Picture of the Day: Forest Bathing

Chilly but clear blue skies looking down on Hong Kong

A friend I met who I bump into at the swimming pool often (but now is closed because of the latest government restrictions), asked me if I hiked much. I admitted not, but would I be interested in joining her on Friday morning?

At 8.30am?!

Waterfalls and lots of greenery everywhere

Whenever I have to wake up early the next morning I don't get a good night's sleep, but I managed to get up and meet her at the Sai Ying Pun MTR station where she guided me up to Bonham Road and up Oakland Path to Kotewall Road which is the start of the Morning Trail up to The Peak.

However, my friend took me another way which is much longer in terms of distance and time, and not steep all the way. The path practically had no one on it though we passed some dog walkers -- and friendly dogs! -- and some trail runners getting a good workout.

The path took us through lots of forested area which was wonderful, immersing ourselves in nature and inhaling fresh oxygen. We kept walking all the way to the southside above Pokfulam and Queen Mary Hospital before we went up a wide asphalt road that seemed to wind along forever upwards with no end. And then before we knew it, over two and a half hours later, we were at the Peak Tower via the Pokfulam Reservoir Road.

A quick loo break and we walked down via the Morning Trail. Since we went up early, we saw many huffing and puffing their way up the path as we zoomed down back to Kotewall Road and then back to Sai Ying Pun. 

View of Queen Mary Hospital (left) and south HK

In the end I completed over 15.8K and spent over 1,000 calories! Needless to say I was ravenous when I got home, then took a shower and a badly needed nap!

Another friend wants to go up the Peak tomorrow too...!

Forced to Stay, Forced to Flee

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

 

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

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

Lai transferred to jail until April 16, 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hui arrived in Denmark a few days ago

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

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

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

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

Hui insists he is not emigrating but in exile

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

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

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

HK's War Against its Youth

Lam and Wong's last look at the media and supporters

 

Today three pro-democracy activists were jailed for their part in a protest last year at Hong Kong police headquarters in Wan Chai that evolved into a siege that lasted 15 hours. Joshua Wong Chi-fung, 24, was sentenced for 13.5 months, Agnes Chow Ting, 23, 10 months, and Ivan Lam Long-ying, 26, seven months.

Chow will spend her 24th birthday in jail

Wong and Chow are high-profile activists who were the faces protesting national education in 2012, the Umbrella Movement two years later, and establishing the now disbanded political party Demosisto. Only a few months ago Wong and Chow just graduated from university. Chow was the only one without a previous criminal record and sobbed when she heard her sentenced read out.

She will mark her 24th birthday in prison tomorrow.

West Kowloon Magistrate Wong Sze-lai sharply criticized Wong for challenging the authority of the police force in a premeditated plot, and called him "selfish" for obstructing traffic at the massive rally on June 21 last year.

She said they committed the offences at a time of "social unrest and large-scale public protests", which "made this case more serious".

Wong the night of June 21 at Police headquarters

During the siege, where people protested against excessive force by the police during the then anti-extradition protests, people threw eggs and soft drink cans at the police headquarters, and spray painted graffiti. There were so many people around the building that the officers were obstructed from attending 61 emergency calls.

Prosecutors described Wong as the leader of the protest that night, showing videos of him telling people at the scene through a bullhorn that they should get more people to come and "completely besiege police headquarters".

While Wong was recorded on video saying these things last year, and Chow and Lam were with him, witnesses who were there that night saw the crowd ignore him and the protesters in this leaderless movement decided what to do by discussions on Telegram. Wong left the scene early that evening.

The convictions were not just about what they did that night, but for all their years of activism, standing up against the government and inspiring others to do the same.

Wong protesting against national education

In 2011 Wong started Scholarism to protest against "moral and national education" curriculum put forward by the government. It would mean not learning about the Tiananmen Square massacre and casting the Communist Party in a better light. 

Scholarism organized a protest in late August 2012 around government headquarters in Tamar and tens of thousands showed up. Days later then chief executive Leung Chun-ying had to shelve the plan. 

Then in September 2014 the Umbrella Movement exploded after 87 rounds of tear gas was fired on protesters, and again Wong was the face of the protests. 

He was convicted and jailed in August 2017 and January 2018 for his role in the movement.

The jailing of this trio sends a strong signal to others not to stand up to authority, even if you may think protesting is right in principle. The space for dissent in Hong Kong is fast evaporating.

It also shows the government's unwillingness to engage with the next generation and reconcile differences -- the polarization is too extreme to find any middle ground.

87 rounds of tear gas fired on protesters in 2014

This is yet another sign forcing Hongkongers to decide whether they should leave the place they call home or stick it out, and become complacent.

There was more news today of Apple Daily found Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and two employees were charged with fraud. 

The government will continue to prosecute anyone it believes is contemptuous of it. 

The list is long.

Another Media Outlet Bleeds

i-Cable staff confront management about the lay-offs

Hong Kong media outlets have been under attack not only by the government, as seen by the police raiding the offices of Apple Daily in August, and more recently RTHK's programming related to its investigation of what happened on July 21 last year in Yuen Long with a reporter arrested for her work on the story. 

The government-funded broadcaster also had to shut down its satirical TV show Headliner after criticism from the Communications Authority for "insulting" the police force.

i-Cable says the pandemic has led to staff cuts

And now i-Cable, Hong Kong's biggest pay TV operator that runs 24-hour news has been decimated in what appears to be a political move from within the company to practically shut down the newsroom.

This morning 40 editorial staff were given lay off notices effective immediately, the reason being the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the financial situation of the network. 

The move prompted the entire China desk team and at least half of the editorial department's middle management to resign immediately.

In a joint statement, the 11 reporters and five editors said not every department head had been consulted about or notified of the lay-offs, illustrating management's disregard for its staff.

"The handling [of the lay-offs] is disrespectful, and it has made people angry," they said. "The Hong Kong news team expresses regret over senior management destroying the i-Cable news department."

This latest move is another in a series that started in August when several senior management positions were reshuffled and less experienced editors and producers put in charge. 

Colleagues wave to sacked staff on their way out

The lay-offs affect not only reporters, but also anchors, video filming and editing staff. Three reporters who were sacked were from the News Lancet program, an investigative current affairs show. 

Even a veteran videographer who was let go while on the job filming at the Legislative Council, got news of his lay-off, packed up his belongings and left his camera rolling. 

The i-Cable staff knew the company's financial position was very tight, but at the same time there wasn't enough resources.

"We are short-staffed. If we fire one person, the operations will be difficult. We also feel that the management hasn't talked to our department head about this," assistant China news editor Linda Wong said. "The announcement was made suddenly, so our colleagues are disappointed and angry."

The Hong Kong Journalists Association urged i-Cable employers to realize the lay-offs would deeply affect morale and seriously affect the quality of news production. 

It also pointed out that the lay-offs of all the News Lancet's reporters -- whose work often dealt with politics and the police force -- could create the perception that the network was cutting back coverage of sensitive topics under the guise of cost-saving measures.

i-Cable owned by property magnate David Chiu

How will i-Cable continue to function after losing so many of its experienced staff? It's a 24-hour channel! Its not like a newspaper where it can cut the number of pages or stories...

In any event an interesting fact to add is that i-Cable is owned by property investor David Chiu Tat-cheong, also chairman of Far East Consortium, and a week ago was confirmed as infected with Covid-19 along with his wife.