#OpinionArticle #LettersToEditor
Rule of Law in Hong Kong
Discussing the effectiveness of the rule of law in Hong Kong is a getting controversial. The newly released Rule of Law Index 2020 by World Justice Project has ranked the city 16th, globally. It is worth noting that the data used in the report is from 2017, two years before the anti-ELAB protests in 2019.
Clearly, the HKSAR government did not read the report fully. If we look at the index within the context of the current state here in Hong Kong, you would find all this rather ironic. In less than one year, the authority has managed to eradicate the common civilian's trust towards the judiciary system. This was the system which was once the pride and joy of Hong Kong.
The lack of balance between various governing authorities, selective law enforcement and prosecution, as well as what many would consider less-than-fair judgments in the past 9 months have completely shaken up the city's judiciary system. Looking at the law enforcement entities, specifically the police force, none of them are actually subject to checks and monitoring under the city's judiciary system.
To say the system is “dead”, we also need to look into the prosecution procedures. We believe that some prosecutors and judges have acted in ways which contributed to the systematic violence. Prosecutors and judges are made up of officials entitled by the central authorities. There had been widespread media coverage on how many have turned a blind eye to crimes committed by government supporters, when the case was actually heard in court. Many prosecutors have also been quoted, verbatim, of speaking in ways which voiced their disdain for the protestors. Should the ruling party of China fully take control of the courts, it is hard to fathom that in the future justice can be fully upheld.
Rule of law is the basis to any modern society. When that law is no longer trusted by its people, it would become a powerful tool for the suppressors. Police, prosecutors and judges would ultimately contribute to a system which is intrinsically unjust to dissidents.
#RuleOfLaw #antiELAB
Rule of Law in Hong Kong
Discussing the effectiveness of the rule of law in Hong Kong is a getting controversial. The newly released Rule of Law Index 2020 by World Justice Project has ranked the city 16th, globally. It is worth noting that the data used in the report is from 2017, two years before the anti-ELAB protests in 2019.
Clearly, the HKSAR government did not read the report fully. If we look at the index within the context of the current state here in Hong Kong, you would find all this rather ironic. In less than one year, the authority has managed to eradicate the common civilian's trust towards the judiciary system. This was the system which was once the pride and joy of Hong Kong.
The lack of balance between various governing authorities, selective law enforcement and prosecution, as well as what many would consider less-than-fair judgments in the past 9 months have completely shaken up the city's judiciary system. Looking at the law enforcement entities, specifically the police force, none of them are actually subject to checks and monitoring under the city's judiciary system.
To say the system is “dead”, we also need to look into the prosecution procedures. We believe that some prosecutors and judges have acted in ways which contributed to the systematic violence. Prosecutors and judges are made up of officials entitled by the central authorities. There had been widespread media coverage on how many have turned a blind eye to crimes committed by government supporters, when the case was actually heard in court. Many prosecutors have also been quoted, verbatim, of speaking in ways which voiced their disdain for the protestors. Should the ruling party of China fully take control of the courts, it is hard to fathom that in the future justice can be fully upheld.
Rule of law is the basis to any modern society. When that law is no longer trusted by its people, it would become a powerful tool for the suppressors. Police, prosecutors and judges would ultimately contribute to a system which is intrinsically unjust to dissidents.
#RuleOfLaw #antiELAB
#LettersToEditor #TheGuardian
Letter to Ms Boseley, The Guardian
Editor’s note: This is a letter from a subscriber of our channel.
Dear Ms Boseley,
I would like to provide some feedback on your article "Test and trace: lessons from Hong Kong on avoiding a coronavirus lockdown" published on 17 April 2020.
There is nothing you can learn from Hong Kong unless you want your country to degenerate into a failed state. The reasons why we could cope with the coronavirus better than other places are simply that (1) Hongkongers have lost all trust and confidence in our government; (2) we know by instinct that Chinese figures are fake. We know in our hearts that the Hong Kong government is ignorant, incompetent and totally untrustworthy, that it has been blind and deaf for many months, that it would never put the interests of Hongkongers in any priority. To survive, we must rely on ourselves solely.
The terrible experience of SARS in 2003 definitely helps raise the awareness of personal and public hygiene. You are quite right to point it out. When we heard about the outbreak in China in late January, we knew instantly what we needed and which items of personal protective equipment (PPE) were the most essential. Everyone rushed to buy face masks and alcohol hand gel between late January and the entire February. And I must remind you that WHO said wearing masks had little to no effect in preventing the coronavirus infection. Ordinary Hongkongers have done all we can to find PPE from Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, North America, South America and the whole Europe.
