Remembering a Passionate Social Activist

Shiu was passionate about helping the community. He was 55.

It was sad to find out former opposition lawmaker Shiu Ka-chun died Friday morning Hong Kong time after battling stomach cancer. He was 55 years old. 

Last November he announced he was diagnosed with the disease and had emergency surgery to remove half of his stomach, and lost 15kg as a result. While in hospital he attended his graduation ceremony virtually for a masters degree in Christian Studies.

Although he was discharged 16 days after the procedure, he was admitted to hospital again in late December as his condition worsened.

Shiu virtually attended his graduation in hospital

Shiu was a social work lecturer at Baptist University and was one of the key figures in the 2014 Occupy Movement that called for universal suffrage. For his participation he was jailed for eight months in 2019.

In 2016 he won a seat in the Legislative Council representing the social work constituency, but could not seek re-election because of his conviction, while the university refused to renew his contract in 2020 without reason, and Shiu claimed it was "political persecution".

A year after the 2019 protests when scores of young people were jailed for taking part, Shiu set up Wall-fare, a non-profit prisoners' rights group that gave support to those behind bars, and helped their families navigate the system. The organisation also encouraged people to write letters to prisoners to help keep their spirits up.

But in September 2021, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung suggested that people in custody on national security charges were building new forms of resistance through help from outside groups, which led to Shiu shuttering Wall-fare. 

Cheung (left) paid tribute to Shiu (right)

Former legislator and fellow colleague Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung, who has lived in Canada since 2022, said Shiu was his "best partner" in the social work field, and in social movements, having worked together on such issues as prisoners' rights and youth suicide among others.

"His concern for the underprivileged, his insistence on social justice, and his contribution to the work of prisoners' rights will live on forever," Cheung said on social media.

Press Freedom Under Attack

Palestinian journalists were recognised for their work this year

Today is World Press Freedom Day and Palestinians were awarded the UNESCO press freedom prize for covering the Israeli war on Gaza. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists, more than 100 journalists and media workers, mostly Palestinian, have been killed in the first seven months of the conflict in Gaza since October 7 last year.

However, Gaza's Government Media Office says the toll is more than 140.

"In these times of darkness and hopelessness, we wish to share a strong message of solidarity and recognition to those Palestinian journalists who are covering this crisis in such dramatic circumstances," said Mauricio Weibel, chair of the international jury of media professionals during the announcement.

RSF released its annual press freedom index

Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders released its annual press freedom ranking and Hong Kong continues to rank low on the list, though five spots higher than last year at #135.

Sandwiched in between the Philippines and Sudan, Hong Kong still ranks poorly due to the changing situation of other countries.

"Hong Kong is +5 places [up], but only due to the movement of other countries in the Index. Hong Kong's score actually has fallen -1.8 points, which is a significant change," explained Aleksandra Beilakowska, the NGO's Asia-Pacific Bureau Adovcacy Officer.

Last month she was denied entry into Hong Kong and was searched and questioned for six hours at the airport before she was deported back to Taiwan where she is based.

Interestingly Canada ranks #14, while the United States is #55. China is #172 and Eritrea is at the bottom of the list at #180.

Yesterday the Nikkei reported that Chinese-owned media are distancing themselves from Asia's highest profile journalism prize in a bid to avoid being seen as "colluding with foreign forces."

Fewer outlets are participating in this award

The Society of Publishers in Asia gives out awards annually to regional and international media outlets ranging from breaking news to photojournalism, features and video stories.

However, media outlets like Beijing-based Caixin Media, Shanghai-based Sixth Tone, state-owned The World of Chinese, and even the Alibaba-owned South China Morning Post have dropped their SOPA membership or have not submitted entries for the awards.

Luwei Rose Luqiu, an associate professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, said these outlets distancing themselves from SOPA shows a further tightening of press freedom in China, to the point where even the space for Chinese English media, which used to be relatively lenient and aimed to align with international peers is narrowing.

"However, for Chinese media, whether to participate in SOPA has little impact because such awards do not affect their readership," she said.

