The Correspondent, May 1994

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THD CORRXSPONDENT

KI\OWLEDGE IS POWER

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THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB

2

Letter:s to ttre Editor:

4

\¡idec¡ l\lasties Contradictory'\.ideos on East Timor screened at

2 Lower Albert Road, Hong Kong Telephonc: 521 lill lrax: 868'1092

Presid(nt

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the FCC.

Philip Bowring Carl Goldstein - Sturn Wolfendale

First Vicc Presidetìt Second \/¡cc Presidcnt

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tsrinn Jcftrics, V G.

Kulklm¡.

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Saul Lockhârt,.[ulie Meldrunr

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filembers: David Garcia, Paul Ba1'field, Julie Meldrtm Publications Conìmiftee Corr¿'crrol Saul Lockl]art /lle,nbcrs: Hubert van Es, Paul Moonel',

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David Garcia, Simon Holberton ^Iembe,:: V G. Kulkrrni, ßrianJeffries, Philippe Le Corc Wall Conìnì¡ttee Hubert V¿n Es

The Correspondent EDITORIAL OFFICE Sinron Ts,iston DaYies, Editor 2 Lower Albert Road, Hong Kong

rcscrvc. Ancl if vou ncccl to knou'$/hcre voll stand in anoth(]r time

Tcleplrone: 521

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'tonc, it u iìl tcll vou that t()o. In fact thc onll llncortaint\¡ is ryhich of

of The Foreign Cotespondents' Club.

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20

PRODUCTION FST Line Design &

Printing

Fourtlì Floor, 158 Vell¡nBton Street, Cenlml, Hong KonB

the EBallot

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Drnn's South Africian portfolio

Trar-el

A speciâl report on getting there the hard way

25

iftre Cost of Freelancing A sun.ey of freelance prìblishing rates

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V.an'elenths 'Whither RTHK?

28

Social Affairs Goodb¡.e Peter'wong and hello Les Leston

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lftre Bear Essefltials Ted "The Bear" Dunfee on the road to recovery.

nonthll' by

Tlìe Forei8n correspondents' club of Hong Kong

Biting

FCC rnernber Napier

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1994 The Foreign conespondents' Cltìb of Hong, Kong Opinions expressed b)' writers in n)c Coüesþonder¡ are not necessâril)' those

Da]'zs

creaking open Hans Vriens ¡eports.

Paul Ba¡'held

Sinorì Tw¡ston Davies (Editor) F & B Conrmittee

flurrrrese

The cloors to the M)'aflmâr socialist republic are

G. Ktllkarni

MembeßhiP Comnìitlee

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Coilueilor: H.ft)ertVîî Es ,lleilrbers: Y G Kulkîrn¡, KeYin Egln Entertainnent Committ€e Co r t ue t rct: Daîiell Deàne

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Sa¡t-s lffrerrr

Jethro's history lesson: Club manager Lee-Mahoney gets to know the FCC.

ProfessiorìaI Committee Cott uettor: Carl Goldstein

Mentbers: Jtlie Meldrum, Philippe Le Corre Paul Moone)', Parrl Bayfield Finance Comnìittee S¡non Holbertoo, Ctrl Goldstein

Open

An âccess to information bill planned for Hong Kong

K.K Chadha Ässoc¡âte MenÌber GoYerno6 KeYin EBan, David Garcia,

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R.ealities

the way it was neted out

Philippe Le Core, Paul Moone1,, Htìbel Van Es, Halìs vriens Jorrrnalist Member Govemors

V

iffre Harstr

The FCC's denunciation of Xi Yang's pnnishment and

Correspondent Member Governos Paul Ba\'field, simon Holbe rton.

32

FCC Faces Cynthia Hycles: May's photographic portrait of an FCC stalwart.

lel:521 7993 Fax:521 8:)66 Publislrcr

Ilarketing Director

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DTP Artists

ETERNtrI ol tlrì1. Sr¡rc \irr':rrl

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Ian Harling Katie Mccregor - Tonì Blatchford Lce,

Coyer photograph: Xi Yang denonstriìtion, by Hrìbert

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Sole Agent and Servlce Cenlre: Desco (HK) Ltd

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May 1994

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Surely it was peftinent and possible to

toss around some of these facets

To tbe

straight off.

'With the benefit of (one month's) hindsight, I venture to suggest that the Eastern Exþress has so far missed the opportunityto give Hong Kong's rich, fast-moving, time-pressed readership

Edùtor

something they canuot ignore. Perhaps I left the room for a minute, but

Tfl TAKE GREAT PICTURES PRE$S HERE.

was there an ovetwhelming roar of approval from readers, advertisers, media pundits etc?

Shouldn't someone say it out loud quickly. The new paper has fl opped as a media eyent. By whatever criteria Éoûg

you may choose to use - design, content, thrust, readability, impact,

"-

circulation, advetising a damp squib.

-

it has been

That is not to say the battle is lost.

Now, presumably, for round two.

Howard Coats

Eøstern Express: Missed

Opportunity Strange that Paul Bayfield chose to confine his first impressions of the Eastern Express to the c¡restion of design only (Tbe Corresþondent, March). Surely the point is whether the total concept is likely to win readers, and ultimately advertising, and so stay the distance.

without even pausing to ponder the wisdom of such a strategy in Hong Kong. Perhaps the strategy is aimed at Brits returning home.

Incidentally, it should not be overlooked th:atIìarry Evans was winning Evans),

national design (and campaign) awards in the mid-'60s while cutting his editor's teeth on Tbe Nortbern Eclto, formerly a staid provincial Quaker organ in Dadington, northeast England.

Evans overcame the constraints of hot lead composing before the advent of computer publishing. He liberated

the dull grey page by marrying the type and measure to the mood and content of stories and features.

Instead his observation that the

Through inspired and agressive

arcival of the new daily was the cata-

news andfeature coverage, plus awillingness to experiment and be flexible

lyst for design improvements in both the Soutb Cbina Morning Post and tl;'e Standard - which was hardly suprising given the prospect of a circulation scrap - raised more questions than answers.

His ambiguous qualifier, that his review was "not so much concerned about the quality of the stories, but rather the paper," set the tone for a cursory, subjective saunter through broadsheet layout.

He attributed the design concept of the Exþress to spin-off from the British qualities such as Tbe GuardTlce Indeþendant and its antecedent (?), Tbe Sunday Tímes (circaHarry

ian,

and bold (figuratively and typographi-

pages sprang to life with sut prises, shocks, campaign themes and a blend of headlines and body types that raised reader interest at a glance.

Manybroadsheet design concepts,

calþ,

includingboxmeasures, variousforms

of indenting, close pic cropping and mighty blow-ups, multi-decked heads ranged left , right orcentred, and sometimes with underscoring, became popular in that creatiye period.

My point is: how can a newspaper's make-up be discussed without addressing the subject matter it serwes to convey. The two are synonymous.

I\lame Calling It must have been the fifth bottle of "\ùøhite Infuriator" that got to Vemon Ram. I don't know that his description

of me (Correspondent, March 1994) as "the. one-time fire-spewing news editor of the now defunct Stør" is entirely accurate, but that's life.

However, if there's one thing that cloes make me spew, it's sloppy journalism, which is why I was appalled to find my name spelled three different ways in the one page, which must be something of a record.

You wouldn't have lasted long with me, sunshine.

And just for the record, I wasn't the News Editor of th.e Stør, (that was Alf Lee) but Managing Editor.

Michael L. ThrosselVThrosseV Thrussel, Sydney, Australia (We stan d. suitablY cb østis ed,, Our ap o lo gie s M í ck/Mic b e l/Mik e. P e rb øþ s

a bottle of wine - sbared of course time'we're Dotun Und.er, - tbe next or better yet, yoa're Uþ Aboue in tbe ltallowed confines of tbe FCC bar,

uill

assuage tbe þct'in

-

Ed)

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ÌtiFhe FCC recentl¡r screened tszo rzideos preselrtillg ol212osing r.ieuzs of the 1991 rraassacfe in East lfirnor. One v/as rrrade by the crrsading British journalist John Pilger, and the other v,/as b¡z tkre Indon esian goverlarrlelat- FCC c orre sI? ondent rrrerrrt> er \'a¿øt¿lirze Erzglczv¿¿J,

a,

journalist uzith recent e><l2erience in Indonesia., szatched both docurnentaries and listened to the argLrlTrents afters/ards -

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Yideo Nasties ú6fne ùtøtais might have I put the lorch to the field, they might think they've exterminated all the creatures in it, but there'll always be one woodchuck left. There always is." concludes Adolph Ng, in Timoth1, Mo's novel, Tl¡e Redundancy of Courage. The book traces the story of So

Adolph, a Chinese hotelier on the waterfront of a town called Danu, the capital of a mlthical territorl' to the east of Indonesia and north of Australia. He witnesses an invasion by the fearcd Møløis, gets caught up in the guerrilla warfare vainly aimed at toppling the intruders and ends the book

philosophizing exile.

Any viewer of John Pilger's 90minute TiIm Deatb of a Nation who had read Mo's excellent book would as a

feel bound to find similarities between

Dili and Mo's Danu. Could they be related by any chance?

Any loyal adherent of President Pilger's

fact dogs any critic of Pilger's controversial work, jr.rst as it does any viewer of the Indonesian government's video on its version of reality in East Timor.

The fruitlessness of the arglrment was wefl demonsûatedat the FCC's showing of both videos.

We all have our own views on the relative weighting of the joys of economic progress on the one hand

and the inviolability of peoples' rights to think and speak for themselves on the other. And we well know which side most Asian governments have chosen. That both sides of the argument might make good points here in Asia is a sober and boring view.

But such aviewlacks both Passion and ideolog¡' and makes spokes-persons for it appear stuck like a piggie-inthe-middle.

On the night of the screenings at the FCC, this rolefelltoAdam Schwarz, a correspondent for t}:'e Far Ectstern

Suharlo' s New Order Indonesia would

Economic Reuietu for five Years in

- both accolrnts are fictional". And any believer in the phi-

Jakata, newly posted to Bangkok.

As author of the forthcoming Nation in Waiting, a PithY tome on mod-

say: "Yes

losophy behind Amnesty International

would say "Yes - both reveal the inner truth of the situation."

ern Indonesia, Schwarz is familiarwith the sophistry employed by both sides.

This confusion between trLrth and

He rightly pointed out that the

contrasting views ofÏered by Pilger and the Indonesian government advance us not a whit in our unclerstanding of East Timor. They tell us merely that theviews of each side are strong and passionately held.

Hardened followers of Pilger's career may recall the odd lapse here and there fi'om the path of principled

reporting. Few are the old hands around the regionwho do nothave an anecdote to tell of his spectactúar efforts at crusading journalism.

