Politics
National Day under patriots administering Hong Kong
- 2022-10-02
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: Yongyi CAOEdited by: Karmen Li
- 2022-10-02
A sea of red national and regional flags displayed in Hong Kong marks the 73 years since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China on Oct. 1. Some citizens celebrated the anniversary by waving red flags, while no rallies or demonstrations were held this year. “Hong Kong now undergoes the critical transition from stability to prosperity,” said John Lee, Chief executive of Hong Kong, at the National Day reception. Lee delivered a speech as the Chief Executive for the first time since his swearing on Jul. 1. Local media reported that 7,000 to 8,000 police officers were mobilized on National Day. The police force did not receive any application to hold a protest on Oct. 1. Chan Po-ying, a chairperson of the League of Social Democrats (LSD), told the HKFP that the national security police warned her not to hold any activities on National Day.
Hongkongers’ Book Fair goes online after last-minute cancellation
- 2022-07-15
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: Lokman YuenEdited by: Jenny Lam
- 2022-07-15
A private book fair was forced to go online after the owner of the venue where it was to be held threateend to take legal action against the organiser. Raymond Yeung Tsz-chun, organiser of the Hongkongers’ Book Fair, received a notice of from Mall Plus in Wan Chai on July 12. The venue owner, Permanent Investment Company Limited issued a lawyer's letter through Man Hing Hong Properties Company Limited the following day, accusing Yeung of “sub-letting” and “causing nuisance, annoyance or danger to occupants or visitors” and would no longer rent out the premises. As a result, the online version of “Hongkongers’ Book Fair” can only showcase products from Yeung’s bookstore, Hillway Culture. Publications from seven other publishers and at least six commercial outlets which originally participated in the book fair are not in the online event. “I believe that anything related to the name “HongKongers’ Book Fair” is considered politically sensitive now,” said Yeung. Yeung organised the private book fair after the Hong Kong Trade Development Council being rejected his application to take part in the Hong Kong Book Fair by on May 16. Yeung claimed he then invested more than HK$500,000 to run his own fair instead. He said he contacted Man Hing Hong Properties after receiving the notice and scheduled a meeting with the property agent on July 12 at 10:30 a.m., but the agent did not show up. He did not have the contact number of Permanent Investment, the venue owner. TYR tried to contact Man Hing Hong Properties Company Limited and Permanent Investment Company Limited through email. They did not respond to our inquiries. “We made sure we followed all laws and regulations. We believed we can hold an independent book fair under the Rule of Law in Hong Kong,” Yeung said. “But it seems …
New Executive Council to consider border reopening and Article 23 legislation
- 2022-07-05
- Society
- By: Lokman YuenEdited by: Jenny Lam
- 2022-07-05
Chief Executive, John Lee Ka-chiu has promised that the government will strike a balance between reducing inconvenience to travellers and public health safety in reopening Hong Kong’s border. He was speaking at the first Executive Council meeting of the new administration. He added that his government will also consider legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law. Lee was joined by the Convenor of the Executive Council, Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and 15 non-official members in this morning’s meeting. Secretary for Health, Lo Chung-mau expressed hope yesterday for the border with the mainland to reopen in August. Lee said this morning that he has asked Lo to look into measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 while reducing inconvenience to travellers. Hong Kong recorded an average of 1600 new COVID-19 cases a day in the past week. “ If the figure goes up, then hospitalisation will increase and other hospital services will be affected.“ Lee said. “Even if emergency services can be maintained, other services will be affected, particular for patients who require consistent and persistent treatment,” Lee said ahead of the Executive Council meeting. Lee said the government has the responsibility to legislate under Basic Law Article 23 , and this administration will conduct thorough legal research and consider new and ‘very harsh’ national security measures practised in another common law jurisdiction. Article 23 states that Hong Kong "shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People's Government. “We will do it as soon as possible … I hope this law, when it is completed, will work and can handle all kinds of problems that we can imagine. I do not want to see any amendments,” he said.
Trouble in mainland quarantine after escaping pandemic in Hong Kong
- 2022-05-11
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Ziyu Bruce ZhaoEdited by: Summer Li
- 2022-05-11
As the pandemic hit Hong Kong with unprecedented Omicron variants, many people working and studying in the city have started their journey to escape to mainland since mid February to avoid the health crisis. However, the poor living condition, extraordinary high prices and awful food during the 21-day quarantine caused a lot of inconvenience to the people longing to return home.
