Hong Kong's Covid Death Toll Still Surges

Elderly patients have been outside overcrowded hospitals

Hong Kong logged a record 249 deaths in the past 24 hours, much higher than the start of the fifth wave.

When Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was asked to comment, she insisted her government had "put in all the necessary effort in order to keep Hong Kong people safe".

"We have spent over one year to promote, to encourage, to coerce people to take the jab, but unfortunately, partly because of the low infection rate in the last year or so, and partly because of anxiety and worries and so on, we have not achieved a high rate of vaccination, especially amongst the elderly, particularly amongst elderly in elderly homes," she said.

Lam says govt has done its best for vaccinations

"There are a lot of things in our city that should be revisited and we should take a critical look in order to prepare us for a future public health crisis."

Sounds like someone is on the defensive.

But these deaths are on her watch. Not enough was done to get the elderly vaccinated and a lot of it had to do with misinformation and ineffective communication to the public about the benefits of getting vaccinated. The cash handouts were not used as an incentive to get vaccinated either which was infuriating to say the least.

Meanwhile Dr Lau Ka-hin, a chief manager of the Health Authority was also on the defensive, saying officials were not focused on death records, that the goal was to prevent patients with only mild symptoms from worsening and serious cases turning into fatalities.

"This is our aim in treating our patients," he said.

More seniors need to get jabbed quickly

Sing Tao reported this morning the possibility of further restricting social-distancing measures to only one per table instead of two.

Lam denied this was in the cards, but then again she has been known to flip flop. Her response: "I have to consider what society and the public can accept and won't rashly introduce new measures," she said. "But I again appeal to the public not to let their guard down. Even though the case numbers seem to have stabilised and there is a slight downward trend, it is not time to relax yet."

Indeed... but we hope there is a greater effort being made to inoculate the elderly as quickly as possible. We don't want to see another morbid record tomorrow...

More Propaganda, National Security in HK

China's control over Hong Kong expands with two departments

 

It was bound to happen eventually. Beijing is now setting up two departments in Hong Kong, one to handle national security, the other propaganda.

The new department for national security affairs will be headed by former liaison office legal affairs director Wang Zhenmin, while Yang Guang will lead the department that will manage media outlets and public opinion in the city.

Yang Guang warned HK protesters in 2019

Some may remember Yang is one of the spokesmen for the Hong Kong Macau Affairs Office, and during 2019 he was the one hosting press conferences on the anti-government protests.

At these press conferences -- the first the HKMAO made since the handover in 1997 -- Yang gave strongly-worded warnings to the protesters against street violence.

The propaganda department will take up part of the work from the office's liaison department and cater to the increasing needs to disseminate official information, host more press conferences, approve and coordinate Hong Kong and Macau journalists on the mainland, and "manage the media scene" in the two administrative regions.

Meanwhile Wang served as legal affairs director at Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong from 2015 to 2018. 

Currently the director of the centre for Hong Kong and Macau Research under Tsinghua University, Wang published a 232-page book in January he co-authored with two mainland academics detailing the rationale and legislative process of the sweeping national security law.

Wang Zhenmin is a national security legal expert

In an article in Sing Tao Daily in February 2020, Wang wrote an article explaining the urgent need to reform the central government's governance regime regarding Hong Kong and Macau.

Veteran China watcher Johnny Lau Yiu-siu says these latest developments are a systemic approach by Beijing to enhance ideological security.

"Beijing firmly regarded Hong Kong's political turmoil as a result of foreign collusion with an aim to overturn the government, so that Beijing planned a series of organizational measures to step up ideological control," he said.

Meanwhile pro-China academic Lau Siu-kai of the semi-official think tank the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies says the departments will step up the fight against anti-China forces. 

"There is a lot to be done to weed out incorrect viewpoints about the central people's government," he said. "The new departments [in the HKMAO] will focus on monitoring public opinion and raising the awareness of Hongkongers' obligation to abide by the law at the societal level," Lau said.

Can China overturn HK people's opinions?

But will the propaganda department make any headway with so many Hongkongers skeptical of anything from across the border? It could make them even more paranoid than before, if reaction to the origins of the pandemic is any indication. 

And with information still relatively free in Hong Kong, including disinformation and misinformation, will the propaganda department be able to cut through all the noise to present its own side of the story in a convincing manner?

It will be interesting to watch its presentation and messaging, though another reminder the motherland is breathing down Hong Kong's back is a sign integration continues whether residents like it or not...

Patriotism is an Obligation, not an Option

City Garden Hotel is celebrating National Day with pride

 

Tomorrow is not only Mid-Autumn Festival, but also the 71st anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

Some businesses are trying to show how patriotic they are, with City Garden Hotel plastering two flags, the Hong Kong and Chinese flags to celebrate national day.

Luo said patriotism is a duty, not a choice

There's also another big banner in Admiralty near a flyover for everyone to see.

The campaign to force Hongkongers into submission continued today with Luo Huining, director of the liaison office stressed patriotism is not an option but an obligation.

"As Chinese, loving the country is not a choice, but a duty, and even more so, the correct path," he said.

Stark words for people still reeling from last year's extradition protests, and now the recently implemented national security law.

"The National People's Congress enacted the Hong Kong national security law to end the madness of Hong Kong independence advocacy and the black violence that ran out of control," Luo said, referring to the colour worn by anti-government protesters.

He added civil servants and students should receive more education on national security, the country's situation, Chinese history and culture, the Chinese constitution, and the Basic Law.