So often, we lament, Pilger hits on an issue that is real and demands serious investigation such as child prosti-

tLltion in Thailand, the administrative style of the KhmerRouge , andthewar in East Timor. And so often, his ap-

proach displays the black and white morality of a blinkered missionarywith a distaste for empiricism.

But, dare I say it, there is one good thing about Pilger - he provokes debate amongst a wider audience than the bar at the FCC. He forces officialdoms to react, he gets plal', and in the case of East Timor, he helped pltt the subject back on the agendafor awhile.

Few in the FCC audience that night

would have been satisfied with answers from the Indonesian consulate

in the war, though

representati\¡es but the amazing thing

so far

is that those representatives were there. Compare Xinhua. Presumably this iswhyAmnestyIntemationalfinds

true, is one of those things that can be

Pilger useful. But it would have helped

however, makes it easl'forthe Indone-

if Amnesty had pointed out the differences betpveen their research methocls and those of Pilger.

There are fascinating chunks in his film on East Timor. Alchival footage of Suharto's rise to power and of the Indonesian mttrder of fourAttstralian journalists in East Timor are rarely seen. And as a climax to his thesis, the footage, shot by Max Stahl, of Indonesian soldiers shooting unarmed motuners in Dili on November 12,l99l was heart-stopping.

As for the long pieces to camera

sians to denounce him. \ù(/hen you take

probably

neither proved nor disproved.

Pilger's dr-um-beating approach,

on

a

subtle nation like Indonesia, it's

as

well to be armed with something more than mere righteous indignation.

(Indeed, a heckler at the FCC had the same experience. Seeking a comment from the Indonesians on Indonesia's aggression toward Malaysia in

the 1960s, he got the date wrong,

a

point easilymade by a consulate staffer who appeared to be operating without the benefits of alcoholic stimula-

tion.)

Having said all this, the Indone-

b)'the preacher Pilger, it was easier to

sian government's riposte was laugh-

read the recent cover story of Eøstern Express's Weekend magazine on the

able. Indeed, the FCC audience broke

same subject.

short video produced from Jakarta.

It told us of the scores of schools, hospitals and otherworthy gains that had been brought t0 East Timor by the benevolent Indonesian government. By confining the subject of the debate to nnmbers, it could claim some adherence to facts, but not necessarily to truth.

Pilger is at his most clever when Ð'ing'üí'estern politicians in knots. His interview with Britain's former defence minister, Alan Clarke, was hilarious.

Pilger said the Hawk fighter jets sold to Inclonesia during Clarke's tenure in office were being used against the East Timorese. To paraphrase, he asks Clarke if he feels upset by the slaughter he is helping along. Clarke says "No".

Pilger then checks with Clarke that he is a vegetarian. Clarke proudly agrees. So, asks Pilger, since you care so much for the deaths of animals, does it not bother yoll at all that peo-

ple

albeit foreigners

killed? Says Clarke:

into frequent guffaws during the

It clevedl' - but not clevedy - took the words of critical religious leader, Bello, on economic enough

development out of context, failing to translate ftilly Bello's point. When he said development should be from the grassroots, what Bello actually meant was that the movement of migrants

Dedtb of a n..ttiotx

from Indonesia to East Timor, as part of this economic development, was bad for the East Timorese as they lost out in competition for things such as jobs.

The ftlnniest bit was where the Indonesians interwiewed an agingAustralian tolrrist in East Timor. This man

told us the place was just great empty beaches, lovely weather, friendly people, beautiful gids - much better than Australia!

Perhaps the Indonesian develop-

ment planners wottld love it if Dili became the next Kuta beach as suggestecl by this wonder of Oz. But they won't be organrzing day trips around the cemeteries, where all those cfosses are piled Lrp on gfaYestones to mark the same-day deaths of entire

families.

are also

"No, curiouslynot. "

But this witty repartee does not make up for Pilger's weaknesses. Few journalists can hang around as long as he has done with such an unsullied faith in his own views of a subject. For some of us it helps to recall that there is always another side to the story.

Pilger does not allow himself this indulgence.

So of conrse any relatively new of post-7945 nation state - as in most react defenwill Southeast Asia sively to accusations that could just as well be levelled at others.

Nowhere does Pilger examine what improvements there might have been in the lives of the average East Timorese over the last 20 years as he can't admit there might have been any. His claimof atleast200,000 deaths

Tbe Inclonesian.

tnarcb of progress?

MaY

1

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fepoftefs, even on mundane investment and economic matters which have no political signiticance.

This makes foreign corresPondents doubly concerned for the safety of Chinese with whom they are in contact. Such penalties are designed not merely to choke off dissident news solrrces, but discourage ordinary Chinese, be they officials, factorl' ¡¡¿1t¿gers or academics, from answering requests for informatiou and basic data.

The Harsh Realities

O A clampdown on the free flow of information is contrary to the princi ples of a market econom)/ now espoused by China. If joumalists cannot report basic, timely informatíon

Philiþ Bou)ring's cotnrnents receiuecl wíde couerage

)(i Yang, a Ctrina-born resident of flong I(ong arrd a O The harsh sentence appears inCfrina-based reporter for ttre flong I(ong d;anly -ùIing Peto, tended as a warning to the Hong Kong press not to report news or Tvas arrested last Octotrer and sentenced in April to L2 events in China otherthan thatwhich years in prison after a secret trial. The Chrb took up tris has been approved or announced in case v¡ittr a rrigorous dernrnciation of tris arrest, ttre the official media. This has, we believe, already influenced reporting in penalty and ttre uray it Tr¡as rneted out.

Hong Kong on China and we fear selfAccording to an offücial staternerrt put out by ttre Club censorship will spread to coverage of at the tirne of the prison sentence: "Ttte Foreign Hong Kong itself.

Correspondent' s Chrtr belier¡es that Mr Xi Yang' s serttence The Xi case is also being seen as sends a very chilling Íressage frorn Cfrina to all flong foreshadowing legal pressures on the media after 1997, including the use of I(ong-based j ournalists. long dormant colonial laws now on "Mr Xi uras subiect to a secret trial u¡ittrout proper the statute book to curtail freedom of ¡,.1ti"flw e understand to be speech and publication. The FCC is in acces s to adrris ors or farnily full support of the efforts by the Hong incorrect under Ctrinese lanr¡.

Kong Journalists Association to com"Even if tre tras r¡iolated Ctrinese rules al¡out ttre bat the tenclency towarcls self-censordispersal of inforrn at1on, his sentence is uttedy unrealistic ship, to have potentially oppressive laws repealed and to give statutory and r¡ictirnising." backing to rights to information.

On April 18th, ttre Sunday follouzing ttre reiection of ttre appeal, the Chrb s¡as represented by a contingent, led O Sentences handed out in China to by its four rnost senior ofEcers, at a rnass dernonstration those accused ofbeing the source of in flong I(ong in support of )(i. Chrb president Ptrilip the state secfets have been even harsher than those to journalists. Xi's Bolrrring, firrnly reiterated ttre FCC's cortcerrls: alleged accomplice, Tian Ye, an official of the People's Bank of China,

O

was, concerned the

The "secrets" for which Xi

apparentIy, sentenced

Even were Xi technically in breach of some ill-defined Chinese law, the sentence is excessive by any criteria and is a reminder of politically motivated punishments handed out dur ing previous periods such as the Cul-

possibility of interest rate changes and gold sales by the People's Bank of China. These were entirely unexceptional, being the normal stuff of discussion in market economies, tural Revolution.

THD CoRRISPoNIIEI{T

Mav 1994

was given a l5-year jail term. Such severity has become a pattern. Other cases over the past year of Chinese citizens passing on low level information to Hong Kong or foreign reporters have resulted in even harsher sen-

tences, including life imprisonment.

These are intended to deter Chinese from talking to foreign or Hong Kong

Trigger happy In ttre rnidst of the )(i Yang crisis, I{IçIA ckra-irtr>erson and A4itcg Pcz<> 11eszs editor Dais¡z Li, addressed the FCC- -Re.x E- Ellis repol:tsQ elf-preservation causes an

\,1

apprehensive eye to be cast on the future sovereign power. The upshot can be editorials in the guise of stories and self-censorship in the name of surwival.

How much more challenging then

without fear of arbitrary use of

for someone who is both the Ming Pøo news editor ancl chairperson of the Hong Kong Joumalists' Associa-

managers and accountants can produce accurate fepofts and accounts

tionto accurately outline thefacts and dispassionately explain the ramifìcations of the XiYang case to those less

draconian state secrecy laws, it is hard to imagine how, for example,

for listecl Chinese companies.

Almost all Chinese quoted companies are predominatttl)' stuta-o*tt"O, including those listed or aspiring to list) on the NewYork and Hong Kong stock exchanges which require accttrate disclosure of significant corporate information. An open econom)¡ with quoted companies honestly operate d is not compatible with a closed

society which penalþes those who publish acclrrate, if inconvenient, facts.

O

Hong Kong cannot sulvive as an

international or regional media centre if local journalists, or those reporting on China are to be subject to arbitrary and harsh laws suppressing freedom of information. In practice, so far, foreign correspondents who are not ethnic Chinese have not been subject to

closely involved.

Daisy Li Yuet-wah eloquentþ detailecl the threat XiYang's plight poses for Hong Kong's media.

As Li pointed out on the day before Xi's appeal was rejectecl, it was not even known whether Tian Ye, the Bank of China employee sentenced to 15 years for allegedly providing information to Xi, was male or female.

Li said the so-called financial state secrets referred to in the scanty Chinese statements concemed the interest rate of the People's Bank of China and the intent to sell gold in the international market. But even Ming Pao wasn't sure which stories the Chinese

were targetting.

While being careful to report the facts, or the lack of them, to her audi-

the same dangers astheirChinese coun-

ence, Li was clear and uneqtúvocal about the impact of the XiYang case.

She said the l2-year sentence sent

terparts. But that does not clilute the FCC's concern forwhat has happened to Xi Yang,

a shock signal th-roughout the pressin Hong Kong. It raised the question "are we still free?"

XiYang case has been to make reporters, particulady those covering China, much more cautious. Very senior journalists have been calling the Joumalists' Association worded about their personal safety and about their contacts in China.

Looking

at Ho

ngKong after 1997,

Li pointed out that Article 23 of the Basic Law stþulates that the f,iture SAR legislature should enact legislation to prohibit theft ofstate secrets.

"If we apply the deftiition of state secrets right now in China to Hong Kong that would effectively kill all the stories we are now working on," she

wamed.

"The state secret (definition) is so broad, almost everythingnot reported lnthe Peoþle's Døily arc state secrets.

"Our readers arc really on our sicle.

