The Correspondent, October 1995

Tbe Official Publication of tbe Foreign Corcesponclents'Club of Hong Kong

THD GORRDSPONITENT October 1995

TIIE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUA

Lelfer:s

2 Lo\¡/er Âlbert Road, Hong Kong Telephone: 252L lSll Fx:2a6a 4O92

Hils Vriens

Pr€sldent

4-

Nury Vittachi FLst Vlce PresldentSecond Vlce Presldent

-

Fforrr

ttre President

Three new kinds of membership

Stu4rt Wolfendale

C,orrespondent Member Goveírors Paul Bayfield, Marcus W. Bmuch]i, Mark Cli.fford, Peter Engudio, Cathy tlilborn, Robert Macpherson, Jonathan Misþ, Hubert Van Es Sedetary: CaÍhy l{îlbom

6-

Cor¡er Stor5z"Keep it rolling, no mâtter what"

9-

Chrb l\Iotices Emiþt Løu comes

Joumallst Member Govemors Francis Moriarty, Simon Twiston Davies

Assoclate Member Governors

ao.

John Corbett, Kevin Egan, Karin Malmstrom, Dorothy Ryan

Professlonal Commlttee Conuqor: Ma-¡kClifford

Lrrnct¡Iirres A flea in

a-2-

IIoúe coDmlttee

for lunclt

olr

ear; Not much light from the son

R.eception

Diplorrratic

Patten pa)'s tribute to the work of correspondents

Conuenot: Kevin Egan

Flnmce Comnittee Tt'easuø: Dotothy \yn Membershtp Cof,mtttee

7_5-

Cofiuenor: HubertYînEs

Entertahment Commlttee Conuenor: KaÀn Malmst¡om F & B Commlttee Co n u e n or : St\^ta Volfendale

7-6.

Vall Commlttee Conuenor:

Ilubeftvîn

lluledia l\lfalfers An open and shut case

Porfolio AFP on the wall

Fs

Publlcatlons coñmtttæ Conùenor: Simo¡ Trviston Davies F¡eedom oftb,e Press Conuenor: F ¡ancis Moriarty FCC General Man¿9e,,.'Jethro IÆe Mahooey

The Correspondent

Non-stop to Johannesburg evel1/ Saturday, at 2500 hours.

Direct to Joharuaesburg and. Cape Town ever¡,r Tuesday, at 2250 hours.

EDITORIALOFFICE

21-

23-

lSll Fu:2aß

4092

@ 1995'Ihe Foreign cotrespoodents'

club ofHong Kong Opiniom expressed by writeS in Tbe Corresþonduf tre not necesstrily those of The Foreign Conespondents' Club.

26.

PRODUCTTON

Printing

l\dedia l\1falfers

Hole to a Hole The great shakedown

)-

The Correspondent is published montlìly by The Foreign C,ompondents'Club of Hong Kong.

FST Line Design &

An earful.for Patten

Your rights: you can't watch and wait

Peter cordingley, Editor Nicola Nightingale, Âssistant Editor 2 l¡werAlbert Road, Hong Kong

Telephone: 2521

fBarside [Baalter: A Greek at the Coliseum

ifritlrte Brigid Snow:

a

woman to remember

29-

People

32-

FCC Faces

Fou¡th Floor, 158 Vellington Street,

^

A

SOUTH AFRICAN AI RWAYS

,{.FRIC,{S WÁ.RÑIEST WE LCOIVIE.

centnl, Hong Kong ^rel: 2527 7993 F¿¡x: 2521 8366

DTP

Arttst-

Liema Duong

AFP goes on slsout

Penny Byrne

N)VERTISING SAI.ES Marc Tomli¡son Sales Maoager 'f el: 2521 7993- Fu: 2521 83lc6

October 1995 THD

GORRISPONIIEIIT

Canoil

To the

the facts. Unfair and malicious com-

4-=-

editor

**,g**

Ted's story tíme It struckme afewdays ago that, in

2lyears of running my own business, I had published just under a hundred titles. \ù(i-hat to do to score a century?

Sitting idly at the FCC bar and

looking hungrily across at the usual suspects in the Red Lips Corner, it struck me that there could be few places in the wodd as capable of producing a collection of tales that would best sum up life in Hong Kong during the past 50 momentous years.

I have akeady on tape reminiscences from the late Richard Hughes

and Bert Okuley, two of the great stalwarts saclly elevated to that great newsroom inthe sþ. AndI have notes from convefsations with at least a dozen past and present members of the club that I have always regarded

as

the wodd's best.V/hat better than an anthology of tales from the FCC bar?

Richard Hughes did a similarbook, a collection of tales from well-known correspondents, most of whom had made their base in Asia at one time or another. "It was," said Dick, "the easiest book I ever compiled." And so it should have been, as everybody else had done the writing for him.

Well, a lot of these highly respected hacks are still alive, and add to that the literally hundreds of noncorrespondent members, lawyers, accountants, advertising professionals and bnsinessmen - yes, even PR practitioners and you have a rich source of anecdotes which will, in its

journalism? ForGod's sake Dikko, that's the same thing as a small boy nrnning

away from sea to go to school."

'Well, there are dozens of such stories ancl I want to publish them.

The book, even if it has limited universal appeal, will provide a valuable and treasured reminder of great days at the FCC, which in myown case span a period that took us from 41,{.

Conduit Road in the mid-Fifties, via virtual extinction at a nasty-smelling, failed nightclub in Li Po Chun Chambers, opposite the then Macau Ferry pier, a small room on the 4th floor of the Hilton Hotel, more spacious accommodation up at the top of this same hotel (from which one wellknown member performed a triple somersault and half pike landing on the concrete deck 25 stories below), then to the riotous brawling R&R days of Suthedand House, where the Ritz Cadton stands today - and finally to one of the most characterftil buildings

left in Hong Kong.

Members, journalist and associate members who have a tale to tell

(preferably truthful) should write to c/o Tb e C orr esp o nd ent, and await immortalisation in this living history.

Ted Thomas me

ment helps no one. '$Øe at the Poslwere slrrprised that Mr Cordingley allowed himself to be the one who commentecl on the Post in Tb e C orce sþ onclent. Given his deep personal interest in the dismissals and the obviouspotentialforhis comments to be infused with malice, it would have been more professional to have asked some other club member to wril.e the commentary.

Mr Cordingley made a number of

very serious allegations, many of which are (on the plain meaning of the words used, and on the advice of counsel) defamatory.

Mr Cordingley produced no evidence to substantiate his allegations.

There is a very good reason for the failure: he has no evidence because there is no evidence. The article was

ti

.l , iit

an exercise in creative writing. \ùØhat is

worse, Mr Cordingleywas assured that one of his central allegations was incorrect but chose to put it

forward arrryay.

A detailed rebuttal of

Mr

Cordingley's allegations would take as much space as the original article.

Suffice to sa1- ¡þs Soutlt Cbina Morning Post rs an independent newspaper (as a reading of the newspaper's com-

mentaries, day by day would attest); its senior management is highly professional and competent (as evidenced by the quality of the newspaper and the financial success of the company); and telling lies is not one of my many

Capturing the Thr¡ll of the Game

personal failings.

The real reasons for the Posf

The thLill and excitement ofspectator sport transcencls borders and is an

sackings were as I have stated publicly and as you have recorded in answer to

excellen ¡ way

fol people to express the union of diffelent countries. It

is

important to capture the thrill in photographs for the worlcl to shale, A¡d

Post-Facts

your questions in the Cover Story of your August issue.

professional photographers flom all over the u,orld rely on Canon SIR

Peter Cordingley seems to have decided it is get-the-Posttime - once again. His column, "The real reasons

David Armstrong

cameras to give them their best shots becuase for them not a single

Editor-in-Chief Soutlt Cbínø Morning Post

oppoltunity can be nissed.

Successful photographers use Canon cameras and the EF lenses

-

final form, provide a colourful tapestry ofhistory as seen from the view of

for the Posl sackings" in the August issue of Th e Corre sþ ondent presented

Canon EOS system

the Hong Kong expatfiate, before the species became endangered.

a litany of criticisms of the Soutb Cbina Morning Post and its senior

functior.r, not iLtst because of Canon's renowned reliability, but also because

One DickHughes story, whichhas been told and retold but which may be unknown to new members, is an anec-

management.

Q

None of us objects to being the subject of critical comment. This is a stock-in-trade for any decent newspa-

believe it was) who upon hearing that Dikko had graduated from life as a PR man to journalism (the reverse of the usual career route), laughed out loud and said: "So you went from PR to

per, anywhere in the wodd, and those who make critical comments mtlst also expect to receiYe them. Indeed, we welcome criticism, when it is constructive and has some contact with

dote involving Chapman Pincher

ïHE CORRf,SPoI\|ItENT October 1995

-

not just because ofits world fastest autc¡focus

of the qualitl, of the images they can ploduce with the Canon system.

