November 2019 / Issue 2
PROTESTERS advocate for climate change Climate change in Hong Kong decoded • Eating your plate to reduce plastic waste
In This Issue
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04 12 20 28
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Eat your plate: a new way to reduce plastic waste
Protesters in climate movements risk getting arrested to call for attention
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Can climate change movements force change?
Hong Kong’s student activists face local and international threats
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Hong Kong protestors flock to pro-democracy businesses to show gratitude
Climate change in Hong Kong decoded
Female football in HK: still a long way to go
Letter from the Editor When young Swedish activist Greta Thunberg started the #FridaysForFuture movement earlier this year, it caused a wave of international environmental concern with more attention being paid to climate reporting. This is why we decided to dedicate this issue to climate change. We started with a local focus to discuss reasons why there is often a shortage of local awareness on climate issues and spoke to a group of young entrepreneurs who are trying to curb plastic waste with their edible plates. Then we shifted to a more international perspective to explore the myriad risks activists across the world are taking to further environmental causes, including boycotting classes, blocking roads and risking arrest. We also interviewed members of the Extinction Rebellion to find out how far they are willing to go The effectiveness and legitimacy of their movements are often the centre of controversies despite alarming scientific findings that we could all be in for a climate crisis. Meanwhile, since the protests in our city have not ceased, we have explored how Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists are facing deadly threats not just locally, but also in other countries where freedom of speech has long been respected. As the local social movement intensifies, economic tactics have also been used to reward or punish businesses based on their owners’ political stance. Due to campus safety considerations, our classes have been cancelled for the rest of the semester. We just had a turbulent few weeks, but in our hearts there is still hope, and our reporting and publishing will not stop. Sincerely, Katherine Li Editor-in-chief
Editor-in-Chief
Reporters
Katherine Li
Acacia Redding Alec Lastimosa Bella Huang Carine Chow Carol Mang Carol Yuan Cassie Zhang Cherry Lee Clara Ip Eurus Yiu Han Xu Haywood Man Hongshun Wong Jay Ganglani Kawai Wong Kylan Goh Liony Xue Mark Chen Mereen Santirad Moon Lam Nicole Ko Olivia Tam Ronald Fan Samuel Mo Suey So Sunny Sun Yanni Chow
Deputy Editors
Anna Kam Phoebe Lai Rachel Yeo Wallis Wang Advisers
Jenny Lam Robin Ewing Editors
Amy Ho Brison Li Cara Li Fifi Tsui Hailey Man Jo Ng Karen Kwok King Woo Maisy Mok Nadia Lam Oasis Li Stephanie Ma Tomiris Urstembayeva Vanessa Yung Vimvam Tong William Tsui Yetta Lam
The Young Reporter Volume 52 No. 2
Art Directors
Elaine Soh Hailey Man Maisy Mok Oasis Li Stephanie Ma Tomiris Urstembayeva
Printer
Department of Journalism School of Communication Hong Kong Baptist University
04 HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT
Climate Change in Hong Kong Decoded:
5 Things You Should Know
Reported by Jay Ganglani Edited by Maisy Mok
Climate change has become an increasingly pressing issue across the globe in recent years. Teenage Swedish activist, Greta Thunberg, for example, sailed from her home country to New York to make the point at the United Nations in August 2019. Here in Hong Kong, a survey conducted by the World Green Organisation found that 76% of 500 respondents believed that air pollution is a severe issue in the city, yet less than 30% took action to push back climate change.
What is climate change and what are some of its consequences? Climate change is defined as “a significant change in the measures of climate, such as temperature, rainfall, or wind, lasting for an extended period - decades or longer,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In 2019, the Northern Hemisphere witnessed its hottest summer on record, while in 2016 the Southern Hemisphere recorded its second hottest winter in 140 years. According to the European Commission, while a general change in the air temperature is natural, climate change is often caused by human activities, including emissions
of greenhouse gases, which are primarily emitted through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. As the climate becomes warmer, it also changes the nature of rainfall patterns, the temperature of the ocean, and changes in the ecosystem. From 1885 to 2018, for instance, the annual mean temperature data showed an average rise of 0.13°C per decade, but this increased and reached 0.17°C during the latter half of the 20th century from 1989 to 2018, as stated by the Hong Kong Observatory.
What are the biggest climate change issues in Hong Kong? (Source: Hong Kong Observatory)
Urbanisation - ‘Urban Heat Island’, is an urban area that is much warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. It is one of the most common results of localised urbanisation. - This often results in an increased amount of both energy consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases.