People really feel that if they do not back us up that will be the end of a free press in Hong Kong."

Concern reaches into the proChinese camp whích realizes the Chinese government should give a clear

explanation to the Hong Kong peo ple. Li stressed the importance of the unprecedented step taken by Hong Kong delegates to the National People's Congress in urging Beijing to reveal details.

Li was not optimistic the mount-

ing protests, demonstrations

and marches would have any impact on the Chinese authorities. "'What we can do is clear his name,

which is very important from a Chinese context. what we afe trying to

Indeed, because Chinese national-

Li's answer was to question the

itylaws embrace manl' jottrnalists hold-

"draconian" laws still on the teffitG ry's statute book. She likenedworking in the Hong Kong media to having a glrnman point a loaded pistol at you, guaranteeing he won't pnll the trig-

do is to spread the message that he is not a crìminal. He's a political victim.

He's a victim of the system."

Li hopes the pressure will have

gef.

the intemational media can help. "Try to report the case inyourpaper and let

ing US, British, Canadian, Malaysian and other passports we are the more conscious of the clangers to FCC members and HÇA colleagues which exist simply because of their ethnic origin.

The case of Xi Yang is veÐ/ impoftant: for Xi, for China, for Hong Kong, and for open societies everywhere.

@

"Infact the triggerhas beenpulled.

And there are casualties. Very severe casualties." Xi Yang is one of them.

Li said the immediate effect of the

some effectinthefuture. That'swhere

your people and yotr government know about it," she told FCC corre-

spondents.

May 1994 THE coRRxsP0lulDNT

E

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Open Says Them Freedorrr of inforrrratiora is seen b)z rnan;t as a l>asic rigkrt in a derrrocra-tic societ;2. ifhe question is\xzhether go\zefll1-Lerats see tlaings the sarrre way. f)r Nil:t¿zlJctjucteui<:krctrrzct of the la-x¡ facr-rlty at tlLe fJniversity of I{ong l(ong rrrakes the case for an a<:cess to inforrrratioll trill, as l?roposed b>. legislatir.e councillor Christine Loh. -A.ccordirag to the la'qz lectr-rrer it is rzital the Bill l>e l?assed in the territol-y l>efore \997 -

fewyears ago,

a

colleague

-

in

a moment of boundless opti wrote to the Chief Secretary of the- Hong Kong government and

mism

asked whether he would be kind enough to provide him with some information on how the government classifies different types of information.

He received a reply exactly 30 days later from the Secretary for Ad-

ministrative Services. He was very politely but regretftrlly informed that the information on the classification of documents was in itself an item of classified information. However, if he could be of any ftrrther assistance to him, my colleague was asked not to hesitate to contact the Secret^ry agaifi.

well as whatever policy guidelines, des or interpretations it Llses orrelies upon in performing its public func-

inter-governmental relations, personal affajrs, business affairs, the economy of Hong Kong, orfinancial orproperty

tions. The hitherto closed, almost secretive, decision making process is thereby made transparent.

Secondly, a person will have a legally enforceable right of access to information in documentaryform held by the government. In otherwords, he or she will have the right to ask a government clepartment or agency to

interests, documents subject to professional prMlege, or affecting the con-

\ülze are not adr.ocating a.

gle^t leap into the r-rtrknogzn.

If the draft Bill which christine Loh has proposed is adopted, four innovations will take place in the field of public administration in Hong Kong.

Firstly, every government department or agency will be required to organise its documentation in such a manner that it will be possible to publish a register which will categorise all documents in its possession, whether held on file, tape or disc.

This exercise may, in some departments, take considerable time and involve substantial cost. But at the end

of it all, the principal beneficiary is likely to be the government department concerned whose affairs there-

after must necessarily proceed on

a

more ordedy course.

Together with the register of documents, the department or agency will also be required to publish a description of its structure and functions, as rHE c0RRxsPoNIlENT May 1994

duct of research, and internal working doclrments. Not all the documents that fall into these categories will be exempt, but only those reasonably necessary in the interests of good and

to inspect a document, or to provide with a reasonable opportunity

a copy of that document. No reasons need be gven for making such a request; nor will it be necessary to establish any special interest or connection in relation to that document.

Of course, several categories of documents held by the government will, unless the public interest otherwise dictates, be generally exempted frominspection, some indefinitelyand others for varying periods. A substantial portion of the draft Bill deals with exempt documents because that is an essential component of legislation of this kind.

These exempt categories include executive council documents; those relating to judicial functions, or affecting law enforcement or public safety,

and we recommend that any decision

of the Information Commissioner be also subject to judicial leview.

In preparing this access to information bill, we examined not onlY similar laws in a number of other colrntries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, but also the actllal experience in those countries in implementing those laws, both at the centfal and regional, state or provincial levels.

It must be acknowledged that if ar¡' single law had the most signifi cant influence on me, it was the Access to Information law in the Australian state of New South Wales, where I had the opportllnity of actualll. ebserwing how it operated ancl of discussing the problems relating to its implementation with the officers charged with that task.

I would also like to mention the fact that while I [ta1, ¡uo'. provided the framework for this Bill, manY of its provisions have emerged into their present form due to the very Perceptive analyses done, ancl the refine-

ments proposed, by so many others who have, over a period of neady two years, since the Hong Kong Journalists Association first took the initiative in this matter in late 1991 , given of their time and expertise towards its creation.

keeping in step with contemporaly trends towards more openness and greater accountabilitY. JLlst as the Hong Kong

right to ask a government department or agency not only to let him or her see any file'in its possession in which is recordecl information concerning him or her, but also to request that any such informationwhichis incomplete, incorrect, out of date or misleading, be amendecl. Even if the department ment.

A right of access to official infor. mation can be ineffective if the decision whether or not to grant access is left entirely to the discretion of the government agency corlcerned. Therefore, it is proposed that there be established the office of Infomation Commissioner. He will be an inclependent officer chosen for appointment by the Governor from among three persons

recornmended to him by the Legislative Council.

Any person refused access to a document within the time prescribed, which we have suggested should be 2I days, or otherwise aggrieved by the manner of implementation of this law, will be able to appeal to him. The

Bill of

I would like to conclude by em-

Rights is gradualll', perhaps imperceptibly, strengthening this community's belief in the value of human dignity, an access to information law

phasising that, in recommending for

can be a powerful mechanism of ac-

countability.

An '¿ccess to inforrrration lavz can l>e a p o.wzerfr-rl rrrechanisrrr of acc<>untabilityHong Kong an information regime, a great leap we are not advocating .W'e are urging into the unknown. that in the field of public administration, this territory should match its achievements in the financial ancl technological spheres, the growth of education and the development of representative goYernment, by

To the extent that shrouds are lifted off government, and the deci sion making process made visible, to that extent are opportLlnities for cor' ruption minimized, and the abttse of power lessened.'With accottntabilitl', utrd ,n. <liscipline that comes with it, the quality of decision making mttst necessarily improve.

'Vl'hatever the vicissitudes are that

Hong Kong may have to face in the future, the Bill of Rights and an access to information law, and hopefully a

Human Rights Commission and an Equal Oppol'tunity law, ate capable of, and woulcl probably succeed in, effecting an almost irreversible cultural transformation.

E

efficient administration.

Thirclly, a person will have the

or agencl'refuses to make snch amend-

give

ment or agency to Provide access,

Care and At¡enlíon Means Only Crown Puci'fÎc Entrusting Grown Pacific with your family treasures is the only move an executivefamily should make.

Protect your art, antiques and the sentimental items you simply can't replace.Get high qualitY Packing, careful handling and troublefree door-to-door service.

Why should you settle for less?

tor

Moving fhÍngs You Reolf Csre Ahout...

¡rDt.llltlr

DÄraltlll

oat'

Information Commissioner ought to have the power to direct a departMa1,

7994 THE C0RRXSPoIIIIEI{T

Jethro's History Lesson Line tt-lI

he Foreign

NTe.wzl¡z installe d FC C ÍÍra'Íra.g,er, Je tlc r <> L e e-L:[cz It o rL ey or-rtlines so1a1e of the qlrestiorls he .wzill t>e addressing orlce kre settles in on Ice House Street.

follou.ing presentation to tfie Legco 12anel e><arnining tlae proposed bilf. correspondenrs

Club does nor noimally involve itself in the local Hong Kong political debate. Our role is to repot it for overseas audiences.

In this case, however, the subject at hand is something that could influ-

ence Hong Kong's suitability in the future as a base for covering regional affaîs, and particularþ, Chinese affairs. So I would like to make a few brief comments.

It is not necessary for the FCC to take a firm position on whether or not Hong Kong needs a data protection law, which would permit individuals to gain access to information concern-

ing them held by government or private firms. Our concern is mainly that such a law - should Legco clecide to pass it not be used as a weapon against legitimate news gathering and

repofting.

The danger is that an individual or

company who knew himself to be a subject of an upcoming news article or television broadcast could bring pfe-emptive suit against the news organisation in question, forcing the re-

porter to divulge information and

sources. Handing business people or politicians snch aweapon could have a chilling effect on the news industry.

'W'e therefore urge that the press be exempted from the requirements

But foreign reporters could fall in the same net.

I

be exempted from the law in such a fashion, mllst subject itself to the dis-

journalists outside the law. The existing system of public redress is an imperfect one. Yet society must balance competing objectives.

In this case, the benefits of a free press outçyeigh the possible demerits of a media that might at times step over the line.

cipline of a formal press or media council - whethervoluntary or statutory. This body would be charged with

It should be remembered, moreover, that the British style common law which mles Hong Kong already pro-

enforcing a code of conduct or standards on journalists in Hong Kong.

Thatwould be a dangerous pathto start down. The danger lies in the possibility that such a body could become a convenient instrument by which a future administration might disipline

vides tougher remedies than the Ameri-

of the proposed law, if indeed it

is

passed. This was the approach taken

by the European Community in 1992.

Some concerns have been raised that the press in Hong Kong, if it is to

the press, even for reporting that would now be considered entirely legitimate.

The Xi Yang case provides the starkest possible lesson for us 4ll in this regard. That is especially so for local journalists, who are notprotected

by foreign passports and

overseas

political or consular support.

lJnñt+tor¡n"trpr,r+rtt."

- - - -

---l

Government House Upper Albert Road, Hong Kong (Fax: 521 -1 868) Dear Governor Patien, I suppori the Access to Information Bill, which is co-sponsored by legislative concillors Christine Loh, Simon lp and Jimmy McGregor.

It is vital to the concept of open government, and to the implementation of Article 16 of the Bill of Rights, that the right to seek and receive government information should be embodied formally in leg islati on

Hong Kong's future prosperity and stability depend in significant measure on the free flow of information. The push for wider participation in the territory's political life also requires increased

can system, where there is wide lattitude lor the press in covering socalled public figures. Hong Kong law in contrast establishes much tougher standards for journalists to follow.