Canon is ah,ars there l,here the excitement is

-

shuring unlorgettable noments

The EOS Svstem I The ansrver to the professional's needs,

Enquiry Hotline: 2590 9666 Americm Châmber of Colmcr@ in HK

s Tcl:2s ConBc 1030

,

HK

ló82 uons

&PMent)

tÉTn€+;ÊÊÊ JOS Consumer Electron¡cs

Canon Hongkong Tfading Co., Ltd. 10/F, MirrorTower,6l Mody Road, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel.:2739 0802

)l

Suire Group

Three new kinds of membership

C¡rHnv Pncrnc

ifhe Board of Gorzerrlors ha-s t>roadenecl the rrrerrrt>ersh.i12 l>ase of tkre chrl> in orcler to attract nlore incorrre a-frd to t)Lrttress or-rr frrture after 1997 -

O ;:;,'g llïï üî,iîl'i :ïru''1

the FCC has a Corporate membership

scheme. Trying to reply has been a little embarrassing. Although the articles of association provide for Corporate members in a¡ticle 6(9) [Coryorate nominee memberl, nobody seems

to know under what conditions they can join. So our answer has been "Yes,

we do have a Corporate membership scheme, but we will have to call you back later about the details."

The FCC was probably the

on\'

nees may be substituted oir application, subject to FCC approval. The corporation mllst guarantee that all, accolrnts will, in the event of default, be settled promptll' by the corporation.

Registration Fee: $50,000 per [transfer-

ablel nominee. Subscription: $685 monthly, palable by the individual.

Initially, the FCC will permit a maximum of 1 O0 Corporate members.

This category is non-voting."

The Board also decicled to introduce a transferable Diplomatic mem-

bership which

club in Hong Kong that didn't seem

than

interestedin attracting Corporates. The Boardhas decidedto change this. Ithas also decided to introduce a Diplomatic membership and what is called an International Media-Relatecl Corporate rnembership. (Conflised? Read on).

istrationfee

a

will cost slightly less

Still confused? Just think of people who work with Reuters, regional publications, AFP, Bloomberg, ABN, etc, and who don't qualifl. as a corresponclent, but are closelyinvolve

dwith

"We'd better make them members, then we don't have to pay their bills any longer when they visit the club."

There seem to be some misunderstanclings about a few othel membership issues.

Rejoining. No, this is notfree. Nor

Diplomatic membership is "only

does oue have to pay the ftlll amount.

The rejoining fee is basecl on 50 per cent of the joining fee applying at the

available to approved, active, ftill-time members of the Diplomatic Corps. This membership is transferable upon FCC

time. To avoid having to pay this, rnembers are advisecl to become absent members for $ 300 a year when

In addition to this, new Correspondent and Journalist members will be given the opportunity to pa)' their joining fee in a maximum of four instalments, each case subject to approval by the pfesident. Just write me a letter.

The aim of all these changes is to broaden the membership and to pllt

approval. The consulate must gLrarantee prompt and ftill settlement of all accollnts. This a non-r'oting categoly."

The Board believes that, with regard to the coming changes in Hong Kong, it will be an asset to the club to have a stronger representation from the "corps diplomatique".

All quite straightforwatd. Bttt

leaving Hong Kong.

Reciprocal membership. Currentþ the general lnanager is finishing a full

the club on a sound, long-term financial basis. The change of sovereignty of Hong Kong is less then two years away.

what about International

All new membership categories will be transferable and non-voting.

Let's staft with Corporate member-

ship. Any corporation is allowed to nominate one or more candidates. A transferable colporate membership per

nominee

will cost the

equivalent of

$50,000. To quote from the mimrtes: "Organisations ma)¡ nominate canclidates who are, in the opinion of the FCC, fit and proper persons. The nomi-

diplomat. The monthlysub

$30,000per is also

$685.

Media-Re-

lated Corporate? Just tead the definition: "This category is intended for persons working for a News Media Agency where at least one employee qualifies for Correspondent Membership status but the nominee is not

himself/herself a correspondent. A registration fee of $30,000 per [transferablel nominee. Monthly subscription of $6S5 to be paid by the individual along with the accolrnt.

"The Agency must glrarantee pfompt payment in the event of default. This is a non-voting category."

CLASS IS NONØ JUST A LITTLE MORE PERSONAL

the news business. Just like their colleagues, they would like to join the FCC. As one Board member put it:

Corporate membership. The reghas been set at

Oun BUSINESS

review of all our reciprocal clubs all over the wodcl. It's quite an impressive list, I can assure you. More details

follow. The club also has a special arrangement with the excellent YMCA Salisbuq' l{stel, next to the Peni'sula.

There is no club charge for a member

of a reciprocal club who visits Hong Kong. This also applies to visiting bona

fide overseas journalists and correspondents.

A guest member, however, has to pa1. the small sum of $150 per week for the privilege of using the facilities of the club. He or she has to be intro-

duced by a current FCC member. For obvious reasons, a maximtlm of only four weeks is permitted in anY 12mo11th period.

-

fl¿ns Vríens

Bæ

The Heart of Asia.

"Keep it rolling, no tnatter what"

frozen silence it pedectlyframes Burns dragging Neil's lifeless body along the

paYement, the mortally-wounded Latch crawling behind.

Bangkokwas neverthe same after that. The trips to the Cambodian border. The Friday lunches that began at noon and ended in the eady hours.

The three hours of tennis inthe heat

Septernt>er 9 rrlarked tkre 1otkt amnilzersa:r}of Australian T*W ca.rnefa-rnart anr.d journa"list NTeil Danzis's deattr itt a, F}arrgkok coup. In ttre PVtn,<trn, Peny'¿ P<>st

of

Saturday mornings. The "Year of Living Dangerously" when the Fox headed the Foreign Correspondents' Club. I've

heard all the snide comments about our lifestyle, as if somehow it compromised our ability to see Asia for what it really was. Sure we had fun in a town that was made for it, but the stories

<>1

Septernber 8-21 , Jotrn l\zfcBettr, a- longtirne friend of Danris, szrote th.is tribr.rte-

S I

= s Neíl Dauis lies dead. in a Bangkok street.

were hanging off the trees and we worked as hard as we played.

There was a lot about Neil that I admired and that I think went largely unappreciated. There was his work, of course, and the raw courage that was so clearly on display in Frontline.

Look at his final footage. He was standing directly in front of the lead tank when the machine-gunner suddenly opened up on at the radio station. The rounds must have been pass-

seem like 10 years. From f t Co.rrr't Ithe government-held Supreme

Command headquarters, I can still remember the healy fire coming from the direction of the army radio station where I had been a half-hour before.

Later,I was trying to find a taxi when a Thai reporter told me a foreigner had been hit. He thought it was Neil Davis.

I

hurried to the nearby Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, hearing only that the old boy had a shoulderwound.

Bangkok's Visnews man, was there in the waiting room. "The Fox is dead," he said. I was so stunned, nothing really registered.

We sat there on the bare wooden seat and Burnsie recounted brokenly what had happened.

NeiI Davis dead? It just didn't seem possible. His American soundman, Bill

A distraught Gary Burns,

Latch, was upstairs undergoing surgery for a stomach wound. IØe were told he would be fine. Then news came that he too had died, his liver punctured by ricocheting shrapnel from a machine-gun round.

Over the next days, there was only one question we asked: how could a man who had been through almost a lifetime of conflict in Indochina, Beirut, Angola and Rhodesia die in a tin-pot

coup attempt on

a Bangkok street?'We never got an answer and we didn't expect one. To me, the man who took

calculated, but never stupid, risks onthe

battlefield never figured on one thing: that the misgúded soldiers manning Colonel Manoon Rupekachom's rebel tanks had never heard of fue discipline.

I remember the day of the crema-

tion. líe all gathered at the

Soi

Saladaeng home of ABC correspondent Geoff Leach.'W'e sat aroundin suits

It was a simple gesture, a last cigarette for a man who had bludged more cigarettesthananyonelknow. But, God, that tugged at me . Don't ever be fooled

by Koreans. They may be tough, they may seem brutal, provincial and ill-mannered. They're also among the most sentimental people I know. Eight years before, we had stood aroundJoe's bed in the Bangkok Nursing Home watching the film he had shot a-fter his leg was

we had barely worn, drinking Black

blown off in a tefforist mine-and-gun ambush on a Thai Border Patrol team

Velvets and whiskies. Then, when the

along the Thai-Malaysian border.

time came, our small disconsolate group walked around the corner to

Joe not only filmed the ambush scene and his dying Thai soundman thrashing in the bushes. He also held up his own shattered leg and filmed that too. And as they took him off the medevac chopper in Sadao an hour later, he rolled the camera agatn.

Just like Joe, the man we all affectionately came to know as The Fox kept the faith with the advice he had dispens ed in Fro ntline, the mat-

the Convent Road church.

Everyone was there. I suppose I was a bit drunk, but as I read the eulogy I had typed on a scrap of paper in the office that moming, it all hit me.

I barely got through it. I said they had

thrown away the mould when Neil Davis was born. I still believe that. He was one of a kind.

