The Correspondent, December 1989

Page 1


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Paul Baydeld,

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Irene OrShea.

Correspondent Member Governors Anthony Dyson, Graham l¡vell, Robin Moye¡ Peter Seidlitz, Michael Shuttleworth, David Thurston, Steven Vines.

from the znorld's

Wendy Hughes, Bryan Lloyd, Saul Lockhart, Dorothy Ryan.

Club Managen Heinz Grabner,

says East Asia expert and academic

Club Sûeward: Julia Suen.

Robert A. Scalapino. He is also convinced that there can be no return to Stalinism and no return to the old order

Bob Davis, I{arl Wilson.

Associate Member Governors

Editor:

L2

P Viswa Nathan

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delves into his vast collection of cigarette cards to trace

how attitudes towards vari-

E CORRESPON

OUS iSSUES

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Correspondents' Club, by:

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EDITORIAL OFFICE:

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Datacraft howez;er, haae ceeded where others haae

Banyan and Interlan. And uhateuer

MEET TTIE PRESS leninist societies are undergoing a period of transition and uncertainty and it would be unwise on the part of the West to follow any irrevocable policies and not to maintain a certain flexibility,

Journalist Member Governors

If,D üNRE¡PüTIHUT those

The Singapore prime minister, Iæe Kuan Yew, has won in a libel action he brought before the Singapore Court against the Far Eastern Economic Reaiew.l,ee has been granted 5$230,000 plus interest and full costs by Judge L.P Thean after a lFday trial. The verdict is an important chapter in the relations between l,ee Kuan Yew's government and the media. Counsel for the Reaiew, according to Reuiew's president. Peter Kann, "will study the judgement to determine what further action will be appropriate." Meanwhile, the Reaiew remains gazetted by the Singapore government and the printing and distribution of government-sanctioned pirate copies of the magazine continues within the republic.

25

wishes all its readers A Merry Christrnas and

A Happy NewYear


LETTERS

T l-l

E ZC,C,

COVER STORY

BY ARTHUR HA¿KER

MaÉnificent 40th

Lee Kuan Yew tls Review

muny u drink with Dick Hughes, Eddie Tseng and others.

GUINY ON ALL COT]IITS

I CONGRATLJI,ATE You on the magnificent 40th anniversarY issue. It brought back manY oleasant memories, recalling

It prompted me to remember an old Chinese adage (for-

'

vears.

Derek Davies, who was editor of the Far Eastern Economic Reuiew for the past quarter-of-a-century, is known for ararebrarrd of fearless journalism. As a consequence, the Reuiew on occasions has ineurred the displeasure of several Asian governments. One of those who felt most aggrieved by the Davies brand of journalism, Prime Minister Iæe Kuan Yew of Singapore, took Davies and the Reaiew to court recently.

.wl

give me if my erudition lapses) Nørm Yun sze suþ, Yut chi far which translated roughlY, means "Man furns 40, blooms". Not forgetting the ungentlemaríy Nui Yun sarm suþ, larn cha jar, again roughlY: 'T\roman turns 30, fades". May the Club continue to bloom, not åde, for the next 40

l€(

E& ul

Y !

\

FrankB. Shaw

No 7 Cumberland, 52 EdgecliffRoad, Edgeclifl NSW 2027, Australia

THE 40th anniversarY issue has only recentþ come to hand, but it was certainlY worth the wait. It was a trulY excellent and most interesting publication, or, in Glaswegian, a

rare wee stotter. George S. Mackenzie Hurlstone,

268 The Mall, læura, NSW 2780 Australia

PS: I'd buy you all a drink if I could find mY Plastic card!

Heldupbyexcavation

WHEN I finish a book, I begin an archaeological dig - and invariably find that I have surrounded myself with Piles of papers, books, and notes that may or may not be directlY related to the work in hand. I have just finished reading the finalproofs of mY new booh Paci,fi,c DestinY, which is an account of the Present daY miracle of East Asia and Southeást Asia set against its historY and mv own recollection of some

four decades. It's not for

Y<-ru

cognoscenti at the Hong Koig Foreign Correspondents' Club, of course, but for the millions, I trust, in EuroPe and America

been unearthed by my teams of diggers. Multiple apologies for my failure to reply in time,

guy and we had many happy

although

Poldilam Road place.

I could not, in any

event, have made it to the Club

doughty colleague Ian Stewart. I am still greafly atbached to the Club, as witness my.some time exchanges with the ineffable Ted Thomas. Anecdotes aplenty were in those recollections and that confovers¡r I look forward to seeing the Club and

columns but it's good to see

you all again sometime nextyear.

Robert Blegant The Manor House, Middle Green near Iangley, Bucks S[3 685, England

A compelling read

anniversary activities) has just

4

that Arthur Hacker is still around, likewise Derek Davies

(although I'm able to follow him via FEER as well), Bruce Maxwell and others. In this connection, the Ted Thomas column is outstanding-

ly

interesting

FCC departees

in monitoring - great to get

news of Til Durdin, Woody Edwards and Al Kaff (with whom I have sporadic correspondence).

An unfair policy! I BELIEVE that in

most civilised places of the world it

is common journalistic practice for the editor of a publication to ask someone who has been attacked in that paper or magazine to have a chance to respond to that attack so that it is printed at the bottom of the

attacking letter. In the case of the vicious one on Miss Irene OrShea, (818) a valuable member of the Club's Board of Governors, I should think it would have been a fair thing to do.

gratulate you on the quality of The Corresþondent.

hospital. Semi-retired would

Cynthia Hydes

classify me, but in my dotage I took out an amateur radio

"common þractice"

After various fitful attempts to start an FCC journal in the 1970s it is marvellous to see that the job has been done, and done so well. It is truly professional and something of which the Club can be very proud. I read every issue, not out of nostalgia, nor pureþ in a search

there that is of compelling interest to anybody engaged in the crafl oljournalism.