Increasing rainfall
- It is caused by high greenhouse gas emissions - The number of extremely wet years is expected to quadruple from three between 1885 and 2005 to 12 between 2006 and 2100.
rising sea level
- The average sea level in Hong Kong is expected to rise by around 60% from 0.63 m between 1986 to 2005, to 1.07m between 2081 to 2100 respectively.
tropical storm & Typhoon
- In 2017, Hong Kong was hit by six major typhoons that caused injuries and damages, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
- As a result, the number of typhoons in the region will also increase.
- 2016 saw a record number of 38 days deemed as very hot, with a maximum temperature hitting up to 33.0 degrees or above.
1.07M 0.63m How do Hong Kongers feel about climate change? A study in 2018 on climate change awareness shows only half of the over 1,000 local respondents felt that climate change was an issue currently affecting people in Hong Kong, according to the Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response. “Not only is the pollution worsening the air quality, but it has also become hotter in Hong Kong in recent years,” said Ryan Mok, 20, a Hong Kong-born student studying in Toronto.
From the same study, 2% of the respondents believed that climate change would never affect Hong Kong. Dominic Sun, 20, who is also currently studying abroad, believes that climate change is a scam. “The carbon dioxide concentration levels do not show a positive correlation with temperature when compared to data from 600 million years ago,” he said, citing a Forbes article, which discussed that
the climate has always been changing with time. “Teachers, parents, and activists who believe in climate change always have biased arguments on why climate change was true,” added Mr. Sun. On March 15, environmental activists joined thousands of students who boycotted classes and took to the streets to call for the government to fight climate change.
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But most of the students at the event were from international schools, and not local ones. “The principals at local schools are rather conservative. They probably receive a lot of government funding, so they have to behave and keep their students in school today, which is very unfortunate,” said Michael Leung, an artist and visual arts lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University who attended the event.
There are several speeches made by students in English and Cantonese, ranging from urging the Hong Kong government to prioritise environmental issues to encouraging the public to reduce plastic waste.
What is the Hong Kong government doing to combat climate change? China is a signatory to the 2016 Paris Agreement, an international treaty to fight climate change. Signatories are obligated to review their environmental actions and adopt new approaches every five years. The Hong Kong government’s latest action plan is to reduce carbon emissions for 2030 at 3.3-3.8 tonnes per capita. This would exceed the recommended level of two tonnes per capita under the Paris Agreement. Some 70% of Hong Kong’s carbon emission comes from electricity generation. The
government is working with two Hong Kong power companies, CLP Power and Hongkong Electric, to reduce coalgenerated electricity and replace it with natural gas. In the 2019 policy address, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam extended the ‘Cleaner Production Partnership Programme’ to March 2025. This pledge to provide $300 million to Hong Kong-owned factories in the Pearl River Delta region would significantly reduce emissions and air pollution. But, the city lacks an authoritative body that can lead to climate change policies
required to meet its climaterelated goals, according to The Paris Watch Climate Change Report conducted by CarbonCare Innolab, a local environmental nongovernmental organisation. Peter Brimblecombe, a visiting Professor at the City University of Hong Kong’s School of Energy and Environment, said that while environmental policies in Hong Kong do exist, such as the gradual elimination of plastic bags, the city needs to do better to embrace solar and wind energy as well as cut down on food waste.
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What does climate change hold for future generations? A World Health Organization report found that seven million people died globally in 2012 alone due to poor air quality.
Dr. Brimblecombe said that humans will have to learn to adapt to the changing climate over the next century.
This has only grown to become an even larger issue today with 4,000 people dying in China daily because of heavy air pollution in the region.
“I think our chance to mitigate climate change has already passed but we need to ensure that we learn how to adapt quickly for both ourselves as well as to save future generations,” he added.
To abide by the Paris Agreement and limit temperature rise to 1.5°C, rapid, far-reaching, and unprecedented changes to all aspects of society would be necessary, including having a more fair and sustainable world, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s special report.
Another expert, Dr. William Yu, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the World Green Organization, said there is no doubt that climate change is a major issue even for the current generation, let alone future ones.
“We only have 10 years left to take action, but the younger generation does care about the environment, so there is still hope. Otherwise, seeing rising sea levels and a lack of food supply around the world could be very dangerous and the norm in our society moving forward,” added Dr. Yu.
08 HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT
Eat your plate: a new way to reduce plastic waste Reported by Olivia Tam Edited by Karen Kwok
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The Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department revealed in its latest report that the city’s daily waste disposed per capita in 2017 was the highest since 1991, with plastic dining ware disposal alone up by 7.7% compared to 2016.