Later we went to the wat on Sukhumvit Road for the final Buddhist rites. I can still see the KoreaîcametamanJoe Lee, one of Neil's oldest and closest friends, Iighting a cigarette and placing it under the casket just before they closed the crematorium door.

vellous 1980 documentary that tells you all you need to know about this modest Tasmanian: "Keep it rolling, no mattef what."

It was almost uncanny the way Neil's camera fell on its side after he was hit. The sound was gone, but in

ing just over Neil's head, but that camera doesn't move an inch.

I've never had much time for television journalists and their superficiality, but Neil had all.the attributes of

print man. He could write (in fact, he often contributed to t}re Far Eastern Economic Reuiew, he had

showed was the way he would sit newcomers down in his Bangkok office and give them an 8O-minute briefing on Cambodia, the tortured country he knew and loved so well.

He had time for everyone. They said he was carrying on a running correspondence with 200 people when he died. I'd quite believe it. Certainly

the scores of messages we got from colleagues all over the wodd in September 1985 testified to his following.

Neil also had a special affinitywith Asians - alr.d particularþ Asian officials. That Davis grin could be pretty disarming, of course, but they all seemed to like him. He was a nonthreatening sort of man and I guess

He uzas standing directl¡. in front of tkre lead tank vrzkren

the rrractrirre-gunner opened up. lfkre ca:rfrera. didn't

ra:o\ze an inctr.

a fine

many well-placed contacts and, more

Asians were comforted bythat and his

importantly, he had great instincts.

quiet, respectful approach. I can't say I ever saw Neil really angry the whole time I knew him.

One admirerwas Thaipolice colonel ViratJutimit, the no-nonsense chief

Indeed, with all the hoopla surrounding the recent 2}thanniversary of the Vietnam'W'ar, nothing was said about one of its greatest media itonies: that while an army of US correspondents may have covered the decade-long conflict, crashing into Saigon's presidential palace was an Australian called

Neil Davis.

I can't even remember when I first met Neil. I think it was in Phnom Penh back in November 1971 when he was

running the roads with Kate rüebb and the rest. Hell, it doesn't really matter. 'ùØhen he died, it was like losing someone you had known all your life. That's the effect he had on those around him.

V/hat I liked the most about Neil was his generosity. Oh, sure, he was generous with his money - unless he was paying a bet. But where it really

of the Thai Narcotics Suppression Centre. Neil filmed a heroin bust with Virat one night and although the two

met rarely after that, you wouldn't have thought so. Every time I saw Virat, whichwas often, he askedabout Neil. Every single time. It was almost irritating.

On the day of Neil's cremation, Virat was at the temple with us all.

Don't ask me why, but just to see the slightly-built policeman standing there quietly in his dark safari suit and sunglasses on a hot afternoon was one of the saddest spectacles ofall.

It is probably Cambodians who havethe fondestmemories of the Fox. Neil had such close relations with lead-

ers of the Khmer resistance that we often wondered whether they were considering him for a Cabinet post when it was all over. I certainly think

hé would be living in Phnom Penh today if things were different.

He was a determined cuss. In late 1979 a group of us headed across the border into Vietnamese-held Cambodiato visit one ofthe resistance camps.

Although the Fox had come down witlemalaria. nothingwould stop him from taking the trÞ to Sok Sann.

'We

toiled over a steep jungle-clad mountain ridge and I can still hear our Cambodian guide, a young woman we called Madame Kaset, calling out encouragingly: "It's good to sweat in the morning." Davis was sweating more than most. But he made it with a little help from everyone.

His determination also came through in other places. It showed on the tennis court, where he never, ever conceded defeat. It showed in the wayhe wafte d around Bangkok's Lumpini Park in th€ late afternoons, putting in times atÍ.he age of 50 that I wouldn't have had a hope of matchingat2Ù. He showed it in the way he competed with friends sometimes 20 years younger than him for feminine favours.

Ah, yes, TheFoxwas alady'sman.

That damned smile again. It got them every time. But there was also a personal side to him which none of us ever really penetrated, or tried to for that matter. I'm still ashamed at the way we treated his estranged wife, how we resented the way she showed

up at the funeral. How were we to know that while their relationship may have soured, Neil's comÍritment remained strong. Out of respect for his privacy, we had never questioned him about his marriage. Damn it, I think he should hâve told us.

I decided two years ago I would go to Phnom Penh on the 10th anniversary of his death. Other friends will be lighting joss sticks and otherwise remembering Neil in Bangkok and Australiaand elsewhere. But to me it just seems right to be in Cambodia. So

I'll be on September !.

I'm betting that's where Neil will be as well. It's where he belongs. that's where

Reprinted with permission from the Phnom

Penl¡Post.

October 1995 THX

f!]J CORRESPOII|IIEII|T

AIl cabled

up

Gening on rhe

nel are among the new channe ls avail-

able on all seven TV screens. They are in addition to the local channels

t-

The club now has Wharf Cable TV. This means that BBC Wodd tel-

evision news, CNN International, \Øharf Cable News (in English and Chinese) and the ESPN sports chan-

and STAR TV, which has Prime Sports. If you would like to watch a specific programme, please speak to a

member of the staff.

Facts

by rax

For almost a ye^t the club has been using the multi-fax system to noti-ff members of activities, meetings, lunches and other actiYities.

The system, while good, has not

been completely successful. Some members' machines have be en turned off, some have run out of paper, others have been busy. In short, a host of

problems exacerbated by the fact that some- members have changed address and/or fax number without notifying us.

Only a few members elected to have their flyers posted to them.

If you have NOT been receiving flyers regulady, but yrould like to do so, please let us know the method you

prefer and the relevant details.

To Deputy General Manager Allister Lim Rochstad FCC 2 Lower Alben Rd Hong Kong Fax2868 4O92 Tel:2521 I57l

F;-

-l

FCC No

Membership Category (Please tick)

Correspondent

Diplomatic Corporate

lulplofn ¡

|l

Fax No Postal Address for Flyers

i

__________l

t1___J1_-/-7

Lr--¡S

Only one address or fax number pef pefson

trLltr

Please

Hong Kong Trqde Development Council

as

We Creote OPPortunities 38th Floor, Office Tower, Convention Plaza, 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong

n

n

lJournalist Associate

For Hong Kong trade statistics, information and analysis. Fast.

Call the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

Kong Tel: 2584 4333

Fax: 2824 0249

Internet

The FCC has already registered the domain name FCC.ORG with the InterNic in Reston, Virginia. This will allow members to have individual Internet addresses (example: Lancaster Bomber@fcc.org). To negotiate the best deal with Internet service providers, we need your input. Please return this questionnaire to the reception desk orbymail, markedATTN: CONEHEADS. We hope to be able to choose a provider by mid-October.

notifyus of anychanges

promptþ

as possible.

If so, which ones 2. Are you interested in getting E-mail and

fulI Internet access through the FCC? Yes n Yes E 3. Do you l:rave a computer?

4. Do you have a modem?

Yes n 5. Did you know there are fiye computers with modems in the

Yesn n

No n No n No n workroom?

Non

n

6. Now that you know, will you use them? Yes No 7. Please provide name, address, phone andfaxnumbers, E-mail address

if

you already have one

8. If there is any information that we have not requested, but would help us choose a provider, please add your comments

I Fcc memberstrip

nO.W On Sale!!!

More bums on seats. That's one reason behind the FCC's new-membership incentiye scheme, alsoknown as the "pre-renovation sale", whichmns untilthe end

ofthe year.

The club can accornmodate 1,600 members - obviously not all at once, but that's the "maximum capacity" level at which its diverse facilities can still operate efficiently. Right nowwe're 15 per cent short of that target. Active correspondent membersnumberjustover300, joumalistmembers slightlyover 150, andassociates

about925. '$l¡ith

more members comes more revenue - hence the image of posteriors on the stools aroundthe mainbar. Butthere's anotherimpoftantreason, too.'With 1997 closing in, it's more important than ever for the club to have a strong membership to assert its role as a recognised, viable meeting point for Hong Kong's joumalistic

community.

To encourage new colrespondent and journalist members, the FCC is putting with a $500 discount. In effect, that brings the joining fee downto $3,500.'We're hoping that such a discountwill encourage youngereligible correspondents and joumalists who consider the basic joining fee a bit stiff to join.

The FCC, afler al7, is their righttul home.

For the other categories, we're inviting cuffent members to find new ones by rewarding them with food and beverage credits. For every new associate member whose successfrrlapplicationis receivedbyDecember 31, his orhersponsor(that's the first of the three required signatures on the application form) will find an F&B creditof $1,000 onhis/hernextbill. Forthose who introduce diplomatic members, the credit is $1,500, and for those bringing in corporate members, it's $2,000.