(about participation in the 40th

your

Ken Gott litlA Lansdowne Road , St. Kilda, Vic 3ltl3, Australia

Little to report from here, mainly because I'm just getting back into things after two spells, totalling five weeks, in

IT's more than a year since I made a note to write and con-

lurned watching their Japanese

At any rate, Your letter

in

naturally get fewer

for news about old friends, but because there is so much in

raises eyebrows and Passions.

The mentions of old friends

for the anniversary as did my

who want to know what haP oened while their backs were

made television sets. Australians, too, maY find that it

times together. I treasure some photos of him at a party at our

onship. So I can now speak of "my sporting career".

News of old friends is always

welcome and in this regard I was sorry to read that Eddie Tseng had passed away. A great

THE CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER 1989

licence. They call it a hobby here and in most countries but in the USSR, China and some non-communist countries it is considered a sport. In the USSR it is deemed "sport radio". That, of course, emphasises the competitive aspects ofit. An¡vay, we have our on-air

contests in Australia and we have a "Champion of Contests"

based on aggregate results in the four main annual contests. I'm happy to çay that at my second attempt, aged 65, I tied for first place in the 1988 champi-

Cynthia Hydes mal

be familiar uith in what she calls

"ciuilised þlaces of the uorld". The editor ofThe Correspondent cøz claim exþerience only in three þIaces - India, Thailand and Hong Kong

which he is not sure

fall

-

within

Hyde's dertnüion of "ci.ailßed þIaces".

Notwithstand.ing

her

belief,

Hydes m.ight lind this enlightening: The editor ofThe Correspondent rs suþeruised by a four-member Publications Sub+ommittee (all members

of the Board of Goaernors) and

nothing goes to þrint without it being seen and aþþroued by the chairman of the committee. And the þolicy is that no-one, erceþt the editor and the ehairman, has automatic right of reþly. Others can reþly in a subsequent edition

- Editor

First and second defendants

by P.Viswa Nathan

Malik

HE long-standing dispute between the Singapore prime ministeç Iæe Kuan Yew, and the Far Eastern Economic Reui,ew has turned a new chap

ter. [æe, who once reportedly told Reuiew's former editor, Derek Davies,

that "you can't hurt me; I can hurt you," has won the first round fought out in Singapore's High Court for three weeks in September and October this year. Before Judge L.P Thean was a libel action brought by [æe against Davies, first defendant, and Reuiew staffer Michael Malik, as well as the magazine's publshers and Singapore printers. læe claimed that in an article published in its December 17, 1987 issue, the Reuiew dehberaTnly and maliciously defamed him as aperson and prime minisûer. .

The outcome? All ft-rur defenclants guilty on all counts. In a more than 25,00Gword judgement delivered on November 30, Judge Thean awarded læe aggravated damages in the sum of 5$230,000 (US$l18,000) plus six per cent interest per year from the time the libel was committed (December 1987) and full costs.This was less than what l,ee had offered during the hearing to settle for. His demand - apologies, costs and damages of 5$350,000 (US$180,000) was rejected. The Reaiew's troubles with læe and Singapore did not start in 1987. It has a long history. 'fhe magazine had been banned many times in the island republic for publishing articles which the government con-

Davies (lefi\ and

siclered objectionable. One of its former corresponclents was jailed and a few others were denied visas to work in Singapore.

In his testimony during the hearing of the libel action, the prime rninister summarised the relationship between him anrl Davies in these words: "He (Davies) has been editor for nearly as long as I have been prime minister. He was sticking his tongue out at me".

Though that situation remained with no noticeable change, [æe and Davies had

once reached an understanding to "live and let live". Meanwhile, relations between the government and the Catholic Church began to take a turn for the worse in mid-1986 with the government becomctnlinilcd

Archbishop was reminded that the "Catholic News", of which he was the publisher, was issued a permit to publish news and

Facts of the matter Almost 18 þages of tudge Thean's 114-þage uerdict against ú/zz Revieq were deaoted to setting down the facts releuant to the action. Extract: a, a BEFOKE I turn to the article complained of, it is n""""""ry to set out iri some detail thä relevant events ff of t}re article; - - that occurred prior to the publication some of these occurred long before the publication. For my purpose, I take as a starting point the meeting that took place on July 9, 1986 between a team of officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, headed by B,G. Tan Chin Tiong, the Permanent

Secretary ("the Permanent Secretary") and Archbishop

Gregory Young, the Archbishop

-

of Singapore ("the

Archbishop"). At that meeting, the Permanent Secretary conveyed to the Archbishop the Governmenfs concern of the

involvement of Catholic activists in political issues. Principalþ the complaint of the Ministry was that certain Catholic priests and leaders had been making use of the "Catholic News", which is a periodical publication of the Church, to ventilate their views and criticisms on political, public and other issues unconnected with the Church or the Catholic faith. The

articles concerning the Church or the Catholic faith and it should therefore confine itself to publishing such matters and not articles on non-religious and controversial issues. The

Archbishop was told that if the "Catholic News" continued "to dabble" in political issues, the Government would have to consider withdrawing the permit He was then informed of the activities of three priests, nameþ, Father Guillaume Arotcarena,

Father Edgar D'Souza and, Father Patrick Goh, and their involvement in political issues. He was also briefed on the activities ofthe orgpnisation ofthe Church called Justice Peace Commission, and of one Vincent Cheng, the executive secretary of the organisation. After the meeting with the team of officials, the Archbishop also met Professor Jayakumar, the Minister for Home Affairs

("the Minister"). The Minister informed the Archbishop that there was a cause for serious concern, because certain Catholic

activists were mixing religion with politics and using religious

institutions and media to exert political pressure on the

Government. He said that it was a dangerous course of action for the activists to make use of the Church for the purpose of political agitation âgâinst government policies;

this

(continued.)

