The Correspondent, December 1987

LEE, thc cheerful

critic P16

FELL on the market P19

CONTENTS

VOLUME

1

NUMBER 2

Editor's note Letters

THE GORRISPONIIENT

Tamil Tigers. He gives an

5 6 7

inside view of the restrictions newmen had to encounter.

story/ Publishing Cover

Remembered

Yesterday"

9

Anthony Lawrence who came to the Far East as BBC corespondent more than three decades ago looks back to his early days in Asia.

For a truly traditional Christmas

plump roast

turkeys

English Christmas

puddings

are

enough to live long enough and talk about their

PAGE

Keeping their spirit alive

T2

W'll

even have carol singers

wars, coups, revolutions and such other action scenes are

PAGE 21

to add to the atmos-

P

Editor Viswa Nathan

Editorial Supervision Publications Sub-committee: Berton Woodward (Chaíman) Paul Bayfield Sinan Fisek

phere, and a piper to welcome in the New Year. This festive season,

visit the New World Hotel, and make Christmas

t4

Viewpoint

15

Reporting

Asia 13

Hong Kong-based newsman V.G. Kulkarni was in Sri Lanka recently to take a closer look at the battle of Jaffna's

India is now the peace keeper in Sri Lanka's rebellious north.But what can the peace keeper really do? Sri Lankan journalist Gerald Delilkhan examines the issue.

Meet the Press Martin Lee the cheerful critic 16 Fell on the market 19

Club news New members

Quill

2l

25 26

CfIEDITS f'hotos: Martin

l,ee and Robcrt Vnn Es Beaujolais Nouvcau Breal<fast (P 22-23)

Fcll Hrhul

lll¡ (ranhttunt

O t- GOVERN ORS: Prcsident Derek Da\ ies, F¡ rst Vice-Presidcn t - Berton \\'oocls'arcl, Sccond \/icc-Prcsjdcnt -)PeneloDe By'rne, Corrcspondcnt Mcmbcr Pauì Bayiìeìd, Sinan Fisek, Gavin G¡eenwood, Caroìyn Hubbard, Brian Jefiries, DinahLee,GrahamLovell,PaulSmurthwaite JoumalistMcmberGovernors-KenBall, Wendy Hughes, Irene O'Shea, F C C I3arry Grindrod Assoc¡atc Membcr Governors Schokking, Tim Williar¡s

IIOA flD

Govcrnors

COMMITTEES: Professional Committee - Derek Davies, Berton Woodward, Paul EntertainmcntCommittee-lrene tsayfieÌd,CarolynHubbard,KenBall,BarryGrindrod

Brian Jeffries, Paul O'Shea, Paul Bayfield, Wen<1y Hughes Workroom Sub-committee Ken Ball, Barry Grindrod, Sinan Fisek ßar fìeld House Committec

-

complete,

Editorial Office

THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB North Block, 2 Lower Albert Road, Hong Kong Telephone: 5-211511

NEV VORLD I.IOTEL

experiences.The Foreign Correspondents Club of 'lhailand has set up a memorial award to keep alive the spirit of two such unlucky newsmen - Neil Davis and Bill Latch - killed in a Bangkok coup in 1985.

12

Not all newsmen covering

more memorable dishes in our Panorama and Park Lane restaurants.

in protest.

lucþ

NEIL DAVIS . BILL LÂÍCH MEMORIÂL AWÂRO

with brandy sauce, Plus many

dit or be

more damned? Be damned, said one than 100 daily newspapers and member who resigned from a greater number of other. the society's goverling board In Hong Kong where

periodicals and maganzines

Stop Press

rs

10

come to the New World. For

complete with all the trimmings. And

DECEMBER 1987

601 Fu House 7 Ice House Street

Central, Hong Kong Telephone: 5-23712I OThc Corrcspondcnt Opinions expressed by wrilers are rlot necessarily those of the È'oreign Correspondenls Cìub

Club Managcr: Heinz (ìrabner, Club Stcward: lulia Suel The Correspondent is published nronthly for and on behalf of The Foreign Correspondents' Club, by:

Printline Ltd

(ì01 Fu House, T lce House Slreet. Central, Hong l(ong 'f eJephone: 5-237 12I, 5-25557 I T elex: 7 7 204 PARAVA HX

Managing Dircctor: P Viswa Nathan, Opcrations I)ircctori Debbie Nuttall, Advcrtis.

Stephen Reels Typesel ìr Century Oldstyle by Tr\4 T¡.pesetting [-inite(lan(]printcdbyJcrcmyPrinLirgPress,G/F,35Yiu\À/ah Street,WanchaiHongKong

ing Salcs Exccutivc:

22 Salishury Road, Kowkxrn, Hrtng Kong. Tèl: 3-69411I

DECEMBER 1987 THE CORRESPONDENT 3

o get to the top in the airline business, Cathay Pacific has

always invested in the best computer systems. And demanded exceptional service from suppliers.

For their softr¡¡are, they often rely on the products and services of Unisys.

In meeting their demands, the tr,vo comparries have established an exceptionally close and productive relationship. It began when we inst¿Iled the USAS passenger reservation softrvare, the best product of its kind

inthe world.

Head of the project for Cathay Pacific, Mr. Don Birch, says, 'A key ingredient in our success is the ability to apply technologr better than the competition. Having USAS as a platform for fi-rllscale

computerization gave us a flying stårt."

To make sure Cathay Pacific got the most from this complex system, we put top USAS experts like Shirley White into the Cathay Paciflc EDP departm ent an a' perurlanent basis.

"We developed a shong team spirit," says Shirley White. "I a.lmost feel part of the airline."

As the two companies got to know each other, the involvement grew. We gave them access to the mainframe in

our Mirmeapolis Airtine Development Cenhe. They sent us key managers to give vital advice on airline problems as we developed new soÍtware. Together we created some of the most irnovative airlines soÍtware products in the world.

The results speak for themselves.

Cathay Pacific has a worldwide reputation for superb service and business success. And Unisys leads the world in airline software.

That's what the power of two can do.

EDITOR'S NOTE

Lighter moments and memories AST MONTH, Arthw Hacker introduced The Zoo. His zoological characters, says Hacker, are ficlional and no member of the Club should claim any resemblance to

them.

Meanwhile, just to calm the curiosity of inquiring minds, to quell speculation and to put everyone at ease, the cast chosen

by Hacker, so far, is (see picture): Also here to liven up Thz Corresþondent with more satire this month are a Hong

sketched their faces for amusement," he says. But now caricaturing has become his career and interest in music a pastime. a contribution from broadcaster jounalist-author a new column, Remembered Yesterdays, is lar:nched in this issue. Lawrence remembers that

WITH

Anthony Lawrence,

in the 1950s it took more than just pressing a few buttons to get a telephone

Kong-based scribe

connection for sending voice

using the undercover name

reports from Singapore to the BBC

Bingo Lacey and Napier Dunn who

in London.

Many members

is familiar to

readers ofthe South Chiruz

"Together, we make surc Cathay Pacific arrives

in bettershapel' Shirl.ey lUhite, Aùrlúne Systems SpecÍølÍst, Unisys.

-

Morning

ERWIN

Post.

newsmen and

others - might have many interesting

ÁN ENI6MAfI¿ Lacey worked in ALCOHOL England and in Né experiences that ^^ARKEÍI OPÉRAT¡VE Asia before moving could make good to Hong Kong. copy for Thz HUAAP M'LUSH Dunn began as a Corresþondent.

Such A CÔRRE.sPONÞENT OUR HERÔ WI4O KNOWS ABOUT musician in South Africa ANÞ ACÉ REPORTER OF TI{E FAIRÉR sEX contributions are FOOÞ ANÞ WINE playing with the most welcome.

Durban Civic Orchestra conducted by his father. Progressing AIso to be launched soon is another new column, BEST OF from there he spent 12 years playing for various orchestras THE PROs, where shutterbugs can present their best work. around the world including the Sydney Symphony, the London Photo-journalists and other lensmen are invited to send Philharmonic and Hong Kong Philharmonic. pictures for publication.

"I started drawing mainly to relieve boredom" says f)unn All photographs submitted for publication must be adding that his earþ subjects were players in the orchestra and accompanied by detailed notes - captions, blurbs, etc. - and a conductors. "When I had nothing to do and was bored, I brief bio-note and a picture of the photographer.

OSBËRT FLUFFY

Holiday greetings Thz Conæþcwdenl wishes its readers a Happy Christmas and a rewarding 1988.

Facilities:

-

TV-News Coverage, NTSC/PAL Industrial Video Production Documentary Production Video Equipment Rental Satellite Transmission Video Conference

U-Matic/Betacam VHS,/Betamax Srudio Hire

For further information, please contact Jimmy LEE.

Globenet-TV Hong Kong Arts Centre l3th Floor 2, Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong.

o

UNIISYS The power of

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GNTVH HX

2

DEL;EMtsER 1982

rHE conRnsporunBlrlr 5

LETTERS

T F_l E

Fore!

TIIRIIST.

I WONDER where the popular Mike Jones has been for the past 10 years (Quill, Nou '87) As everyone knovrs, Rodney Tasker has been failing down since the day he was born, incurring injuries just in my recollectiori to his shoulder (a moving bridge

To reach th e top

2o/o

of Asia's decision mak-

ers requires either an enormous amount of energy and expense, or some simple calculations.

Once you've done your sums, you'll see that advertising in the Review reaches a greater concentration of Asia's most important people than any other publication. And it does it more cost effectivelY. As an advertiser of a quality product or service, you are of course aiming high. The overwhelming majority of The Review's readers come from the very top rung of Asia's socioeconomic ladder. The same people who run the companies and eventhe countries of Asia.

The Review effortlessly delivers this elite group to you, every week, lifting your product to places that would otherwise be more difficult to reach.

When you advertise in The Review, you're giving full throttle to your advertising dollar.

hit

his motorcycle) and his head (three times by my count; a bar door, a wall-mounted air conditioner and Philip Bowring's squash racket). He also hurt something else I cannot recall when he fell into a hole in Sri Lanka.

The real news which Jones failed to mention is that Tasker has recently taken up that rather sedentary sport called golf. Now that is a sign he is ageing, or maybe he just got tired of colliding with the umpire's chair and sundry other obstacles on the tennis court.

What we should a1l be waiting for now is a loud cry of "Fore!", followed by a strangled Taskerlike yelp and the mushy sound of a falling body. I mean it, There is an accident out there on the links somewhere folks that is just waiting to happen.

John McBeth Seoul

Wise in Bangkok CONGRATULATIONS to all concerned on the rebirth of ?l¿¿ Conesþondent. (My friendly Thai postman and his friends agree; I joined him as he showed around the cover at the Soi Noodle Shop!)

It appears petty to bring to your attention a slight error of fact on Page 27 (Øil/, Nov.). I actually said: Rodney Tasker falls uþstairs more than he used to, a reference which will not be lost on his previous prop, John McBeth, who in his last published photograph resembled an even older George Burns.

There are among your readers some who may agee that Bangkok \as never been quite the same since the celebrations to mark Tasker's wedding to the beautiful Elvi, and they may be interested to hear that I, and I alone, continue to place flowers on the kerbside shrine where Mike Maclachlan (The Owl) fell so heavily a few hours before the wedding. I am often joined on this brief annual pilgrimage by a crowd of ageing transvestites with whom Maclachlan was dancing just before his disaster, the circumstances of which a¡e as bizarre as the disappearance of Jim Thompson Perhaps the wedding was the watershed, perhaps not, but as a friend remarked with a leer the other evening, "scratch a barfly in Patpong and you will find an FCC member," and although I do not subscribe to this puerile generalisation, it is pleasing to observe the number of old friends who continue to visit Bangkok to t^OtO" in 5aruth.