SØith everybody's heþ, we should have no trouble boosting the membership of what is arguably the wodd's best-known media watering hole (and restaurant . . . and health corner . . . and billiard room . . . and fully equipped work room . . . and luncheon speakers'forrrm) aheadoftherenovations thatwillmake theFCC thenext best thing to a "through train". its membership "on sale"

October 1995 THE CORRXSP0ilIIXII|T

A flea in our ear

Not much light from the son

Independent Legco rrrerrrl>er Ernil¡z Lau spoke a.t a clul> h-rnctreon just l>efore ttre recent genera.l election. -A.nd she pulled no punctres al>out ttre rnedia's perforrrrance irr reporting ttre rrr11-up to ttre poll.

NTot erzer)r'one likes R-ickrard Li's style,

l>ut fes¡ den¡r tre is a, ptrerrornertoftlfkrat's vzhy his address to a- clul> luncheola s/as suckr a let-dovrzn-

he luncheon address was preceded by a warning. FCC Presi-

ist, hardhitting. "I think there is

dent Hans Vriens cautioned that Emily Lau "cannot solicit any votes or else she has to pay for your meals". That provoked some laughter and applause.

Resplendent in scadet - a sign that the wearer is not a shy, retiring type - Lau stood up and we were off.

For all but a couple of the next 20 minutes, she set out, or, rather rattled

sald, adding later of the coyer-

off, her basic views. They are quite simple: "Time is running out . . . the British have a lot to answer for . . . we have been denied the right to direct democratic elections" . Whjle the force and the consistency with which Lau promotes her argument is commendable, she is more than just a one-issue soap-box orator.

Two points that she raised beyond

the "we were robbed" thesis have a first is her view that the coming (and now gone) Legco election was not about livelihood isresonance . The

but aboutpolitical principles such as democracy and the handover.

More importantwas the second a warning about the remaining years of Bfitish rule. The creation of shadow and transitional institutions such as the Preparatory Committee would create what she terrned "rival centres of power". sues,

"I don't think we as a community have dealtwith the ramifications," she said. More specifically, she asked the audience "to have pity on the civil servants. Don'tbe surprisedif some of them just quit."

'W'e were treated to Lau's views on the coverage of the election by the media. It was straightforward and, coming from a former journalTEE GoRRESPoNIIDNT October 1995

a conspiracy of silence,"

she

age "I think its quite appalling, almost no analysis, no detailed good coverage . . . it really is

quite disgraceful."

= È ñ hnlly Ia.u in

Remarks like that, true as they might be, inspire questions and, being a trrre leader, Hans Vriens asked the obvious one: why is coverage so dismal? .I think they are just being lazy," said Lau, who lacks no valour when it

comes

to saying harsh things.

"It's

very bad journalism. Hong Kong has been let down badly".

Next in was Jonathan Braude of the Soutlt CbinøMorningPosd who asked a sharp question about how it could be both a conspiracy of silence and bad joumalism. I¿u was very much on the ball. "You come clean and tell us," she said, ending her r€sponse - which was also a challenge with an emphatic "please" that caused a ripple of laughter.

Braude's response, which conceded "I agreewithyou; it's notenough" brought amuchmore conciliatorytone fromLau, whowas gracious enoughin paftial yictory to admit that part of the problemwas partlythe joumalists themselves (who even she must not haYe forgotten are overworked, underpaid and often under-informed) and another part editorial decision making.

'Would more pro-China candidates help, came a question? The answer

provided a great deal ofillumination on I¿u's concern about how and onwhat the mediahas failed. Again, the tone of her answerwas conciliatory. "I have no problem being honest, " she said before

ber

journalist-baiting red oufit.

date had threatened to sue her when she had called him a Communist. 'tùØinding

up this answer, she pinpointed the problem as being "those who

are coveftly Communist and hence deceiving the voter" she said, -which, was pafi of the consptacy of silence.

Joumalists' inabilityto expose these candidateswas "where the mediahasfailed".

Susanna Hoe asked about the women's vote. "'W'omen afe very interested,

but there will not be a huge surge in women voting," was the reply delivered in a less brisk, less substantiye tone, almost as if she had been wrongfooted by the question.

David Bottomley, the head of a consumer reasearch organisation, was "happy to declare that she'll win". He

gave some other numbers on other races andadded the sobering thought

that "no more than 30% will vote".

The only real comment on this came two orthree questionslaterwhen

with characteristic force, remarked: "For Christ's sake you Lau,

shouldn't use opinion polls to replace political reporting." Most journalists know that, but with editors, the public and politicians themselves, those polls are very popular.

"Great speech Emily," concluded

launching herself into an anecdote

Jonathan MirsJcy, of Tb e Times. " Some day, you must give us the campaign version." Lau, to her credit, had the

about how an openlyproBeijing candi-

ability to laugh at

herself. $fl

ichard Li, chairman and founder of the Pacific Century Group, began candidly: "I can honestly sayit's a pleasure. Most of my experiences with the media have been very pleasant. At other times, though, it has been

like going to the dentist for a root canal."

The speech was short and dealt with telecommunications and multimedia. Recent events explained the slip of the tongue that gave us "V/indows 97, sorry 95 ". Li laughedwith the audience at his own error.

His thesis began with the premise that "the information superhighway is the most important eyent since the capture of fire". However, in Asia the low density ofphone lines perperson means

tion to come on STAR.

"I don't believe it

would impact either

positively or

nega-

tively," said Li, adding

seconds later: "It won't not affect STAR's operation in aîy way."

Ricbørd Lí beþre lbe luncl:..

While some were trying to plÍzzle

that out, Russ Arensman pointed out that although the need was for basic telephones, Li's companywrs verymuch at the hi-tech end of the market. "Are, you going into basic services? " he asked.

"There is a need at this point and this moment," Li replied, conceding:

that the region is "far, lar away fuom

a way to crack it don'tknowifwewill." Thatwas an near as we got to clarity, as the next

talking aboutvideo on demand and other interactive things". These, he acknowledged, would remain "expensive toys".

question showed.

Simon Holberton, the former club president who never gave up working

What flows from this is that Asia mustprioritisebasic technology, which means it does "need private sector involvement for delivery of a simple system". Govemments, despite being in charge of infrastructure development, are required to be engaged, but only with regard to policy.

Otherwise, we were wamed, "one of the greatest threats to the Pacific Century is the development of its telecommunications industry".

And that was about it. No sweeping expositions of fact, no deep analysis of the problems, no thought as to howthey canbe solved. And no ringing calls to action. So little from a man who has done somuch, including settingup

for the Finønciøl Tirnes, despite appearances to the contrary, asked the question that really is the hub of any telecommunication business. How do you provide a service when govem-

STAR TV before he was 30 years old.

Cathy Hilborn asked the first question the impact of the revolu-

-

"

We haven't yet found

...

ments inAsia are anxious about the free

flow of infomation?

The answer began with platitudes and gotworse. "Areaswhich reallylack information are those in poverty," said

Li. He then began to talk about Florida and swimmingpools. EvenHansVriens,

who can understand most things, looked puzzled.

There were some other questions, one of which, from the Asiøn Wøll S tr e e t Jo ur n ø1, elicited tlee view from Li that "I strongly believe that government should involve itself as little as possible in these solutions . . . I am a strong believer in the invisible hand. "

Francis Moriarry asked again the question thatHolberton had put. Li had cleady been thinking about more than swimming pools, as the answer was a

little more polished. "I believe that both the regulatory bodies and the operators have to meet halfway . . . no cleancut solution," he said.

There was a question from Nury Vittachi about Li's father, tycoon Li Kashing, and then Robert Macpherson raised again the question of the free flow of information.

This time the question had realwit

to it. Did Li agree with the gent who bought STARTV, Rupert Murdoch, that satellite TV would make tyrants quake?

There was a long pause during which Li

just grinned and the audience just laughed. But not feally with him. He limped his way through the answer until concluding with "I believe that whether we like it or not, infomation will flow freer than ever before".

Again Macpherson tried, changing tack and asking this time about Hong Kong. "I believe it's very difficult to act

as a

prophet. I hope Hong

Kong will continue to be

as

free

as

it is

today," Li replied.

In his speech of thanks, Hans Vriens gave Richard Li "one of thefew things thatyourfather doesn't have an FCC tie".

-

Micheal

-

Mackey

October 1995 THD

CORRDSPOII|IIENT

$ff

Patten pays tribute to the

work of correspondents

.=

R .õ

ñ

tfln. Governor, chris Patten, .l. stressed the vital role otroreign correspondents in Hong Kong's wellbeing when he visited the club for a reception for the diplomatic corps. "It is important that correspondents continue to reportwithout fear the events and life of this town to the rest of the wodd," he said. "We all owe a lot to foreign correspondents, who keep us

informed about the wodd and keep the wodd informed about Hong Kong. are in their debt for that."

'W'e

Proposing a toast to journalists, Patten reminded the gathering of the correspondents who had lost their Iives while reporting the news. "'W'e should remember them," he said.

The governor opened his remarks by observing that itwas " always a pleasure to cross the threshold of this temple of temperance." Hong Kong's foreign correspondents, he noted, were obviously dedicated to their profes-

sion, staying in their club from

TIIE CORRXSPoM)DNT October 1995

moming to moming. Their task: to decide whether what the governor or the govemmenthad saidthat daywas kowtowing to China or confronting China.