THE CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER 1989

5


l

V r-I

V

Guiþ

COVER STORY

I1K STO RY

on

ceptable to Singapore (see box). The Reuiew's own troubles with Singa-

a[ counts Jl'lu5çquwuLrJ

t

resisned their Positions in chuich organisalions and

sii,î'"#;,I'ìîn

in Mav

D'Souza fled to Australia

1e87,

.

tffií-ïï::i1 ll3;r,:;,i;iffi,åìiï: t. ill¿^.lh's;,Ëï,i,Hi workers un¿

-

rrnder

ll: rnternar SecuritvAct tt'ã f:?:":1,"{:ïi'Hi:i

3îå#,ï::i1:1.;-,iåy"#'ii P^"::l::""t iiðö'.ìi:i';.T

lI*:'"1. |L::g"tt ";;-;t'iI.".i'.",ï hi lî^ir"Ì*: p.àä;.Ëäì1Ïi,1ï z --'*t..rutl-Iltn€

1' ^- ^{ .-¡act

-

pore culminated in its December 17,1987 article written by deputy regional editor Malik (now focus editor) of the magazine. Entitled "New Light on Detentions" the

full-page article was,

in

essence,

D'Souza's reply, from Australia, to a state ment which the home minister of Singapore, S. Jayakumar, made in the Singapore parliament on November 30, 1987.

(sp; ' 4"^^'":1fl:"1:::1i covellge

Jayakumar's statement included the

:r*:y,*",?ill"n,3li"îj airairs.jnrurii:*:'lå,i

and reflected badly upon D'Souza's credi-

"t^:1"'"":,""T:l

i::,1,T:T::'"*:*:lÍ jourihe view that foreign :

î:":,{*:r=...Tt.n;r{:,ä;rïi:i;;;;l;"1î.;^äli1-iü:'åff

""";i'ifl

priest's involvement with a lady lawyer (he married her after leaving the clergy)

bility.

The material D'Souza sent to Malik, which formed the basis of the contentious article, included an account of the meeting between the prime minister and the archbishop as well as certain communications between the archbishop and the Vatican. læe claimed that Malik's article implied, among other things, that the prime minis-

ter did not favour freedom of religious was not harassing the Church and that those who were arrested were arrested not as church members but for something else.

At the conclusion, he was asked to restrain his priests from making statements to the press without knowing the facts.

Three days later, on May 26, 1987, the Permanent

Secretary (with the Deputy Secretary) met the Archbishop a€ain. The Archbishop was then briefed on a press staternent of the Government which would be appearing in the newspapers on the following day. That statement concerned the detainees and their activities and more particularþ Vincent Cheng and the role played by him. The Archbishop read the statement arid the addendum on Vincent Cheng, The Minister later joined the meeting; he reminded the Archbishop of the meeting in July 1986 and informed the Archbishop that action was taken because the individuals had continued their subversive activities and that tlle action taken was against the indMduals and not the Church. The Archbishop was referred again to the statements made by his priests, and as the head of the Church he was requested not to allow this to carry on, He must exercise control over his priests. The Archbishop assured the Minister that the Church had no intention whatsoever to clash with the Government. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Archbishop said that he was convinced, on the basis ofwhat he had read, that the Government had reasons for its actions; his problem was one of convincing his priests, and he assured the Minister that the Church would not act hastily. Unfortunately, on t}re following day, May 27,1987, Father D'Souza made yet another statemenL This time it was to tJre B.B.C. radio in which he said he found it hard to believe that any of the four full-time church workers, who were ¿rmongst the 16 arrested, were involved, as the Government skited, in a

clandestine communist network, and he called on the

Government to make available for public scrutiny any evidence or proof it had to back up its allegations, He also prepared a press statement containing, amongst other things, what he said to the B.B,C. radio and this statement was published in rîhe

Sta/' on MaY 28, 1987, In consequence of Father D'Souza's statement, a further

meeting took place on May 27, lg87 between the Permanent Secretary (together with the Deputy Secretary and the Director of ISD) and the Archbishop. The Archbishop was reminded of what he was told at the last two meetings, and in reply the

Archbishop said that Father D'Souza did not represent the

6 rnn coRREspoNDENT

DECEMBER 19s9

belief and worship, that he threatened to use the ISA to victimise the Catholic Church and Catholic workers, and that he

tried to influence the Singapore media.

These implications, Iæe felt, were designed deliberately and maliciously to defame him.

Issuing his. verdict on November 30, Judge Thean said that the words used in the article "impute dishonourable and discreditable conduct and motive" on the part of the prime minister. They also impute, the judge said, an attack on the Catholic Church and a dishonourable and improper use by the prime minister of the powers under the ISA. Such imputations, Judge Thean ruled, tend to bring Iæe "into public odium and contempt a¡rd lower him in the estimation of right-thinking people in Singapore" This, he went on to say, was especially so in Singapore, which is a multi-racial and

multi-religious society where there is toleration of all forms of religious belief and worship. "The words," said the judge,

were "plainly defamatory" of l,ee both as a person and as the prime minister and the comment failed to satisfy the objective text as a fair comment. The judge accepted the argument of Lee's lawyer, John Previte, that Reuiew lawyer Geoffrey Robertson's line of questioning Lee during cross-examination, which at times errupted into heated exchange between the prime minister and

were both turned down by the judge. As to Kelly, the judge felt the procedure coulcl turn the defamation case into something else. As for D'Souza, he ruled that læe's allegations against D'Souza were not the subject of the case. As to the Reuiew's decision to call only one witness, Philip Bowring, who suc-

Robertson, was "calculated to be offensive and increase the hurt of his (Lee's) feel-

Kang was present at the meetings relevant to our story. He sufficed in confirming the

ings." This and the Reuiew's refusal to

facts."

apologise to [,ee aggravated the damage.

In the course of the normal procedure of "discovery" prior to the court hearing, Robertson was able to obtain copies of notes which Singapore's ISD kept of meet-

During the three-\¡¡eek long hearing, læe Kuan Yew himself was his own main witness, giving testimony lasting five days. And the Reaiew called only one witness, Catholic priest Joachim Kang who attended the meeting between the church dele-

gation and the prime minister as well as the archbishop and his priests. Robertson's request to call Bishop Patrick Kelly,

a Catholic theologian, to testify on the church's social justice mission as well as

Church when he made those statements. He promised that he would stop p¿fl¡s¡ þ'$elza from making further statemcnts. At that meeting, the Archbishop was shown documents taken from Vincent Cheng and other material. The Archbishop then said that on the basis of the information that had been shown he could not dispute the facts. He informed those present that there would be a meeting with his priests on the following day to discuss the maüer, and after that an official statement would be made, which, he assured them, would include a statement that he was satisfied that the action of the Government was not directed against the Church.