Which brings me to the photograph (below), snapped by Jill, my wife, on her way to the shop. I have brought it to the attention of Donald, and personally I believe implicitly in the story of the Provençal hideaway, and

yet.

.

.

Another peculiar fact is that the clinic has never been known to open, and neighbouring shopkeepers turn nervously away when questioned.

All I have been able to establish is that Wise is not a Thai name.

Is it possible that, for brief, concealed periods of time I have the former president as a close

Mike Jones Bangkok

LETTERS Hairless charlatan

ANÞ rN 197ó

I WA5 AWARÞEÞ THE KRAFFT- EBINó ÍROPHY FOR COVERING MI55 ASIA

CONGRATULATIONS and thanks to all those invoived in the revival of The Conesþondent.

The magazine's new look is particularly impressive and the move into colour is most

u'elcome. Indeed it was one such colour photograph that handed The Corresþondeøl its first scoop.

It came as something of a shock to me and to many other Ciub to discover habitués, I'11 wager that Peter Cordingley is almost completely bald. For years, it appears, Cordingley has continued to point a diversionary finger at Peter Mallen and other baldies while he continues to inhabit the twilight world of closet toupeéjockeys. Thanksto The Cor resþonden t's timely intervention, he now stands condemned, not just as a hairless-charlatan but as one too mean to invest in a hairpiece that will stay in place when the going gets wet.

LETTERS: All letters intended for publication Clearly the Club Ice House, T Fu must be sent to the editor at 601 membership would House Street, Central, Hong Kong. Letters benefit from more be edited for clarity and space. exposés. I, for one, wouid be intrigued to discover exactly who is responsible for coaching the main bar staff in all their ingenious methods of avoiding eye-contact with thirsty patrons.

-

Havenviolated

èWWJþ A Feast for the Five Senses A unique experience is yours to discover at Omar Khayyam. Enjoy authentic middle eastern cuisine a la carte or at our daily set lunches, Saturday and Sunday lunch buffets and Sunday dinner buffet. Belly dancing every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evening.

-

-

12 Midnight

During the past year, 45 leading airlines and Aero Industry Advertisers invested in 460 pages of advertising with The Review.

DECEMBER 1987

-

Raymond Day

Mtddle Easte,m Restaurant

Open 12100 AM

6 rnp connBSpoNDENT

at Christmas Time ...'Jingle Bells' only?

will

Catering and Belly Dancer available for Dinners and P¿rties.

Fo¡ further information, please contact Elaine Goodwin, General Sales Manager. GPO Box 160, Hong Kong.

Tel: 5-293123, Tlx: 62497 REVAD HX, Fax: 5;8656197

What did you expect from Café Adriatico

EßË ee

neighbour?

Having taken note of the president's message, I submit this charitable insert in the hope that this disturbing mystery may be solved by your readers.

7OO

BY ARr¡.]uR HAcKER

For Rcservílti(¡ns Call

3-668243

I cvcl

l. Nc$ \\i)rld (.cntrc, liinrsh,rtsui, Kotvlt¡t¡n, llong

Korlg

HOW heartening to see the return of The Corresþondent, but I must express my surprise at seeing a photograph of me, taken without my permission, being used to hold me up for public scorn.

Surely this sort of thing goes against the express wishes

'ALaCarte!'

Celebrate with us in romantic and tasteful ambience.

Open for happy hour, dinner, late night drinks or just coffee.

Fvery day of the week, until2am.

of the Reuters membe¡s and othe¡ non-journalists, who have made it clear thal the Club should be a haven where gentlernen can be secluded from the undignified ways of the media.

PeteÌ Cordingley

89

Kimberley Road, Tsimshatsui,

Kowloon Tel. 3-688554,

3-680073

Beside St. Mary's Canossian College.

Parking service from 7pm onwards.

DECEMBER 1987 THE CORRESPONDENT 7

LETTERS

REMEMBERED YESTERDAY

Wine slobbery

and the Viewpoint piece on Tibet will

make the magazine both credible and authoritative.'

I SEE that one of the world's greatest PR confidence tricks has again been foisted on the Club: the annual Beaujolais frolic with its attending gaggle of poseurs,

Godfrey E. Scotchbrook Executive Director Hotel, Food & Leisure Division The Shui On Group

pretenders and ponces. Why

anybody would rise from their beds at an ungodly hour to swamp down something that might have been strained through a sumo wrestler's breech-clout makes me

despair for my fellow humans.

The twaddle that is mouthed as they sample their drop of fourpenny dark would give Ronald Searle ample material for a second book on Wine Snobbery but in this case he would be tempted to title it Wine Slobbery.

-

Geoffrey Somers

Vuþr

S

vision

Standing room only?

DelJs

Robert Delfs Robert

Seeing double THERE is an uncanny

rese

y

General Secretary Zhao Ziy Eastern Economic Review, we should be told.

Peking Watcher

might conceivably be some point in it. Other-wise it is just rude to a valued old Club member.

David Bonavia Cynthia Hydes

IF the anonymous diarist who penned the wlgar and snide commentary on Clare Hollingworth's glasses had done one tenth with good eyesight what Clare has done with her eyesight there

Zhao Ziyang

A winner I AM happy that The Con'esþondent has been revived and I think

we now have a

winner. While the magazine should report on the Club's activities, it will better serve its readership by concentrating on issues which may have impact on journalism and communications in Asia. Inviting correspondents to write about topical subjects such as the article from Barry Wain

IF all people who fail to get a booking for a worthwhile Club luncheon were laid erid to end I because wouldn't be surprised every tíme there's such a fu¡ction, we're screwed. Or were you one of the lucky ones who got to hear Martin Lee? If there's a perrnanent booking list, as I suspect, or all Correspondent Members are automatically given a seat, can we please be told, so that we don't have to go through the futility of trying to get a perch? And the Club can save money by not posting us all the wasted invitations.

-

Geoffrey Somers

The loneliness of the long-distance coffespondent A BBC man of the 50s remembers the difficulties

involved in sending voice reports from the Far East to London.

f f THEN I was sent out to SingaI /l / oore in the autumn of 1956 to Y Y ,"*. u, the Bttt- s soie correspondent in the whole of the Far East, the London head office was very arxious to impress on me the importance of the spoken as opposed to the written word. "We want

to hear the voice of the correspondent", they repeated. "Use cables only as a very last resort."

I took heed of this. Only a couple of months previously I had stood in for the Washington man who was away at the Democratic Party conference and, drinking breakfast coffee in my room at the Wollard Hotel, had listened admiringly to the CBS 8 a.m. world round-up, with correspondents vocally contributing from all over the world.

Sometimes the sound quality of these repofts was very rough indeed, as if the CBS men on the spot were shouting through a typhoon or being intemrpted by quarryblasting. Nevertheless the whole concept of

this radio programme, voicing

corres-

pondents live, seemed boldly adventurous and trail-blazing back in 1956.

N0 FURRY V0lCEr

The BBC however had its

own standards. Yes, they ran a

voiced

programme called Radio Newsreel, but it was nearly all domestic stuff, with only an occasional foray into western Europe. If a report was not received in pure re-broadcastable quality they wouldn't use it, Even a report from Washington, if it sounded at all furry, would be thrown in the can.

So when

HK GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING: CIGARETTE SMOKING IS HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH LoW To MIDDLE TAR

8 rnB connBSPoNDENT DECEMBER

1982

I

arrived

in

Singapore mY

troubles soon began. Back in 1956 it was virtually impossible to contact London by telephone; instead a so-called circuit had to be booked well beforehand, a special link of superior quality which was even supposed to convey music. Every Tuesday and Friday I would make my way to a studio in Radio Singapore, where helpful technicians would do their best to connect me with 'foreign traffic' at the BBC in London. They had to go through Nairobi. Srhat was the man supposed to be doing there? Why did he so rarely answer up when called over the ether? Was he always on an errand, buying

the week's groceries, or perhaps just "Nairobi! Nairobi! Come in, Nairobi!" we chanted as day gave way to night and the cicadas in the trees outside asleep?

screamed a mocking choms.

Then finally, miraculously, Nairobi answered, sleepy but indignant and by the marvels of modern science and the grace of God we were through to the London desk.

And the girl at the other end would apologise after listening without comment to the carefully chiselled, elegantly yet succinctly phrased report of Singapore's latest crisis, saying: "the quality is really not at all good.

We'Il change the channel and then you can

Try agan". But all in vain, and it was a fretful a¡d resentful correspondent who

drove back

to town to a

much-needed

double-scotch.

It wasn't always as bad

as this.

In those

days of the late 50s, correspondents had to cover royal tows and provide radio reports from the most far-flung and cut-off places, sometimes with extraordinary success.

recall one evening in Sandakan in what was then British North

A MOMENT 0F TRIUMPHTI

in a million of getting through to London. I sat waiting in a shed attached to the local post office while my helper chased away some chickens and some village children trying to fool about with the headsets. At last relative peace was obtained and he started calling into the dark. And within seconds, it seemed, I was Borneo, without a hope

hearing the Yorkshire accent of traffic manageress Mary Lawson saying it was raining cats and dogs in London and I was coming through aTreat.

There are towns and cities throughout the Far East I remember not by the forceful political leaders who told us all lies at news conferences, nor by the great events that shook a nation, but by the faces and con-

versation of technical men at radio and broadcasting stations who shared the frustrations and triumphs of contacting London in those long-gone days. I recall neverending delays in |akarta, walking up and

in the little courlyard while men inside discussed the situation in Dutch and

down

exchanged taunting witticisms with an insufferably patronising technician at the halfway point in Basle. The sunset was like a purple dragon struggling in a sea of flame, but it was wasted on me, abandoning the circuit after two fruitless hours.

I remember more clearþ than anything that room in Saigon in the international telephone office where the girls in their slit-skirted ao dais screamed over the ether trying to connect clients with Manila, Paris, Singapore, London. There LINF0RGETTABIE:

was the plump Madame Linh and the gaunt little Monsieur Thach, who lost some of his

insides when the floating restaurant was blown up but miraculously recovered. They became a familiar couple and we were on good terms until they took a bribe from some Frenchmen to steal my time on the air. I remember toiling up the four flights of stairs and complaining to Madame Linh about the lift and she replying in astonishment: "But monsieur, that lifl has been out of order for years". And all the time I had spent in Vietnam, the endless months and years of it, suddenly became unreal. When you cover nightmares long enough, does time itself become distorted?

Of course communication in those days was not entirely confined to radio links. The

recorded backgrounder, the think-piece, was welcomed for the weekiy programme,

From Our Own Correspondent, and that could be taped and airfreighted. And by the 60s television was dominating the scene, a whole new dimension in the correspon-

dent's life.

Now everything is changed. You pick up the telephone and talk to London and they'll broadcast you to the world minutes later.

Cabling is out of date. Fax has replaced the

telex. Communication is instant, even

though the quality of what's communicated still depends on the heart and mind of the correspondent.

Anlhonl l-awrence was the sole BBC corresþondenl in the Far East frn' 18 ycars /ntm 1956, tot'ering the Vielnam war and other major euents. He retired from the BBC in 1974 and now liu¿s in Hong Kong, broadcaslíng, lechring and wriling boohs DECEMBER 1987 THE CORRESPONDENT

9

COVER STORY/PUBLI SHIhIG

By Vonnie Bishop contacted Oakins expressed regret that Cheney had reacted so "strongly" over the issue a¡d wished he would reconsider his

To audit or be damned?

actions.

Hong Kong publishers are still acrimoniously divided after the controversial audit vote. ome journalists think that publishers are in this world merely to make money and thwart joumalists. But, as many associate members might retort, journalists' livelihoods still depend on publishers.

Publishers' livelihoods, of course, depend on advertising revenues, and ad revenues depend in large measure on circulation. Thus a

controversy within the Society

of

Hong

Kong Publishers could have an effect on the livelihoods of a good many FCC members on both sides of the fence.