The establishment of apress collncil, I believe, might hasten the day

accou ntable I note with satisfaction that you have yourself expressed similar comments in the past.

The Access io lnformation Bill is an important piece of legislation worthy of f ree and f ull debate on the floor of the Legislative Council. I trust you will exercise your prerogative to permit this Bill to be tabled

before the Council.

the reply was, according to those present: "I mean in line with the objectives of the PRC government."

This statement was made in

p.lt,

__l THD GoRRISPoNDENT

May 1994

a

slightly jocular fashion, but I think all present were clear that he intended to send a strong message. I would urge the Legislative Council to think very careftilly before establishing new bod-

thatmightmake the job of bringing pressure to bear easier.'

lD Number:

There will be many ideas put to me over the forthcoming months. A,fter all with an active membership of over 1,500 that's atleast 3,000 differentopin-

ions on eYery topic known to man.

It might iust be of interest to know some of the points that have been raised with me so far, in no particular

order.

E

orwilltell one; a limit to what they think relevant or of interest.

I thoLrght I'd have a flick through the CV of the FCC and in order to do that I needed only one thing - a set of back copies of Tl¡e Corresþondent! cc

FCC rnerrll>efs .r zefe iet ser, elite,

spendthrift anld viceridden ))

The general price structure needs

to be

adjusted

downwards (not

exactly a surprise, this one alwaYs features); the wine list is in need of

while we're at it, sort out the

ies

Yours sincerely,

can

the prospects for the foreign press in Hong Kong after the establishment of

Hong Kong affairs attended a not-forattribution lunch at the FCC. When asked what would tle the position of the foreign press in HK aftet 1997, his reply was that there should be no problem as long as our reports wefe accurate and objective.

Asked what he meant by objective,

have come into

stay the course. There, that's out of the way, now we can get down to the business of making each other's ac-

pressures andintimidation. We're talking, of course, about 1997: what are

the Hong Kong SAR? One indicator came a couple of years ago, when a senior Chinese official concerned with

I

contact has been most welcoming and hospitable, there is a limit to what they

quaintance.

sort out the sandwich selection and, P.A.

system.

A more than hirsute Hubert Van Es

Meanwhile, although almost every-

one with whom

most fecent General Manager. I've got a three year contract and I intend to

serious corrective surgery.

Better bangers; bring back the Sunday brunch ancl the daill' British breakfast. More pies please; banish okra and

when Hong Kong-based journalists would fall prey to outright political

transparency, along with a population able to obiain the information needed to hold the government

Name:

appreciate the concerns ex-

pressed that such an exemption places

efore anybody else asks, permit me to introduce myself: I'm the

Actually I went as far back as November 1987, enoughformyprrposes.

It would be fair to say that I was not a little taken aback at the idea of a fashion show in the main dining room, and judging by the comments, I was not alone. A popular speaker was Prunella Scales and a highly-criticisecl softball player was one Saul Lockhart.

photographed a lady taking the clothes off a male dancer while an awful lot of people looked on. This activity took place close to the time that a survey declared that FCC members were "jet set, elite, spendthrift andvice-ridden".

The first speaker in the Year of the Snake was Lord Carrington, although I'm sure this was coincidental he had just taken up

a

Auctioneer. There was

a

new post as video club.

The Tiananmen massacre caused the Club to take to the streets in protest, just as it has recently in support of Xi

-

Yang.

Mr Liao retired after working for

the Club almost 4O yearc. Stuart Wolfendale had trouble with an elephant inThalland, orwas it the other

way around? Heinz Grabner's farewell party attracted a full turnout and Francine Brevetti questionedwhether journalists were paid enough.

'W.ell, I think you're an interesting lot of people in an interesting place.

You'll do.

E

Then there are those who want the times of food service and the colour of the linen to be altered.

Introduce home-delivery of wines at special rates and fix the computers and everFthing else in the work-room!

So that's all you want. No Prob-

THE ZCC

BYARTHUR HACKER ooN'T vorj

C H INLE55 GUTLESS

UNÞEF,STAND

GOR^1LE9S GIT-LIKE YOU

POLfÀOoN...

YOU

lem. No problem, that is aPart from the fact that for each member who wants stronger coffee there's onewho wants weaker. Ah, the joy of clubs.

Tlne'94 election of the Board will mean new committees being formed and it would be most helpful if you could contact either myself or any of those committee members and let us know your feelings.

THAT ALL YOU,L L GET ARÊ IN9ULTS

ANÞ WORST OF ALL BR EAKFAST AA

EEf ING5

Thatwayl mightbe able to rise to the challenge that Philip Bowring in last months' issue of Tbe Corresþondent said I was welcome to!!

May 7994 THE GoRRESPoNIIENT

ì Ð õs

à

s

After decacles of isolation, ttre doors to the lYlya'itrtrar socialist reput>lic are sloxrl¡z creaking open. FCC rrrerrlt>er -Ha.rts \zrietzs of Dutch lfelerzision and Elseuier takes a Peek inside-

\ /iriring Burma on a journalist visa Y i, .uri.. than it has been for a long time, although obtaining one can be a curious procedure.

"Are you a nice or a nasty journalist?", is how Wynn Thein, the consul of Myanmar (as the military junta pre-

fers Burma to be called in English) started our two-minute conversation

in his Wanchai office. "I am trying to be fair," was my answer to this most unexpected question.

A week after the one-question interview, I boarded a Myanmar Airways Intemational Boeing at Kai Tak Airport: non-stop to Rangoon, and then on to Pagan which is one of the most amazing sights in Southeast Asia.

Over 2,000 temples and Pagodas

stand on the banks of the IrrawaddY River. Everywhere yott look there are huge temples and ruins in all sizes

-

Tbe Strand., tbe only

fiue stctr botel

graceful pagodas, all built between the 1lth and 13th centllries.

But Pagan is hardly known in the outsicle wodd. When I visited it recently I came across a total of ten tourists in the 40 square kilometres which make up the area.

There are only two small stateowned hotels near the temples and one private guest house is back in business. Until recently, privately-

owned hotels were forbidden in Burma.

My guide Paik regretted it; he used to run a guest house in Pagan. Twelve years ago the government took away his licence and since then he has acted as a guide around the forest of temples and pagodas.

Both state-owned hotels in Pagan make it perfectly clear why Burma is

unable to attract many foreign toLlrists.

The bungalows ofTharlThe Hotel look well enough from the outsicle.

Hclwever, there is no electricity Continued on lxtge 14 I i e b tr i I cl i n ¡4

)fu

n cl cr I cr.y

-l

have try," he said, adding that it took your room bill before the three years to fully complete r€noto settle staff will consider serving you break- vations. fast.

Built in the 1901, Andpayingis Pa¡rrnent is no srnall Strand has no small task if you are the first only 32 task if yor-r are ttre first guest ever to use rooms and guest ever to Lrse a I recently bea credit card fill our my came part of had to credit cardpersonal details the up-market Aman in three different Resorts chain. Before that it was books. Credit card?

There are , however, signs that a being run by the Hong Kong New \ùØodd group. tourist boom is in the making.

"Within a few years we hope Interestingly enough one can still 500,000 foreign tourists will visit Myanmar", explains Myo Lwin, deputy director general at the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. A rather ambitious goal considering only and no hot water. Worse, you

1

see

how dilapidated the hotel

Noon Midnight,

Sunday

Happy Hour'5-8pnr Healry English Breakfast served

Buen Vino

1993 the number of

Special

\--

Cround Floor', Hutchison House (next to Furama Hotel) Cenrral, Hong Kong Tel: 525 7436

-J1 WYNDHA,\I STRßET TEL: 877J472

however, that amounts to practically nothing.

10:30 am Mon - Sat

\{e look forward to seeing you!

S BAR

to most other countries in the region,

till

Tracljtional Pub Grub, Daily

\--

E

G""d[ foodl rttdl ¿ wéùr-n *"ì."o-n" a.u'aiú you.

I-

CEhTTR.A.

Great food, wine & beer in a relaxing and friendly atmosphere.

HAPPY HOURS - ALL DAY SUNDAY AND 6 - 8 PM & 11 - ]2 PM EVERYNIGHT South China Building, L-J lØyndham Street Tel: 526-5293 Fax 801-5006

Close Encounters of the Exotic lndian Kind

The Ashoka "-l'he lìestÀur.rlt' A lìoval g(trtrmct dclitc a$'¡it5 v(ìu, rv¡tlì Valct Parking Servict'

(7110pm

-l0flt)pnì)

"-Iokc Àwo¡'s" A dcliciot¡s lntli¡n ltrtlrtl¡¡etrct' We delivtr thc Indulgt'trerc ttro, b('tu.ccrì 7:00 p ¡ìì - l0f)(l P nì

¡t 57-59 Wyndh¡m 5t, Ccntr¡|, t I K, Tlt 524 9623, 525 5719 ¡t our br.r¡tl nerr ¡rl.rcc at (ì/ F Con¡raußht Conrmercial Buildittg, Itl5 W,rnchai llo¡.1, ll K . Tcl tlgl 89ltl, tt91 505.1.

Wc ¡re still thcre

¡ntl

,r

lso

OPI]N AI-I- DAYSOI]TIII] WEEK (()Pùr¡t(d try UnileJ Uft'\'trio\ lntcrndli¡rìnl)

t

.r&'

.T/".72;,*rz,F*n/7¿¿atzze*Çnu1ro/ .,1'n /7ñ, .ß^' / 7â.lr- .T¿o /

ir

.

D

GO

W

On average guest houses charge US$8 per night.'State-owned hotels

N

- nightmare to stay in - will set you back around US$35.

The government is even considering allowing foreign airlines to fly a

1994

Y

-WHERE THTNGS REATLY TAKE OTF-

Royal Guest House.

Mry

Come and join us at one of Central's favourite pubs.

THE GODOWN

soon as I boarded the overnight express train from Rangoon to the former capir.al, Mandalay, a marr handed me his business card: the

Tf,D c0RRf,SP0lrItENT

Bull & Bear

G/F., ON HING BLDG. (UP THE STAIRS, opposite'LOFT' lN WYNDHAM ST.) CENTRAL. RESERVAflONS: 8101162

More hotels are under construction - five international ones are currently being built in Rangoon and a floating hotel is expected to arrive soon from Singapore.

Myo Lwin explains that the government really intends to make life easy for tourists. "Tourists can get visas for up to four weeks. They no longer have to travel on a package tour. " Perhaps even more importantly, the state no longer has the monopoly on tours. The result has been small private tour operators springing up all over Rangoon. The same applies to private guesthouses. As

sUPPORTERs

FCC

Opening Hours: 8am till 2am, Nfonday - Satur-day,

tourists incre asedto 44,OO0. Compared

But changes are in evidence.

to Pagan and Mandalay.