"Sometimes," he said, "not unrelated to you a late session - or a last bottle have written stories that have had us doing both at the same time."

'Welcoming the governor to the

1.

2.

3.

4.

club , president Hans Vriens said he was delighted to see such a high tumout, given that a 'flu virus had been laying

a Laurent Cl¡abonet,

people low all week. Many people, including himself, he said, had been feeling a little weak at the knees. "I thought thatwas a colnmon condition at the FCC," the govemor retorted.

"But I have to say it is the first time I have heard it ascribed to the 'flu."

By common assent, the evening

5.

Cbris Patten reþIies to FCC President, Han Vríens.

Kerry McGþnn of GIS, Pøtten and. Board A4ember Jol:athan Mírsky.

Clare Hollingu.tortb bends let another Gouernor's ea.r.

Piet Steel, Belgiuru Consul General, Dorotby Ryan, Janne Julsrud, Noru.tegían Consul General, Tony Lanurence and Ted TL¡ornas.

Bíll Díckson, Britísb Trade Commission, Ftancis Cornísh, Britisb Trade Comrní

6.

7.

ss

íoner, u ítb Pa.tten

Yosltíji Nogami, Japanese Consul General, witb Barrie Ingel.

Nury Ujrfaclri gets tlre Gouernor's a.utogr6þb.

US Více Consul,

Mart! LIertz, Dorotlry Ryan and Nortna

Hørcis, USß.

Kírìll luanou, Russía.n Consul General, reþresentatiue ol tlie Taiuan Natíonal Assembþ and Píet Steel, Belgium Consul General.

10. Nur Cboudbury, Banglødesb Commìssìoner ønd Francís Moriar4t.

was a spectacular success, with about 75 representatives of diplomatic missions present, plus high-ranking Hong

Kong government officials.

æ October 1995 THE GOf,RDSPoIDENT

I

l{oweys Good You fue, You Can D0 Better

Nikon 9(

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An open

ared

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lfhe FCC szrote to ttre Gorzernor, Chris Patte11, i11 Septernb er after suggestions tl'),at kre plarrned to l>ar the press frorrr a rrreeting

Deør Frøncis Thankyou foryour letter to the Governor. I am afraid that you have

qzith the Etritish Ckra"rnber of Corrrrrrerce. Etelos/ are ttre full te><ts of the letter and repl¡'.

the wrong end of the stick. The Gover-

nor has been invited to speak at

a

meeting organised by the British Chamber of Commerce. As the hosts, it is for the Chamber to set the ground rules for

the event. They have decided not to

Deør Gouem.or Pa.tten 'S7'e are informed that you have agreed to speak to the British Chamber of Commerce at the Hong Kong Club on September 11, on the following topics: international competitiveness; whether the Hong Kong Government is alame duck; corruption; the

performance and prospects

of the

economy, and the future autonomy of the teffitory. These are major topics indeed. V/e believe tþey are so important, in fact, t}aat your thoughts on the m should be shared

with the whole

community. However, we are told that news media are to be barred from the eYent at your request.

If this is so, we must vigorously protest at the exclusion of reporters.

Síhile it is fundamental to the exercise ofpress freedom that addresses bythe Governor be reported to the citizenry as a matter of course, it becomes even

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more important during the transition period. It would seem there is far less danger of creating rnisunderstanding, if that is a concern, in having your words reported accurately and in context, than there would be if reporters are left to pick up what is said second

hand. But this is exactly what shall happen if they are prohibited from carrying out their duties. !íere the request to ban journalists to come from the Chamber itself, wewouldfindit regrettable, andwould express our disappointment, but such a decision would certainly be within the Chamber's rights

SOLE

AGEI{ï : SHRIRO (H.K.l LTD.

2nd Floor Hulchison House, 10 Harcourt Road, Central, Hong

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However, openness and transparency are oft-stated goals of your administration, and it would seem a significant deviation from those objectives --:- as well as an unfortunate precedent for future chief executives - to bar reporters from an important speech.

Equally worrisome

is asking

a,

group, which is willing to accept coyerage, to shut its doors to the news media.'W'e are aheady seeing a rising number of incidents where speakers,

some

of them public officials,

are

asking host organisations to tell the press ahead of time not to ask questions after an event. The host is thus put into the awkward position of becoming a censor. S7e believe this ten-

dency must be nipped quickly, before it becomes

a

matt€r of habit, and

we fear that if a gorrernor who believes in free speech should request to bar reporters altogether, it will only encourage timorous officials to follow suit. We sincerely hope that you share our concern.

If baring the press was, in fact, a Govemment House initiative, we urge you to reconsider. In the event that our sources are misinformed on this point, we, ofcourse, extend our apology, as well as the hope thatyour office would set the matter straight with the organisers as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Francis Moriarty Convenor FCC Press Sub-cornrnittee

invite the press on this occasion. They are perfectly entitled to do so and the Goyemor accepted this decision in line with his normal practice. If they had decided to invite the press, he would have accepted that, too.

The suggestion in your letter that the "news media are to be barred" at the Govemor's request is just wrong.

The Govemor accepts scores of invitations a year to attend discussions or speaking events. Some arepublic, some

arcpflYate.

He has had open meetings and closed meetings with the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the British Chamber and the American Chamber, for example . He has attended

speaking engagements organised by t}¡;e Far Eøstern Economíc Reuiew which haye been open to the press, and by The Econom¿sl which have been closed to the press. It could easily have been vice versa. But in each case, it was the organisers who chose the ground des, not the Governor.

The Govemor has made it a,practice during his time in Hong Kong to provide frequent and regular access to the media. He will continue to do so.

Indeed, he will be happy to see the media after Monday's event.

Itwaskind ofyouto include apostdated apology in your final paragraph in case you had got your facts wrong.

I am happy to accept it on the Govemor's behalf.

Yours sincerely,

Freedom KerryMcGlynn Inforrnatíon Coordinator October 1995 TnD, CORRXSPoIì|ItDIIT

@

AFP on the

wall :=

ÉÉ I il u

/ I

\ \ Ë e-

õ

E

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with the

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ffltttt

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I. IERUSAIEM:

An ortbodoxJeut can

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the hat o|t hls colleøgues, wbo are couered

uitb tbe'Taleth" durlng

the Þassouer

þrayer at tbe uailing WalL Jeus gøtber euery year inJerwalemfor thß Pra.J)er rnafkíng ttre passouer Íeast.

2. GULU, Uganda: Ugandan faitl4ful pray at e mass in Gulu, northern Uganda, d.uríng the Poþe's u¡sít

il

3. WASHINGTON: An unidentified man ultb Punk-sryle sþiþed bah tours tbe

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ì õ ¡

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In ttre Septerrrber issue <>f T/:te ()orrczsp<,>tzcierzt, s/e corzered ttre founding of iflre Authors' R.egistry in NTesz llork, u¡hich szill o\zersee r<>yalty l?a)rrnents in orrlirre rrrultirrredia- Br-rt hosz c:arr a.rvriter protect hirnself or herself at the \zeÐ,/ beginning of the szriter-y?ublisher relationship? lfhe alass/er, of course, is to get e\zer)-thing doxzn o11 pal2er. lftre American Societ¡r of Jor-rrnalists & Auttrors' Corrtracts Corrrla1ittee l?rorrides a- fesz til?s on the sr-rl>ject. f I

r you write lbr periodicals, you're proUabty beinj olered contracts that ask for the right to use yolrr work in electronic forms - distributed via online computer services, CD-ROM and other media in addition to stand-

ard print uses. Ifyou have not yet seen

such contracts, you will. This is not the wave of future. It is now [Ed's note: At least one newspaper published in Hong Kong, which uses the talents of many freelance writers, is available in cyberspace.l The ASJA is asked more and more often what should be in a good electronic rights clause and what to watch out for.

Periodical publishers try to acquire new-media licences in several ways.

Some - generally low-end publishers may claim all rights or assign an article as a "workmade forhire", which is all rights and then some. Others ask for electronic rights in addition to ordinary print rights.

In the case of online articles, money changes hands for each sale. The reader/viewer pays fees per article; the publisher and, often, a middle man all take a piece of the fee.

The question is not whether )/ou will ever resell your piece. The question is : should r¡ tb ers resell your work for their profit alone?'Writers shoulcl

not let publishers and others profit perpetually from theif pf operty while they the creators of the property

-

-

get nothing.

The preferred compensation for electronic rights is a share in the income derived from such use. Splitting revenlle is routine with other secondary rights, such as anthology, reprint and syndication. The split may range

from 85:15 (when the publisher

is

grant a broad licence that covers many

different types of electronic republication. Butwhen aflat fee is proposed,

the electronic licence should require separate paymentfor eacb dealmade by the publisher. It is best then to limit the duration of the licence (for example, US$100 for the right to use on America Online for one year) or establish payments to be made for any renewals of the licence.