Accordingly, on May 28, L987, there was a meeting

between the Archbishop and his priests, and following that

meeting, a joint statement was issued, signed by the

Archbishop, and was expressed to be a response to tlre press statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs of May 26,

D'Souza to respond to Lee's allegations

ceeded Davies as editor, said: "Father

ings between government officials and chruch representatives. According to one such note, the ISD chief Tjong Yik Min told the vicar general of the church that the four priests who were considered suspect should be barred from preaching or working. The suspension of Fr. Patrick

and that all he and his priests wished to say at the time was contained in the joint statement. The Plaintiff, "who had read the reports of the meetings between the offcials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Archbishop and who had also read this joint statemcnt and the accompanying letter of Father D'Souza considered that the conduct of these priests would lead to a sihration of a collision between the Church and the GovernmenL A decision had to be taken to defuse the situation. He therefore decided that the best course would be to meet lay leaders of the Church in order to convince them that the arrest of the 16 detainees was not an

action against the Church and that the Government was not against the Church. He spoke to Dr. Ee Peng Uang, who is ¿rn old friend of his and a Catholic lay leader. Dr. Ee suggested that he should meet the Archbishop, tlre priests and lay leaders, to

1987 regarding the investigation into the clandestine

which the Plaintiff agreed. Immediately following this conversation, Dr. Ee got in touch with the Archbishop and

pers¡ons on May

thereafter reverted to the Plaintiff reporting that a delegation led by the Archbishop would meet the Plaintiff. That was on May

communist network, and the arrest and detention of the 16 2L, 1987. The joint statement mentioned that 4 out of the 16 persons were full-time workers of the Church and that, in addition, 6 were voluntary workers in some Church's org¡anisations. Contrary to the assurance $ven by tbe Archbishop, it did not contain a statement that the Archbishop was satisfied that the action of the Government was not directed against the Church. Far from containing such statement, it stated that the Archbishop and his priests were greatly perturbed at the arrests and the Ministry's statement, and expressed their concern for those detained and their respective families and, amongst other things, said:

"The Catholic Church, however, must continue its

mission of spreading ib teachings on maüers perøining ø þstice as they appþ to social, economic and political issues." ''To the best of our knowledge, the full-time workers

have been fully committed to the work of the Catlolic organisation in which tlrey served.

The six voluntary workers have generously

contributed their time and talents to specific work in the Catholic organisation with which they were associated." Accompanying the joint statement was a letter written by Father D'Sor¡za in his capacity as a press liaison officer of the A¡chdiocese of Singapore which said, amongst other things, that the Archbishop would not be available for any comment

31, 1987, and meeting was arranged for June 2, 1987.\\e names of the members of the delegation, totalling 1g, were

submitted, of which 3 names were deleted by Dr, Ee as unacceptable and 6 by the ISD. The delegation from the Church eventualþ consisted ofthe Archbishop, six priests and three lay leaders including Dr. Ee Peng Uang.

At or about the same time as that meeting was being

arranged, the Plaintiff decided to keep the Vatican informed of the situation that had arisen. He wanted to do this througþ the

Apostolic Pro'Nuncio, Archbishop Renato Martino, who was present at the meeting in November 1986 when His Holiness

Pope John Paul II visited Singapore. The Government then got in touch with the Vatican Embassy in Bangkok and was told

that Archbishop Martino had been transferred to the United Nations, Accordingly, an aide memoire from t}re Ministry of Home Affairs was sent to Archbishop Martino at the United Nations where Archbishop Martino was the Permanent Observer on behalf of the Holy See. The Government then asked the Charge D'Affaires of the Holy See in Bang¡kok, the Reverend D'Aniello to come to Singppore. He arrived on June 1, and a meeting between the Reverend D'Aniello and the Plaintiff was arranged also forJune 2, 1987, The Church delegation met the Plaintiff at the Istana in the afternoon of June 2, L987; with him were the Minister, the Permanent Secretary and the Director of ISD, Before

kontiniledt)

THE CORRESPONDENT DECIìMBER 1989

7


_l

COVER STORY

C Guilty on all

Singapore and the foreign press Foreign journalists, Singapore authorities maintain, are not in a position to judge the domestic affairs of the island republic. Four publications have been forced to acknowledge this in no uncertain terms.

I

objective was to give the government the power to ban publications that took what it considered to be an unwelcome interest in local affairs. Föreign journalists, Singapore authorities believe, are in nó position to judge the actions of the Singa-

pore government; therefore they must keep their noses clean in respect of domestic issues.

Within months of the new provision coming into force,Timebecame a casualty

- in October 1986 - followedby

The ,Asian Wall Street tournal, in February 1987, Asiaweeþ tn October 1987, and the Far Eastern Economic Reoiew in December 1987.

In all cases, Singapore decided to hit

where it thought it might hurt the most circulation. For all four publications, Singa pore is a significant circulation base and therefore vital to advertisement sales.

The reasof for gazetting all publications, except the Reaiew, centred on letters Singapore officials wrote on articles

the magazines published.The tournal

carried a report in late 1986 on a move to open a secondary stock market in Singapore. The Singapore Monetary Authority took exception to the report and an official wrote a letter to theJourualfor publication. That letter, the Journal felt, contained an unwarranted personal attack on its correspondent. So the editor advised

the Singapore official that his letter would not be published. But the paper was willing to publish any new letter he might want to write, "stating your point of view on the subjects dealt with in the article." The Singapore official however insisted that his original letter should be published, together with the Journal's

own letter. The Journal decided to ignore that demand and, when gazetted, went to court in Singapore to have the restrictions lifted. During the legal proceedings, Singapore amended its laws regarding right of appeal. The amendment prevented the tournal from going ahead with its plan to take its case to the Privy Council in I¡ndon. The Singapore courts ruled against theJournal and rejected its appeal. Thus, the government orcler to limitrhetournal's sale to 400 copies a day remains in force.