Ken Millar is the Scottish manager ofthe recently reopened Strand Hotel - the first foreign-owned hotel to open in Burma since the military takeove r in 1962 when General Ne Win expropriate<I all foreignowned hotels. "We are the only five star hotel in the whole of the coun-

In

THESE

Amistart;âÂès

vated. Under the floor of the present dining room annex used to be the only swimming pool in Burma.

Tourism does seem to be on its way to becoming a lucrative foreign exchange earner for the Burmese mili-

tary regime.

PATRO N I5 E

PLEASE

3O

I ,000 foreign tourists yisited Burma 1992.

in

was

years of Burmese socialism in the annex at the back which was added in the Thirties and has yet to be reno-

after

LUNCH, DINNER & DANCING -PRIVATE ROOM-

- LUNCH - DINNER -

A SHORT TAXI RIDE FROM THE FCC HAPPY HOURS 5-7 PM, 1 1- I Z MIDNIGHT

-

FOR RESERVATIONS CALL A661.166 THE GODOWN, ADMIRALTY CENTRE, TOWER 2,

8-13 Wo On Lane, Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong

CROUND FLOOR, HONG I(ONC

Telephone 576 5965

"Its late and had a bite" we havenrt from lO 12 a.tn.

Late night supper Friday, Saturday and eve's to public holidays.

Tentple Tinte details ofa¿¡es pusl

-

LIVE PIANO AND AMBIANCE AFTER DINNER

58-62 D' Aguilar Street Lan

"îÏi;;rå:äï'al

Hons

Kong rel:

845-5577

Bitíng The Ballot \Jup,.r'uunn. rorme'y Il ,L. resiclent caltoonisr.

\

lr-

tJ;re Soutlc Cbinø Morning Post, retLÌrned to Hong Kong from his native South Africa for a short visit after a two-and-a-half year break carrying some of his latest

if' -;:;î- ¡¡'Í ,*, A¡ .4' 4: ¿ -+9 i/*

l

work.

Now working for the 50,000 circulation Natal Mercury as house cartoonist and occasional

illustrator, Dunn has lost none of his sharpness with the pen and little in his conversation.

"Come out to bloocly, srnny South Afiica," he invited friends, just a month before the recent

historic elections.

"Yes, occasionally I find it a bit difficult to keep cool. Before retlrrning home I promised myself I would keep my distance from events. But in today's

wodcl, )¡ou can't."

Living in Natal, the region dominatecl by the Zulus, has had its ups and downs as the country has gone through the trauma of shaking off the shackles of Apartheid.

"Btrt for all that, my work has

not got me into too much tronble with our readers. Ve have had a few letters from disaffected souls, but not too many. The fact is, though, that we really do have a free press," saicl Dunn.

As far as the general South African press is concerned, "it's all in limbo," he said. "The investors are waiting in the wings until things settle clown one v/ay or the other."

The following selections a flavour of the atmosphere in South Africa, plus

offered here give

a "kicker" as comment on our

shared predicament.

I

)

" rtt ßE¿uY ¡ror rHnr øAÞ oN¿E

{wbr,wtærk&

ø g¿¡¿et*v 6E¿-o}

E

THD CORRXSPONDENT Ma.r' 1994

Ma\, 1994 THD

C0RR.ESPoNDENT

r

{70

ffi:-"'.o

IIJHEæ

þø

A grËe.

WTIER, AtvÞ

THE CORRf,SPOIìDINI Mar' 1994

May 1994 THE coRRf,sPoNItENT

Busuanga group of islands off northern Palawan, offering complete diving packages.

Micronesia, particulady Palau, has

Testosterone Travel

become a hot spot for Asian divers since Continental started direct flights from Hong Kong to Guam several years ago. Packages are available in either fully-sewiced resorts or basic motels.

Divers can also combine sailing and diving, using boats as floating ho-

tels with diving platforms. Several Phuket companies offer live-aboard diving packages, including transfers, accommodation, ftill board and two dives a day, with equipment supplied.

Live aboard diving is also available on

the 150ft Corøl Topaz near Sipaclan Island, Malaysia.

Bareboat yachting, where clients operate the vessel themselves, has long

been popular in the Caribbean. Now the sail-it-yourself concept has come

to Asia, particularly Thailand. In Phuket, on the Andaman Sea, several companies operate bareboat charters.

Asia Voyages' extensive fleet includes specialist scuba diving and fishing boats, clas-

sic junks, modern fiberglass ortraditionalwooden ketches and classic teak schooners. The high season for yachting is from

iftrere are tttose for q.lrorrr a, lx>liday ttaea-ns peeling therrrselrzes avray frorrr one l>ar to sit blz anottìef- i¡kren there are tttose lrztro .\ za1rt the ctrallenge of trauling therrrselrzes up rnoLrntains, dolvn rirzers, under !\zaves, through jtlngles In a- special report ()arcjt L:f¿zr<:7t¿zrtt takes (; o rr e sp c> n, ¿A e rz t re aders orì sorne less-tha-nleisurel¡r holidays-

hampagne corks really do pop inthe thin airhigh on amountain top. Having hauled the bottle all the

way to the summit of Mount Fuji, I found it especially festive toasting the rising sun with the foaming nectar.

Now that was travelling.

Adventure tfavel has become more organized since that long ago dawn when I stood on the chilly peak sipping champagne off the neck. Nowadays, there can be more to holidays in Asia than sitting around a beâch resort

or wasting time shopping for overpriced goods labelledwith some stran-

gers'initials.

Scuba diving, skiing and golf are the most popular outdoor pastimes, but sports such

as

rock climbing, moun-

tain biking, trekking, and sailing are growing in popularity. In addition, the region has an attractive array of 'soft' adventnres such as river-rafting, wildlife viewing, four-wheel drive safaris, house boating (Australia and Kashmir),

Tf,D CORRf,SP0tfIlEI{T Mav 1994

hot air ballooning and gliding.

Active adventurers can go camel trekking inAustralia of Rajasthan, hike on isolated Himalayan passes or in the Golden Triangle, or sail down the Ganges. The

tdy

adrenalin-challenged can

even bungee jump.

Scuba diving is appealing in part

because

it

can be learned quickly.

Leave Hong Kong merely

a

good swim-

mer and return one week later as a fully qualified diver, able to swap tales of weight belts and regulators, coral and fish, in the bar with the rest of the underwater set.

The most popular resorts and scuba schools are in the Philippines, Australia, Malaysia and Thailand. Travel agencies will customdesign PADI @rofe ssional Association of Diving Instructors) sanctioned courses for individuals or small groups.

Perhaps the cheapest diving desti nation in the region is the Philippines with resorts like Club Paradise, in the

able young Asian skiers. Locatecl in some of Korea's highest moltntains in

Duþou National Park 255km south of Seoul, Muju has a long season, from October to April. The wide range of accommodation (2,356 Korean and ìØestern-style rooms) covers everything from youth hostels to family and dehlxe hotels. More convenient, and cheaper, is Bears Town Resort, 40 minutes from Seoul.

South of the equatof, New Zealand's Porter Heights Ski Area, 89km from Christchurch, has the longest run in the southern hemisphere, ancl

The roof of the usorld., isolated, se

c

lud.e d,, my s tíc aL...

the steepest run in New Zealand. There

is a Ski Club Lodge on the field and hotel, motel and hostel accommodation in Springfield, 30 minutes away.

\While golf is hardly an adventure, unless played in a thunderstorm, it is a popularsport (althoughthere are those who argue it is merell' a way to spoil a good walk). Led by theJapanese, Asians have embraced the Gaelic game with the passion of kilted Scotsmen, with courses and resorts opening in almost eve4r çO1ttt¡n'in the region. Even China, which once banned

FtlhïR¡sd

Following the steps of Marco Polo...

For business, holidays or leisure trips anywhere around the world, call us, we'd be happy to serve you!

Frontieres 56 Tþavel Ltd 8/F Califbmia Ente;:tainment lluildiug, 3436 D'AguiÌar St, Central, Hong I(orrg

Tel:521 0571 Fax 868 4479

the "aristocrats'pastime", has joined the golf rush. Several

courses operate within easlu ¡s..¡ .t

November until May, when the southwest

HIGH ROAD TO THE HIMALAYA!

Hong Kong. Vietnam

Phuket is also a centre

is also reintroducing the leisurely game,

for sea canoeing. Sea Canoe Thailand operates overnight trips or week-

with a renovated

course in the mountain resort town of

long adventures, withEng-

Dalat.

lish-speaking guides. Paddling the manoeuverable but stable Sea Explorers,

'overseas' collfse to Hong Kong is at the

monsoon blows in.

The

Paddle pouter

nearest

canoeists visit the hundreds of small, weirdl). shaped karst islands in the region. The company

W'estin resort, on Macau's Coloane island. Tour operators also package golf in Malaysia, Thai

has also introclucedka¡,al¡ing in scenic

Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam.

land and at Manila's Wack Wack Golf ancl Country Club.

Like birds, skiers fly north in winter and south in sllmmer to the excel-

seeing

lent resorts in both Japan and Korea.

From Hong Kong, skiers can fly direct to Toþo or Sendai in Japan, or to Seoul, South Korea. From there it's just a short train or bus ride to the slopes.

Of Korea's seven resorts, Muju, the newest, ís the 'in' spot for fashion-

tours available year round in Nepal, Sikkim, Ladakh &

One eight-daytour combines sight-

with golf at colrrses in Kuala

Lnmpur, the Cameron Highlands and Penang. In their q'pical innovative enthusiasm, the Japane se have even de-

veloped snow golf for those who can't

wait for spring.

The lesser-krown but more ma-

cho sport of rock climbing is

also

growing in Asia. The human flies creep

the 1994 500cc Enf ield Bullet.

Rajasthan on

Also

I I

Everest base camp trek Sun Kosi whitewater

rafting adventure Call now to join these exciting action tours departing Oct/Nov We are the specialists for group and

individual travel to Nepal:

I r I I

Trekking

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zeDítf)boLioo.ys Wellington St, Central, fel:53O 2O27 Fax: 530 2516

11F, 14-24

May 1994 THE CoRRXSPONITENT

HK

up cliffsides in Korea, Pranang Beach near Klabi, Thailancl and Hong Kong.

Insubong, in Pukansan National Park, less than an hour from Seoul City Hall by bus, has a great choice of clirnbing routes, and there are mountain huts and campsites in the park. Hong Kong guicles will organize tolrrs for small g1'oLlps.