John Lee Ka-chiu confirmed to be the new leader in Hong Kong
- 2022-05-08
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Jayde CheungEdited by: Nick Yang
- 2022-05-08
John Lee Ka-chiu, 64, the sole candidate, secured his seat as the sixth chief executive in Hong Kong today with only eight votes against him. Lee won 1,416 votes out of 1,428, including four blank votes, gaining trust from over 99% from the election committee, a record high of support. Thirty-three members did not vote. “With loyalty and perseverance, I shall undertake this historic mission and shoulder this responsibility to unite and lead the 7.4 million Hong Kong people to start a new chapter together,” Lee said at the press conference after being elected. This is the first chief executive election since Beijing’s election reform ensuring governance by “patriots only”. It is also the first uncontested chief executive election in Hong Kong since its handover. “I extend my sincere congratulations to Mr John Lee on his successful election and later today,” said Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the current chief executive, in a statement today. “We will render all the support needed for the assumption of office by the new term of government.” Lee will take over as chief executive on July 1. The chief executive is chosen by the election committee, a body that has been expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members after the electoral system reform and includes representatives from different sectors. “The election committee members are very responsive and completed their responsibility,” said Tam Yiu-chung, member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, also the Lee’s campaign manager. “This is an important event in Hong Kong. The sixth chief executive will be elected under the new election system. We wish Hong Kong to begin a new chapter and a good development.” Lee, a former police officer, handled the anti-extradition bill protests in 2019 as Secretary for Security. Lee’s latest ratings plunged to a new low of 34.8 between March 7 …
Desperate for drugs during the lockdown in China
- 2022-05-03
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Kate ZhangEdited by: Tracy Leung
- 2022-05-03
Liu Tian, 27, in Changchun, Jilin province, suffers from a major depressive disorder. She has been off her medication for ten days since the city went into lockdown due to COVID-19 in March. Her medicine is only available at three pharmacies in the city far away from her home, and she cannot get it delivered. She tried to contact epidemic prevention staff in the community and the hospital for help. The community staff issued her an emergency medication certificate, but she could not go to the hospital because of local traffic control. As a result, she had headaches, was irritated and emotionally unstable. She tried calling the hospital’s emergency number but was told that they were only responsible for emergency care and not prescriptions. “I don't want to keep looking for medicine anymore because I'm afraid of being rejected again,” Liu said. “When I was at my worst, I even thought about committing suicide.” Beijing has been sticking to the "dynamic zero tolerance" strategy for Covid. That means even a few positive cases would trigger a lockdown followed by large-scale testing. During the lockdown, no one can travel and delivery services are limited. Chronically ill patients like Liu Tian face difficulties purchasing medications. They turn to local community staff, volunteers, and netizens for help. Cheng Yulong, 51, has diabetes. “My blood sugar level kept rising, and I was really desperate. I cannot solely rely on the blood sugar-lowering medications because they are not as effective as insulin,” he said. When the lockdown started in Changchun in early March, he had to stay at the construction site where he had been working for almost 30 days, but he only carried a limited amount of insulin. The insulin Cheng needed was sold out in the nearby pharmacies. He sought help from community …
Second phase of vaccine pass kicks in today
- 2022-04-30
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Tiffany MaEdited by: Tracy Leung
- 2022-04-30
Second phase of the vaccine pass starts today. Visitors aged 18 or above should have received at least two doses of Covid-19 vaccinations to enter specific premises such as restaurants and supermarkets. The new arrangement has tightened the vaccination requirement compared to the first phase, people receiving only the first dose are no longer allowed to visit the listed premises. Special groups such as children aged under 12 and holders of medical exemption certificates are exempted. Tammy Lam, 21, said that most of the visitors tend to neglect the “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code before entering shopping malls, according to his observation. “As there are no regular checks on whether people have scanned the ‘LeaveHomeSafe’ QR code, I doubt the effectiveness of the vaccine pass,” Lam said. Cherry Chan, 60, was infected with Covid-19 on March 7, but did not receive any vaccination beforehand. She failed to report her positive result on government websites. “I cannot download the Recovery Record QR Code as there is no recovery record in the Department of Health’s system,” Chan said. The QR code serves as a vaccine pass for Covid patients for the following 180 days after recovery. Though Chan is recommended to take the first dose earliest on the 30th day after recovery, according to the guideline offered by the Department of Health, she will not receive the vaccination, and opt for takeaway instead. “Operators of catering businesses are required to use the ‘QR Code Verification Scanner’ mobile app developed by the Government to scan the QR code of a customer's vaccination record or Medical Exemption Certificate or recovery record to ensure compliance with the active checking requirements,” said the government spokesman on April 28. A maximum fine of HK$50,000 and imprisonment for six months will be charged for violating the rules, according to …
No increase in HK’s female legislators in 23 years: are women part of a reformed Legco?