Racing Wmld Publications, Realer's Digæt, Asia¡ Business Press, a¡rd C. Cheney Associates also have their publications audited. What's more, of some 40 publishing members of the society onìy five do not have audited circulations for their titles.

Had our white knight mounted the wrong hobbyhorse? Well, not entirely, but it seems he may have galloped across too many frontiers, too quickly.

-

publisher of the Peak magazine, resigned

The fact is that a-11 the major international or regional Englishlanguage publications issuing from Hong

outrage stemmed from the fact that the society's committee recently voted against a motion aimed at forcing members of the society to have the circulations of their publications audited by an internationaJy recognised bureau.

And Cheney is still white-hot over the issue: "I quit as a member of the governing board because as far as I'm concerned an

Kong are audited but by contrast only one of some 100 Chinese language newspapers is, and only some 10% to 1570 of the approximate 100 Chinese language magazines in circulation are audited. The problem lies in the fact that contrary to Westem countries, in Hong Kong Chinese publishers operate very successfully and attract advertising without audits.

Immediate past chairman of the pub-

Bridiing with indignation, Chris Cheney,

from the ra¡kS in protest. His

audit is absolutely fundament¿l for my

publishing concern. In the United States or Europe it's unthinkable that you would try to rrt a magaztte without acquiring an audit.

Operating without an audit enables publishers exaggerate their circulation

to

figures. I'm not saying they all do

it

but there's no doubt some do and they are simply ripping off advertisers. If you pulled that stwrt in New York or London you'd virtually be arrested. And as for a society accepting that its members may put out titles that are unaudited; well, that's like condoning a medic¿l association that accepts unquaiified doctor" doctors."

CREDIBILITY:

If

lishers\ society, Joan Howley

of

Asinn FinancePubhcations, who was in the chair in October the time of the controversial audit vote smartly sliced through any negative conjecftre.

There is no question about the imporlance

of audits and the desirability for all publications to be audited, she said. But "what we

did not believe was that we should prohibit publishers from joining because they had not yet become audited. That would limit our access and influence with those publishers

which

I

-

most definitely agree with.

However, thepublisher, who mayhave been claiming higher than actual circulation

figures,

is loath to

comply when he is

presently operating successfully. and seem self{efeating."

Howley also pointed out that significant

progress has been made

in the area

of

auditing since the founding of tlre society. In 1982, for instance, only 15 publications in

Hong Kong submitted their circulation to ABC audit. But this year, she said, ABC has audited nearly 50 publications.

John Lenaghen of Thomson Press, always a devout advocate of auditing, said: "I was one of the signatories to establishing a board of ABC in Hong Kong some two years ago and have been chairman of that board. We

are very pleased with what we have achieved." The development of an ABC board locally made Hong Kong a ground-breaker in Southeast Asia rather than the bête noir of the audit issue, as may have been surmised.

different basis for decades, especially with regard to the Chinese press, had to be accepted. The objective now, he thought, should be to create "a unified approach" with the Chinese and English language media rather than creating a fwo-tier structure.

Even those who voted for the motion were in the main content to accept the decision as the outcome of a democratic vote, although they stil hoped such a regulation cou]d be introduced later. Nigel Oakins of Far East Trade Press said no one was against auditingbut the majorily was, against strongarm tactics, a¡d members of the society must abide by the democratic vote. "I feel

we will be able to introduce the audit requirement at a later date and that the society will be the stronger for introducing such a condition," he added. Like ali others

in the stock market, currently occurring in Hong Kong. "The historicat

circumstances that have led to the wide-open cowboy town image of Hong Kong are being

overcome a¡d the publishing industry needs to keep abreast of such progress.

Improved st¿ndards help everyone even - cases journaìists, because there have been where publishers haven't paid freelancers."

Difficult to believe, indeed!

THE ADMEN SPEAK: Advertising agencies, while predictably being all pro-auditing,

remain middle-men

in the issue. Steve

use

White, media director for Ogilvy and Mather, said that it is difficult to limit adveftisers to only audited publications

assess

because so few fall into that category in the

It may be

wrong but agencies a¡d advertisers other a¡rd independent methods to

and in Line with other clean-up approaches,

such as

publications."

Chiu a-lso said that there was the further difficulty of publishers having to re-align circulation audit figures with higher claimed figures, especially if only one or two papers opted for audit and the others continued to exaggerate.

Oram had the answer to that conundmrn: "We explain to publishers that advertising agencies will be inclined to be sympathetic to certain changes in circulation figures after audit and that the publisher should support the information with a solid market survey

and integrity." However he said that if publishers had been wildly over-estimating their figures the day was not so far off when they would be "dead in the water". The only advice, he said, he could give them was: look

Chinese medium. His counterpart at Leo Burnett, Mary Chiu, while confirming that situation, said Leo Bumett were striving to encourage publishers to move towards audit.

"They should not use the excuse that they

are not in the same league as the United States or Europe but rather work to achieve those standards," she said.

TOOTHLESS?:

opporh-rnily

Joan Howley also took the

to deflect the barb that the

society could be gaining a toothless image.

"We are very concerned about our professional sta¡dards in many areas, and are working on them. There's not just this

subject of audit. There's the problem of publishers giving up to 50% discounts on prices quoted in rate cards; the issue of

if we make it a condition of membership then

will not be able to influence them or even be as successful as we have to date." He also

acquiring an image of being nothing more an ineffective social club.

All laudable, law-abiding sentiments, it

stressed that evenlually the society may well be able to have auditing as a pre-requisite of

membership but believed that now',¡/as not the time to introduce it.

The same rationale was echoed by the others who voted aginst the motion with Ken Carr the Honghong Standard also pointing out if the sociely developed such a dictatorial line it was in danger of becoming an elitist clique. He said that whle auditing

So what sort of

of

-

1987

them to comply except the higher moral aspects of improving overall standa¡ds

was

the Chinese publishers will not join and we

tlnn

10 ruB coRRESpoNDENT DECEMBER

asso-

ciation, 2A's, said: "We have to be realistic.

It will take time for Chinese newspapers to become audited. At the moment it is very difficult to find any convincing reason for

The move to audit, said Oram,

essential to improve the image of publishing

Oram of Racing World Publications, added:

its members. Otherwise, it's in danger of

Press,

largest circulation

for new business endeavows.

"No one on the board is against auditing but

Publishers shoulcl at least attempt to police

for the motion - Fa¡ East Trade

is the

Chiu, chairman of the advertisers'

The new chairman and a founding member of the S-year-old society, Mathew

Hong Kong is to retain

seemingly reprobate organisations voted against this motion? None other than the Far Eastern Ecorutvvtic Reui¿w, Asinweek, Asian Finnnce Publications, Ming Paa Newspapers, the Hongfumg Standard, Thomson Press all concerns that do have their publications audited. Needless to say the five who voted

Ori¿ntnl Daily

Chinese newspaper in the territory. William

LIMITED AUDITS:

credibility as an international publishing centre, Cheney says, the Society of

appeared.

While the objectives are commendable the fact remains that neither local advertisers nor the majority of Chinese publishers are greatly concerned by the issue. They have their own yardsticks. No one doubts, for example, that the unaudited LACK 0F C0NCERN:

Oram: Now's not the time to a þre-requisite.

maþe audiling

was totally desi¡able the fact that Hong Kong had been operating on a¡ entirely

Howleyr Signifimnt already been made.

þrogress hns

Oakins: We must abide by the democratic uote.

White:

It's dfficult to imþose

any condition now.

Clritt: It'll taÞe time for Chinese nensþaþers to become andited.

DECEMBER 1987 THE CORRESPONDENT 11

COVER STORY/PUBLI SHTþ{G

REPORTING

copyright infringement and freedom of the press. We were one of the flst to protest over tìe press gag bill and although we weren't successfirl we would continue to

Dateline: JAFFI{A

protest until it is repealed."

Keeping their spirit alive Applications are open for the Davis-Latch Memorial Award

On the copyright question she said the society made its views known very clearly earlier this year when PBI Public¿tions was found guilty of printing a photograph from

with Davis for a number of years. He had made his home in Thailand, where he had married and was raising a family.

Pkyboywithoutpermission but fined a mere HK$10. "We brought this incident to the

The FCCT established the Davis-Latch Memorial Foundation, THE 0BJDCTIVE:

attention of overseas outlets and encouraged tlre publisher of Pklbol to appeal. Which he did in mid-November and we were most pleased to see tle court increase the fìne to

HK$7,500 plus costs

of

approximately

HK$50,000. At last we felt Hong Kong was begrnning to take the subject seriously."

There is lìttle doubt about the integrity of the publishers as a whole but incidentally despite their enthusiasm for press freedom they still exhibited a coyness common to

many industry captains-"No you mustn't quote me on that", "totally off the record", "it would be much better if that issue wasn't stressed at this time", etc.

The publisher, and a member of the sociely, that certain people pointed the finger at proved quite capable of openly reluming the shots. M. Mohindar of Communication Management calmly replied: "Oh, don't worry, I know what they say

ablut me, but what they don't recognise is that I am strictþ a local publisher. Tatler, Hong Kong Busin¿ss Todq and my other magazines are for Hong Kong circrilation. So

rvhich organises the award, with the aim of advancing journalistic skills and standards and promoting an understanding of Asia and its people.

The first memorial award, US$1,900 in cash as well as a round trip to the US

NEIL DÂVIS. BILL LÂTCH MEMORIÂL AWANO

PPLICATIONS for the

1988

Neil Davis-Bill Latch Memorial Award are now open. All protessionals in all sections of the news media who live and work in the Asia-

Pacific region are eligible to apply.

The award was set up by the Foreign Club of Thailand (FCCT) in honour of Neil Davis and Bill Latch, two newsmen with l/BC who both lost their lives on September 9, 1985, covering the attempted coup in Bangkok.

Correspondents

Davis, an Australian, had covered wars, coups, revelutions, death and mayhem for 21 years. He covered the Vietnam war for Visnews from 1964 to

for a media internship, was given in September this year.

The 1988 award comprises a cash prize based on interest accruing to the I\femorial Fund, plus additional benefits such as internships, air tickets or hotel accommodation as arranged by the

Award Committee.

REQUIRDTIIENTS: Each applicant must propose a project to be completed under the auspices of the award. The project should be designed to increase the applicant's knowledge and skills or

THE

should provide a better understanding of the Asia-Pacific region.

The winner will be chosen by the award judges, based on the quality of the

must be the majority method for

1975, and was once seriously wounded in 1974 while covering a battle in Phnom Penh. He joined NBC after the war and for the last ten years of his life lived in Bangkok covering conflicts and events

applicant's past work, his or her proposal for the project and his or her potential as a journalist.

assessing cornparable publications. Otherwìse we are working from different bases."

in the Middle East, Africa, the Indian sub-continent,Australia and, of course,

CLOSING DATE:

until the local pubiishers

- my competitors as a group accept audit, it is no advantage

to me. Naturally I am in favour of auditing but

it

Asia.

OTHERISSUES:One of the issues some

would

rather you \Mere protected from is, the possibility that a publìsher may be tempted jig the books even when the circulatìon auditors are c¿lled in. It is apparently not

beyond the realm of possibilþ that print nrns cor¡ld be exaggerated over tlre sixmonth period of the audit.

The fact that this writer brought these to your attention at the risk of offending a media ba¡on, probably goes a long way

towards explaining the description

of

a

memorable newspaper publisher from a fa¡ distant land: "Don't worrj' about Ted, he's the best of British gentlemen and a great publisher. The only thing that mars his tremendous pride in the industry is that he still has to employ journalists."