Hard-core trekkers seeking ever more lost horizons are looking beyond

the traditional stamping grounds of

can be arrangecl (although it is expen-

sive), and trekkers mnst bring their own camping equipment, inclucling tents ancl sleeping bags.

Despite the recent misadventures of a British army training mission, Sabah's Mount Kinabalu - Southeast Asia's lriglrest rnountain at 13,455 feet, is a choice spot for an excitirg amateur climb. Anyone reasonabll' fit can make it to the top witholtt experience or equipment, although it is perhaps

too arduous for confirmed bar flies. Think of it as walking up the stairs from

c/u¡

'W1'ndham

to the FCC

¿r' '1.

Street

for -with

eight hours,

no welcoming

Main Bar at the end. It is realll' quite satisfying.

/

Climbers leave from park

headquarters in

the morning,

ovemightinarest house near the

And ctnotber gor¡d. tuctlk is ru.ined

peak, then rise at

to Kashmir,

Ladakh (part of India's Jammu and Kashmir) and Ti

Nepal

Jam to climb to the sumrnit for sunrise , returning next da¡'. Bring yolrr owl1 champagne.

The climb along a well-marked

bet.

The most dedicated head for Tibet, an adventure in itself, and Llsing Lhasa as a base, they trek in the Motmt Everest area and the Lhasa Valley. Local guides, tfansportation and food

r(.r) r.r Á úcD

I

0É ^

a

rM

i I I ',r.¡sJ2

i:i';]fi+ll!

o,r.[

x+\

10

9!{t¡l

path can be done

two- or three-day trip from Kota Kinabalu, independently or on an arfanged toltf. Pofters ma)/ be hired and all climbers mlrst get a

as a

permit and hire an autholized

gr.ride

from the park headquarters - presttmabll' so they don't mistakenll' ¡s1low the British armyinto Low's Gully.

Two-wheel travellers can bicycle leisurely along the length of peninsular Malaysia's scenic east coast on a seven-day, six-night Kampong Tour.

Cyclists peddle a maximum of 80km a day through the rainforests and along beaches, stopping at fishing and farming villages. Bicycles are provided, accommodation is in simple resthouses and meals are at local restaurants.

More rigorous mountain biking is another growing sport inAsia. Nepal's back roads and trails connecting villages through terraced fields are perfect for the versatile, knobby-tyred vehicles. Biking season generally corresponds with hiking season; September to November are best for riding the Kathmandu Valley while late Febrllary to April are good for spring colour, though the lowland Terai gets too hot for comfort as May approaches.

Some organized tours combine biking with whitewater rafting.

Mountainous Nepal has some of

The Forum Hotel Shenzhen, a ivision of lnter-Continental Hotels, is Shenzhen's first international ly managed hotel group. Situated 10 minutes walk from the Lo Wu train station, the hotel has 541 airconditioned rooms including 33 suites, 2 Club lnter-Continental floors and non-smoking rooms.

There is a host of international cuisine available from the hotels' eight food and beverage outlets including 4 speciality restaurants, flapanese, Sichuan, international buffet & Cantonese). Other facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, 24-hour room-service, business centre, extensive range of function and private rooms and the Orient Station night club and Lobby Lounge, both with live entertainment.

A short trip from Hong Kong and close to the Shenzhen Colf Club, this makes it a firm favourite with golfers. The special "Colf Package" offered by the Forum Hotel includes: o Free transfer between hotel and Lo Wu Station o Free transfer to and from the hotel and Shenzhen Golf Club . Green fees for an 1B-hole round o Complímentary golfers' breakfast at the Atrium Cafe o Welcome golfers' cocktail at the Orient Station or Lobby Lounge o Complimentary fruit basket in room o Golfers' VIP gift in room o Late check-out to 6:00pm d

the wodd's best whitewater rivers.

Rafting is well organized here, with day trips from Kathmandu or longer trips on rivers only accessible by air.

Late September to eady December and March to May are the best seasons.

On several of Bali's riyers, rafting is not as

haity, but still fun.

Potential pilots can learn to fly ultralights at the Angeles City Flytng Club, site of the former ClarkAirBase,

For bookings or enquiries, please call your travel agent or the Hong Kong Reservation Centre on: (852) 827-0000

two hours' drive north of Manila. The

Air tickets, hotels?

FORUM HOTEL

ordinqry ctnd qrrcmge your business trcvel, but we speciqlise in the extroordincry.

Yes, we cctn book the

I I I

T Camel E Elephant safarìs T Sea Canoeing Phuket T African t' lndian safaris

I

T T

I

SHENZHEN A Division o{ Inter-Continental Hotels

WhJte water rafting

Trekking

-Nepal

Skiing E Heli-Skiing l

-r,4.

--

I f

tnter the Forum Hotel Lucky Draw arrtlyou

' ,,' night Colf Package for two (twin

sharirrg,t,

r oLrlrl n'irr.r lo Lre l¿ken

an\, time before 31st August, 1 994 Sirrrply answer the three easy quest¡ons, cornplete the

-

Have us advise and arrange all your airfares, hotels, villas or condominiums, transfers, hire cars, cruìses, sìghtseeing and travel insurance.

Enter the Forum Hotel Lucky Draw!

i

Vietnam scuba diving, cycling E trekking Blue Canyon Colf Phuket Hideaways Kota Kinabaìu, Phuket, Marinduque, Kipling Camp (lndia) Packages and tailor made holidays worldwide

mail or fax the coupon to the aclclress shru,¡r by the 1Oth.lune, 1994. Correct enhies will be enterr"l in the Lucky Draw. Ihe Dran'rvill lre rrratle orr Jrrrtc llìe t Jth and the winner will be rot iiiecl rliret tly lry tele¡rlrorre o¡ rlail. An announcenrent rvill also be nracle irr the tollorvaclclress section and

u,ffi.n

r

'1)

Does the Golf Package include Green Fees for an l8hole round of golf at the Shenzhen Golf Club? Yes/No

2) Does the Golf Package include free transfer between: a) Lo Wu Station and the Yes/No

Hotel?

b) The Forum Hotel and Shenzhen Golf c) Your home and The FCC

Club

Telephone: 54I 6208 Fox: 545 Ì0ó2 Telex: ó9ó50 CRAIG HX Licence No 350114 Member IATA & HATA

TIIE

GORRXSPOIìilIXNT

May 1994

I

3)

Add ress

Yes/No Yes/No

ing, Corresponclent

Rules: '1 Decisions nracle by the Forunr Hr.rte.l Shenzhen ¡re fin¿l 2) Only orìe entry l)er lleÍsorl lhe prize is non-tr.rnsferal¡le arrd cloes rìot carry an), cash l,alue .ì) [¡1p16;,ss5 ancl ianrily oi the Forunr Hotel Shenzen are not eligiltle to enter

Name

Company:

3) How many Club floors are there in the Forum Hotel

Te

Fax

She nzhen ?

Fax or mail your completed coupon to:

Forum Holel Lucky Draw, Forum Hotel H.K. Sales 0lfice Room 4701, Central Piaza, 18 Harbour Road Wanchai, Hong Kong Tel:827-1010 Fax:827-0505

club operates a fleet of 21 small ait craft. The Macau Aeronautical Association, aprivate club, offers ultralight air tours of the city, and private les-

The Cost of Freelancing

sons can be arranged. Flights operate

from opposite the Hotel President.

The major challenge, howeyer, is to get someone at the association to answer the telephone to arrange flights.

River canoeing, jungle walks and wildlife viewing from elephant back in Nepal's Chitwan National Park is a different sort of adventure. Resorts such as Tiger Tops and the ChitwanJun-

Iar¿ztz<;itze Eìrez;etti, president

of the of \úzorrren In I(ong ctrapter Hong .wzrites of am Publiskring CrültIPS), irrrpending rWTPS sunze¡2 regarding the 1>rofessional freelancer' s fina-ncial lot.

gle Lodge provide comfortable accommodation, and the ambulatory platforms fromwhich to

Moutlt Kìnabalu

view bird and animal life.

I was

perched on

a

once

-

dot't.'tfollon tbe BrítisLJ ttnny...

Upcoming Special Reports:

pachy-

derm with another traveller, a lady from Baltimore, moving h'ekking in. tbe Mala)cícut jtutgle slowly through the thick undergrowth, when the malJout suddenly hissed, wondered aloud, "'Where do you think "rhino". The bulþ beast, solid as a I can get batteries for my Walkman?"

The rhino bolted, andwe bothwished tank, stood just 15ftawa1', squintingin that the lady had gone to a beach our direction. We admired the animal in silence for a few moments, when resort instead. my seatmate on the wooden botudalt

r

Ju.ne:

Ieísure Holidays; cn,¡ses,

spcts

cand stress-rt'ee resotfs.

Jullt;

Inuestitxg; þa.rt 2.

August:

portnble oÍfice; kþ-tap cotnþ uters, ptinters, modems.

Seþtem.bet'.

October:

Tbe

:

Home electtic c.þþlícances.

Pholog,uÞbic EquiþnrcnI

-

WJat's new atxd boxu to use

it

Nouetnber, : Tbe Cbrístmas Bulting 6rr¡¿n.

Decetnber: , Chr¡stmds Sþirits: rrines,

sþirits, a.nd beers.

\Y/o-.n W n.

in Publishing will soon distributing its I'reelancers' rates surveyfot 1994. This will be the second go-round and the results should be all the more interesting since now we will have some dar.aas a basis oI comparisou.

Of course, we hope that the second set of results will show some upward movement in rates for all the crafts the survey cov€rs. Perhaps the recent entry of another English-language newspaper will have kicked at least for dailies. \ùøe'll rates up see.

Scoop from 1939 finally pays off

Tlne 1993 survey results were dismal but harclly a surprise. W'ith journalists as an example, the results showed that $1.50-$2.00,/word for

writers contributing to newspapers

Magazines paid better. BLrt even as-

Hollingworth, 82, has covered war zones from the Egyptian desert to the jungles of Vietnam. Among her many scoops, she was the first to report from Poland on the German invasion h 1939.

E

Clare Hollingu,orth: Í,5O0 tlre better

THD C0RRf,SP0NIIEI{T

Mar' 1994

qLrestions would probably reveal themselves to be unnecessary or unproduc-

place.

and we've revised many entries.

The first version was based on a

The 1993 survey emboldened people to query the rates theywere being paid. It set oLu own members at least to asking each other how to present themselves to editors when it came to

negotiating rates.

WIPS fielded calls throughout the year from those who had read the slllvey results and who wantecl to dis-

-

was the range most frequently cited. lare Hollingworth, FCC member and veteran Daíly Telegraþb and Sundø1t Telegrapb foreign correspondent has won tlìe å500 James Cameron Emeritus Award for a lifetime's achievement in journalism.