If there are problems reaching agreement on the electronic license,

an opt¡on may be wtitten to allow terms to be negotiated, if and when the publisher wishes to use,/sublicense

the material electronically. Or, failing that, the electronic provision often may be detected and the publisher must agree to keep )/our article out of any electronic compilations of its material.

Do not accept the line "'We must have every article cleared for online

an all-rights or work-made-for-hire agreement lor magazine and newspa-

(when you and the publisher have

use." Arrangements for electronic product routinely allow publishers to

equal interests).

delete articles

perwork, except invelyspecial

Overall, the publishing industry is not quite tooled up for this. But a system is coming fast. As cr. temporary me svre, a flat fee for electronic licences is acceptable, as long as it is a separate fee attributed to the elec-

Standard practice in the publishing industry is being established now.

Do not think you can wait for others to take a stand and protect your interests.

tronic license.

tlcere ìs no "sitting it out." Every time

It is not

you accept an undesirable contract one that does not provide separate

ASJA recommends

Remember,

as an

not accepting

cases.

independent profes-

sional writer, you do not "sell" an article; you license specific uses of it.

A licence to cover electronic rights should be based on this principle.

All us e b ey o nd first þrínt þub lication must be seþa.ra.tely licensed and s eþ a.r 6tt e ly c o mþ en s at e d..

If your article is in a printedmaga-

zine, it's part of publication typically sold on newsstands fot a week or a month. Then it's gone, and you may exercise your right to do other things with it. Articles published or repub-

THE CROWN YOU'LL FIND ON EVERY DEcoRATIoN. LoNG AGo CARLSB

purchase; the readerlviewer does not have to buy the whole issue. They are available indefinitely, not just while the publication is on the newsstand.

lished electronically are very diffet ent: thel' arc avallable for individual

merely acting

as

your agent) to 50:50

acceþtctble to take a bigber ouerallfee to surrencler electroníc riglrts Luitlr þrint rights.

Why not? Because even if extra dollars are paid to induce 1'ou to sign, a deal like that establishes electronic rights are included with other rights

for free

b itp wuld.

required.

In tbe ørea of electronic rigltts,

payment for electronic rights - you help to establish the wrong standard, for you and for others, for now and into the next century E33ã This afticle was reprinte d conrtesyof the Ameri-

- exactly the wrong precedent. Ancl watch out for this: on a

part of tl-ris sedes

revenue-share basis, it may be okay to

and discuss contracts in the print media

can Society ofJoufnalists & Aùthors The final

October 1995 rHE

ProbaHy tfre best be¿r

as

will

appear in the next issue

CoRRXSPoII|IIENT

Anna'Wu: Action is needed now

Workshop: the online wodd and how to use it.

28tln, 2-4:OO p.m. (demonstrations,

Q&A to follow)

Forrner Legco rrrernl>er Anna \üçzLr tkre A in tkre ACE trio of krerself, Ctrristine Lotr -and Err.rily Lant deli\zered a. tra-rd-trittillg lTtessa-ge to \WTPS -rrr.errrt>ers/\ solicitor with Robert W. H. Vang l- lA Co, Anna ìùØu was appointed to Legcornl992. Although she declined to run for election, while she was in office, she promoted open govemment and democracy, human rights and sexual equality. She is also a sought-after commentator on Hong Kong affairs and a long-time member of the Hong Kong Observers. tn her view, we should all be concerned about pre ss freedom after 1997.

She related a story that highlighted the di-fference between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Two women were fi shing on opposite sides the Shenzhen river, one on the Chinese side and the other in

tor of Evolution [an Intemet consulting firml, will lead the session.

Didyou knowyou can "surf the Net" to make trayel reservations? to

Perhaps even more alanning, Wu suggests, is the perceived increase in self-censorship among the local media.

Shepoints to STARTV's decisionto stop

broadcasting the BBC Wodd Service

pro

prietorRupertMurdoch's relationswith Beijing. Similarþ, despite avid public interest, local stations chose not to air:

says, for

example, that China can applyits own laws to Hong Kong when the former territory is "threatened by turmoil".

Tiananmen Square stands as an example ofwhat Beijing considers necessary

to quell turmoil.

The Basic I¿w's Article 23 is also cause for concern, tüu notes. It prohibits "theft of state secrets". In October, 1992, Letng \Vai-man, an Exþress Døiþt repolter, was detained in Beijing. She had obtained and published an

- of the Pafty secfetary -

advance copy

general's speech. Although she was even-

tually released, her source was given a life sentence for disclosing state secrets.

"In a free society, such a 'crime' is called investigative joumalism and journalists often win awards for it, " Wu said.

THI

C0RR.ESPOImEilT

October 1995

- by talk of the information superhigh-

the Governor may suspend existing laws and create new offences. The problem is that no one has defined exactly what constitutes an "emergency" or a "public danger".

had caught many, many fish; the Shenzhen woman, none.

"VØhy have you had such good luck?" asked the mainlander. Replied the Hong Kong woman: "On this side, the fish aren't aftaid, to open their

will govern Hong Kong. It

members; $200 non-members Intrigued or confused

way, also known as the Intemet,

television news to China, to further

'Wu's fear is that after 1997,Hong Kong will also be frightened to open its mouth. She pointed to several worÐ/ing provisions in the Basic t¿w, which

VHERE: The Freedom Forum, Shui On Centre, 68 Harbour Rd., Wanchai, Ste. 1305 COST: $180

"In China, investigative joumalism is an offence against the state."

Hong Kong has Draconian laws of its own which givé incredible powers to its executive and law-enfotcement agencies. In the event of an emergency or public danger, for example,

Hong Kong. The Hong Kong woman

mouths."

controversial documentaries about Mao and China's labour camps.

Those that aren't prepared to selfcensot face pressrre and isolation from China. Beijing frequentþ denies visas to - especially if they have not kowtowed in the past, said'Wu. She is not optimistic about future freedoms, and stresses the need for amendments to current laws, new laws,

reporters

and improvements to media industry regulations. These include a revamp of telecommunication and broadcasting laws to liberalise the regime and increase competition. "'We should enact access-to-information laws,"'Slu says.

"The power of the press to expose the Govemment is not effective turless there is access to information. If the source of the informationis controlled, then there can be no effective monitoring of the Government."

There are less than 700 days to the handover.'We need to press for changes now. 'Wu noted: "Freedom of speech is

good. Freedom after speech is even

better."

Cathy Hilborn -

Press R.elations

WHEN: Saturday, October

E33

CanOn

Canon Hongkong Trading Co., Ltd.

l1lt., Mtrw fowet, 61 Mody Rd., Kowloon, Hong Kong

7/E Swire House,9 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong

Services/Products:

Manager Corporate

Canon cameras and video camcorders

Address:21lF,, Cornwall House, Tâikoo Place, 979 King's Rd,, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

l/anager

Product Marketing

lVr Albert

Executive

fttls

Communication

C.F.

Kwan

2747 5214

Stoyle

2747 5393

Manager Corporate Communication

Sole Distributor : J0S Consumer Electronrcs Senior

C,lrHny Pnclnlc

Chan

2565 2008

Wong

2565 2007

Louise

lnternational

Nadia

Services/Products: HonO Kon0-based international airline

cyberspace andthe Woddlùt¡ide Víeb? kam what it takes to go online and

what you can expect once you get there! Online expertJoe Sweeney, a contributor to Dataphile lthe "bible" of the online world in Asial and direc-

shop for everything from soup to nuts? to chat with other surfers

Hong Kong Trade Development Council 3B/F 1ffice Tower, Clnventizn Plaza, 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Local ¡nlernational

Cheung Lilburn

William Nigel

2584 4294 2584 4489

Offices in: Amsterdam, Athens, Bangkok, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Dallas, Dubai, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, lslanbul, Jakarta, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Milan, Moscow, Nagoya, New York, osaka, Panama C¡ty, Paris, Santiago, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Taipei, Tianjin, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Vienna, Warsaw, Zurich.

Kodak (Far East) Limited

+FJiË(iËF)äßRâA Kodak House 1, 321, Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong

Assistant Public Relations Marketing

Manager

Gommunications

Jessica Ghan Enquiry : 2564 9333

Direct

Fax

: 2564 9309

:2856 5004

around the world? to send messages to loved ones halfway'round

-for le ss than the price of postage stamp?

100 million users can'tbe wrong.

the globe a

Find out what you might be missing-and how to tap in yourself!

You'll leam: @ whyyou should buy the fastest modem you can afford; @ what software is available

KROLL ASSOCIATES (ASIA) LIMITED 901-911 Motmt Parker House, I I I Tel. 2BB4 7788 Fax: 2568 8505

Director Ässociate Managing Director Marketing Co-ordinator Managing

Services:

to help you navigate

the superhighway; @ who provides Internet access here in Hong Kong-and the questions you need to ask before you sign up (at last count, there were more than a what service s are available online; @ how to estimate the cost of going online. dozen! !!);

@

Surfers beware ! There are some

Stephen G Vickers Steven J Einsel Yasmin R Shaker

International RiskManagementConsultants International C orp orate Inves ti gdt ors Ilordwide Business L

SIEMENS Siemens Ltd.