Vonnir Bishoþ is a freclnnce jounalisl worleing in Hong Kong

12

run coRRESpoNDENT

DECEMBER 1982

Bill Latch, an American,

hacl worked

Application forms and

copies of the rules are available from the Club. The closing date for applications is

March 1, 1988.

V.G. Kulkarni who covered the battle of the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka gives an inside view of the restrictions newsmen had to encounter. l' YO rwo wars are alike, although they aÌways reiought by veteran l\l g.n".ais as well as neophytes.

I ì "r.

Reporters in safari jackets brag about their last encounter when bullets flew and bombs fell. Military historians and students in army academies and staff colleges continue to draw parallels between past battles. But every nerv conflict presents an unexpected chalÌenge and hidden dangers, which the Indian army learnt during the battle for the Jaffna peninsula in October-November.

As wars go - be they conventional, re-

volutionary, insurgent or the new deadly urban terrorism - the recent action in Sri Lanka merits more than a footnote in the official history of the Indian army's 54th Infantry Division. American TV crew, preoccupied with the action centred in the Persian Gulf, were conspicuous by their absence. However, the reporters present

had reporters on the Jaffna peninsula. But their on-the-scene reports were no different from the official handouts from the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

So for the first two weeks of the battle, from October 10 on, about 80 reporters mostly Europeans,Indians, ancl Sri Lankans were left cooling their heels in CoÌombo

-

-

waitingforthe "5 p.m.follies" atthe Indian mission when the daily progress reporls of

the battle along with the casualty figures were given out by the charming press counsellor, Laxmi Puri. Inevitably she couldn't answer most of the reporters' questions: some she would pass off with evasions and meaningless non-sequitors, sometimes she would beam her broad smile, leaving the newsmen to draw their own conclusions.

However, Indian diplomats would talk informally, revealing some background in-

lbrmation,

but little else. Sri

Lankan

from the European and Asian media thought it was a "joily good action" to

military sources were a bit more forthcoming. Comrnunication links with Jaffna had

cover.

been cut off, depriving reporters of contact with civilian sources there. There was only one functioning phone in the Jaffna Govenlment Agent's office which was subject to being frequently cut off. In this low-tech

It

didn't turn out that "jolÌy" for

the Indian troops, who for two months since earþ August had been roaming the streets

of Jaffna befriending the Tamil Tigers

the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and other militants. Little did the Indians, who had vertually handed the governing of the northerrr and eastern provînces of Sri Lanka over to the Tigers, guess that the Tigers wou1d turn on them.

At worst, they expected to cope with a minor hit-and-run guerilla operation.

In the event, the Tigers did wage a pitched battle from their stronghold in Jaffna, requiring five Indian brigades and nearly three u'eeks of heavy fighting to scatter the Tigers into small bands deep in the countryside. Why the Tigers opted for this suicidal miiitary course when political victory was in their laps remains a mystery.

war, communications between the 54th

Americans, like the roving reporters, also

iacked hard information on the Jaffna battle.

Writing about a battle, raging 360 km away, from the air-conditioned comfort of Colombc's classy hotels quickly became frustrating. So reporters decided to make their own way to the battle zone. Most of those who tried got up to Vavunia, half way between Colombo and Jaffna. Tamil refugees fleeing the battle were in Vavu¡ia.

So were the sarong-clad gun-toting Tigers.

The refugees, as might be expected, exaggerated the hardships and the Tigers, who were obviously the psy-way brigade, painted gruesome stories of the atrocities committed by Indian troops. The refugees and Tiger sympathisers would turn up at Wellawatte - Colombo's Tamil town - a day later.

One agency reporter ventured beyond Vavunia by tagging aÌong the tail of an Indian army convoy. Although he was turned back at Elephant Pass - the gateway to the Jaffna peninsula and a long way

offfrom

- he got a different dateline at least. In any case, the Valrrnia stories could the battle

Division's headquarters and Colombo were through the open (and insecure) public phone system. So, one could get through to the divisional headquarters, but the officers

be got on the phone from Colombo itself.

Most of the atrocity tales turned out to be

there were equally reticent about operational matters. However, by fitting all these unwilling sources into a patterl one could

press at bay was only partly successful. The Tigers' agitprop outfits abroad kept up a barrage of propaganda. The Jaffna Hospital

reasonable, though second-hand, account of the battle.

Foreign diplomats and military attaches were als,c'cf littÌe help. Many of them were

had been destroyed, the nurses raped and some doctors killed, according to Tiger talk. In fact the Tigers gave up the hospital

get a

on holidays and some left even as the operations began. The British military

attach reputed to be knowledgeable,also did

nc

¡hink of postponing his short, but

pre-planned, vacation.

This Kamikaze move was not the only pwzle. Much about this war is

A M0LE UNCOVERED: One doesn't know

still hidden, because all the action took

supelpower satellites were tracking the

place away from the prying eyes and ears of

action in the dusty plains of Jaffna, but even

the press. On the eve of the operations,

the normally forthcoming Americans were content with pontificating in generalities.

LITTLE ACCESS:

Indian army chief General K. Sundarji told his Sri I¿nkan counterparts that the press had to be kept away from the scene. In the past the Tigers had skilfully manipulated the press for their propaganda purposes. Só when the battle began on October 10, only the state-owned Indian radio and teievision

("Wild Bull") Casey's boys. Once the mole had been unmasked, one presumes that the

Ijntil

if

June, Uncle Sam had at least one mole among the Indians dealing with Tamil militants and Colombo. This spook had been ensnared in a "honey trap" by a iuscious iass posing as a PanAm stewardess, whose handler, in turn, was one of the late William

apocryphal.

So General Sundarji's plan to keep the

without much resistance and took

the doctors away with them. The hospital was functioning under Indian army doctors by October 25.

The Tigers maintained radio contactwith the outside world and did manage to send out some vague communications to all and sundry, including the Indian prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, adding grist to the media

mill. They also made good use of Red Cross officials and prominent Jaffna civilians to get across their version of events. The Tigers' reading of the Jaffna situation was better known - by radio I think - to their office in Madras than the press corps.

A 3-H0UR INSIGHT: In the second week of the operation, the Tigers managed to smugDF]CEMRER 1987

THE CORRESPONDENT 13

)EO? ?t

I

E

IT'S FRIDAV NIGHT AND NCE

TY

BETtçO C24C€y

))

BEENBOUìHT UP A

MEANT^/HlLE, HIS CO¡,lPANION ÍTAKES

gUT HE

QUAKER,BUT VAS

A tRE,rK

ffiapilûffiuwff-ffiEß

HÉ TOI.D I4E HE HAD

REPORTER

@ftffiilnreÞlnaß

IO

NOI,/ PfflRACTED TO'IHE

HAS JUST RETURNED

ITHINK I'II HIDE IN THIS PANIL. SHE

CALIFORNIAN SCI{OOL OI

/ PUSHED ÈWAV THE GUN BARNEL nND ASKED ¡JHETHER ue úes

A

lNf? IHE

CLUTCHES 0F

Will Sri Lanka become

U/HOM HE HAS JUST

AP?LIED FOR

Aî09,..

India's z1thState?

D//Wr( CALI FOR HR i cRET/NOUS-lnR ,/

SUNII4USLIIí, A SHI'IIE, A CHRßThN

nturqnhN 0R AZt0MSr...

Ì t1

I

I

^occtJ?AftoNt

tñt1

VOU SEEM TOLIKEWæIK,

.

H0BBIEST hn4"4.

F

AV1URITE RE

AC(ORDING TOTHIS

JUST TI{EN,THER,E'S HUGE EXPI.OSION.,,

A

tT's

tAXñTl0N' 4t4rú.9

ú-'* ,.rn*. fr L,/ùú-.

Á gtLKh/0Rt'1 ¡flsgtLE

UIÍH ANOÍE DOES

THIT

'lt,nß'? I TH?ïîHT

OTHFR. INTER,ESÍS:

THAT UAS

ouh'r,o -"

HOIT)

Í,TETCORR-

ô1 nl LANKA, like ancient Troy, may \, have iearnt roo iate to be circum9spect about "Greeks bearing gifts."

With some 20,000 India¡ soldiers based in the North and East of the little isla¡d seeking to enforce the terms of the GandhiJayewardene peace accord, there is now a plan to send India's intrepid civil servants to administer the Tamil territories. Sinhalese nationalists, with an eye on history, may be

forgiven for thinking that Rajiv Gandhi in the 20th century may succeed where a

ßemflr

galaxy of Indian kings failed nexation of Sri Lanka.

FRoNIP^eE. Ltt'l RETURNING l¡/lTH THE

"

IOU

9PELT 'D¡ITIK'

FROM

ÉsPof.¡DENTmw

SPÊtL

¡RAYEL' S-ing

"r-ry

,/

Gerald A. Delilkhan

DOES T\¡OT REÊLISE HE IS

FLEETNC(

FOR lT..

VIE\A/POINT

HOLD THE

-

the

an-

Indo-Sri Lankan history is in fact the key to understanding the tribal woes of some 16

,/

million people settled on 25,000 square

gle two Sri Lankan joumalists and a BBC reporter to Jaffna in a tiresome 18-hour

journey through country roads by truck, tractor and small passenger ferries. They were in Jaffna for all of three hours in Tigercontrolled streets away from the battle before they were whisked away at nightfall.

One Sri Lankan scribe had remained beand experienced the hardships there. He made hìs way to Colombo by October 20 and soon

hind in Jaffna since early October

after his first-hand account and an interview with a Tiger leader appeared in the Colombo press, the police took him in for questioning. (President Jayewardene released the journalist after reporters harangued him at a press conference on October 30.)

A Sri Lankan stringer for Time magazine also made his way into Jaffna, and was back in Colombo by October 25, suffering from a

minor flesh wound received on the way back - the only known battle casualty among the press corps. Brave as these attempts were, they did not yield much new information.

The br¡lk of the press corps, marking time in Colombo after brief forays into Vavunia, was getting impatient and besieging Laxmi 14

rsp

coRRESpoNDENT DECEMBER re87

Puri with requests to go to the frontline.

Some wags termed these daiþ pleas "Laxmi Pooja" - the worship of the Indian Goddess Laxmi, who bestows fortune and

All Hindus perform Laxmi Pooja during the Diwali festival, which fell on

Coming Events

Iuck.

October 22. The day after Diwali, Goddess Laxmi of the Indian foreign service blessed the press corps with a trip to Jaffna in Russian-made transporters on October 24.

Indian and Sri Lankan authorities haggled over the names of the 33 lucþ reporters who could be accommodated on the flight. In the end, more than half of the press party was Sri Lankan, with the rest from the world media plus three Indians. Since then

of course, several groups have gone to Jaffna both from Colombo and Madras.

Once most of Jaffna was under Indian control, other reporters went to the outþing districts, coutesy of the Tigers, to see the tail end of the fighting. As for the hot-shot safari suitwallahs, once they got their Jaffna dateline, they lost interest in the war and returned to their home bases to wait for another war, another day.

V.

G Kulþarni

is a sþecialisl uriter with the Far Eastent

Economic Reoiew

miles of land, which many people until the other day thought of as paradise.

Those familiar with the Indian epic, the Ramayana, will recall how Sri Lanka's demon king Ravana nþed over to India in prehistoric times and brought back as part of the spoils of war the beautiful Sita, wife of the Indian Prince Rama. It is a¡ intrinsic part of South Asian mythology that the tiny isla¡d was inhabited by demons. Rama and his brother I¿kshman enlisted the help of the God Hanuman to rescue Sita. Hanuman led his arnìy of monkeys who formed a bridge across the Palk Straits - a narrow, shallow stretch of sea separating the two countries. A contemporary war coffespondent wor¡ld have described this as a commando raid, but the Ramayana gives it the status of a conventional battle. Sita was

Welsh Choir December 22, in the main bar, from 8.15 p.m.