It's a pity this is happening, resulting in journalists having fewer opportunities to have their work judged against peers and recognised in the industry. It may come to a point where SOPA becomes irrelevant which would definitely indicate a further decline in press freedom not only in Hong Kong, but the region...

Feeding Pigeons in HK Could be Fined HK$100K

Feeding pigeons could soon become illegal and HK$100K fine

Hong Kong seems to be becoming more legalist by the day, as residents may be fined up to HK$100,000 (US$12,750) and one year in jail for feeding wild animals, including pigeons.

It is a proposal submitted to the Legislative Council by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department in a bid to stop people from feeding these animals. The proposed fine amount is 10 times what it is now. 

For comparison sake, a dog owner not picking up his or her canine's feces is HK$1,500.

Wild boars dig through human garbage for food

Needless to say animal activists and public policy experts say the move is out of proportion and question if this kind of punishment will be effective.

AFCD says residents feeding pigeons "constitute a public health issue".

"Feeding feral pigeons will inevitably attract other wild animals... to eat the food given by the feeders," a spokesman said, citing species such as spotted doves, tree sparrows, monkeys and wild boars.

But Benson Wong Wai-kwok, a retired assistant political science professor at Baptist University specialising in comparative public administration, said such a heavy penalty for a relatively light wrongdoing was a "disproportional move".

"Instead of addressing the problem, this policy may probably yield nothing but seed fear among residents," he warned.

There is a valid concern about feeding wild boars, but in the time that I had encounters with these creatures, no one fed them. 

Nevertheless, surely if this whopping fine does become law, it will be reported internationally for sure -- "Feed the pigeons in Hong Kong and get fined over US$12K!"

Is that a happy Hong Kong story?

Chan budgets extra HK$5B for national security

Or how about the fact that the Hong Kong government has budgeted an additional HK$5 billion for national security. 

During his 2021 budget speech, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po had allocated HK$8 billion and told reporters after it would be "enough to last for the next few years".

That amount was to to be used for "minor construction works, specialised equipment, system set-up, machinery" or other capital expenditure.

Imagine if the HK$5 billion was focused on housing homeless people, or giving men living in cages a decent place to live. What about those people in those subdivided flats? 

It's another priority Beijing has told Hong Kong to work on, or has housing these people taken a back seat?

Meanwhile those container flats at Penny's Bay are still empty and unused...

Recycling was never Hong Kong's strong suit.

NSL Indoctrination Begins

University students must now pass a class on NSL to graduate

The Hong Kong Education Bureau is making sure students are learning about the national security law with university students having to take a non-credit course on the subject in order to graduate.

In an email sent to all University of Hong Kong students on Monday, students must enrol in a course titled "Introduction to the Constitution, the Basic Law and the National Security Law" from the 2022-23 academic year.

HKU will offer the course in September

The HKU course will be taught online with a "self-directed learning approach" -- whatever that means.

"Students will have the flexibility to take this course in any semester throughout their period of study and there is NO NEED TO ENROL in this course during the upcoming course selection and/or add/drop period," the notice says, adding students just need to pass the course without further details.

It's not just this university but also the other seven that will launch or have already started offering national security courses.

Ming Pao reported that the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University will begin offering the NSL course the upcoming school year.

Baptist U has incorporated NSL in seminars

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Baptist University, the Education University of Hong Kong, Lingnan University and City University of Hong Kong have already incorporated national security content into their curriculum in the format of seminars and workshops, according to Ming Pao.

But don't think that young children have escaped the opportunity to learn about NSL -- the Education Bureau has collaborated with the Security Bureau to create picture books for pupils in kindergarten, primary and secondary schools "to raise the sense of national security," said Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin.

"... [the Education Bureau], together with the Security Bureau will gift all secondary and primary schools, and kindergartens, a picture book titled 'Our Country, Our Safety', and introduce a sense of national security and raise students' awareness and sense of responsibility of maintaining national security through various themes and real-life examples."

Wonder what examples Choi has in mind...

Kindergarten pupils to get NSL picture books

She added the EDB will also provide subsidies of around HK$50 million for secondary and primary schools, and HK$10 million for kindergartens to promote reading. 

Ostensibly reading NSL-and patriotic education-related materials...