I

Time,similarly, received a letter from the prime minister's press office¡ James Fu, over an article it published. All letters originating in Asia, says Time's bureau chief in Hong Kong, William Stewart, are received in Hong Kong and then forwarded to New York. Because of this operational procedure, Fu's letter did not appear as quickly as he had apparently expected. Fu wrote again. He was informed of the procedure and also told that the letter was then going through the editing and production process. Editing? Fu was annoyed. 'We do edit all letters for clarity and length," explained Stewart; but Fu would not accept it. In the end, says Stewart, the letter appeared at length but before that issue of Time was released Singapore had "gazetted" the magazine and rest¡icted its sale. Stewart says that he a¡rd the assistant managing editor of lizø subsequentþ met Fu in separate meetings in Singapore but not specifically to discuss the restriction. "As far as that matter was concerned, we just sat tight. And we did not take any legal action." Eventually, Singapore lifted the reskiction. Asiaweek's troubles with Singapore

attracted more attention than others mainly because of the controversy that ensued. The trouble began over the manner in which the magazine edited a Sin-

gapore official's letters criticising its report on the arrest of people allegedly involved in a communist conspiracy. One of the letters, lsiaweek felt, distorted the truth. As this led to "gazetting", the magazine later publislred the controversial letters unedited and the editor-in-chiel Michael O'Neill, went to Singapore to meet Fu. According to a press statement subsequently issued by the Singapore

government, O'Neill told Fu that "he would not allow any correspondenfs personal views or value judgments to colour Asiaweek's articles" he was - by that only re¿ffirming the normal stardards of objective reporting, Then a minor crisis errupted between Asiaweek and its Singapore correspondent, Lisa Beyer. Beye¡ who has been

critical of the Singapore government, claimed that Asiaweek's managing editoç Salman Wayne Morrison, had told her, some four days before O'Neill met Fu,

rHE coRRESPoNDENTDECEMBER 1989

that she would remain in Singapore until her visa ran out at the end of the year. But two days after the O'Neill-Fu meeting she was put on a 30-day notice to return to

Hong Kong. After an unsuccessful

attempt to get her bosses to reconsider the decision.Beyer resigned in mid-June, 1988. The cover of that week's Asinweek feahred Iæe Kuan Yewwith ttre headline "No one's clienf' and a report which centred on a speech the Singapore prime

minister had made ea¡lier that month criticising alleged US attempts to impose W'estern-style democracy on Singapore. O'Neill has denied that there was anything peculiar in the sequence of events.

As to the cover story, he said the news had changed, notAsiaweek's coverage of it. As to Beyer: "No gôvernment has set my correspondenfs tenure." It was just

archbishop did say

"".ii::

church delegation were getting into

Goh, Fr. Guillaume Arotcarena, Fr.

their cars after their meeting with the prime minister, Archbishop Yong was

Joseph Ho and Fr. Edgar D'Souza followed soon afterwards. However, Pre-

sented as evidence because he said the prime minister had said that he had no knowledge of it. And the court Kann: No þeoþle is free

ruled in favour of Previte. so long as its rulers forbid Among the contentious points in critícism and its þress can the Reuiew's a¡ticle was the suggestion that after his meeting on June 2, 1987

reþort onlg that which the

Jínds acceþtable

Gouernment

with the Catholic delegation led by Archbishop Yong, the prime minister led the archbishop to a press conference of which the primate had no prior knowledge. Therefore he felt "cornered". About this Iæe said in testimony that the article meant that "I had tricked him (the archbishop), conned him, pulled one over him." And he

-

the Reuiew doesn't want to be left out; it wants to be level with all of us." But Derek Davies and the Reoiew were not happy with just being leve!. Reaiew's response to

the restriction surprised everyoire, perhaps even the Singapore authorities. It refused to give Singapore even the 500 copies permitted under the restriction orde¡ closed its sales office there and moved printing back to Hong Kong. The loss ofSingapore sales (about 15 per cent

of the overall circulation), among other factors, has affected Reuiew's revenue. The tot¿l cost, so fa4 offearlessjournalism is estimated to be HI($13 million (US$t.s million), in addition to the legal fees and damages and costs the Singapore judge ordered last month. How long will this kind of courage last? That is the question on many minds now. During a face-to-face encounter in Singapore, Iæe Kuan Yew had allegedly told Davies: "I will break your business;

you are small beer to me." But the Reuiew refused to buckle under. Says Philip Bowring, who succeeded Davies as Reuiew's editor: "\ü'e're gazetted not for refusing to publish Singapore's views: we're gazetted for publishing what we thought to be - and was - accurate. We're simply defending ourselves." I

Bowring: Wat

Kang also told the court that he

we

þublished was accurate

utter contempt."

Nevertheless, in his testimony, Kang told the court that upon his return from the press conference at the Istana (the prime minister's official residence) the

he rneeting commenced, each member of the delegation was given a folder containing statements made by Vincent Cheng

Asiaweek insiderremarked: "Perhaps,

cornered'."

said: "Any prime minister who resorts to that kind of trickery will soon be held in

Facts of the fÍtãttêt

-

recalled by an official and he went back after advising the priests to go to the archbishop's residence and wait there for him. Kang said they waited for a long time for the archbishop's return "and I recall his very first words were: 'I was

vite objected to this note being pre-

standing that she would remain in Singapore until her work visa expired. Asiaweek had to wait almost four more months before Singapore would allow it to increase its dishibutionfrom the resticted Singapore "gazetted" the Reuiew in December 1987 some two months after Asiiaweek was "gazetted" an

"I was cornered".