Made of wheat, tastes like tree bark and hard to chew – it may not be the finest option if you are looking for appealing and delectable food to satisfy your appetite, nor is this the most ornamental tableware to plate up your meals. But for people who want to avoid single-use plastic crockery, an edible plate might be the perfect alternative to curb plastic waste. Paper plates normally take five years to decompose while plastic ones take at least 500 years, but an edible plate would disintegrate in 30 days if it is not eaten up. A Polish technology company, Biotrem, are making these eco-friendly
plates with natural wheat bran by heating and compressing the wheat into solid dishes - a process that requires no fossil fuel at all. The plates can hold cold or warm food at up to 350°F. They are also microwavable and ovenproof. GreenBB, a local social enterprise has been importing the edible plates from Poland since last year. “Some environmental groups merely ask people to behave in certain ways to benefit the environment, but we’d like to take it a step further by motivating and inspiring people to protect the environment in creative ways,” said Jayford Wong, founder of the enterprise.
The group, which includes 20 young people, organises experimental activities such as green parties, workshops with schools and NGOs in a bid to raise eco-consciousness in the city. Hong Kong produces the most plastic waste in the Asia-Pacific region, with each person disposing, on average, around 400g every day. “Our participants like the plates very much, not because of the taste but the fact that they are fully biodegradable. The plates will disintegrate whether or not the user eats it,” said Mr. Wong, who said he had never really eaten a whole plate himself.
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“Even if I cannot finish the plate after a meal because the wheat would always fill me up, since it is going to degrade, I’m not doing any harm to the environment,” he added. According to the latest solid waste monitoring report by the Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department, the daily waste disposed per capita in 2017 was the highest since 1991, with plastic dining ware disposal alone making up 7.7% of the total solid waste volume, compared to 2016. Consumers may not be aware that they are contributing to a crisis of plastic waste that will blight their future generations when ordering from food delivery apps or dining out at food courts. The food they anxiously wait for is coming
together with a tremendous amount of plastic items that will live in the landfill for at least five centuries after being used only once. “Plastic is a by-product of petroleum, which is a type of fossil fuel. If we keep digging out petroleum to produce plastic, we are burning more fossil fuel to heat up the Earth,” said Karen Ho, Head of Corporate and Community Sustainability for WWF-Hong Kong’s Climate programme. “If emission continues to increase, the global average temperature is likely to rise by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, a danger line set by the United Nations.” But Ms. Ho is sceptical whether edible dining ware can substitute single use plastic plates. “We don’t necessarily have one solution or
a single product replacing the other and we can solve the problem,” Ms. Ho said. “Even if we have the awareness to cut down plastic waste, there are gaps between good intention and actual action. We have to consider whether the new option available is convenient for us, and what are the benefits and costs?” Josa Chan, who owns two Chinese restaurants in Kowloon City, said she welcomes the idea of edible crockery but it would not be an option if it is too costly. “If there is something cheap and eco-friendly to replace single-use items, I think many businesses would be up for the alternatives. But first of all, it has to be cheap.”
Consumers may not be aware that they are contributing to a crisis of plastic waste that will blight their future generations when ordering from food delivery apps or dining out at food courts.
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For GreenBB to import edible plates from Poland, the transportation fee accounts for 80% of the total cost. Biotrem’s suggested that the retail price for a 10-pack of edible plates should be US$5 and US$30 for a 100-pack, which is about three times more than the cost of plastic plates that Chan purchases. “Most consumers or small businesses would not be able to afford the high cost, so we are trying to produce simpler versions of edible utensils and crockery which can last for two to three days using waffle machines and hot milk,” Mr. Wong said. Participants at GreenBB experimental activities could get a taste of producing their own edible crockery. The team dreamt up an idea to mould waffles into plates and bowls to fashion cheap and edible tableware. Although waffle-crockery could only be preserved for several days, Mr. Wong hopes it can inspire people with new ways to curb plastic consumption. “These are handy ingredients and the plates can be made with a few easy steps. We hope people would understand that they can use simple and innovative ways to conserve the environment. Being eco-friendly could actually be a lot of fun.”
Smell like freshly-baked bread but tastes like bark, the edible plates are made from wheat bran without chemical additives, suitable for warm and cold food. They disintegrate in 30 days if not consumed.
Paper tableware normally takes five years to decompose while plastic ones take at least 500 years, but an edible plate would disappear in 30 days if not eaten up.