A mix of Welsh tearjerkers, Christmas carols and Negro spirituals. An evening

of "hwyl" and "hiraeth" is promised.

G00D NE\{S: Heinz Welsh cakes.

will not be

serving

il 1ì

December 27: Christmas menu only (No Sunday Bmnch Buffet)

world.

J

The mistrust, the anger, even the hate, has evolved from

THE GENESIS 0F ANGER:

New Year's Eve Dinner Booking is now open. No cancellations

after December 20.

rescued. Sri Lankans given to jest, talk of Ravana's escapade as being the first recorded case of kidnap and rape in the

Seven-course

dinner; music by Mobile Mobile Dsco until dawn.

Dinner:

$290; Breakfast: $50.

For reservations, call Anita or Jennifer (5-211511).

these mythological beginnings, even though the Sinhalese trace their ancestry not to Ravana but to a man named Vijaya, whose ship was borne by wind and wave in 247 B.C. fromthe Bay of Bengal to the calm shores of I¿nka. As was the tradition in the centwies before Christ, Vijaya belonged to

Fondue evening In the Veranda Grill, Wednesdays and Fri-

a totemistic Indian tribe. The totem' of Vijaya's tribe was the lion, refered to in its Sanskrit rendering as Sinha. Hence

days starting January 6.

Sinhalese, the lion people.

Vijaya's tribe multiplied and prospered,

taking root on the coast and the plains.

What of the demons who inhabited the

1947, the Indian Tamil population stood in

land? These turned out to be no demons at

excess of a million. There they are today in the hea¡tland of Sinhalese country, dis-

all, but an aboriginal people, later referred to in history books as the Veddas, who were pushed farther into the jungles as Vijaya's clan proliferated. The lion people became

fiercely proud of their Indo-Aryan ancestry. When Mahinda, Gautama's disciple, brought Buddhism to Lanka he found the Sinhalese extremely receptive. The Thera-

vada Buddhist, Sanskrit temple culture which evolved, set Vijaya's people apart from the Hindu tribes across the Palk

enfranchised, unwanted by the Sinhalese

and unclaimed by India. The problem of these stateless Indians has remained a major irritant in Sri Lanka-India relations.

Post-independence Sri Lankan governments thought up a neat little caper to redress this perceived demographic imbalance. The politicians took a close look at impoverished Sinhalese peasants in the

North Central province, and offered to

Strait.

better their lot by relocating them in the

The stage by now had been set for centuries of battles royal between the Sinhalese, who had established their own dynastic arrangements, and the Indian

Eastern province.

kingdoms - the Pandavas, the Cholas and so on. The ebb and flow of these wars over the centuries determined the political geography and demographics of Sri l¿nka.

Strong Indian kings making incursions

through the North of Sri l¿nka, g¡adually pushedVijaya's people to the South,laterto the North Central parts of the country and the central hill country, where the inhospitable terrain made defence against the invader militarily a better proposition. The last of the major Indian invasions took place in the early part of the 13th century, under Magha of Kalinga. The Kalinga invasions decisively etched out the ethnic map of Sri Lanka. The Hindu Tamils pre-empted the North and East, the Buddhist Sinhalese consolidated in the North Central and Central parts of the island.

THE BRITISH LEGACY: Four and one half Portcenturies of Western colonial nfe did not a-lter the uguese, Dutch and British ethnic map. It only helped to complicate it.

The Sinhalese resisted the colonisers and

-

-

had a king on the throne right throqh to 1815, when Kandy the capital of the Sinhalese kingdom in the centrzl hills finally fell to British arms and the perfidy of a cou¡t chieftain.

In the salubrious central hills of Sri Lanka, the British developed the country's marvellous tea planations. Unable to persuade the Sinhalese to work on the tea estates, the Brits imported indentured labour from South India. Throughout the 150 years of British rule this labour pool grew. At the granting of independence in

LIFE BEYOND REASON: To the Sinhalese nationalist this is a real numbers game. A million plus stateless Indians in the central

province and over 2.5 million Ceylon Tamils in the North and East umbilically linked to 60 million Tamils in the South of India, gives the Sinhalese a lot more than goose pimples. They see themselves as a minority in a South Indian sea, their very existence, their religion, their language threatened with each concession granted to the Tamils.

This is the stuff of which genocide is made. Reasonable people will press for civilised solutions. But how does one reason

with folk who see themselves as

an

endangered species? They will tell you that

this is not nationalism that grew out of reaction

to rüestern

colonialism.

It

goes

right back to the beginning of time, when Ravana took off with Sita. To nationalists of both sides, 450 years of Western colonialism was just a hiatus in a¡ unfinished, epochal

struggle betweenwa:ring tribes who speak

different tongues and worship separate gods.

So what c¿¡ the peace keeper do? He can count his dead, airlift his troops and leave the Sinhalese and Tamils to butcher each other. The 60 million Indians in Tamil Nadu will however see this as a real cop out. Or

he can stay, nibble away at Sri I¿nka's sovereignty and add one more ungovernable state to the 24 he already has.

Gtrald Delilþ h¿n is a Sri LanÞnn jounølist whn claims to be in "self+rile" for the last 26 yan. He has þactised his c,rafl in Colombo, Londøt, Singaþore, lhe Philiþþinæ and Hong Kong. He is cvrmtþ mannging director of Asinnet Infonnation Serubes Limited.

DECEMBER 1987 THE CORRESPONDENT 15

Thz last l¿uryer in Hong Kong þlitiml furly for what¿ùer ransûts is rc lmgø a laurytr. I uxtuld you euer drum of this lnþþting to yø?

QUDSTI0N:

nln

The luckiest martyr who ever lived ARTIN LEE, who was guest of honour at the

Club's

professional Day, Thanksgiving luncheon on thought the menu lacked imagination. Instead of the tradi-

tional turkey, Lee thought it

would have been a deft touch if he was served Tiger Tail Soup and Lame Duck. Despite this oversight, his encounter with the fourth estate proved to be a lively, absorbing question-and-answer session.

QUESTION: Dr Helrnut thmen lws arcusen you of twslecting your resþnsibiliti¿s as a

reþresentatiue of the lawyers' constituenq.

Would you lihc tn resþtwd to tlwt chal[enge?

I think he really misunderstands

the whole system. When the government, in the LEE:

1984 White Paper, decided to have two types of election it was never the intention that those elected from functional constituencies should only take care of the sectoral interests. On tlre conkary, they're supposed to take care of the interests of the people of Hong Kong.

Let's try a little logic. If the good doctor were right that I shor¡ld only look after the interests of the legal profession, then, by the same token, since he was aþþint¿d to the Iægislative Council, does it mean that he is

only expected to take care of his own companies?

I

have certainly not neglected

the

professions. I work very closely with the two professional bodies the Committee of the Bar Association and the Council of the I¿w on all important issues where the Society legal profession has taken a¡ interest. These the bodies have strong views much publicised Public Order (Amendment)

-

-

on

Ordinance, and they

will

continue to

challenge the Censorship Bill on political cerisorship. So you see, lawyers are not necessarily only looking after their own pockets.

I think I've devoted much too much time 16 ruB coRRESpoNDENT DEcEMBER

1s8z

QUESTION:ÍIoø

do

youfeel about being tagged

a 'marlyr' or a 'marfur to be' U Dr

thnen?

almi

direct QUESTION: On this turmoil el¿ctians, where do you troce refunsibility futk to? Is it th¿ Gæemor, tlø Foreist Office, th¿

LEE:I must be the luckiest martyr who ever lived.

Prime Minisbr? Wln can change things at thb þ;nt?

QUESTION:1/ is vid that youre an ambiti¡nts mnn. WVwt are your ørnbititrns?

LDE: LEE:

1997 there is a good and workable system of govemment in Hong Kong, so that those in power won't have to find it necessary to defend the interests of the people of Hong Kong. I don't think any of you will have any difficdty leaving this place if you like. But what about those five million people who can't? What I want to see is a good system of government. We cannot trust ou¡ futu¡e to individuals, no matter how good and how vvell-intentioned they are. Today, we may have a benþ dictator, tomorrow, who

-

cation of the draft Joint Declaration, two months later, the White Paper was pub-

25 of it,I think, said and that a lot of people who responded to the the idea of Joint Declaration direct elections, but the majority of those felt lished,

that it should not be introduced immediately.

That means, it shor¡ld not be introduced in

knows?

You're tnlking

of

1985;

be a æbe in th¿ wildern¿ss aLme; do you think you need a

behind you?

I

always feel that political parties are something that you cannot avoid in Hong Kong. I really cannot say how one can avoid some sort of political parties and, I think, in the years to come we are going to havewhat are called 'consentual' parties. We occasionally disagree with the government, but not on everything, whereas in England the I¿bour Parly disagrees with everything that Margaret Thatcher does. In I{ong Kong, I don't think that we will have that sort of politics. Yet people still are worried about confrontational politics. I believe that, to be effective, a party is a good thing. The foundingfathers of the US fünstitution tried their best over 200 years ago to devise a system of government which would make it impossible for factions to exist. They didn't they called them even call them parties LEE:

-

'factions'. The ironical thing is that 200 years later everybody knows that but for the fact that there are two parties in the USA, that particular Constitution would never have lived even 50 years. We are in exactly the same position in Hong Kong. Any govem-

but they felt that

it

should be

introduced in 1988, starting with a small number of seats and expanding until 1997

trusting thz

future to indiuidunk. Can you

þlitiul furly

Two months before the draft Joint

Declaration was published, the govemment published a Green Paper in Jrny 19&1. And i¡l it, the government proposed to introduce two types of election to the Legislative functional constituencies Council in 1985 and electoral constituencies. After the publi-

My ambition is to see to it that before

QUESTION:

I

I

Well, suppose that if came into trouble with the law I could be debarred, but I don't see that happening in the forseeable future. I don't see any tlreat at the moment.

We are a community where the n:le of law is respected and I've absolutely no doubt about that.

LEE:

on this particular issue.

as

tried lnrd tn form a

ment, particularly in this century, would like to encourage dissenting voices provided they remain scattered voices in the wilderness. But once there is collective dissension, it makes it much more difficult for the

government to function. After all, we're a colonial govemment and it's much easier to rule without an opposition party. In Hong Kong, at the moment, we have a very strong

government parfy;

atl the

appointed

- except one, maybe two - vote always for the government and they don't want to see any form of organised members

opposition.

It's so easy for Tþr Ford, for instance, to attack Iæe and Pang. I'm alraid that that would make it even more difficult for the members to criticise the government in the future. Allen Lee said that we shotid criticise the government, but constructively. suppose they're going to change the which would require standing order soon a legislative councillor to submit beforehand

I

-

a

question

to the govemor, that is

con-

structive criticism, yes, because with that he can answer the question. I think that yes,

political parties are important...are neces-

sary. I try to bring up this topic for discussion at our Basic law Drafting Committee sub-

agenda. What does Shakespea.re have to do

group meetings. Every time I try to bring it up they said that it's not on the agenda. I say when did we ever require an agenda. I made it easier for them. I said, as I see it, there are only three options: One is for us to say write it into the basic

difficult to figure out. There you are. We have been refused. Szeto \ilah and I wrote a

introduce conditions - conditions like, for example, that tlre party must not have any objectives which are contrary to the Joint Declaration and the basic law.

The other condition, perhaps, is to say, that any party of the SAR must not have extra-territorial connections. That would remove the fear of connection with Taiwan, the United Kingdom or whatever.

The third option is to say, the basic law will

aJter 1997 we are supposed to be a capitalist system, I suppose Chinese fümmunist Party

with any political parties,

still find that

letter beforehand, well beforehand, to make surewe could get it in, andthatwas outvoted by the rest, including the Hong Kong members. \ilhy is it, it's not that difficult to see, because although in the next 50 years

law allowing for political parties but

not make any mention of political parties one

way or the other. I can't think of any other options than those. They still refuse even to put it on the agenda.