Kang explained that as members of the

that she worked under the misunder-

500 copies a week to 5,000 copies a week. .When

OVER STO RY

cont¡nue¿

and documents implicating 4 priests, nameþ, Fathers Patrick Goh, Arotcarena, Edqar D'Souza and Joseph Ho, and I of the l0 Catholic workers who were amongst the 16 arrested, After they had read the documents the meeting started; tlat was about 3,OO p.m. I shall later have occasion to set out in greater detail what the Plaintiff said at the rneeting; for the present purpose a brief account would suffice. The Plaintiff oplained the purpose of the meeting and referred to his discussion with Dr. Ee in which he said that the Government and the Church were on a collision course. He e4lained to the delegation that

if the church leaders knew the facts the Church would withdraw from the present collision course with the

GovernmenL He told them his concern over the involvement of several priests, and that the Archbishop had been told about

them in July 1986. The A¡chbishop rvas reminded of the previous meetings with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs

and of the positions which he took at those meetings. In response, the Archbishop said he was not informed that the Cathoüc priests had links with cornmunists and were using the

Church; he was rnerely informed that they were involving themselves in socio-political issues. He then proceeded to read a long statement from a prepared text, the gist of which was that the Church was not in conflict with the GovernmenÇ that it was concerned with human rights and tlle innocence of trte detainees and that tÍe Government had an obligation to show

that the detainees were a threat to security. The Plaintiff reminded the Archbishop of the positio-ns the latter took at the previous meetings with the Ministy's offcials, and pointed out that the Archbishop had now come forward with a totalþ new position. The Plaintiff asked for notes of previous rneetings to be distributed úo the church delegation and left thern to read the documents. Thatwas about 3.3O p.m. The Plaintiff then met the Reverend D'Aniello as previously arranged. The Plaintiff briefed the Reverend D'Aniello of the sihration which had arisen and explained his thougþts on the relation between the Church and the Government. The Reverend D'Aniello said that he knew the problems and asked whether the Plaintiff would be doing something about the priests, The Plaintiff said it was better for the Vatican to deal with them as it involved clerics. But he wanted to stop the priests from further mischiefs, and the Reverend D'Aniello said that he would tell the Archbishop to stop the priests' activities, Further discussions took place, in the course of which the

recognisecl a passage in the contentious article attributed to an unnamed mem-

ber of the church delegation that met the prime minister on June 2, 7987, as referring to him. And he affirmed that it represented the opinion he expressed but he could not recall the exact words he had used. The judge said of this that it was not

Plaintiff suggested that the Reverend D'Aniello could make a staternent to the effect that he was satisfied that the action by the

Government was not against the Church. To this the Reverend D'Aniello said that the Archbishop was the head of t}e Church

here and that the Vatican would want him to make the statement, The Reverend D'Aniello said he would see the

Archbishop, to which the Plaintiff said he would provide a room

for them to meet and discuss. After that meeting, the Plaintiff returned to meet the church

delegation and continued discussion witï them, The Plaintiff said that the Government would produce evidence against the other detainees as they had done in tlre case of Vincent Cheng, and reiterated that they were detained not because they wete members of tÏe Church. Just before the meeting concluded, the Plaintiff mentioned to the delegþtion that the news of their meeting had been leaked out to the press and there was a report by Agency France Presse ("AFP") claiming that the Plaintiff had asked for the meeting with the Archbishop and the I Catholic Church representatives - which was not the position. He said that he would have to tell the press how the meeting came about. At the conclusion of the meeting, the church delegation, with the exception of the Archbishop, left.

The Archbishop then rnet the Reverend D,Aniello in a

separate room; they were together for about half-an-hour.

Following that was a meeting between the Ptaintiff, the

Reverend D'Aniello and the Archbishop. At the commencement of this meeting the Plaintiff informed them that in view of the AFP report, he wanted the Archbishop to give the press the correct picture and therefore suggested that they should meet

the press. To this the Archbishop suggested that he would issue a statement, which, however, the Plaintiff regarded as being too formal. The AFP report was shown to the Archbishop. The Plaintiff again suggested that they should go down and tell the press that they were satisfied with Vincent Cheng's case, The Reverend D'Aniello said it was clear to him that the Government was not ageinst the Chrrrch but against those who involved the Church in politics. Thereafter, a discussion ensued as to the statement to be made, and eventualþ the Reverend D'Aniello and the Archbishop between

themselves settled a draft statement, which was in the

following terms:

"\ile are satisfied that the Government of Singapore has nothing a€ainst the Catholic Church when it detained 1O of our church workers amongst the 16 who were arrested for possible involvement in the clandestine communist

network.t'

kontiileed)

THE CORRESPONDENTDECEMBER 1989

9


-I

COVER STORY .s

Guiþ on all

"":i#

for Kang to say whether the words represented his opinion; "it is for him to say whether he in fact said the words, and if he did say those words, it is for the court to decide whether what he said was an opinion, a comment, or an assertion of fact". Commenting on the verdict, Peter Kann, president of the Reuiew's owne6 DowJones & Co., said in New York that "counsel for Ihe Reuiew vnll study the judgment to determine what further legal action will be appro priate". He also said: 'We can onlyhope that

in the long term, the Reuiew's punishment will not, as doubtlessþ intended, still honest and indepenclent voices in Singapore".

Facts of tlre rrrãtreÍ

we published our article".

the

necessary to make statements to the press. Hence, the representatives of tÏe press and the S.B.C. were at hand that afternoon for the press conference.