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PROTESTERS IN CLIMATE MOVEMENTS RISK GETTING ARRESTED TO CALL FOR ATTENTION Reported by Bella Huang Edited by Tomiris Urstembayeva
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Four protesters were lying on a road in Central London between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. Several policemen approached to persuade them to leave the street. After a while, the police gave up waiting and carried away a protester. Thousands of other protesters around clapped and chanted cheerfully. “What do we want? Climate justice! When do we want it? Now!” they shouted. This was a common scene during the 12-day long mass climate protest, which attracted more than 30,000 people to London to participate, according to the organiser’s website. The city had seen 1,832 arrests in the last two weeks of September, with 154 of them charged with multiple offences, according to figures from the Metropolitan Police. The protest, called “Extinction Rebellion”, is an international movement that uses non-violent ways of civil disobedience, to declare an ecological emergency and ask for immediate action to protect the environment. People from 60 cities globally gathered in Central London for the protest since early October. The movement in London has three core demands: tell the truth of the scale of ecological crisis, push the UK to achieve net-zero emissions by 2025, and urge the
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government to create a citizens’ assembly to tackle climate problems. As the protest continues, more and more climate activists are seeing “getting themselves arrested” as an important strategy, and they are willing to be one of “the arrestables.” This disruptive tactic include actions such as lying under vehicles to block roads, gluing themselves to government buildings and clambering atop an airplane at the airport. The organiser has stated on its website that arrests is an important strategy for Extinction Rebellion, while it tries to “turn the criminal justice process (from arrest to prosecution) to an opportunity to advance our strategic objectives – in particular by raising public and political awareness of the climate strategy.” The organiser provides legal information and assistance for protesters to prepare themselves before and after arrests. “Obviously this (being arrested) is not a nice thing to go through, but in the grand theme of things, it is minor,” said Georgia, 32, who was sitting outside a car at Trafalgar Square with her young son, in an attempt to block the road.
We need to recognise that the combination of large numbers on the streets and visible arrests is part of a long and distinguished tradition of non-violent direct action. Professor Graham Smith University of Westminster
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“People (willing to be arrestable) are joining all the time. (The movement is) getting bigger and bigger. It is building momentum,” she added. The Extinction Movement calls for immediate action to save the planet from what activists say will be the “sixth mass extinction in Earth’s history.” It states that ongoing destabilising events such as the loss of biodiversity loss, rising sea levels and extreme weather will result in millions of people being displaced and consequently, increased risks of wars and conflicts. According to a recent survey published by Climate Central, a news organisation that reports on climate science, the number of people who will become vulnerable because of rising sea level is three times higher than previously thought. Many Asian coastal cities, such as Shanghai and Bangkok, will be affected. Kate Jeffery, a neuroscientist from University College London who joined the Extinction Rebellion protest, thinks that the arrest of protesters is an effective way in raising social awareness. “For quite a long time, I thought, or hoped technology would be able to solve the (climate) problem, but after 40 years of waiting, I realize that that’s not going to happen and the Extinction Rebellion appeared to be able to make a change,” she said. The number of people arrested during the Extinction Rebellion has grown from almost 300 on the first day to more than 1,400 during the first week.
Many celebrities also became “arrestables”, including Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium, who shared her police release paper, indicating that she is “still under investigation”. Rachel Smith, 43, a counsellor from Brighton who joined Extinction Rebellion in February, thinks getting arrested is an important strategy to push forward the movement. “As the police are being overwhelmed, people hired by the police force would have to talk to politicians, and force politicians to make a political solution to these rebellions,” she said. She also agrees that being arrested has been a successful strategy in raising social awareness. “People are talking more about climate issues since the April protest. The media, hopefully, will start reporting on the climate movement and a healthy conversation will happen,” Mrs. Smith said.
The April protest earlier this year was the first demonstration organized by Extinction Rebellion, during which protesters glued themselves across the entrances of the London Stock Exchange building. That lasted 11 days and resulted in 1,130 people being arrested. Professor Graham Smith from the University of Westminster, London, whose main research focuses on climate and environmental politics, said that the arrests have pressured the government to act and that this strategy is not a new thing. “We need to recognise that the combination of large numbers on the streets and visible arrests is part of a long and distinguished tradition of non-violent direct action,” he said. However, there are still concerns that Extinction Rebellion has failed to provide sufficient support and information to those arrested. Green and Black Cross, an independent grassroot group
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an independent grassroot group that provides legal support to protesters, released a statement earlier this year to say they would stop cooperating with Extinction Rebellion. They expressed “serious concerns about the safety of both legal observers and of those taking part in actions associated with Extinction Rebellion.” The street protests have angered some Londoners. They complained that the occupation of main streets has brought inconvenience to their daily lives. On October 18, a video showed that commuters dragging a protester down from the roof of a tube train after several Extinction Rebellion activists climbed on to trains at Stratford, Canning Town and Shadwell during the morning rush hours. “I understand that the protesters want more attention, but affecting people’s daily lives isn’t a smart decision to get to that point,” said Jimmy Thomas, a
Protesters wear costumes bearing slogans such as “tell the truth”. One of the three demands of the climate protest is to “tell the truth of the scale of ecological crisis”.