In her 55 years in newspapers, Miss

struck a chorcl and had become one of the tools freelancers can Lrse to make their way in a tough market

suming that a self-employed person was contributing to the best paying publications in Hong Kong, he/she could hardly be enjoying a decent standard of living on this source of income alone.

Before the results were out and in the year following, !ØIPS received a steady stream of queries from members and non-members, freelancers and employers alike, asking the appropriate rates for specific kinds of work. These people merely needed to buy a copy of the results. In any case, we rcalized that the surwey had

self-er-rrployed person contril>uting to tkre best payixl.g publications could trardly enjoy a decent standard of lirzing on tl-ris source c¡f incc¡rrre .A.

alone.

or less the same question: "How do I negotiate rates with the editor? Ifhe says thus and so, then how should I position myself.z" 'W'e knew the first survey was cumbersome and that some of the cLlss more

tive. Thisyear'sversionismuch shorter

model used by New York's Editorial Freelancers Association whose membership size lequires more data and

more refinements than we do in this community. So that was a lesson for 'W'e us. also cut out three job categories for lack of response but we completely revised the photographers' section to reflect more accurately the way they do business.

When WIPS distributed its first freelancers' rates questionnaires last )/ear, we didn't know if anyone would responcl. In fact, after distributing

it

to almost 700 people, our members and those of the FCC and PEN, we received 67 useable responses quite close to 10 percent. Our consultant on the slrrvey, lon Yagg, a lecturer in sociology at the University of Hong Kong, was quite content with this.

You don't have to be a full-time freelancer to participate. Anyone who does any amount of freelance work is welcome to fill in the questionnaire.

Obviously, the more responses we receive, the more accurately we can reflect our indttstrl.'s standards of remuneration. In advance of the fact, thanks for filling it in!

E

May 7994 THE coRRxsPolfItDNT

r

Is The Yoice Ovefl

The

llrlrile the RifHI{ rnanda-rins rna-ke ttreir case, a vetera:n rrredia- anal¡rst offers a- persolta-l rzieuz of .wzhat stre sees as a dire predicalTtent and rrrakes a fernz forecasts a,s to .n hat the fi.ture szill trold for the Ilong I{ong go\.ernrnent colatrolled station-

orn. people say, "There'll be no place for English radio when [he British go and we'll all have to speak Putonghua after 1997," but I believe that view is totally wrong.

Certainly another divorce of the radio services from the television side would seem to be on the cards after all RTHK was trusty "Radio- Hong Kong" before TV came along.

Despite that, some of the internal critics have been saying that the Chinese will just want a subservient government mouthpiece.

"We're finished, " they say, but the fact is that nobody knows.

Firsttherewas all the hoo-ha about corporatising RTHK. But that, at least, seems to have fizzled, out, apparently because of the unnecessary publicity and dithering over what was really quite a simple move to ensLrre some sort of independence.

Indeed, the future may well have been obscured by the bungling hesitation - but what of the present?

In my opinion the high staff turn-

Q \-f

over within English-language RTHK is dlle to low pay, poor prospects and unsociable hours.

On the other hand freelance rat.s .ontinrrJ

to be a joke.

Street

sweeping can almost seem

a

competitive pros-

pect.

known, at the same time the post of Head of Radio

3

English-language chan-

nel remains vacant. ${zhy, I haYe to ask, does RTHK radio need all these 'Heads'?

Illogically, there is another post entitlecl Head of English Programmes but there is only one channel in

-

English!

Even so,

I'm sure English

radio

will survive in our internationalll^

aware city. In the end, a response to changing circumstances will make sure of that.

In other intemational capital cities such as Singapore and Taipei, a hotel guest is able to tune in to one or more AM or FM channels on an English radio frequency for news, finance, lo-

influence, to be a go-between, a catalyst, and even a model for the whole of China in international radio.

Of course, things at RTHK will be largely run by local, bilingual staff. But that is only fair.

And ceftainly RTHK radio has better things to do than cling to sorne of its present obsessions, such as surwiving the introduction of impossibly complex colour touch-screen control boards in all the studios.

Does the public want to know who approved them and how much they cost? If the alleged figure of $90 million is right, we have reason to ask questions.

Meanwhile, Radio 4's listeners are said to bd mainly Chinese, so why do they have to tune to a moderately bilingual Radio 4?

And are seven radio channels really necessa4'? Could, or should, Radio 3 and Radio 4 be combined into one multi-interest channel on the lines

cal and wodd eyents and entertainment.

And the BBC has not given up despite the good works of Rupert Murdoch.

And why should Hong Kong be any different after 1997?

Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou all have programmes in English.

Certainly, Hong Kong is likely to

ret, but if the English channel broad-

be encouraged to expand, to widenits

ened its scope it could perhaps attract

of BBC $7odd Service radio?

Exactly who listens

to Radio 3

seems to be a rather well-guarded sec-

a much wider audience.

And does the newsroom have to rely so much on the BBC forwodd news and on GIS for so much

of the local input?

So I reckon that if RTHKadapts, responds, does a bit of listening to itself - along with a little more investigative re-

The rest of the n€ws

T n spite of continuing budget cuts, I nuCio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) is striving to restore programming lost since the first slashes made in tJae l99O / )l financial year.

'RTHK was in a state of

shock whenthe drastic cuts occurred," is the

way that Deputy Director of Broadcasting Chi Puihing summed it uP. "But now the situation seems to have stabilized and we're able to Plan to improve output."

That means restoring some of the eight percent of programme hours on which the plug was pulled when the govemment forced savings on several departments.

However, according to Chi,

aratioî- I the last ll by the I

lightly, from three to four percent from

1993 to 1994.

De-merging, particulady at peak morning and evening listening times, has restored some air-time lost when channels like Radios 3 and 4 merged and television production, where the TV stafftotals 180, has been reduced

to 10 hours a week ftom 12.

Even so, the financial secretary, Sir Hamish Macleod, once again cut RTHK's budget this year, this time by 0.4 percent to 6332 million. In real tefms, ovef the past five years, the

enced and valued pro-

porting - people will sit up and take notice

ducerþresenter is leaving for a more promis-

rather than often ignorins the serwice.

"In radio you can always re-schedule programmes and put in more mu-

ment head

is

leaving, the

head of music has resigned, and an experi-

E

ing future. As is well rHx

coRRxspoNDENT lN.Iay

t994

Solution

As Hong l(ong stfuggles to co1a1e to teffns uzith tkre irrrpencling takeor.er b). the Peking gorzefllrnelat, R-adio ifelerzision Hong I(ong rerrrains in a state of chronic flu><. Broadcaster, rnedia journalist a"rr.d FCC rnernl>er Rex E. Ellis rel?orts-

government has slashed its broadcasting arm's allowance by 77.6 percent.

The primary purpose in initiating changes to cope with the situation is to protect quality, according to Chi. He says that's easier in radio than television.

isn't good either. Over at Radio 4, the deparr-

O.4o/o

slc pf ogfammes, of mofe pfogfammes

with music content. Merging channels meantfewerhours, butwe aimed

at maintaining quality at least," the deputy clirector said.

Chi said a small amount of money can go a long way in radio. "I hope in

the coming year our radio division can make improvements in quality.

It may not be able to expand back to its previous output hours, but with more flexible use of manpower we hope to make better programmes," he said.

Even so, Chi insisted that staffing

strength is not far short of the 700 establishment norm, said Chi. "I don't

see the variance of 2t as alarming.

There's always a small percentage of vacancies."

'While quantity may not be a problem, the search for the right quality for the English-language service is proving difficult. The Head of Radio 3 post is being advertised for the third time since it fell vacant Iastyear.

It would seem that the govern-

ment's Iocalization policy has prevented suitable candidates being found lor a $ 42,7 25-50,23O a month j ob with

a25 1>ercenf gratuity after two years.

is not a problem.

wirh679 staff

- 546government staff , t 33 departmental contract the total

So flexibility is the buzzword.

The seven-year continuous resi-

dency requirement is being relaxed so even or.erseas applicants can be con-

sidered on their professional merits.

Chi said some flexibility will be ap-

plied in other recmitment, including continuing contract hiring which is exempt from the seven-year rule.

Full-time staff on various terms of employment on Radios 3 and 4 total 1 8.

So

it's little wonder that RTHK

makes such liberal use of freelancers.

Regulars and one-off contributors total well over 2,000 each 1'ear.

On fees, the station says "generallyspeaking, marketrates are a guiding factor, but we may not be able to match market rates in some cases."

Llke Lelterfronr Hong Kong paying $ 1,200 for 15 minutes. That's 2,0002,500 words, depending on speed of on-air delivery. A l5-minute Asia File complete with research, several - interwiews, writing and stuclio pro-

duction

-

pays $3,000.

So, although RTHK may be over

the initial shock, the new numbers point to ongoing trauma.

E

May 1994 THE CoRRESPoImENT

FCC

Portrait

Donations

That beautiful lithograph bl.

inMemory

Mrtrra¡' Zanoni w-hich hangs on the wall just to the left of the entrance of the Club is still available ($1,000 through the office). I)rawn in 1990 and created in a limited eclition of 100, the signed lithograph makes a perfect pre sent. (Incidentally, that same drawilrg is reprodr-rcecl on the FCC postcarcl, also on sale at the office for $2).

Zanoni, an Australian who calls London his home, is back in for a month or so to finish his book on Macau. Those of 1'ou who have visited the Portugllese territory recentl)¡ will know of the vast amollnt of demolitition and constfl-tction taking place . He's captluecl the old architectrre, people and the waterfront with his pen.

of David

R.

Schweisberg (1954-1,993) On Novemb et lI , 1993 UPI's veteran reportel and Beijing bttreau manager David Schweisberg died of an apparent heart attack. He was 39. David joined UPI in 1979 and serwed with the news agency in Detroit, New York, Washington, Hong Kong, Toþ'o andfinally Beijing - where he covered the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and army crackdown A long-time Asia hand, he was a frequent visi-

Habitues of the basement

gathered to bicl farewell to stalwart Peter'W'ong, who, b1' the time you read this, will be

already ensconced Zealand

in

New

with his family. The

basement gang, augmented by Ma.cau'Tbe

¡1

Ma Tent.þle A sneak ltrettieut of Zct.n.orti's Ma.ca.u. b¡¡ok

a few from the main

bar

upstairs, presented Peter with

a autographed lithograph of the club.

Peter W'ortg íll Lt.stratio tl

bJ,

Nctpier

D un.n

night p

tor to the FCC during his stays in Hong Kong. He will be missed by colleagues aud fiiencls at the club.

In his memory, his family is douating funds to two U.S. based organisations - Human Rights \Vatchl Asia and the OPC Foundation of the Overseas Press Club.