I need to emphasise it is "ordinary Hongkongers" because our government has never assisted the people of Hong Kong to acquire any PPE. Frontline health workers repeatedly said they did not have sufficient masks (doctors and nurses had to reuse their masks all day long). It was "ordinary Hongkongers", many of whom donated a few boxes each time to the medics. When we learnt that elderly people and low-income families could not afford to buy masks as prices went up more than 10 times, residents and shop owners in the neighbourhoods volunteered to provide free resources, such as masks, gloves, alcohol, liquid bleach, etc. In the time of coronavirus we have created an economy and a culture of mutual self-help. The solidarity of Hongkongers, the spirit and willingness to fight for the benefits of our fellows (by acquiring PPE from around the world and sharing it with others), the determination and sense of urgency to protect this place that is our home, these have nothing to do with WHO guidelines.
Continue reading:
https://telegra.ph/Letter-to-Ms-Boseley-The-Guardian-04-22
#SelfHelp #HongKong #Epidemic #Coronavirus #MedicalStaffStrike #TravelBan #WHO #Taiwan #ChinaThreat #ChinesePropaganda
Letter to Ms Boseley, The Guardian
Editor’s note: This is a letter from a subscriber of our channel.
Dear Ms Boseley,
I would like to provide some feedback on your article "Test and trace: lessons from Hong Kong on avoiding a coronavirus lockdown" published on 17 April 2020.
There is nothing you can learn from Hong Kong unless you want your country to degenerate into a failed state. The reasons why we could cope with the coronavirus better than other places are simply that (1) Hongkongers have lost all trust and confidence in our government; (2) we know by instinct that Chinese figures are fake. We know in our hearts that the Hong Kong government is ignorant, incompetent and totally untrustworthy, that it has been blind and deaf for many months, that it would never put the interests of Hongkongers in any priority. To survive, we must rely on ourselves solely.
The terrible experience of SARS in 2003 definitely helps raise the awareness of personal and public hygiene. You are quite right to point it out. When we heard about the outbreak in China in late January, we knew instantly what we needed and which items of personal protective equipment (PPE) were the most essential. Everyone rushed to buy face masks and alcohol hand gel between late January and the entire February. And I must remind you that WHO said wearing masks had little to no effect in preventing the coronavirus infection. Ordinary Hongkongers have done all we can to find PPE from Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, North America, South America and the whole Europe.
I need to emphasise it is "ordinary Hongkongers" because our government has never assisted the people of Hong Kong to acquire any PPE. Frontline health workers repeatedly said they did not have sufficient masks (doctors and nurses had to reuse their masks all day long). It was "ordinary Hongkongers", many of whom donated a few boxes each time to the medics. When we learnt that elderly people and low-income families could not afford to buy masks as prices went up more than 10 times, residents and shop owners in the neighbourhoods volunteered to provide free resources, such as masks, gloves, alcohol, liquid bleach, etc. In the time of coronavirus we have created an economy and a culture of mutual self-help. The solidarity of Hongkongers, the spirit and willingness to fight for the benefits of our fellows (by acquiring PPE from around the world and sharing it with others), the determination and sense of urgency to protect this place that is our home, these have nothing to do with WHO guidelines.
Continue reading:
https://telegra.ph/Letter-to-Ms-Boseley-The-Guardian-04-22
#SelfHelp #HongKong #Epidemic #Coronavirus #MedicalStaffStrike #TravelBan #WHO #Taiwan #ChinaThreat #ChinesePropaganda
the Guardian
Test and trace: lessons from Hong Kong on avoiding a coronavirus lockdown
Semi-autonomous city followed WHO advice and moved swiftly to stem contagion without rigid curbs on movement
#LettersToEditor
To my fellows (or "limbs" as some may call you)
In mental health first aid and a lot of other continuing education courses in the allied healthcare fields, there is a self-care exercise where you list all the things you're grateful for today. It can be anything, like "I just got my dream job!" or "I took a nice shower". Research says that building a grateful attitude towards life helps with sleep and depression, among other things.
But if this exercise was meant to help you feel better about your situation regardless of where you are in life, I think it falls flat in the face of what we are fighting against and fighting for. I don't want to be reminded that I am safe in another continent while my kindred fight on the frontlines. I don't want to know that the obscure medical equipment I was able to obtain through work ever needed to make its way to someone struggling to survive. Am I grateful for my safety and that I helped a fellow first aider? Of course. Does it make me feel happier? Very much the opposite.
In a more mundane previous life, my main worries were the same as most of us - school and family. Back then, an exercise like that definitely made me feel happier. I was grateful that my mom sent me clothes and snacks when I studied abroad despite the pressure to maintain my grades. I was grateful that a couple of classmates would share textbooks with me because I was short on money. In that mundane life, we only ever get to skim the surface of the true purpose behind such an exercise.