commuter who was taking the tube to work that morning at Stratford station. The Metropolitan Police of London outlawed Extinction Rebellion on October 14, the eighth day of the movement, stating that all protesters of the movement can be arrested after 9pm that day. According to the organisers, more than 3,000 protesters have been arrested globally throughout the movement in October.
Despite causing inconvenience to the neighbourhoods, protesters are stringent about their actions. They are determined to continue the fight for the environment. Bob Tyrell, who has been protesting outside St James Park since the first day of this movement, said, “the future is only important if we have one… My freedom versus the freedom of life, there’s no competition”.
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Activists at Trafalgar Square in London explain to passerbys about the Extinction Rebellion, a non-violent global environmental movement.
Can climate change movements force change?
Reported by Moon Lam Edited by Nadia Lam
Young activists who skip classes and block traffic are all part of the global climate movement that kicked off in September. Protesters around the world want to raise awareness on climate change and urge their governments and local authorities to take action. According to the organisers, up to 6,000 events have been held in 1,000 cities across 185 countries.
In September, 100 school children in Hong Kong joined the climate strike. It’s the continuation of a movement started by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg. She has been skipping school since last year in order to protest outside the Riksdag, the national legislature and the supreme decision-making body of Sweden.
Her actions raised other students’ awareness on the problems of climate change and inspired other students to join. “The first step of the climate strike is action by young people. By gaining attention and discussing with politicians and the mass media, they can make it into a real issue, ” said Dr. Ico Maly, an assistant professor at the Department of Cultural
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Studies at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. On September 21, in support of the idea of climate strike, the United Nation held the first UN youth climate summit, in which young climate action leaders were given the opportunity to share their solutions and deliver messages to world leaders. Rachel Benn, a 25-year-old British environmental activist, believes the global climate strike has successfully made more people think about protecting animals and the environment. “Throughout the whole movement, we speak out for the environment and make changes. It not only raises awareness, but also leads to more discussions on
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problems brought by climate change among people from all over the world. It has really helped this planet that we share,” Ms. Benn said. But there are those who do not think the movement is effective. Matthew Shen Xin Hao, a 21-year-old student who saw some of the protests, believes the global climate movement fails to deliver a specific message that can change people’s minds, nor does the movement provide any practical solutions to climate change. “Everyone is convinced that something needs to be done, but no one is really taking any action,” Mr. Shen said. Dr. Maly explained that young people in the climate
Protesters use “U-Build” blocks as barricades in London.
movement generally lack the power to bargain with authorities in order to implement real changes. “Teenagers lack economic clout to force the countries and companies to listen,” he said. Some corporations though have shown support by going to be green. Currently around 400 businesses are participating in the global climate strike. On September 20, more than 900 employees at Google in Seattle joined a Global Climate Walk Out. At Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle, an estimated 750 of their employees also took part. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made a “Climate Pledge,” to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement by becoming carbon neutral by 2040.
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“Greener plans by businesses lead to a win-win situation, which is both beneficial to both the companies and the environment, however, companies pay the cost to be greener. For instance, it slows down the productivity just to meet ‘standard of being green’, so efficiency and going green are always contradictory,” Mr. Shen commented.
Anniina Virta, a staff at a bookstore in Helsinki, admits that the movements of climate change encourage them to concern about the environment. For instance, they started selling christmas cards without plastic packaging half a year ago. “We are worried about whether the costs would be higher if we become more environmentally friendly. But,
we have a responsibility to protect it, so do the customers,” Ms. Virta added. Dr. Maly believes the climate strike can only be more effective if participating businesses and organisations are willing to do more and have clear plans to tackle climate change cooperatively.
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Greener plans by businesses lead to a win-win situation, however, companies pay the cost to be greener.
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Anniina Virta
Staff member at a bookstore in Helsinki
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People hang torn clothes in Trafalgar Square to raise awareness on how the fashion industry leads to climate change and ecological collapse.
Activists of Extinction Rebellion aim to use civil disobedience to compel governments to take action in order to avoid tipping points in the climate system.