Human Rights Watch/Asia: Plans are being der,'eloped to use donations macle in David's name for a work/stucl1' fellowslip to support the maintenance of a database on Chinese and Tibetan prisoners.

Cheques notated "in memory of Dar,'id R. Schweisberg" should be macle payable and forwarded to:

Back Again That perennial visitor and former resident, Russell Spurr, was back in April, researching a book on the Governors ofHong Kong and making grate-

Human Rights Slatch/Asia, 485 FifthAve., NewYork, NY 100017-

ful use of the downstairs refe¡ence library. The semi-retired journalist and

6104, usA. Dr. Lestoll the ENT'sþecialíst is di¡4gingJòr Liz's tot'tsíls

broaclcaster, now living in Australia,

Vice Presiclent. Shnt

t

Wt

it't Gutierrez Canet. Luith

Caesar: "Theycame.

aficionados packed out

Mexican Food Dinner

rHE CORRxSpOltDrNT Ma1 1994

was anxious to get home before the heat hit. " It's winter Down Under, " he told Tbe Correspondent. "A, glorious time of year. Just the time for getting some work done. And on this particularsubjectthere is plenty. " Once home, Spurr also plans to get down to some serious dieting. Shortll'befote leaving Syclney he enlisted in 'Glrtblrstefs' an all-male slimming colrrse. "I left halfway through," he admits ruefully. "So far I haven't lost an ounce." Indeed.

Those of you who were mernbers in the eady da1's *'n.tt the FCC was ir Suthedand House should recognise the former club stewarcl, Liz Eckersly, who poppecl back into town just ilr time for Les Leston's annual pre-Rugb1. Sevens visit. The shock of crossing paths with Les, who jtrst now calls Spain horne, pfoved too much for Liz.

OPC Foundation: In Jamrary

of each )-ear the OPC Founclation of the Overseas Press Club issues scholarships for cleserving journalism stuclents. A scholarship will be issuecl as the Da'r'idR. Schweisberg Mernorial Scholarship. Please make cheques pa1'able to: OPC Founda-

to Mr. & Mrs. Emanuel Schweisberg, 1 32 Melville Rcl., Huntington Station, NY 177 46, tion ancl mailed

DON'T MISS THE NEXT THEME NIGHf'S Ma,t,24th Italian Night ($128) Sri Lankan Night ($ 108) .lune28th

USA.

Ma1, 1994 THD G0RRESP0NDEIIT

E

effects of the lefthimwith slurred, but steadily improving, speech, he still warms to a good stroke

The Beat Essentials lfed Dunfee, Así¿t A4øtgctzirle's forrner Eiangkok l>ureau ckrief and Horrg l(ong based journalist, szas stricken in l99O.wzitkr enceptralitis folloszing a rnosquito bite sr-rstained on th.e Burrrrese l>order- His illrress s/as cornplicated l>y a strokeIrr a corrla an.d para,lysed, Ted szas hosl2italised in Bangkok for rnore ttran si>< rrronths. lftre FCC joined its sister clul>s in Etangkok and Beijing in- raising fi.nds to co\zer ifed's e)<perrses. lFtrrough tkre gelaefosit¡z of ch-rl> rrrerrrl>ers, rnan)r of .wtrorrr lr¿efe not Correspond,ent orJournalist rrrerrrl>ers, an<1 did not knosz trirn, uze raised HK$2O2,645.09 for tkre special FCC-lfed Dr-rnfee Fr-rnd. lfhe rrìorre). -q/as sent in la.te L99O an]d eafly l99l to lfed's parents in \Zancorn¡er. (]r¿ty't¿tttt Horrzel, a colleague of lfed Dunfee vrzhen kre qzorked in tkre Hong l(ong lrourist Association's PR- Depa-ftrnerlt, chronicles 'iFkre Elear's' rrriraculous strLlggle back frorrr tkre brink. fD I\

eeular readers of British columnìu't *o major dailie s, Tvse Prou-

ínce and Tbe Vøncouuer Sun have become used to the pen names of bothAlgernonJ. Duffy andJack Duffy attached to assorted items in print ranging'from movie and video reviews to thoughtful and well-crafted letters to the editor on sexuality and the disabled.

Each of these bl.lines marks anothermilestone along the hard, painful, frustrating, depressing and very challenging road to recovery and recuperation that Ted Dunfee has travelled over the last three years.

Algernon, Jack or Ted all represent a man with tenacity, guts and a still-intact sense of humour, despite the traumas of what he has been through. Such a man could call himself MichaelJackson and still be ahead

on points.

From a totally disabled victim of a ravaging illness to a man with a mission that goes even beyond being

able to walk again, Ted Dunfee is slowly, but surely bouncing back. .W.ith over two years of hospitalisation behind him, 'The Bear' is now comfortably established in an independent living facility on the third floor of an apartment block down a pretty suburban street in Richmond, not far from Vancouver Airport.

THD cORRf,sPolmENT Ma1,

1994

Although wheelchair bound for much of the time, the usually cheerful man with three names is no

and the cold winters in the Vancouver atea, Ted gets out and about in

stranger at local Chinese or Thai restaurants, video stol'es ol'cinemas

Visited regulady by loving parents Enid and Don, and brother Don and sister Pat, with whom Ted's two

-

and, despite the frequency of rain

style.

A fewwords from The Bear himself "¿,å?: W:i^;',:*'äHi Keats, Feb Tbe Corresþond.ent,

and former Vancouver resident Garry

Marchant, have stopped by my hospital room and my apartmerft, since my medical evacuation from Bangkok in

'Dutch Treat' Letter From Amsterdam), perhaps Ashley Ford and I, as the onlyclub-members of whoml'm aware now are resident in Vancouver) should begin a chapter here to welcome members, former or cuf-

It would be nice if Ashley and I could offer visiting FCCers a venue in which to imbibe anything other than San Miguel (a sure way to inspire un-

rent.

pleasant Hong Kong memories, at least

Other (potential) members, such as Vancouver natives Gary Coull,

Berton \Toodward, and Peter

for me), sway tales of 'Honkers' and complain about certain people we know and about things in general.

Comparelli, along with Winnipeger

Perhaps a quiet bar called Stamps

September 1990.

debate aboutfamil-

iar topics - such as the merits of working in Thailand over toiling in Hong Kong.

(Ted, it will be remembered,wasa tace day feature at

Happy Valley and

who, in his lowkey, soda-drinking manner, earned the

title in Bangkok of

Prince of

Patpong!).

There is much Ted gets to

that one who has suffered so much

griþ uítb life again

sons now live, this gentle gianthas a

family support group suffounding him

that offers constant encoufagement.

Still with a hankering for Asia, Ted reads and watches all he can on

his old haunts. Although the after-

Landing on Vancouver's quaint Granville Island? There is a pub about two blocks from m1' apartment, but one usually filled with karaoke-types unable to hold a tune and, as such, more than a tad too noisy.

To continue with the gteat aîd much-appreciated roster of FCCers who have witnessed a few moments of my slow recovery process: Scots-

man and former Aussie Graham Hornel has been my most frequent visitor (about six times). His nttmerous visits should cease soon though, as he and his wife, Julia, are about to

'emigfate' once again guessed it, Australia.

to

you

FCC stalwart, and the only other man I knowwho contracted my iden-

tical virus, Saul Lockhart (my

en-

cephalitis was exacerbated by a debilitating stroke), has not onlyvisited me in one of myVancouverhospitals, joined by the aforementioned Ashley Ford, but also corresponded with me.

Our visit was a wodd removed from

from a single insect bite could be angry andbitter about.

Certainly, there are days when his renowned humour is severely tested and undoubtedly with very good reason. However, Ted is v€ry conscious of how severely incapacitated

our former happenstance meeting place in Seoul's Itaewon district.

The legendary Kevin Sinclair, who

is coping admirably with his own illness much as I would like to be with mine (he is the only human I know whose voice is close to thatwithwhich

I

was left post-illness) arrived in my room one summer day with his wife Kit just after Graham'Scooter' Loyell's visit.

Matt Miller, a former colleague at Asia Travel Trade, learned from the vast FCC grapevine of my plight, and

called from his San Diego home in 1991 . The FCC is certainly quite a club

in which to form lasting friendships! \X/hat fantastic shows of support for a "fallen comrade".

I would like to see, or at least talk to, any other FCC-types passing through the Vancouver suburb I now call home, (and indeed "West Hong Kong", such is the rapidly escalating

immigration from the soon-to-be ex-

his illness initially left him, and of how many of his ward-mates have never left their beds. And of how he has friends, many friends, out there who care.

Of these, two must be mentioned in the context ofany encouraging news aboutTed Dunfe e. Bangkok-based journalist Alan Boyd was not only the mover and shaker when Ted was hospitalised in Bangkok, but also rescued Ted's youngest son from health-threatening conditions in northern Thailand. He even flew back to Vancouver with the child, a selfless act for which the entire Dunfee family remains extremely grateful.

The other is Hong Kong-based FCCer Gary Coull, a fellow Canadian and a former journalist who has gone on to considerable success in the financial world, and who once travelled in Europe with Ted. Coull has gone out of his way to ensure that his friend's recovery has been boosted through Ted's access to a computer and a fax which he had installe d in Dunfee's Richmond

apaftment.

@

Last May, after residing

ous hospitals

in vari-

in two countries for

I,O79 days,I was "set free" in Richa suburb now one-third populated by Chinese. Indeed, my therapist when I first moved here was a Chinese ladywho was born here and absolutely astounded that my very limited knowledge of Cantonese was greater than hers. mond,

E

Sltould your traueß tøke you to Vancouuer, and you can rnøke tín7e to connect, or you feel insþired to þen an írreuerent letler orfax to EduardJobn (Ted'The

Beør') Dunfee and/or lsis colI e a gu e s, A lg e rno n a n dJ ø c k D ufny, bis contactdetøils are: +30G87O0

Generøl Curtie Road, Richmond, BC, V6Y 1 M2, Canada. Tel: 1 -604244-9340. Fax: I -6O4-244-87 04.

Tbe Bear would be pleased to

botl¡ bear and

see

you.

colony).

May 1994

THD GORRXSPOIUIENT

r

A monthljt portrait of FCC irreplaceables

--b

Cynthia Hydes Member Since: Age:

Occupation: Nationality: Interests: Description:

December 1976 (Sutherland House).

"Come on! That's no thing to ask alady!".

Broadcaster, writer, musician and being Mrs Frank Hydes American.

Making other people laugh; listening to the great musical performers of our time.

"The smiling blond at the bar. The one with the gurgling laugh."

Tm BEsr PnnrxERSHIps Lnsr A Lm'Ernnp.

Pbotograpbed by Kees

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