One Hong Kong member even said we shor¡ldn't put it on the agenda because it's totally irrelevant. That person said, we might as well put Shakespeare on the

I

,

would still like to function in Hong Kong. I, for the life of me, cannot understand why we need such a party. We are supposed to be a capitalist system, why do we need a Chinese fümmunist Party in Hong Kong? But if you have political parties, of course the Communist Party would have to join in. And I said, fine. If I believe in democracy and if I believe in political parties, let everybody join in, have some fun. And if youwin elections, you form the government. But remember, you must maintain a capitalistpolicy in Hong Kong. So if you have a Chinese Communist Party introducing capitalist policies in Hong Kong, and that would be, as they say, one party two systems.

when a substantial number of seats wor¡ld be through di¡ect elections.

In the same montl, September 1984, the

sunrey office published its sr:rvey report and in it again there was general support for the Joint Declaration. There was another paragraph which said that people who supported it were very happy tlnt we were moving, in effect, towards democrary. One week after that, in October, the House of Commons debated the Joint Declaration, and there was massive support for it. They were all happy that when Hong Kong retumed to China, Hong Kong would have a representative form of government. Arid it was debated within the weeliin the Lords with, again, overwhelming support. So, you see, up to that point nobody cor¡ld conceiv-

ably think that in 1988 we would not have direct elections.

And what changed? Maybe you remember the first ever press conference given

by Xu Jiatur, November 20, 1985, when he said that somebody was deviating from the Joint Declaration. That was just one week before a schedr¡led joint liaison group meeting to be held in Peking. At the time the Chinese wanted to discuss political DECEMBER 1987 THE

coRRESpoNDnNr 17

MEET THE PRESS developments

in

Hong Kong with

MEET THE PRESS

the

British. The British declined and said this was not a proper matter to be discussed at the JLG according to the Joint Declaration.

But, as you know, the matter was discussed.

Mr. Kerr, who was the leader of the JLG, was happy to tell Hong Kong television crew that itwill be discussed; and, at the end of the meeting he said they had very conskuctive discussion. All the British were saying was that it was not formally put on the agenda.

Now we come closer. The Green Paper

was published.

It

t

l,Auz bu o(

¡-I<.

LE?

Acor;r.lU fr+e

Four¡>f*¿i o

,Ø(þB)

t

Giving credibility and confidence a fresh start

¡'tç- prNmtà

¿Þ,u' n

1'x--

The new chief executive of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange,

Robert Fell, addressed members of the Club on November 12

was published in May,

delayed for one month to await the arrival of

the new govemor, Sir David Wilson. We

on the October stock market

were told at the time that Sir David wanted to oversee the compilation of the Green Paper. So we've got to thank him for that.

'When it was published, it was so hopelessly weighted against the introduction of direct elections in 1988. And so we started a long

crash. Starting his speech with reference to Stock Exchange Chairman Ron¿ld Li's Taiwan remarks, Fell went on to describe how he plans to deal with the

period of consultation. Those of us who advocate direct elections and democracy concentrated exclusively on the one issue.

Now the Suwey Office have published a reportand nobody canbelieve it, because the percentage who supported the introduction of direct elections has somehow dwindled.

How can there be such small support when other professional survey firms conducted exactly the same thing, but of course, with a different questionnaire, showing that over half of the people polled, were supportive of direct elections. And if you cut ciut the don't knows, the other surveys show that those' who are supportive outnumber those who are opposed to direct elections in 1988 something like 2 to 1. So everything hinged on the particnlar questionnaire a¡d there was no other option in the Green Paper which dealt with direct elections in 1988 so there was only one option in the questionnaire because they copied it word for word.

And nobody who had received education up to Form 2, cotild have devised such a hopeless question. Experts have told me that it was there because it was multidimensional - talk about the nature of elections, talk about the timing of elections.

How ca¡ you roll everything into one and tlen put the question to the man in the Wanchai ferry? If you put two and two together, is it a conspiracy? Is it entirely coincidental? Why should the people of Hong Kong accept a verdict which is totally contrary to the weight of evidence as we see it? So what went wrong must be a combination of factors, a major one of these has to be the China factor.

QUESTION:,D the fuoþl¿ of Hong Kong haæ ønything ta giue thanhs for?

Exchange's immediate futwe.

Excerpts from his speechl OULD I answer one of your questions straight away and that's about Ronald Li's remarks in Taiwan. He didn't say it; he was misquoted. But I will come back to those remarks in Taiwa¡ at a later stage.

You might remember, we had a company c¿lled Dollar Credit which went upside down

in

Kong. The failwe of Dollar Credit was we have our freedoms. Well, o4e or two of our freedoms have gone. First the press, now films, but in the main, you c¿¡r still make

fair comments or strong criticisms. And people are not being locked up. The mle of

law is functioning very well, although our judges may get it wrong occasionally. So that's important. To me freedom is the important thing, because that's something everybody in Hong Kong cherishes, rich or poor. That I think we can be thanldul for.

tsnd to bu.ild th¿ir constitutùms on the righß of thc indiuittnl QUESTION: Westem¿rs

and tlnse Confrcian societizs yuu rn mention¿d ten¿ ta buildtltzir sæieti¿s mme on thz greater guñ of thc contmunily. We are fated here with

Yes, I think we can all be thanldul that

18 THEcoRRESpoNDENT DEcÐMBER 1982

uktræ

against theþraniling wfud or bending with tlrc win¿ liþ¿ th¿ bmtfu .

In that sense, lww far do you thinh this eþlains th¿ relatùte lack of fublic saþfu you get at mæt'ings ani dewmstratims?

fiehtine

LEE: LEE:

November 1982. Immediately, every

treasurer of every American bank cut all tleir credit lines to every DTC in Hong

lik¿ an

The Chinese people are not generally

known to take to the streets. Elsewhere in

the world, even in Southeast Asia, you would

expect people to take the cause of demo-

cracy to the streets, they would throw stones. In Hong Kong, people don't, even university students. We really don't like to

antagonise people, particularly those in goverr¡ment.

And it's right to say, to most of

the

people living in the housing estates it's much

more important that they have employment and so on. Quite right. Because when you are hungry, how can you think of politics? So that is one factor which is against us.

The other factor is of course self-interest.

I regret to have to say that those of us who are occupyingpositions of influence in Hong

Kong, whether it be Executive füuncil, Legislative füuncil, Drafting Committee, the Basic I¿w fünsultative fümmittee,

District Boards and so on, have

selfinterests. So in public, I don't have that open support. This will continue and the closer we get to 1997 the more difficult it is. The wind that you talk about will become a typhoon from the north. I hope I will still be here.

nothing at all to do with the economy of Hong Kong. But there was immediately a panic reaction. And because of that event, all

tlre lines were cut. Then we had a real problem.

'What

we've been seeing in Hong Kong recentþ is something iike that Dollar Credit crash on a big scale. rffhat we have suffered is the

first crack in this new global marketfor

securitiês.

catch us all by surprise, There was no one I knew in Hong Kong in September forecasting that sort of crash at that time.

Now I don't think there's any point in my trying to analyse what happened in the particular few days. think it's probably

that

I

more interesting to tell you what I think is likely to happen and what we're trying to do, what we've got to do together.

restoring the confidence of broking between the different brokers. The fact that they can trade with each other. Now the way to do that is the old tedious thing of getting back to liquidity margins and capital adequacy. So

\4hat I'm after at the Stock

the brokers know that the man they're

We now have this global market with securities dealings on a worldwide basis and what we've experienced for the first time is a break in that market. It's something completely without precedent. What we've had in Hong Kong is the same as any other market. We've had that backlash from that global movement that I'm quite certain has taken us all by surprise.

I would ask you, as practising journalists,

CONFIDENCE:

to go back through your cþpings up to

other; they must be able to seltle those deals; and, that the listings must be of the quality that had been described.

round about October 19, a¡d ask yourselves honestly, was there any weight of opinion predicting this fall in the ma¡ket at that time and were any of you forecasting that depth of that fall? I think t]re honest a¡swer is: it did

restored, then we have confidence in the market.

Now how do we do this? Well, the first thing that I wa¡rted to grasp, because this is the weakness in any break in the market, is

is really to try to get back confidence in the market. To get that confidence back, we have to restore Exchange

trading with is good for his bargains. \Mhen I was in London, I went to the London Stock Exchange and talked with the

something simply described as market integrity. Any stock market in the world

brokers who were interested in this market.

And the story I got was that there were cheques bouncing all over llong Kong and

depends on three elements,

It depends on

it

has professional members able to deal easily and confidentþ with each

the fact that

Now these are the three things that in Hong Konghave been rudely shakenby this crash. If everyone sees that integrity is fully

there was this disruption in the market

because people weren't trusting each other at all. So the first job I did here was to get a

grip on these bouncing cheques, and of course, I found that there was more emotion

than real truths in the stories.

We have, in fact, no more than something

in the order of 30odd bounced cheques. All DECEMBER 1987 THE coRRESpoNDENT 19

MEET THE PRESS of which are for quite minor sums of money.

The total of the 30-odd is no more than

CLUB NE\A/S

UK, 1982 here, because background is different.

the

economic

HK$S million.

The second thing we had to deal with was settlement. Now here we SETTLEMENT:

VIABILITY: V/hen we formed the Stock Exchange, it took from the Securities Commission the role of seeing that brokers were viable.

'When we started a urified exchange, we

put into the rules that there would be

a

knew we had a problem and the banks had already commissioned me to start acting as a consultant to getting a depository system in. We'll go on with that, we'll get in the Rolls Royce system of a depository, but

quarterly return from all the brokers, that

that'll take us something like about 18

there would be certain capitai requirements, there certainly worid be liquidity requirements. What I'm doing is simply activating

months. What we've got to do immediately is get a better clearing system in the Exchange itself. I can't make any promises

those rules. So, the first area then, is restoring integrity, making sure we've a grip on the financial viability of all our members.

The sþs after 10 days in the Exchange is we've no big crashes cn our hands. We've got the problem under control. Obviously with a break in the market of this size, it would be stupid of me to predict there won't be other failures. We don't know yet. But if you look at it rationally, the collapse couldn't have come at a better time. We've had a bull year, most member firms have had a very good income from this year, and so the chances of sorting it out evenly are pretly good. It's quite different from 1974 in the

about this timetable at all - in another couple of weeks, I should be able to tell you a little bit more about how we see that particular problem.

Then there's this question of listings and membership of the committee on the Stock Exchange.

Let's take it back to what Ronald Li was saying in Taiwan because all this comes together. By law, by statute, not just by membership rules, you had to be a sole trader. It had to be an individual member in an individual seat. A corporate member was illegal, a partnership was illegal. Now we solved that, we had a meeting with the

in

committee

Feb-

nnry 1982, we built up the new legisla-

"Mytoilor?

tion which had a bigger 'Big Bang' than London. We formed the new

Worwíck Meyers of course.

Hels the only one who

Exchange, admitting

con cut it."

corporate members,

admitting

partnerships, admitting corporate members that

were owned

by

other financial

in-

banks or owned by stitutions. Now what

we've done,

I

think

quite skilfully,

is Exchar.rge

bring that into being with the

local members quite content to make the change to have corporate members, and have corporate

to

members

that

are

A suit from Woriwck Meyers is nol only mode to meosure, ¡î's mode lo lost. Quolity workmonship ond the lotest styles ot competitive

owned by ba¡ks.

Now how was this

prices.

TRANSITIONPERIOD:

4OI PARKER HOUSE, 72 QUEEN'S RD.,C. H

20rga coRRESpoNDENT

DECEMBER 1987

K.

TEL: 5-220896

bank-orvned members could operate. That is safety through now, and has disappeared.