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20 20 Politics POLITICS
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In a leaderless movement, Hong Kong’s student activists face local and international threats Reported by Yanni Chow Edited by Anna Kam In August, Zoey Leung, 19, got her first threatening phone call. The anonymous caller accused her of being “a rioter who has ruined Hong Kong” and she was warned she would “bear the consequences”. Ms. Leung, vice president of Hong Kong Baptist University student union and active in the ongoing pro-democracy protests, said that other student leaders got the same phone call. Next, insulting leaflets written in abusive language that specifically targeted Ms. Leung were posted all over her neighbourhood in Sai Kung district. The flyers used similar language as the phone call. Ms. Leung is worried about her and her family’s safety. It also ruined her family’s relationship with their neighbours, she said. “I think I am an easy target,” Ms. Leung said. “There are people who would like the movement to stop because
they think I am one of the leaders.” Other student leaders have reported attacks. Davin Wong, the acting president of the University of Hong Kong Student Union, resigned from his post and fled the city after being attacked by masked men in Wan Chai at a bus stop on August 30, he said in his resignation letter. In early September, the acting president of Hong Kong Polytechnic’s student union was struck in the face during an on-campus protest. “Those thugs are threatening, and they use violence to hit us and scold us, doing whatever they like,” Ms. Leung said. Ms. Leung said she thinks she was followed by police in June, just after local university students held a press conference to announce a general strike. HKBU student union president, Keith Fong, who was arrested for alleged possession of an offensive weapon, said he thought he was also being followed before his
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Institutions International Affairs Delegation in July to take Hong Kong issues to the free world through what they call citizen diplomacy.
Zoey Leung is the vice president of Hong Kong Baptist University student union and an activist in the ongoing pro-democracy protests.
Some Hongkongers abroad also said they have been threatened. A Hong Kong diploma student at Monash College in Melbourne, Australia, said that after he took part in anti-extradition law demonstrations in Melbourne, he was threatened on social media.
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A mainland Chinese classmate threatened to stab me if I do not stop what I am doing Jackson
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first arrest. Local media outlet FactWire, published a report showing CCTV footage of five plain clothes police officers heading directly for Mr Fong after he bought ten laser pointers in Sham Shui Po.
A Hong Kong diploma student at Monash College in Melbourne, Australia
Yet, on her way to Australia, Ms Leung said she was detained in the Melbourne airport for half an hour by border police, who questioned her about taking part in Hong Kong protests. They searched her bags and checked her phone, with concerns that she might carry weapons or evidence of her participating in riots. “I was quite shocked because I thought Australia is a place where freedom and democracy are promoted,” Ms. Leung said. She was allowed to enter the country, and the delegation met with various political parties, including the Australian Greens, Liberal Party and Labour Party. They urged
“A mainland Chinese classmate threatened to stab me if I do not stop what I am doing,” Jackson, who does not want to reveal his full name for fear of retaliation, said. But Australia and other western countries, are where some of Hong Kong’s student leaders are looking for help. Ms. Leung, along with other student leaders, formed the Hong Kong Higher
Professor Benny Tai is a legal scholar in Hong Kong University and one of the leaders of the Umbrella Movement.
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councillors to pass legislation to help Hong Kong and to talk with Hong Kong students overseas. The student delegation has also visited Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States and given a speech at the United Nations to mobilise support for the protection of human rights. In the United States, the US Congress is considering making a statement in favor of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters. The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, which has received congressional support, could be passed this year. “It may be the first time the US government links human rights abuses in Hong Kong
to its policy towards Hong Kong by imposing sanctions on selective people in Hong Kong and China,” said Ma Ngok, a political scientist and associate professor in government and public administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Human rights group Amnesty International released a report in September that documents a number of examples of human rights violations in Hong Kong, including delayed medical treatment for injured protests, denial of legal advice following arrests, and alleged use of excessive force by the police. “The system allows selective prosecution. When violence is used by pro-government gangs and maybe suspected
triad members, very few of them are being arrested. Some are even protected by the police,” Prof. Ma said. The Hong Kong government gave the green light to frontline police, ordering them to stop the violence and maintain social order at all costs, said Benny Tai Yiu-ting, a legal scholar and democracy activist at Hong Kong University. “If we want to protect our homeland, it is a must for everyone to show their enthusiasm and come out to the streets. We should be the generation who are in power and in charge,” Ms. Leung said.
