Hong Kong Current Events

[Yu Ominae]

https://hongkongfp.com/2022/02/03/ba...of-opposition/

HKFP has a nice compilation of what laws were passed in LegCo now that there's (almost) no opposition to do checks and balances.

[Yu Ominae]

An interview with Simon Cheng, who was an employee of the British Consulate in HK.

He went missing after he came to Shenzhen when the anti-extradition treaty protests started. He sought asylum abroad.

[TheForsaken]

You mean the guy who was detained 15 days by the police for soliciting prostitutes?

[Yu Ominae]

Never mind.

You're already not believing his case anyway.

[Infinite Zenith]

In better news, the police officer injured by the lone-wolf terror attack last July has made a full recovery and resumed his duties. It is absolutely the case that social media is one of the central culprits in driving people like the would-be-assailant to such extremes, and it is a positive sign that more is being done to combat the sort of misinformation that was widespread during the Black Violence of 2019; disrupting the ability of those with malicious intent to communicate radical rhetoric goes a very long way.

[Yu Ominae]

The triads and their links to Chinese and Hong Kong politics by Vice News:

[Infinite Zenith]

Why is "links" italicised?

[Yu Ominae]

https://hongkongfp.com/2022/05/31/ho...iananmen-dead/

As expected anyway that there's no commemoration for the Tiananmen crackdown.

[Yu Ominae]

https://hongkongfp.com/2022/06/02/la...s-for-leaving/

Michael Vidler of Vidler & Co. Solicitors left HK since some "suspicious people" were seen waiting for him. Likely from pro-Beijing factions.

He's known for providing legal advice to the LGBT community and for those arrested for participated in pro-democratic protests, especially with the anti-extradiction bill.

[Yu Ominae]

https://hongkongfp.com/2022/06/16/br...-celebrations/

Most media outlets in HK are not allowed to attend John Lee's inauguration.

[Yu Ominae]

John Lee is the CEO. Ceremony's low key AFAIK Xi didn't spend a lot of time in HK. Did the stays in Shenzhen.

[Infinite Zenith]

It's good to see that Xi's visit went smoothly; reading between the lines, the vision laid out for Hong Kong isn't too dramatically different than what we originally had in place, and I'm hoping John Lee addresses the crux of Hong Kong's main issues: housing and future prospects for youth.

[Yu Ominae]

Looking at the local journalism scene.



https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox...rance-and-hope

Long article, so IMO not worth quoting it. But it's an interesting article on what the journalists (who told their stories) decided to do after the HK National Security Law was passed c/o China and made a living hell for media outlets like Apple Daily and The Stand.

Some stayed, but are doing other jobs that are not directly reporting. Others have become exiles instead.

[Infinite Zenith]

There's nothing to look at in regard to Hong Kong. Here in Canada, we're ranked 19th in the world for freedom of press, but a high freedom of press hasn't changed the fact that the cost of housing in the lower mainland is astronomically high.

[Yu Ominae]

I have no idea why you made that related. Them's two different issues. The housing cost is not due to high press freedom.

Also, way to go putting down journalists who just want to do a good job. I know a few who are hardworking people and refuse to compromise their work.

[Infinite Zenith]

My point is that housing and other essentials should be a higher priority than journalism. People can go a ways longer without politics, but without essentials taken care of, things get trickier. Unless, of course, I’m completely mistaken, and the right to reading things like Apple Daily is more important than ensuring people have a roof over their heads?

[Yu Ominae]

Those two are important issues to look at and I find it offensive when one issue is treated with less importance. Just because it's easier to speak about one thing does not mean the other should be discounted.

Journalism is not always about politics, FYI. Social issues are also presented.

[Infinite Zenith]

Ironically, politics is actually the easier topic to talk about: dealing with social issues like housing require an intense amount of understanding and exploration of long-term solutions that address the root of the issue. All the fuss surrounding LegCo and whatnot merely is a distraction from the real issues; it takes no effort to have an opinion about that (or the National Security Law). Apple Daily never once published anything substantial about social issues like housing; their entire publication was devoted to low-effort smear pieces about policy surrounding freedom of expression. A proper journalist writes about things from varying perspectives, and Apple Daily completely failed in this area.

[Infinite Zenith]

This is from an older article, but it looks like Joshua Wong pleaded guilty to the subversion charges against him along with 29 others. This wasn't a sentencing hearing, and I've read that while these were supposed to have begun back in September, journalists haven't been permitted to cover them, citing "security reasons". While I get that, it would've been interesting to see what would happen to the riots/protests leader after the dust had settled.

[Yu Ominae]

Keeping an eye since his family moved to Australia.

Ironically, politics is actually the easier topic to talk about: dealing with social issues like housing require an intense amount of understanding and exploration of long-term solutions that address the root of the issue. All the fuss surrounding LegCo and whatnot merely is a distraction from the real issues; it takes no effort to have an opinion about that (or the National Security Law). Apple Daily never once published anything substantial about social issues like housing; their entire publication was devoted to low-effort smear pieces about policy surrounding freedom of expression. A proper journalist writes about things from varying perspectives, and Apple Daily completely failed in this area.

The issues like housing and the incoming brain drain are merely symptoms to things that are going wrong lately. The NSL is merely going to push things to the limit.

Even though there are "some" efforts to fix this, I doubt Beijing will make an effort to "help" with Xi Jinping having a third term.

And call it bad efforts for AD editors to allow mediocre articles to publish stuff regarding freedom of expression. But if no one's doing it, then who will do it?