We had a second restriction, and that was that corporate members could not be

directly represented on the committee of the Exchange. We believed the principle should be one man, one vote. We actually took that principle into the Stock Exchange and the members of the Stock Exchange elect their committee which is there, but tliere as no weighting at all for corporate members.

Now, the Exchange has moved on very fast in 18 months. We have 71 corporate members, obviously they've brought a new a new addition to the life of the Stock Exchange, and in equity, it is fair to say that they should have some form of representation in the committee. But how do you move

vitality,

from democracy to something that isn't democracy? How do you evolve a system that makes a representation according to the weight of business rather tha¡ the one manone vote principle? Now that's what we're at,

and that's what Ronald Li was trying to explain at the press conference in Taiwan; that's we have this present constitution,we see the need for change. But let us argue .We rationally what should be the change.

you're

ar

it

that just because internationa-i broker you must

don't want to make

appropriate to forecast the menu for the FCC New Year's Eve dinner ten years in

The menu of the year is at final draft stage.

"Festive Nowishment" on the menu planned for 1997 included 'Preserved Kowloon Red Lips and 1000 Year Old

advance.

(^1

INCE 1984, the Club gourmets have had something to look for^\alwaVs L-.f ward to as the year draws to a close the New Year's Eve Dinner.

- Through the inspired guidance of Club manager Heirz Grabner ald creative thinker Arthur Hacker, these dinner menus have always reflected the hottest topics of the year.

In 1984, for example, a 'Draft Agreement'between the governors ofthe FCC of Hong Kongand the management and chefs on the New Year's Eve Menu was drawn up, in the spirit of cooperation and joint

Legs', 'Choi Sum Commune Water Strained Collectively', 'Spare Rubs Wanchai with Chiu Chow Chow Mutt Balls' and 'Steamed

Yellow River Water with Noodles and Monosodium Glutamate'.

One would expect then, that the forthcoming menu might feahre some observations on the fate of the stock market, but Grabner waves the suggestion aside.

"This year, we chose not to be political.

The stock exchange will not be mentioned, as it will be New Year's Eve, and no one will want to be reminded of their losses."

agreement.

muscles in a state of contraction".

Gastronomic offerings included such delights as the'One Chicken Two Systems Soup', and the 'Special Administrative

ment on the proposed British National

Roast'. Explicit instructions on how to greet the New Year were supplied, and "persons

1986 featured

a passport-shaped com-

(Overseas) travelling document, complete

with the cheery greeting of "Happi Noo Ya" on the cover.

of the opposite gender" were advised to "exchange memorabilia by the anatomical jr:xtaposition of their two orbicularis oris

TEN.YDAR FORECAST:

In the countdown to

1997, Grabner and Hacker felt it would be

THE SOURCE 0F INSPIRATION:

The secret to

Grabner's and Hacker's inspiration,

Grabner insists, lies in a good bottle of wine.

"We usually discuss the menu on several occasions at the main bar. This is where all the ideas start. Then we will meet for lunch a few times, and once we know what we want to do, it all goes much faster."

How time passes!

that you must have a seat. Now Ronald may have been putting that rather more colourfully

tha¡ I. But that is the essence of the argrunent - how do you move from

something that was absolutely rational when we put this Exchange together in 1982? How do we change to something new, according to the weig,ht of the trading that is done? Any

suggestions that you have we'd be very happy to take them!

we will do next, of in this area obviously has been overtaken by the committee that the

WHAT NEXT?: What

cowse,

government has set up to have a general review of not just us, but the Futu¡es Exchange, the Securities Commission, the general relationship, the general plafform, the securities dealing for the next decade in Hong Kong. We welcome this. We will be putting together a major statement on our case. We will make it a document that we can make frfly public and we hope tJrat this

a

period forthe corpo

front of us. Let's get the mechanics right and there's no more problems to worry about.

transition period.

We had a transition

I\ew Year's nonsense

have a seat, because you are this or

will set an example. At the Stock Exchange, we will be fully accountable to you, through you, to the public. We have the right economy, we have the agreement with China, we have this tremendous fuhre in

done?

It was done by having

WARWICKIIIEYERS THETAIIÍ)R

rate members owned by banks when there were ceftain restrictions on the way that the

THERE was

a

time when christmas tree, jingle bells, Santa claus and even children

CLUB STAFF past and present Steven Kwok and Andrew Wong (second and third from left) with two -former colleagues.

CLUB NE\A/S

Calling all reprobates!

Are you suitably decadent to take up the San Francisco gauntlet? the American Club made the hallowed pages of SPorts ZfaHE FCC and I have been jointly challenged to a Illustrated. Moose reports that the I g"*. ot slow pitên soft¡aiiby San nationally known San Francisco columnist Francisco's Washington Square Bar &

(for the Chronicle), Herb Caen (who admits

Griil.

to being over 70) will be in his customary

The 'Washbag', as she is known, is as infamous a watering hole for the fourth estate (and other like-minded reprobates) as

our oval bar.

Special ruÌes

for the match

include:

"Players over 40

- the average age of the team must equal at least 50 - with diseased livers or other infirmities. Two women must be on the field at all times."

Saul Lockhart, who is organising the FCC team, says that the "greatest danger will be tripping over beer cans at first base."

(Incidentally, free liquid refreshments will be available to lubricate both teams and ali spectators.)

That portly, red-bearded Lockhaú organising a softball team?

Would you believe he regularily plays catche in a slow pitch softball league, a couple oi tirnes

a

week, for a team called the

"China Travellers" sponsored by - and this is difficult to beiieve too - Britain and Australia's (as well as the FCC's) ace athlete, Derek Maitland,publisher of Chim Traueller magazine.

Ed Moose, owner ancl pitcher (because it is his softball) for the Washbag's Lapins Sauvages will be leading the 25-member team. An experienced mob, tl.rey have piayed all over the world and have even

position at first base (&¿ box for partial line up).

The match rvili take place on Wednesday evening, February 10, at the Tin Kwong

Road (Kowloon) Field, as part of San Francisco Week (Feb. 7-14). Mayor (by

then ex-mayor) Dianne Feinstein, leader of the San Francisco delegation coming to Hong Kong for the gala week, will throw the first ball.

Other events during the week include performances by the San Fransisco Symphony Orchestra (at the Arts Festival), a 'Farmer's Market' which wiÌl also include a selection of the city's famed buskers (street

performers), and

two charity

fashion

shows.

Of particular interest to journalists will be an exhibition of Ansel Adams' photographs

and

a

second photo exhibition entitled

Chinese in America 1785-1980.

A San Francisco trade delegation will also be making the trip and Mayor Feinstein wiil address a special American Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

But don't let these 'minor' events distract

you from the FCC's main inttrest: fieÌding a suitably decadent softball team. Qualified reprobates please ring Saul Lockhart on 5-8334375 or 5-8334333.

The Washbag's Lapins Sauvages will have about 25 All opposing piayers must be well over 40 or show evidence of severe liver damage. At least two

3rd base. Psychological problems.

Herb Allen, New York investment banker. Mid-40's, multiple injuries.

women players on the field at all times (Sauvageshave 4). Aìlplayers of Lapins Sauvages drink . Their infieid averages about 58; so, they say, they will not tolerate young, healthy opponents.

because wife

Lapins

Sauvages

ballplayers.

Eggs à la nouveau That Beaujolais was with us again.

OH:,

joìais Noúveau Breakfast. It was an equalnotable success as the professional

ly

Club and some 40 members had placed their names on the waiting list for seats.

For the start of the Beaujolais week, early

risers joined the Ceremony of the Cork at 7.30 a.m. Given time zone differences this perhaps was the first "pull" of the annual race. And, notwithstanding Geoffrey Somers' query as to why anybody would rise from bed at an ungodly hour (I*tters), the queue to the buffet had lengthened more than six feet by 8 a.m.

A tull country breakfast was offered, including eggs poached in red

luncheon on November 26 when Hong

ACCEPTABLE:

addressed the Club.

The luncheon was sold out as soon as it became known that Lee would address the

wine. Not all those who came had to rush off

Kong's only 'living martyr' Martin Lee

22røø coRRESpoNDENT DECEMBER

1987

to work and they were able to enjoy leisurely meaÌ including

a much

a

closer

examination of the Nouveau. Some were stiil finishing their breakfast at a time when more unfortunate souls were contemplating luncheon.

The verdict on the wine? Neither exceptional nor disastrous - an acceptable year.

And the verdict on the poached eggs? Magnificent. Definitely a civilised way to begin the day.

The breakfast led into a Beaujolais Nouveau week (November 79-27) wlth special guest chef Philippe Chavent. Founder of the renowned La Tour Rose restaurant in Lyons, France, Chavent disc¿rded his early interest in archaeology in favour of gastronomy and studied under the best chefs in France (including Paul Bocuse at

Collonges) as well as abroad.

CREATIVE C00Kr Described

as "the most

creative cook in France, Chavent always intrigues and amuses diners. His restaurant was awarded the Chef d'Or from Gauet and Mielau and a star in the Michelin Guide tn 1977. The Gourmet Magazine. described Chavent's cuisine "as inventive and light as Lyon, of all French cities, can produce, with a visual bonus that comes from his love of the Renaissance".

For those who missed out on, or would like more of, Philippe Chavent's cooking and who happen to be passing through Lyon, La Tour Rose is at 16 Rue du Boeuf, Viex Lyon.

Good

for about 3 innings. On

team

Ann Reinking sings the

National Anthem before games for no fee.

Ed Moose, pitcher (owns softball), late 50's, cannot use left arm, can't run.

Some players:

Herb Caen,

San Francisco Chronicl¿ columnist, early 70's recent arthoscopic knee surgery. First base.

Frank Carillo, jeweier, aiso 1st baseman, mid-60's, recent bypass heart surgery. Heavy smoker.

Bob Rowell, late 50's, also lst base, recent severe knee surgery, overweight, heavy limp.

Ron Fimrite (Sþorts lllustrated), late 50's. Cannot throw even though he plays

Laupins Sauvages also expect StephSalter, &n Francisco Emminer, to join as well as sportswriter (Chronicle) David Bush.

The rest of the team is made up of one judge, assorted bartenders, lawyers and unemployed persons. Denise Sabella, second baseman, is the mother of two, and just had knee surgery. Other women players are relatively healthy when they

anie

show up.

DECEMBER 1987 THE CORRESPONDENT

23

NEW MEMBERS

NEW MEMBERS

Hans Hermann Jestel,

Paul Arthur

managing director of Hong Kong a year ago.

Before that, he spent 16 years in Asia working in Japan, Korea ani

1976. He is a manager

son is a producer with NBCNews inHongKong.

She

he

Martin Georg Hess, general manager of

Linda Tsang

Degussa China Ltd., arrived in Hong Kong late las[ year. Earlier he worked for five years in South Africa and another five years in \A¡est Africa.

Hcclan

Hazig Hctzig

Hsu

c*n-

Roberto Chard

fh"*"*;,

-

Cooh

base here 18 months ago.

He has lived and worked in

Tsattg

Clmrd

Vines

temational Conrmittee of

Richard F.G. Gibson

the Red Cross.

chaiman of Gibson Public

Francis James Cassidy

in Hong Kong,

is a pilot of Cathay Pacific

a:rd Lonclou. Gibson ¡or-

Air-ways.

mall)' resicles in SingaPore.

cor-respondent in Vienna and Geneva. Before moving to Hong Kong, HenegIrarr u'as Rculcts' chieÍ correspondent in Islamabad and in Bangkok.

Rolf Janelm, a repofter with the national Swedish

news agency

TT,

has

worked in Europe as well

as in India,

Bangladesh, Kenya and the IJN. He was a reporter o1 Gefu Dagbkd before joining TT in 1977.

