Pathetic Coverage of Hong Kong Exits

Harris was attacked by Hong Kong and Beijing officials

It seems that whenever someone on Beijing's list leaves Hong Kong, state media ambushes them at the airport and the incident is splashed on the front page the next day.

It happened to Paul Harris, the former chairperson of the Hong Kong Bar Association, who before his departure, was interviewed at length by the national security police at the Wan Chai police station.

Hours later he was photographed at the airport and Harris claimed he was leaving to visit his mother in the UK.

During his time at the Hong Kong Bar Association, Harris endured attacks from Hong Kong and Beijing officials who described him as "anti-China" and was repeatedly attacked in state-backed media.

Vidler at the airport, takes pics of photographers

This phenomenon most recently happened to another lawyer, Michael Vidler, known for his human rights work. He had announced he was closing his office and was intending to stay a bit longer, but the attacks against him intensified and he had to leave Hong Kong quickly.

Again, at the airport, he was ambushed by state media reporters who took numerous pictures of him and asked if was leaving was because he was a traitor.

"The fact that the state media were waiting for me and also published details of other travel plans for my family -- indicates that this confidential information was obtained by state actors and passed to the state media so that they could be waiting at the airport and publish the details right away," Vidler said, adding plain-clothed immigration officers appeared to watch him board his plane.

To leave suddenly and abruptly is very hard to fathom and one wonders how he got his assets out, what has happened to his flat and all the stuff in it... was it packed up for the most part, or was it literally left behind as it is?

Chow (right) captured at the airport with suitcases

Another person getting high profile treatment from pro-Beijing media was Herbert Chow Siu-lung, the owner of children's clothing retailer Chickdeeduck. His shops were supportive of the 2019 protests, as Chow even had a replica statue of a female protestor in his store called "Lady Liberty". 

Someone complained and the shopping mall operator tried to force Chow to remove the statue, but he wouldn't budge. Is it any wonder that pro-democracy supporters patronised his store?

Then it became harder for him to rent shop spaces, particularly in malls. 

"In the beginning, we imagined there would only be a reshuffling... changing the distribution channel from inside shopping malls to on-street shops," Chow said. "As it turned out it was very different.

"When you run a business which you have to rely on a third party to supply products to you, and you cannot be sure what the third party will have the guts to supply to you... then you have to think whether the business model is still feasible."

Eventually in November last year Chow announced his retail company would exit Hong Kong in the second half of 2022, citing "disturbances from unknown evil forces".

He refused to back down on the protestor statue

At the time Chow said he would not leave the city, but in the end he did, with state media reporters on hand to record the moment.

It's upsetting that these people are forced to leave Hong Kong and they are constantly scrutinised until they board the plane. 

There is no dignity given to them, made to look ashamed to flee, when they have no choice but to leave.

This insecurity on the pro-Beijing side is pathetic. Covering these exits gives them the opportunity to gloat, but it's a hollow victory.

Here is Chow's open letter on Facebook, posted April 21:

To all my blue friends at the hk golf club, the hk jockey club, the chinese recreation club, and my close business friends in the last 35 years including my partners Herman Hu, Raymond Hu, Uncle FK (胡法光), my mentors and ex bosses Michael Ying and Michael Tien,

As my business career and my freedom of speech in hk appears to be nearing its end, I felt obliged to speak to you for one last time as we never had a chance to talk about why I did what I did.

I did not do anything out of character. I only chose to stand with the people, the people who served us food at our private clubs, the people who looked after our horses at the hk jockey club, the people who caddied for us at the hk golf club, the people who cleaned our locker rooms and swept our tennis courts, the people who have always looked after us while we were enjoying life.

I chose not to condemn violence of only one side, I chose only to condemn violence when both sides are being held responsible. Unfortunately up until today, only one side has been punished so therefore I continue to refuse to condemn violence of hk citizens who were on the streets to defend the rights and freedom of the majority, including yours.

I will continue to speak out against injustice. Our people have been asking for affordable homes in the CITY for over 40 years while our government has been sending them further and further into the new territories. I continue to believe that we do not need two race courses. I continue to believe that none of our golf courses, far away in the new territories, are the solutions to our housing problems. “Live closer, play farther” have proven to be a successful formula in many countries around the world to create better harmony in society, to allow the wealth gap to narrow, hence creating a solid middle class.

I hope you will forgive me for wanting to be myself. I hope we can be friends again and can greet each other again when we see each other at our prestigious private clubs and in high society gatherings. I sure hope that we can tee it up again at the hk golf club, enjoy a game of tennis; singles or doubles at CRC, or even own a horse together as a syndicate.

Good health to you all and may God bless your souls.

Yours sincerely,

Herbert Chow