk to the starting line!

When I turned into Victoria Park towards the finish line I tried to run as fast as I could. The time on my phone? 1:06:17. My official time is 1:06:19.

I shaved off several seconds from my 2014 time, and several minutes from 2015.

Interestingly I wasn't as exhausted as I was before, perhaps because I have been training so hard for this race in the last month or so. But the real test will be tomorrow and see how my thighs are doing.

For a recreational runner I'm pleased with the result and the weather conditions were just perfect for running today.