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A “Day of Thanks”: Hong Kong protesters flock to pro-democracy businesses to show gratitude
Reported by Acacia Redding and Olivia Tam Edited by Vanessa Yung Pro-democracy protesters heeded an online call to support “yellow shops” today, expressing their gratitude to businesses which have shown support for the ongoing anti-government protests that started in June. The “Day of Thanks” was publicised on social media outlets and chat platforms, such as telegram, encouraging supporters to “say yes” to those businesses by endorsing and purchasing products from them throughout the day. The “colouring” of opposing political views was sparked by the Occupy Movement in 2014, with pro-democracy supporters labelled “yellow ribbons” and allies of the police or Chinese government classified as “blue ribbons”. The current unrest, sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, has again greatly divided the
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Apart from the Lennon Wall, we also offer free meals to protesters who used up their money because of the movement. Tung
Staff member of Let’s Jam
city, with netizens categorising shops depending on their political stance.
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Stores classified as “blue” are actively boycotted by protestors, while stores categorised as the newly emerged colours of “red” and “black” — meaning mainland financed or have suspected triad affiliation — are often graffitied and vandalised during demonstrations. Let’s Jam, a cafe in Tsim Sha Tsui, and Lung Mun Cafe, a Hong Kong-style diner, were among the “yellow shops” listed on a poster advertising the “Day of Thanks”. Supporters were urged to check into the establishments on social media with the hashtag #standwithhk. Many of the “yellow shops” have openly endorsed the pro-democracy movement through participating in strike days, posting social media as well as in-store. Staff of Let’s Jam said business has increased after they have created a “Lennon Wall” in the shop for customers to write words of encouragement to support the movement and protesters. “More people have been coming to support us for standing on the side of Hong Kong people,” said Tung, staff member of Let’s Jam. “Apart from the Lennon Wall, we also offer free meals to protesters who used up their money because of the movement.”
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Ms. Chiu is one of the many who heeded the call to show her gratitude. “I feel happier to spend my money in these shops. I would go for the more expensive choices on the menu to thank the owners,” said Ms. Chiu. “It also makes me feel more comfortable to be surrounded by people who have the same political stance because obviously we are all here for the same reason.” Long queues were also seen outside Lung Mun Cafe, which had offered free meals for secondary and university students in September, and has given out free energy bars and water for demonstrators during protests. Li Yeun-tak, a university student said he came to the local eatery to show his appreciation to the owner. “It takes a lot of courage for one to publicly show his support for the movement in fear of white terror,” said Mr. Li. This is not the first time protesters have adapted their consumer habits. An online campaign labelled “Bye Buy Day” was launched in August, encouraging activists to avoid retailers they deemed pro-Beijing and reduce their spending on Fridays and Sundays. The campaign, initiated by a group of elderly citizens, was made in an attempt to inflict temporary economic damage to pressure the government in meeting protesters’ demands. Pressure is also kept on “blue
The owner and staff of the cafe, Let’s Jam, have put up colourful post-it notes to create a “Lennon Wall” at its entrance to express their support for the pro-democracy movement.
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shops” as widespread protests over the weekend were characterised by heightened property destruction and vandalism. Many of the targeted businesses, such as the Bank of China, were listed on protest-supporting social media sites as mainland-connected or “blue shops”. Included in the list are also Yoshinoya, a popular Japanese fast-food chain, and coffee chain Starbucks, for supporting the police crackdowns and condemning the chaos brought on by the anti-extradition protesters. During mass protests, many of these listed shops would close down early in fear of being targeted.
There are over 1,000 post-it notes on the massive “Lennon Wall” in the cafe, contributed by customers who stick their wishes and words of encouragement for the movement on it.
To allow informed shopping decisions, apps and websites aimed to aid consumers in their knowledge of Hong Kong businesses have sprung up in abundance over the past few months, with guides on which businesses are pro-democracy and which are pro-Beijing. A Google Maps food-guide and smartphone app “Whatsgap” are two of the said platforms, both of which compile businesses into colour-coded categories in a bid to put an economic strain on mainland-connected businesses. “We should take actual actions to thank those owners who are brave enough to support us by spending money in their shops,” said Mr. Li who had used the Google Maps foodguide to locate Lung Mun Cafe, “Hong Kong is under a very difficult situation now.”
28 SPORTS
Hong Kong women footballers still treated as amateurs Reported by Carol Yuan Edited by Vimvam Tong She works and studies by day, but at night, she puts on a new identity. Unlike the professional male players, as a female football player, Ma Chak-shun, 23, trains with her football team after sundown. Ms. Ma is involved with the Hong Kong women’s national football team and a local club named Happy Valley Athletic Association Women. Yet, Ms.Ma is still not considered a professional player. “Males can play professional football, they can earn money by playing football. But females can’t,” she said. The trend of more females joined the sport in recent years is apparent. According to Legislative Council document, as of the interim review in 2018, there are 3,140 women in Hong Kong involved in various women’s football programs held by Hong Kong Football Association, which increased
by more than 70% compared with last year. As the group is getting bigger, local female players say they still have to face diverse difficulties in their career because they are on the way seeking for the same rights and treatment same as male players. No professional football means no salary. Male players’ team participating in Hong Kong Premier League can make money with their training expenses paid and salary monthly. There is no professional league for women’s football in Hong Kong, so female players will not get paid. Most of them treat football as a hobby and have other fulltime jobs. “We can just seek it for fun, for leisure and for our dream,” said Chan Tsz-ching, a student football player in Hong Kong Baptist University.