- 2022-03-30
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Tiffany MaEdited by: Kelly Pang
- 2022-03-30
In last year’s Legislative Council election, Cindy Chan Yuk-sim, 55, an estate surveyor and civil servant, cast a vote for the Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape functional constituency, one of 29 representing various industries of Hong Kong. Both candidates running for the single seat were men. “I wish there were more female candidates who can participate in the architectural constituency so that more female voices can be heard in the Legislative Council,” Chan said. Though, in recent years, more women have taken up significant political roles, such as Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and DAB Chairperson Starry Lee Wai-king, Hong Kong politics are heavily skewed in favor of men. At the top levels of government, less than a fifth are women. And there has been little to no increase in this number for the last 23 years. Of the current 90 legislators, only 17 are women, about 19%. The percentage is the same for the Executive Council, the cabinet to the Chief Executive. Of the 32 current members, only six are women. “As most of the members in the Legislative Council and Executive Council are male, women opinions are relatively neglected, weakening their power in fighting for women rights in the council,” Joseph Chan, 62, a former professor from the Department of Politics and Public Administration of the University of Hong Kong, said. Entrenched gender stereotypes run deep in Hong Kong. Voters tend to favor men for political positions involving financial policy while women are preferred for social welfare and education, according to a survey by the Gender Research Centre at Chinese University's Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies. Joseph Chan said gender stereotypes may also cause male legislators to be judged on their accomplishments while women are judged on their appearance along with their achievements. “Women should be …
Surviving smart prison
- 2022-03-27
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Karmen LiEdited by: Tracy Leung
- 2022-03-27
Immigration detainees concern groups complain of intrusive use of technology. What is a smart prison Hong Kong’s first smart prison, Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution (TTGCI) began operation in Sept 2021. Among the 160 inmates, 67 were immigration detainees. According to the Development of Smart Prison document presented to the Legislative Council by the Correctional Services Department in 2019. TTGCI operates a Passage Surveillance System. All prisoners have to wear a smart wristband. Officers can track the prisoners and are alerted if anyone strays from a designated route. Inmates have to wear a tracker that looks like a black digital watch without a screen. It monitors heart rate, physical conditions and medical needs. It also alerts offers of any suicide or self-harm attempt. Why are the immigration detainees there? Anna Tsui is a member of the CIC Detainees’ Rights Concern Group, an organisation that tries to improve immigration detainees’ living conditions and fight against unlawful detention inside the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre (CIC). “At least three of the immigration detainees inside TTGCI told me that the officers didn’t explain the functions and the purposes of wearing the black wristbands in advance. They asked the officers if they could remove the wristbands and the answer was ‘no’.” In an email response to The Young Reporter, the Correctional Services Department said that “upon admission to TTGCI, information leaflets explaining the function of the smart wristband are provided to detainees. Detainees may ask on-duty staff if they have doubts.” As of Dec. 2021, there were about 14,000 people who were refused entry into Hong Kong. These so-called non-refoulement claimants include illegal migrants or people who had overstayed their visas. Among them, 11,000 have had their claims rejected but 9,000 of them have applied for judicial reviews and of those, 300 were detained …
St.Patrick’s Day celebrations return to Kingston, Ontario
- 2022-03-19
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Kiki LoEdited by: Jenny Lam
- 2022-03-19
Hundreds of students wearing green celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Kingston, Ontario where Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted. The green clothes, green beer and clovers are back on the streets of Kingston, Ontario for the first time in two years. St Patrick’s Day festivities stopped in 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. But celebrations honouring one of the patron saints of Ireland are in full swing again. Students hold parties in their front yards and rooftops, many of them singing with drinks in their hands. All this is possible because from March 14, social gathering in Ontario has been increased to 50 people indoors, with no limit outdoor. Capacity limits for bars and restaurants have also been removed. But the University District Safety Initiative is in effect, which means individuals could be fined up to CAD$2,000 or even face university disciplinary action for creating, hosting or participating in a "nuisance party" under the Student Conduct Code. A Nuisance party includes undesirable behaviors such as excessive and disturbing noise, obstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic, and illegally serving or selling alcoholic beverages and controlled substances. Last year, Covid restrictions meant parties were limited to five people. Businesses serving alcoholic beverages had to close at 11 p.m. Singing, dancing and live music were also banned. But now in 2022, students say they are happy to celebrate St.Patrick’s day with fewer restrictions. Cathy Chan, a student in Kingston got ready a few days ago by buying a green T-shirt and accessories. "My friends and I are really excited about this. We haven't had a big party in a long time," she said. Another student, Anna Morel, said she was going to a night club for the evening. "The club just reopened this month, and we can't wait to enjoy our time there," …