At the press conference, the Plaintiff explained the

circumstances that led to the meeting betr4'een him and the church delegation, and that at the meeting the church delegation had read documents produced to them which disclosed that the Government had reasons for its action and that the church delegation could not dispute the facts. The Archbishop made a statement in terms of the draft previously settled. Thereafter, the Plaintiff made further statements which were followed by questions from the press. The Archbishop was specifically asked whether he was convinced of the position, to which he replied: "After going through the depositions made by the person concerned himself, I have no way of disproving his statemenL'I have no way. That is why I have to take things at their face value for the time being." On the following da¡ the Archbishop had a meeting with members of his church delegation; also present at the meeting were Fathers D'Souza, Patrick Goh and A¡otcarena, At this meeting, the Archbishop asked for views of the various members of the church delegation on the rneeting of June 2, L987 with the Plaintiff. It was there that according to the Defendants, one of the priests, Father Joachim Kang, spoke the words reported by Father D'Solz" and quoted in one of the paragraphs of üre article complained of, to which I shall advert shortþ. On the following day, June 4, 1987, the Archbishop issued a press release stating that he had accepted tÍe resignations of Fathers Ho, Goh, D'Souza and Arotcarena from their positions to which he had appointed them in the Archdiocese. One June 5,\987, D'Souza left Singapore for Australia where he is now residing. In Australia and New Zealand, D'Souza continued to make

statements relating to the arrests and detentions of the 16 detainees and appeared to have obtained wide publicity for his views. The Singapore newspapersi carried reports of D'Souza. On November 29, 1987, D'Souza issued a press statement "in the light of various reports in the Singapore Straits Times" concerning his work and his personal life, and a copy of this statement was sent to the Review. Following this, on November 30, 1987, the Minister in Parliament in aiswer to questions

coRRESpoNDENTDECEMBER

1989

9

o È

"But in the long run our credibility

was enhanced."

Minister and the Director of ISD. As regards the press conference, itwas arranged in this way. Before meeting the Church delegation the Plaintiff had inskucted his press secretary, James Fu, to arrange for the representatives of the press and Singapore Broadcasting Corporation ("S.B.C.') úo stand by for a press conference at the Istana. Presumabþ, he expected that at the conclusion of the meeting it might be

run

resultant drop in advertising revenue, Bowring says that the Reuiew had suffered in the short term when it was kept out of the Philippines by an action brought by Juan Ponce Enrile, while he was defence minister under deposed president Ferdinand Marcos.

apologise." He said the Reuiew did not accept [,ee's terms of settlement because "what we published was accurate." Evidences unearthed during the procedure of discovery, Bowring said, "confirmed this although the court held that we did not have access to all those evidences when

The Reverend D'Aniello then left, and the Plaintiff and the Archbishop rilent to the press conference together with the

1O

10,000 copies in Singapore circulation and the

insisted that members of the foreign press are in no position to judge the actions of the Singapore Government, Kann said: "It is nonetheless indisputabte that no people is free so long as its rulers forbid criticism a¡rcl ìts press can report only thatwhich the golr ernment fi nds acceptable." In Hong Kong, Bowring said: "We haven't apologised and we're not going to

cont¡nue¿

Ë

About the loss of some

Pointing out that the prime minister has

Meanwhile, the restriction against Reaiew's distribution in Singapore stays

in force. The printing in the country of pirate editions of the magazine, without

Children today are in the forefront of the computer revolution. At school they are learning to

advertisments, for local readers is carry-

ing on, with, of course, the approval of

government.

I

made a lengthy statement on D'Souza and, in particular, disclosed the l¡aüe1s association with a lady laryer, I shall have occasion shortly to refer to this statement in sorne detail; for the mornent it is sufficient to say that it was a grave attack on D'Souza and sougfit to expose his moral duplicity and impeach his credibility. The Singapore newspapers reported the statements of the Minister, and these reports led to D'Sor.¡za

operate sophisticated computer keyboards ease they once used to write

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-

publishing and even musical notation. With the new 43000 your child can write their own project, illustrate it and then publish

-

it

all by themselves.

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the new 43000

issuing a second press statement on December 2, 1987, which was intended by him to supersede his earlier statement. He faxed this second statement to the Review for the aúention of

BBC Micro. award-winning

The educationaÌ possibiìities are endless as the

documents: the frst was headed "A bacþ¡ound to the detention without trial of community and church workers in Singppore by

Archimedes range, the 43000 enables you to do virtually cvcry-

special software teaches chiìdren all kinds of subjects in a simple,

thing from drawing and painting to word processing, desktop

straight-forward manner that is both interesting and fun.

Margaret Scott or Michael Malik, the 2nd Defendant. Accompanying the press statement were two additional

Edgar Kenneth D'Souza", and the second was a copy of page 1 I of a letter written to the Vatican by the Archbishop. Again, I shall have occasion later to refer to this press statement and the two accompanfng documents in sone detail; suffice it here to say that it was from these three documents that the 2nd Defendant wrote the article complained of. I now come to the article cornplained of ("the Article"): It was published in the issue of the Review for December 17, 1987; it bore a prominent heading, "New ligþt on detentions", under which was a sub-heading, "Catholic priest ansïyers

Jayakumar's allegations", and consisted altogether of l5 paragraphs. The Article dealt wiûr the following topics; firs! a reply by D'Souza to the Minister's statements of him in Parliament; secondly a report alleged to have been given by the Archbishop of the meetingi of June 2, 1987 between the Plaintiff and the church delegation; thirdly, an account of the meeting of June 3, 1987 between the Archbishop and members of his delegation and three of the four priests, and, fourthþ, the aftermath of the 2 meetings, In the Article, there were two paragraphs to which the Plaintiff took exception, narneþ, paragraphs

I

and 11, which are as follows:

(a) "De Souza reported: "A member of the Church delegation said that it was hard to believe this was not an attack against the Church. The real target seemed not to be the 16

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102 Worldwide Plaza on Hong Kong

ldetainees] who were mereþ scapegoats, but rather the four

priests." "

(b) "Yong also told the priests that as he was leaving the

meeting accompanied by l-ee, he was shown into a room where a press conference had been called without his knowledge. He reported that he felt'cornered' and

confirmed before television carneras that he had had no way to disprove the statement signed by Cheng. But he also said that he had added: 'I will take things at their face value for now.'This sente û the statement as n

pubrishedinrhe

""T tt

* In 1988, Acorn supplied 62% ol all computers bought by B¡itish schools and colleges (Times Educational supplement. lTth March 1989).