HKBU provides funding for all University sports teams, and they also have sponsors to cover the expenses of overseas training or matches. Clubs out of school are not as lucky as school teams. Hong Kong Football Association sponsors Hong Kong team but not clubs, so they need to find their own sponsorship. According to Ms. Ma, when it comes to overseas activities or training, if they failed to get sponsors, some club’s chairman will pay for the expenses for players. But if the chairman doesn’t pay, players need to gather up the expenses among themselves. Ms. Ma thinks she is fortunate as her coach and captain always thinks for the players. Last year, her coach successfully got travelling expenses which are used for their transportation for far away matches. Players are granted $500 for each tournament as a bonus.
“Many women football players like me are extremely interested in football and enjoy playing it very much, we want to make playing football our profession,� said football player Ma Chak-shun (1st on the left).
Women footballers regularly play against all men teams.
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will work with partners to ensure that women’s football receives regular and appropriate training facilities, but they didn’t provide specific strategies.
“We think it’s progress, even if there is still a long way to go from the professionalisation of women’s football, we feel that we are moving towards it step by step,” as far as she knows, other clubs does not have the welfare.
is far away from the urban area, the female teams still face difficulties. They need to compete with public for booking the pitches owned by Leisure and Cultural Service Department in downtown.
The focus in Hong Kong, like other sports, is to develop male teams, women’s teams encounters the difficulty in booking the pitch for regular trainings.
Busy schedules of team members and the pitches shortage result in the low frequency of training. Women’s teams can only train two nights per week while men’s teams can train with more flexibility in their home field which they do not need to apply for the space.
Prentice Koo, executive director of Fair Trade Hong Kong, said there is also a difficulty in perception for female football players. In Hong Kong, people use a Chinese phrase “Group A feet”, meaning that the premier level players usually have the stout legs, to play jokes on women’s body shape.
According to Hong Kong Football Association FiveYear Strategic Plan, HKFA
“It’s a kind of hesitation for especially young girls when they consider which sport
Although Jockey Club HKFA Football Training Centre started operation in 2018 and Ms. Ma said it’s easier for women’s team to book, since the centre located in Tseung Kwan O which
“
Males can play professional football, and they can earn money by playing football. But females can’t. Ma Chak-shun Female football player
”
Local female players say they face diverse difficulties in their career, as they seek for the same rights and treatment as male players.
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In October, Fair Trade Hong Kong organised a football tournament to promote gender equality. They invited high-level female players to play with mixed-gender cooperates’ teams.
to play, that may cause some obstacles for them to develop,” said Mr. Koo. “We decided to hold this tournament to give a chance for all the female football players in Hong Kong to interact with the football lovers, trying to help them promote their sport.” Although this tournament can only involve 300 to 400 people, Mr. Koo hopes they can help to develop some dynamics in the football scene. Ms. Ma said she has witnessed that the social acceptance continues to grow as a result ongoing focus of women’s football. “In the past, the promotion was not enough, and the scale of the women’s football is smaller. But now thanks
to the publicity, more and more people began to identify socially with women’s football.” She also thinks that in order to develop women’s football better, it should start from Physical Education classes in school. Mr. Koo also saw the crux of the matter, “the numbers of players is not enough in youth level,” he said. “If they don’t have many players, their league, their tournaments won’t be popular. They can’t ensure enough matches.” However, some Hong Kong people value academic much on the other hand, many parents think their children should study seriously and go to university, and then get a steady job. For them, playing football is unreasonable.
When Ms. Chan was in secondary school, she put in a lot of effort to study so that she can squeeze in time to play football. “The kids in primary have a lot of homework, they don’t have much time to go training after school,” she said. Ms. Chan also thinks time management is one of the main problems for youth to play football. Many female players have the dream of being professional. But currently, the only way to achieve their dream is to go abroad to other countries which recognises professional women’s league. “My dream is to become a full-time player. Even if just for one or two years, I want to have the experience,” said Ms. Ma.
CLIMATE CHANGE Illustrated by Nadia Lam
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