I

Public Relations Manager Phillip Media Enquiries (24

hours)

Bruce

282477OO

28247152

Function: Developing Hong Kong's new airport at Chek Lap Kok

J,nircnl

Shriro (H.K) Ltd.

2/F Hutchison House, Central, Hong Kong

58/F, Central Plaza 1

PnovrsroNAL Arnponr AurHoRrrv Horue Korue

I King's Road, Taikoo Shing

Director Manager

Harbour Road

difficulties in going online. We'll

Wanchai

help sort them out before you dive

Hong Kong

in. And we'll provide a simple to

Marketing Communications Manager Monika

Sturm

2583 3307

Poon

Managing PL. 25245031 Senior Jimmy 25245031 Serv¡ces/Prod ucts: Sole agent of Nikon cameras, Hasselblad cameras, Linhof cameras and Epson LCD portable TVs

Wan

understand glossary of online terms

you need to know.

Several local online service providers will also be onhand to demonstrate their systems and answer

your questions.

Ifyou have questions about this

workshop, please contact organizer Cathy Hilborn, at 25O8-4436 or fax25O3-r53O. Note: seats are lifrríted!!! Don't be disappointed! ! ! sign up earþ! ! !

THE IüØHARF (I{OLDINGS)LMITED Rm 1 902-3, Wheelock House, 20 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong

Head of Corporate

Affairs

Nick

Thompson 2844-2139

For direct access to the people who can best answer your press questions, please use the contacts in this section.

Seruices/Products: Property investment and development in Hong Kong and China; terminals and transport systems, hotels in Asia and

Entries are free to advertisers making series bookings.

A paid entry is an economical part of a company's press

Nofth America; Cable Television and Telecommunications.

relation planning. Please contact25217993 for details.

October 1995 THE CORRf,SPoI{DDNT

Brigid Snow: awofnaft to femembef

The great shakedown They sa)¿ )zoLr ca-11 see the Great rüú.all frorrl the rrroon- If tha-t's so, asks Danzid Garc.ia, hox¡ corrae NTASA lras l1ever rrrentioned the gLtt, at end v,ztro \wza-ILts

ften during my battles to get in and out of s#ltholes I find myself with a weekend in between. I try to plan some interesting side trip which would take me somewhere off the

beaten track.

On one particular occasion, I found myself headed for Dunhuang.

Dunhuang is located in the northwest of China in Gansu Province. The Silk Road passed straight through. If you're coming east through the Gobi Desert, you have to hit Dunhuang.

Dunhuang has water. Lots.

Dunhuang itself is an oasis in the middle of the Gobi Desert, but, basically, it's no place to spend the rest of your life, or, for that mattef, anything longer than five days. Max. Dunhuang also has these fantastic Buddhist caves dating from the Tang Dynasry (AD 420-589), and the beginning of the Great Wall. 'W'e were

tracked down by this tour guide who offered her services (tour guide services, that is) to us. Her husband abandoned her and her son to study Buddhist art inJapan some five years ago.

She has just realised that he isn't coming back. She wants out of Dunhuang.

'W'e

arranged to go see the famous Buddhist caves outside the city. The caves are worth the visit alone. There are 300 to 4OO in total, all containing statues and paintings depicting Buddhist stories and history. Somehow, all this escaped the wrath of the Cultural Revolution. The Japanese have a penchant for this site and have invested large amounts of money in its upkeep and restoration. They also built a large, modern museum next to the caves.

'W'e

discoyered that after the Russian Revolution in 1919, the 'White Russians hid out in these caves, as evidenced by the graffiti they left behind on the walls.

THE CORRISPOI\IDEI|T Ocrober 1995

)zor]f rlaolae)¿-

de-

è Õ

cidecl to hire some camels

È

That evening we

and go for a ride through Aduance, camels! A bctckside-numbing tríþ gets underu.ny the desert. Where there's camels, there's chaos. It may come with a guard tower, and carries on to from the people who ride on top, or surround alarger oasis with a fort.

the camels themselves, I don't know and didn't want to delve too deep into this.

Enough history. I'm probably wrong anyway. But in any case, after observing this section of the wall, I

People arguing, camels spitting,

came to the conclusion perhaps old

goods and people being dropped, goods and people being stolen andan enormous amount of noise. That's a

Emperor Qin really wasn't worried

camel ride.

All this subsided once you got into the desert . The silence was amazing.

'We rode for three hours and returned safely with sore butts.

The next daywe wanted to go see the beginning of the Great Wall at the Jade Pass (so called because ofthe jade trade passing through this spot centlrries ago). 'We were informed that this is no easy task. Not many tourists want to go there, and especially no locals.

Finding a van with air-conditioning and a driverwilling to travel three hours into the desert with no roads required the most important tool 1'ou c î carry with you in China: money, lots of it.

Emperor Qin (around 221 BC) started the construction of the Great Wall, and it continued through the centuries. Lots ofpeople died building it, but ftinny enough, not many died defencling or assaulting it.

According to the Chinese, the wall was originalll' built to keep out the Mongol hordes from the north. When the Mongol hordes finally did come, they simply went around and through various broken sections.

The Dunhuang end is made of layers of mud and straw, approimately 10ft to l2ft tall. It starts at a signal tower, stretches for some miles to a small oasis, surrounds a bit of water

t it always sacl when one of the f great "characters" passes on. And so Iit

was with Brigicl Snow. Those who knew her in the later, rather difficult, years may not have my remembrances

of the lively, talkative, intelligent lady who was always congenial company in

booth, probably one of the first in history. After our three-hour drive through nothingness, we found a direct descendent of the first toll booth

30 years ago. The BBC Wolld Service,

-

true to form, he shook us down for 10RMB per person per historic sight.

In other words, if you look at both the wall and the signal tower, that's 20RMB, and so on and so forth. He drove around with us to make sure you didn't look in any direction that wasn't paid for.

Back in Dunhuang, we managed to find a bar run by an American Indian, Ted, and avery bored lady from NewYork, Beth. How they ended up

there and what they intended to accomplish is still a mystery. It sofi of reminded me of the old American sitcom, Greenctcres.Betle longs for New York, Ted hankers for the great olltdoors and Mr Haney out in the desert is waiting for his one toLrrist a month.

Dunhuang is definitely worth a visit. It is one of the few places I have visited in China that hasn't been rebuilt in Disneystyle and remains pretty intact.

Eæ

f n tne days when the Foreign I. Corr.rpôndents' Club was perched on the z5th-floor eyrie of the nowdefunct Hilton, a brighteyed Englishwoman was making

è

any interesting group.

Alwale , perhaps, awandering soul, she had been inthe United States before

and,

cf¿ratacter

Brigid Snosz kras died at the a,ge <>f 63- Ch-rl> ¡ç¡lelrrl>ers her rzeteran Ctrades Vreattrerill g.rea-t fondl¡z for her sl2irit and larnelats her l-a-ter rechrsirzeness-

about Mongol hordes at all.

This wall seems to be constmcted as a shake-down operationfor the caravans which crossed this point going east and west on the Silk Road. It has the only water for miles. rü{hat a great place to set up a toll

operator from the Qin Dynasty

An enduring

coming to Hong Kong with a friend of long stancling, Kate Mattock (author of Tbe Story of Gouernment House).

Brigid came out to Hong Kong ovel'

I

am told, ran att obituary of her on air recently because, years ago, she had worked for the BBC in London before coming here. But, as Brigid said to me with her delightful wry smile: "In the

religious section, youknow, of course. " The BBC is also alleged to have said that she reported to the Foreign Office or some mystelious goveffllnent agency.

BLrtwe never seem to have hearcl of that before.

In Hong Kong, she worked for a wh-ile with GIS, paticulady in filming and public relations. She loved to have people around her and enjoyed the bustle of getting things organised, the endless telephone calls, the socialising and companionship.

Brigid is also said to have been a campaigner for women's dghts in the

UK, and to have written a book

-

something else that was news to us from the BBC. She cenain-ly did get involved later in writing and public relations, and was always eager to. be part of any new venture that attracted her.

She also worked fol a while for RTHK and still had a lovely speaking

voice when I intewiewed her on Radio 4 just afewyears ago.

Later, Brigid was left in a difficult sittration, with no fixed career ancl all the perils of a freelance eistence in Hong Kong. Living in houses and flats on Lamma island made life difficult.

Many kind friends sustained her and she also tried to eke oLlt asmallliving on

her own, lattedy in part-time editorial andpublishingwork. Timeswere harcl, andafter a slight stroke and some deafness, the decline from lively participation in Hong Kong life to a muchrednced lifestyle dicl not suit her and worried her friends.

On Lamma, to the despair of her friends and neighbonrs, she always

befriended and kept dogs - always at least three although at times she was stretched fol. the means to look after herself. It showed her kindness, her love ofcompany and, no doubt, a loneliness.