The purpose of a grateful attitude is not to feel better. It is to feel life for what it truly is. Many of you have been practising this exercise since last year without even knowing it. You do it when you leave money in the basket after taking drinks from a hastily abandoned shop. You do it when you hand off your only respirator to someone else's grandma and escort her away from the teargas. You do it with silly antics and games while you wait behind the barricades. This self-care exercise that has to be taught in seminars to burnt-out healthcare providers was somehow ingrained into your very existence.
From where did you learn this? Why do you return despite all the injuries, psychological traumas and deaths of last year? Martin Luther said, "Everything that is done in the world is done by hope." Somehow, you have maintained your collective hope for which I can only applaud you. However, I am worried for your continued well-being. Physical exercises are not just for increasing strength; they maintain it. The same applies to your mental health. There is a part of this self-care exercise that some of you may have not practised. You need to write down your answers. Some versions of the exercise ask you to write three things you are grateful for every day in a journal. Maybe you are grateful that your friend can freely worship in a Hindu temple. Maybe you contributed to a Lennon Wall today. Maybe you shared an egg tart with your brother. Eventually, you will accumulate in your journal a list of memories, reasons and freedoms. Flipping through its pages will become an exercise of hope.
Hope may not make you feel better but it will make you experience life better. It will empower you. With this in mind, I am asking you to practice this exercise for both your own self-care and also as an act of resistance.
Wishing you health in body, mind and spirit,
A distant sibling
Self-Care Exercise to Build a Grateful Attitude:
What are three things you grateful for today? If you are stuck, you can use these questions to guide you. Write as much or as little as you wish.
1. What was something you enjoyed today?
2. Who did you help? How did someone help you?
3. Did you compliment someone? Did someone compliment you?
4. What positive feelings did you feel at the time?
5. What was something you did to improve or maintain your well-being today?
#MentalHealth #HealthCare
To my fellows (or "limbs" as some may call you)
In mental health first aid and a lot of other continuing education courses in the allied healthcare fields, there is a self-care exercise where you list all the things you're grateful for today. It can be anything, like "I just got my dream job!" or "I took a nice shower". Research says that building a grateful attitude towards life helps with sleep and depression, among other things.
But if this exercise was meant to help you feel better about your situation regardless of where you are in life, I think it falls flat in the face of what we are fighting against and fighting for. I don't want to be reminded that I am safe in another continent while my kindred fight on the frontlines. I don't want to know that the obscure medical equipment I was able to obtain through work ever needed to make its way to someone struggling to survive. Am I grateful for my safety and that I helped a fellow first aider? Of course. Does it make me feel happier? Very much the opposite.
In a more mundane previous life, my main worries were the same as most of us - school and family. Back then, an exercise like that definitely made me feel happier. I was grateful that my mom sent me clothes and snacks when I studied abroad despite the pressure to maintain my grades. I was grateful that a couple of classmates would share textbooks with me because I was short on money. In that mundane life, we only ever get to skim the surface of the true purpose behind such an exercise.
The purpose of a grateful attitude is not to feel better. It is to feel life for what it truly is. Many of you have been practising this exercise since last year without even knowing it. You do it when you leave money in the basket after taking drinks from a hastily abandoned shop. You do it when you hand off your only respirator to someone else's grandma and escort her away from the teargas. You do it with silly antics and games while you wait behind the barricades. This self-care exercise that has to be taught in seminars to burnt-out healthcare providers was somehow ingrained into your very existence.
From where did you learn this? Why do you return despite all the injuries, psychological traumas and deaths of last year? Martin Luther said, "Everything that is done in the world is done by hope." Somehow, you have maintained your collective hope for which I can only applaud you. However, I am worried for your continued well-being. Physical exercises are not just for increasing strength; they maintain it. The same applies to your mental health. There is a part of this self-care exercise that some of you may have not practised. You need to write down your answers. Some versions of the exercise ask you to write three things you are grateful for every day in a journal. Maybe you are grateful that your friend can freely worship in a Hindu temple. Maybe you contributed to a Lennon Wall today. Maybe you shared an egg tart with your brother. Eventually, you will accumulate in your journal a list of memories, reasons and freedoms. Flipping through its pages will become an exercise of hope.
Hope may not make you feel better but it will make you experience life better. It will empower you. With this in mind, I am asking you to practice this exercise for both your own self-care and also as an act of resistance.
Wishing you health in body, mind and spirit,
A distant sibling
Self-Care Exercise to Build a Grateful Attitude:
What are three things you grateful for today? If you are stuck, you can use these questions to guide you. Write as much or as little as you wish.
1. What was something you enjoyed today?
2. Who did you help? How did someone help you?
3. Did you compliment someone? Did someone compliment you?
4. What positive feelings did you feel at the time?
5. What was something you did to improve or maintain your well-being today?
#MentalHealth #HealthCare