24 rp,n coRRESpoNDENT

Hong

dent of

Kong

Hong

over

years, and has had postings

David T, Kaveny, first

furt.

vice president with Ameri-

International Cosmetics Accessories, is

year. He has worked

Kong frequently.

in

presi-

a

can Express Bank,

has

lived in Hong Kong for just

(London) since 1973, a¡rd

for the American Express Bank for more than 15

has been stationed

in and Paris as a correspondent.

From 1970 to 1973 he was

Vietnam, Thailand

Singapore and Frank-

with,4-FP in Vietnam. He

Jon Swain

for the

moved

has worked

to

Hong

Kong

earlier this year.

SundaY Times

ED

TRAVEL

RESTAURANT

MARCO POLO PIZZA

v0

THE BEST PITZA IN HONG KONG Genuine New York-ltalian style Pizza 7 Lan Kwai Fong, Central For office/home deliveries call 5-216679/70

llogctd

n-","¡ng

Cotãt

Italy. He used to be

a

Wcscnnntt is

Relations r¡'hich has offices Singapore

David Manion,

com-

munications manager with Reuters has worked previously in Fiji, the Persian Guìf and Khartoum. He

worked for Cable & 'Wireless

before joining Reutets, and arrived in Hong Kong in 1982.

Alan Gordon Moller, consul responsible for information and media at the Australian ConsulateGeneral, arrived in Hong Kong six months ago. He was previously with Australian missions in Bangkok and Singapore,

Alexander Edward Ian \ae is chairman of DECEMBER 1987

reporter wiLh

Kr"*t

-Wot1- -

China Trnaslation

and

Printing Services Ltd. He first came to the Far East in the 50s with the army, and he returned to Hong Kong last year.

John Lloyd Roberts,

a

-

as a

withJames Capel (FE) Ltd, has been living in Hong

Kongfor two yea¡s. He has

worked with the Hong Kong Bank's branch in London, as well as with the Trade Development Bank and the Bankers' Trust.

marketing consultant pre-

sently working for the Hoya Group, arrived in

Kathleen Herzigmoved

Hong Kong three months

to Hong Kong last Decem-

ago. He is also working as a

Touchstone Gallery.

ber and worked as a freelance writer before becoming the assistant editor of Homc Journal in Mav. - A

Anthony Phillip Davies first came to Hong

worked in Honolulu from 1981 to 1986.

marketing

rnanagement

consultant adviser for

Kong in April 1986, Ìooking for a new challenge. He is a partner with Baker & McKerzie, with whom he has worked since 1975.

James Michael Hee-

lan, head of the

Inter-

national Bond Department

nativc

of

Boston,

she

Victor Hsu,

'¿'ho went to the US in the earþ 60s as a

student, lived in California for 27 years. He retumed to Hong Kong in May this year, and travels fre-

quentþ to China as part

of his job v/ith Electronics.

C,ould

bltcE#

ooo

¡//F, 63-67 Weil¡ngton St Cenlral, Hong Kong. Tel: 5-247926,5-228706

.

,

year before moving to Hong Kong this April.

Al Browning,

. .

MANUFACTURER

in

40-42 Wyndham St.,

c/F,

We offer all kinds of high quality jewellery at wholesale prices.

Special design made-to-order Enquiries welcome. For appointment please call 3-7 241323 / 7 210365.

Hong Kong, S-323t78

8/F, 8-10 On Lan Street, Central.

Licence No. 350343

TAILORS

ALTERAIION SERVICE BY EXPERT TAtLOR. We re. cut su¡ts, re-style lapels, pants and ladies skils Good workmanship, quick service Best prices We make office call "NEW SUITS PRICED FR0M HK$1,000 Up" call WILLIAM AND SIMON TA|L0R C0. 5-256717, 703 William House, 46-50 Wellington Street, Central, HK

WINE & SPIRITS

Korea and Taiwan.

Paul Carolan

lr0 DEsTilATt0il ts T00 DtrFtcutT 5-263391

T0 ouB sHottnooit

BOOKS E. MAGAZINES

has spent the last five years

cClrrconde

travel

YAU NcAt JewELLERv

Block B, 1.1/F Capri Btdg., .f 30 Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

managing director of the Asia/Pacific Operations division, Litton Worldwide Services Inc,

Singapore, where he worked for Hughes Aircraft. Altogether, he has spent 17 years in the Far East, mainly in Malaysia,

* &*

.Ë._

GotttE

a

Newsueeh.

She worked Íor Neusweek stringer in Beijin5 for a

-Swain

JEWELLERY

THE BEST INDIAN F()OD Lunch and Dinner Buffets

Japan, Guam and Indonesia, but is originally from recording artist and cut his first record in 1978.

Peter Kung is the regional delegation heacl ofthe Lr-

ed from 1978 to 1982 as

to

Edward G. Wolf,

Kong

Carroll Bogert is

a

LASS

moved

He visits

five

regularly since 1971, and

Cross.

news eclitor based in Hong Kong, joined the neu's agency aÊ tralnee ln September 1977 and r¡'ork-

Television/Por-

years.

finally decided to set up

Geneva-based International Committee -o{- the Red

cur-

Austria¡

OrRF since 1982, She

has been

visiting Hong

is the China delegate of the

assistaut

a correspondent lor ORF,

based in Sri Lanka, where

Vienna-

he has lived for the last

iand.

& Wireless.

rently Rodrrs'

earlier this year.

Glynn during the previous 18 months. She did her articles in Glasgow, Scot-

year after spending eight years in Bahrein also with Rudcrs Before joining Railcrs.l¡e '¡'as with Cable

Tom Heneghan,

The Times (London).

a

based editorþroducer of

joined

Baker & McKenzie as an associate solicitor four months ago. She worked for Hampton, Winter and

Alan White,

Jean Francois Olivier

workedwithABC'|V,

PBS and KPRC TV in the US both as a producer and a reporterbefore moving to Hong Kong.

worked in Italy, Germany, Ireland, and the US.

tisch & Riff, was

Christina Wesemann,

MaryJustice Thomas-

Schoeffel (HK) Ltd. Before

editorial adviser before coming to Hong Kong in 1983. From 1981 to 1982 he was a sub-editor with

marine

insurance claims.

Rene Josef Hodel is managing director of

technical operatlons support manager at Rcuttt's, arrived in Hong Kong in June this

with

Madey Stevens Ltd, deal-

ing largely with

Singapore.

setting up Schoeffel,

Cook

worked in London before he came to Hong Kong in

Worldlines Ltd., moved to

PRINTING SERVICES whose

'sense of adventure' first brought him to Hong Kong from London in October

1984, is a litigation solicitor. Originally with Deacons, he now works for

DIAL.A.HEINEKEN Having a pafty?

We can deliver Heineken, in coolers, direct to your home. Other beers and

spirits available on request.

Baker & McKenzie.

Richard Eyre Vines, deputy news editor of the Asinn WaII Streel Journal, spent a year in Beijing with

the China Daiþ as

Contact Mr. Leung 5-283399 New Asia Grocery Co. Ltd.

Guides, maps, fiction, posters, phrase books, cookbooks, gift books.

OpenTdaysaweek.

LOWIE DICK COMPANY

30 Hollywood Road, Mezzanine Floor, Central, Hong Kong Telephone: 5-232042,

T-shirts, shorts, tracksuits printed to your

Telex: 61730 IFR HX, Fax: b-84S0142

Silkscreen pr¡nting serv¡ce

own specif¡cations 3-7245216/3-7221395

an

DECEMBER 1987 THE CORRESPONDENT

25

CST SEARCHES performers due at the International Arts Festival, to some comedians being brought to Hong Kong in aid of a local charity (no, not the Veins Restoration Fund). The funny men will be from the Lord's Taverners (an organisation of show-biz and sports personalities who play cricket for good causes). The FCC will also grab any candidate for the US Presidency who happens to come through town. Apart trom that, we have only entertainment to offer.

THE Club may have to hold extraordinary elections if all does not go well with one Christmas-New Year holiday.

Second vice president (and honorary secretary) Penny Byrne and correspondent member governor Brian Jeffries, together with Mary Lee of the Review, are off to Madhya Pradesh, in India, on an eight-day "tiger and temples" tour. The programme includes

"champagne cocktails before Christmas lunch on the banks of the Banjur River," a stay at the Kipling Camp in the Kanha Tiger Reserve and New Year's Eve at Calcutta races.

The interpid travellers - who were to include Sue Girdwood before she saw sense - were obsereved to tum sÌightly pale after having extracts from a recent London Sunday Times article read to them. This, nicely illustrated by a picture of an Indian with tiger teeth marks on his head, explained that at least 500 people have been consumed by man-eaters in the past 10 years.

It has been agreed that any survivor of the trip should write a memoir for The Corresþondent.

REACTIONS to the French season were very mixed, to say the least.They seemed split between the two extremes of complete rejection and enthusiastic appreciation. There was agreement that this year's Beaujolais Nouveau was an improvement on last year's, but some added grumpily that that was not saying much. The quote from the Trib - that it tasted like a mixture of raspber4r and banana juice was repeated ad nauseam.

But the bar bills confirmed that a lot of people slurped a 1ot of it down anyvvay.

The same goes for the French cooking.

Some said it was hardly an improvement on the usual fare served up by Heinz and

Most Shoþs are

O:n Sale

" I fear you dnn't qmlifu as a conesþondcnt member. By the ruay, hns anyone seen

m! glasses?"

(with apologies to M. Malik and D. Levine).

his merry men, which could, we suppose, be taken as a compliment to Heinz. But it was probably not meant as such. Others that the reckoned that it was superb salmon, for example (admittedly served up as two highly pinkish strips in a bowl of not-very-appetising{ooking-soup) was the most delicious version of the king of fish that they had ever tasted. Once again, the restaurant takings supported the positive-minded: business was good.

All agreed, however, that the selling of the Beaujolais Nouveau has been a French marketing triumph, on a par with that of a certain up-market mineral water.

THE WOR1D ÍOR THE BEST

rlr corhilulilcAiloll AilD rlrroRilAilolr sY$Eluls

CSL stands for Communication Services Limited. One of Hong Kong's leading information technology companies. Engaged in the sale, service and support of communication and information processing systems.

Today, CSL offers the widest and most comprehensive range of commun¡cation and informat¡on systems in Hong Kong. From home phones and mobile radio telephones to keyline and PABX systems. From pagers to computerised answering services. From office automat¡on equipment to personal computers and data

TORTHE BE]IETIT

0F HoilG

lollc.

EVEN on the entertainment front, things do not look so hot. Whole bunches of members were wild about the idea that the Club should produce its own pantomime or cabaret. But when the crunch came, and the assurances that X, Y and even Z would perform, produce, direct, write songs, provide scripts,had to become commitments, very few names were thrown into the hat. As we go to press, the evening is in doubt. Paul Bayfield is still hoping to get something together to mark Chinese New Year.

-

SPEAKERS have proved a little thicker on the ground recently, although there is not much in prospect for professional lunches as we go to press. Lines are out and invitations extended to controversial Hong Kong figures, to some of the

after the festiue suson.

We

a^fe

INFLUENCE THE INFLUENTIAL

Do you have something to say but nowhere to say it? How about writing a guest column?

The Correspondent invites all who have an opinion on anything from the Hong Kong Basic Law

- the international arms race, to from women's rights to women's hemlines, from the value of

lawyers to the value of no lawyers to try their hands at expressing -themselves.

All members, writers or nonwriters, are welcome to hammer

out a piece to influence the influential.

befOfe

bemuse Lue uant you

to saue u)hen you need to saue.

For the

Men

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SUITS

1,000/set

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43)

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750lpc SOCKS ALSO IN BIG SIZES UP TO

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Mon

(cotton 8¿ silþ)

Business Hours During Sale: Sat: 9:30 am 7:00 pm.

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DECEMBER 1e8z

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