-

The end came rather suddenly. She was taken from [¿.mma afa]J, it - afterElizabeth was said to the Queen Hospital. A few days later, she greeted me thefe very sweetþ, but then lapsed

into incoherence when I asked herwhat hacl happened. The St George's Society here was involved in the inevitable task of flying her back to Bfitain and hospitalisation, albeit for only a brief period.

in care.

Brigid's smile, sparkling eyes, en-

BLrt at least she was

gaging malìner and exuberance remain undimmecl in the memory, easily outshining and outliving any such lapses which each one of us might suffer.

The FCC is at least richer in spirit that she was with us.

@

waves at the adjoining Beaconsfield House, the al-l-encompassing com-

munications hub of the Government Information Services (GIS).

While Beaconsfield House is doddering along on borrowsd fime,

both the Hilton and the Englishwoman, Brigid Snow, have gone.

Brigid, a senior information officer attached to the films unit of GIS, worked with a team of high-powered ex-Fleet Street joumalists u¡ho included Michael Stevenson, deputy-

director of GIS, apd David

Marchbanks, the angry Scot who terrorised the flews room before his merciful eviction to fresh pastures.

Hong Kong was poised on a knife-edge

as

communist-insti gated

trotrblemakers waving the Red ok of Chairman Mao's Thoughts held the cify to ransom, paraþsed traffic with real and fake bombs, and took control of Garden Road all the way up to Government House,

Bo

which was plastered with anti-British slogans.

Brigid, though in the background, was part of the actiott, L kind of fire-baptism as she moved on to work on rehabilitatiYe post1967 projects linked to social welfare, health and education.

When her contract with

GIS

expired in the first phase of localisation, Brigid switched to freelance work with a former GlS-colleague, Chades \ù?ang of Salon Films, for whom she worked on a documen-

tary on Chek Lap Kok, her last assignment before she was repatriated for medical reasons to Britain by the Royal Society of St George in mid-July.

Brigid, one of the FCC's endur-

ing characters, left as she lrad ar rive d : an eni gma that had everyone guessing on how she ever managed

to cope in

a

-\,rgf.ngn October

1995

place like Hong Kong.

ft¿¡

THE CORRXSPoHDENT

V/e can help you make the next

A

s ss E

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U R

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I

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Happy birthday L]ncle Rex

(olR-P'o)lR-.\-lf I oÈJ ILTDD atd It N tt- ìE lRÈù_\-lf I (o)}Jl\. lL ]P]R(O)]P IE]KITX ìES L-lr]D) (c

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The club has been iust about all around the wodd

bie

with its theme evenings. And last month it took a trip to the land of the Mandelafamilyfor a SouthAfrican night.

Here's some of the people who were there.

TEL: 2866 061110696 FAX: 2527 6492 12C Trust Tower - 68 Johnston Rd Wanchai - Hong Kong

step

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Sù44plry

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Veteran broadcaster and FCC regular Rex Ellis recently celebrated his 60th birthdaybyplayingweekend admiral on a celebratory cr-nise to Poi Toi for the obligatory five hour luncheon repast on the beach. Iíife Barbara (she's the one drapped around Rex shoulders) organised t}re affair so well

A brand-new Ball

that Typhoon Sibyl held off until all hand were back on Mother Earth before letting lose. And a good time was had by all.

Nicola Mâry Catherine . Ken and Heather now live in Murwillumbah, New South Wales.

Congratulations to Ken Ball, former editor of tlae Hongkong Støndard, and wife Heather Mackinnon on the birth of their second daughter,

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The sexual power of Larry Perhapsit'sthe silver-fox hair. Or maybeit'shisbeau-

tifully

Book reception at the club

ever it is, the

Beeb's formerman in these parts,

Law-

rence, still has a waywithwomen.

\r PAPILLON

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FRENCH CUISINE

Z

Set

t/

premises in the recently openedJewelry Trade Center. Our general manager, Jethro Lee-Mahoney, called in on acting manager Panjavilai Song-lin to see how things were going.

The new clubhouse , high on the 1 2th floor, includes an airy and attractive bar, with a restaumnt and lounge area. Needless to say, FCC Hong Kong visitors are more than welcome.

Pictured here (from the left) are FCC Thailand ladies Asina Olanve clr, PanjavllaiSong-lin,'Wiparat Kanokwilas and Sumalee Suthiwangcharoen.

! ð O È

Ìr{O.

1

E .1I.L

Tel= 25724813 TfiE

C0RRDSPOIVDENT

Ocrober 1995

/

s¡¿r].,m.

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awaiú you..

Come andjoin us at one of Cenfnal's favour.ife pubs.

t\Ell'!

ITALIAN RESTAaRANT Iiv H0,\'(; IiOt\G

õ

- Saturda,v, O?ening llou|s: B am L¡ll 2an Nooil SundaJ,; Happy^,Ionda,y Hout' 5 -B pm ^,lidnight + Hearty English Breadfast served till 1 0.30 am Mon. - Sat.

+

Racquel Chung has left the FCC office for pastures

new. She is replaced as deputy general manager by Allister Lim Rochstad. At a joint farewell,/welcome lunch, Racquel was presented with a signed souvenir poster.

TYe

[-I

¡r

Midn¡ght.

look forr¡and to seeing you!

Ground Floor, Hutchinson House (next

N

to

Furama Hotel)

Central, Hong Kong, Tel:2525 7436

ecessor), Allister, Racquel, Lidia (bureau supervisor), Patricia, Linda (departing receptionist),'Wanda (receptionist) and Sarah (membership secretary).

Luord Rood, Southorn Mqnsion, Wonchoi 25274781 Fox:28654370 Poger: I ló8233 #ó33

Tradit¡onal Pub Grub, Daily Special

+ Roast Beef Sunday Lunch + Cocktail Night Every Tuesday 2fo( 1,5 -

Also present was Patricia Chan, the new receptionist.

Pictured (left to right) are Karen En @acquel's pred-

PETER CHO'S color workshop I

¿L

South China Building, 1-3'Sfll.ndham Street Tel: 2526-5293 Fax 2801-5006

VOTED HONG KONG'S

Colour prints by

Flot G, 2nd Fl., No.

+r

l/F 8-13 t(io ON LANB, CENTRAL

TEL:2526 5965

T\\'O-COUR.SE BUSNNESS [-UNCF{ $79

è C)

After being based for many years in the Dusit Thani Hotel, the FCC of Thailand has moved to brand-new

ÈË

-PRIVATE ROOMS AVAILABLE

G""dl foodl .trd

5-7,õOPM HAPPY FilOUR. CLUB B,{CCFTUS BAR & R.ES"]IAUR..\N']I" ßasement, 8-t z J{ennessy ß,oad, Wancfroi. Íor reservations, pleasi call z5z9 9o3z

è

$138

&o,(rurl#

Change of office

È

SALADANDTEA ORCOFFEE

-DINNER

Take-away & Catering servlce: 252õ 4 I I 7

Sunìíse. Member Romie Ling, second from right, hosted the reception. Also pictured are Chadie'Wang of Salon Films, Geoff Pike andJohn Wong of Remy.

COURSE LUNCH PLUS

-LUNCH

Lnnch plus one can of American beer - $55

special discount (A La Cartc only).

1

SUPPORTERs

II'' RE,ST,\I.JRA'NT

The Village (Indian) Restaurant 57 Wyndham Steet,

FCC

THEsE

his

latest book was best-selling Australian author Geoff Pike. Geoff's book, Tiger Dawn, is a se-

BBCvowels.What-

A new home for Bangkok's FCC

PATRO N I5 E

Attheclub

to launch

rounded

Anthony

PLEASE

2 COURSE

SET TUNCH

INCTUDING COFFEE g:¿^*nSú-tSINCE

$I IO

2 LAN KWAI FONG 8O4 ó5óI

1969

WSIT US AND ENJOY: UNISUE AMBIENCE AND FINEST ITALUN CUISINE HONGHONG l/E ShunHoTows 24 Ice Houe Strect

KOWIÆON

Cent¡al, Hong Kong

Tsimhatsui, Kowloon

Tel 2252289M

Tel 223761945

CENTRAL 57-59 Wyndham Street, G/F, Central, Hong Kong

GlF, Astoria Building 38 Ashley Road

FOR RESERVANONS OUTSIDE RESTAURANT HOUR!; CAI.I- 25238621 Othq Etailishmub in Motìh & Boli

SPECIAL NEIGHBOR'S OFFER All FCC members dining at La Täverna will be warmly welcomed with FREE w¡ne. Half bottle for two, 1 boltle for four and so on...

fel:25249623

THE UEI GFìOUP

wANcHAt

T

185 KA, "on

T

op I, ding'

SUPERB SERVICE.'ASHOKA' M REsTAUBANT 77.,.Pyidau a Road TOWN Yangon, Union of Myanmr WELCOMES You ro ExpERtENcE !i!,'ifJ,),rli#,

PBOBABLY THE oLDEsT INDIAN lN

A montlrly þortrøùt of FCC ùrcepløceøbles

Penny Byrne

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