Red banners celebrating national day

To demand Hongkongers to be patriotic to China is while not surprising, will not win the hearts and minds of the people. 

This hard line approach will only make people more recalcitrant.

Meanwhile also today the families of the 12 detained in Shenzhen pleaded in front of the liaison office to be able to pass messages and mooncakes to their loved ones.

The People's Procuratorate in Shenzhen's Yantian district said this evening they had approved the arrests of 10 in the group over crossing the national border unlawfully, and two others for planning the offense. 

A woman, who is wanted by Hong Kong police, and Tang Kai-yin, a 30-year-old salesman who was earlier charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent were both accused of organizing the operation.

Pro-establishment newspaper Sing Tao Daily cited a source saying that Tang was the driver of the speedboat with 11 others on board.

Under China's Criminal Law, people arrested for illegally crossing face one year in jail, but those who are convicted of organizing others to do so can be sentenced to up to seven years in jail.  If someone is found to have a principal role in operating a syndicate for illegal border crossings, or who violently resist law enforcement, the penalty can be life in prison.

To hear the 12 have been formally arrested and charged will be devastating news for the families.  

This year Mid-Autumn Festival will be sombre one with the coronavirus pandemic, social-distancing limited to four in public, and now dramatic weather with thunderstorms and heavy rain... and yes -- love the country -- it's a must!

John Tsang Reveals Small Details

John Tsang reveals why he quit his job as Finance Secretary under CY Leung

Now we know why John Tsang Chun-wah quit his job as Financial Secretary to run for the next Chief Executive of Hong Kong.

He finally revealed that he quit in December after he had a row with Leung Chun-ying over the government budget. Tsang said Leung wanted to multiply the amount of new money earmarked for the next few years which would result in a deficit.

Tsang had told Sing Tao Daily on Thursday that he quit because he was unhappy but did not elaborate, and that he only thought of running for CE after he quit the job.

Today he was asked again by the media why he quit, and Tsang replied: It's not about one single incident. It's accumulated over time."

Since Paul Chan Mo-po has taken over the finance post, his first budget reveals there will be a deficit thanks to many infrastructure projects. Chan also decided not to put money into the Future Fund that Tsang had set up in 2015 for rainy days, instead spending it on welfare and sports.

Interesting that Tsang gives this curious bit of information that reveals more about himself and his ex-boss. While Tsang is right to be as fiscally prudent as possible, he was quite extreme about this -- Hong Kong is much wealthier than many cities, let alone countries!

So we can expect Tsang to be fiscally conservative if he wins as the next Chief Executive?

HK Press Freedom Under Threat?

Chong (holding microphone) talked to staff this morning about the layoffs

Today is yet another bad day for press freedom in Hong Kong.

Ming Pao abruptly fired one of its top editors as well as some other editorial staff apparently because of budget cuts, but many don't see the financial excuse as the real reason.

Executive editor Keung Kwok-yuen and others were let go, and some staffers wondered if the move was meant to punish "dissidents of editorial decisions" like Keung.

Keung Kwok-yuen was a highly respected editor at Ming Pao

A Ming Pao Staff Association spokesperson said Keung was fired by his boss, chief editor Chong Tien Siong at midnight this morning with immediate effect.

"We are extremely angry and upset about it," the spokesperson said.

Keung could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile a Ming Pao Group spokesperson explained the company had little choice but to lay off staff, including senior personnel in business and editorial departments.

The cut in staff is a recurring refrain in Hong Kong media these days, particularly print. Earlier this month Sing Tao News Corporation announced a pay cut of up to 20 percent of its senior news executives.

During a meeting with Ming Pao staff, Chong described Keung as his "most competent aide", and that he and Keung were the best paid employees in the newsroom, and that he was prepared to go if management decided so.

Editor Kevin Lau Chun-to was also let go, back in 2014

Keung is known for covering politically sensitive issues, such as the July 1 protest march in 2003 against Article 23 where some half a million people came out to the streets, and the campaign against national education in 2012.

"We express our utmost regret that a veteran and objective journalist like Keung... was no longer [welcome] at Ming Pao," said a joint statement from the Hong Kong Journalists Association and six industry unions.

His dismissal comes after more news about Hong Kong tycoons named in the Panama Papers was reported on the front page of Ming Pao today.

Chong took over Ming Pao in 2014 and is said to be a close ally to owner, fellow Malaysian Tiong Hiew King, a pro-Beijing businessman. The staff were surprised by Chong's appointment because of his lack of local knowledge.

He replaced Kevin Lau Chun-to who was chief editor at the time; you may recall Lau was later attacked by men with choppers.

Newspaper staff held a "pens down" protest earlier this year

On Chong's first day, staff surrounded his office and asked him to sign a charter of press freedom. Reporters asked him if Ming Pao would turn into a pro-government newspaper, but he replied he didn't know because he wasn't the chief editor at the time.

Then in February last year, Chong changed the front page of the paper after midnight, from a report on confidential documents about Tiananmen in 1989 that was already approved by top-level editors -- to a story about Alibaba chief Jack Ma Yun.

He later explained the decision was made according to "the logic of news", that the report on the Tiananmen documents was unchanged and published on other pages. Chong never explained what he meant by "the logic of news"...

The union didn't accept this explanation and held a one-hour "pens down" protest.

It doesn't sound like Chong has made many friends at Ming Pao since he was brought in about two years ago. And firing yet another respected editor is not the way to win brownie points.

Is this the tipping point to lead to a mass exodus of staff? Or are economic conditions such that people don't have much choice, but to stay because they at least have a job?

Tough times.