The ne\r/ BBC Micro from AFtr Computers Services


MEET THE PRESS

MEET THE PRESS with the People's Republic of China open to the extent possible, that we interact with people, and the intellectual, journalist, artistic, and professional communities, because this is a society which is going to go through many changes in the next 5-10 years, notjust a single change and no-one can predict the outcome of this struggle because it is not only a question of economic policies and future leadership, it is also a question of the very delicacy that every læninist society engenders when it begins far-reaching changes, namely, that on the one hand the opposition constantly feels out the frontiers of permissibility and the govern-

How to handle the crisis in Iæninist societies Leninist societies are undergoing a period of transition and uncertainty and it would be unwise on the paft of the West to follow any irrevocable policies and not to maintain a certaifl flexibility, says Robert A. Scalapino, Robson Research professor and director of the Institute of East Asian Studies at the University of California at Berkeley and author of several books on East Asian politics. v ETm many points. To say

Lvm:

Asia. I would start with the issue of how we handle the crisis in Iæninist societies. Of course, this is a global question, as you know, but it has reference very much to this part of the world as well as to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.

In my opinion,

are witnesses to, first, the disintegration of læninism; second, the end of anything resembling a socialist community of nations. It's my view incidently, that with some exceptions, we are seeing a cleavage develop between the European læninist societies and the Asian læninist societies. As I say, with some exceptions - clearly Romania, \Me

Bulgaria, at least up to the present are not showing the mainstream developments in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Is that because these societies have had greater exposure to the Western, liberal traditions? Is it because they are cheek by jowl with Western Europe which has advanced so remarkably in recent years? Whatever the reasons, it is a very interesting phenomenon and one that under-

scores the fact that any policy toward læninism today has to be pluralistic.

Now,

in my

opinion, starting with

China, the policies of the Bush administration are approximately correct. By that I mean I think it was entirely appropriate to criticise the violations of human rights and the transgressions against those who

were seeking peaceful change. Human rights today is an international subject. As you well know, we discussed and debated that question for years until we reached agreements at Helsinki and Vienna, and now we do discuss human rights and other political issues, quite peacefully, with the Soviet Union and we reached compromise agreements on

12

country is therefore

not credible.

In-

deed, we have been

transgressions of the American political system, and I do not regard that as improper. It may not always be correct, but it's certainly not improper. But I think that on some other matters the question of the Bush administration was also correct. My view is that in China

today we are witnessing two kinds of crises

- the crisis of leadership and the crisis of policy. No Leninist society has yet found an adequate way in which to meld a command and a market economy. There may be answers - I hope there are - but this is a struggle that's going on in both the European and the Asian theatres with respect to efforts to get out of

the malaise, of the failures of the Stalinist

economic strategy which all followed more or less.

In this period of transition and uncertainly, it would be unwise in my opinion to follow any irrevocable policies and not to maintain a certain flexibility . . . It is quite clear that Western Europe is going to give some assistance, and probably wè

too, to countries like Poland, Hungary and perhaps others, maybe even inðlud-

ing the Soviet Union, who are prepared to move forward in both economic and political terms. I think that's appropriate - always remembering that the fundamental decisions, the fundamental

THE coRRESpoNDENTDECEMBER

1989

responsibilities, lie within the country itself. No amount of external assistance can be of any avail without the right policies at home. We found that out many years ago in trying to aid Third World countries and allies. Where those policies were successful was where the indigenous leadership and people were able and willing to pull their primary weight in the struggle. It's my view, therefore, that it is appropriate if assistance of this sort can be worked out in concert with internal policies, and I frankly doubt the validity of broadly gauged economic sanctions. They will never work unless they have

very great international support, which they do not in the case of China.

I think it is far more appropriate

to leave the question of economic decisions to the private sector, assuming they don't

involve strategic materials, and let that sector make the decision on a risk basis. I'm not saying, of course, that governments can't influence private sector deci sions - they obviously can in a variety of ways that you know. But I do not in general believe that economic sanctions work and I do not think it appropriate to

try

something that is almost certainly

destined to fail. It seems to me also in this period that we should try to keep cultural relations

forces will gain rather than lose ground. Ultimately, in a situation where there are no very clear and desirable answers at the moment, it makes more sense for

lVashington, namely

Korea. In my view, there's no sign yet that North Korea is going to live in this age. Sooner or later it will. A younger, technologically-oriented, better educated generation is slowly emerging . . . But like certain other societies, the North Korean leadership is so fearful of the infusion of political ideas from abroad that this tempers their desire to join the international economic community. The question of keeping stability, while encouraging development, lies at the very heart of the dilemma, especially when you are extremely conscious of being small. In my view, the United States should make it clear that we will march abreast of progress in the North-South dialogue in Korea. We will get neither ahead nor behind that progress. We will move toward cultural relations and an interaction, I hope, with younger generations, but we will certainly take our cue from the degree to which North and South Korea can work out their own problems. læt me conclude with a few brief com-

ments about Indochina. Certainly, this seems at the moment like a no-win situa-

tion. The Phnom Penh government, it seems to me, is taking a calculated risk by being hardline at the Paris talks. One assumes that they believe that they can win a military victory or at least confìne the resistance forces to roughly their present lines. If they're right, their hardline position may be correct from their per-

political openings. I think, therefore, that we should move in that situation very cautiously. Again, cultural relations are certainly to be supported. I believe in reaching out to people when we can't always touch their governments and I think interaction at the cultural levels makes a great deal of sense with a disillusioned younger generation of educated Vietnamese. Iæt nie finally turn to the question of our

relations with our allies or with those

the broad strategy that

When the frontiers of permissibility are over-reached there's likely to be a

that we must adopt flexible and pluralistic policies in confronting it. Let me just say a word about North

by the Chinese and by others over the years for our treatment of minorities, for other criticised

- and

many outside observers believe they are wrong - then Cambodia seems doomed to another round of bloody civil war with the possibility that the three resistance

Asean has suggested, to

ernments fail to see the optimal time for rolling with change they're almost certain to become weakened and lose their legitimacy. We're going to see this drama in many different stages, in many different Iæninist societies. It is, I think, axiomatic

affairs of another

have a future. But if they are wrong

ment constantly has to make decisions as 1o what will be tolerated.

sharp reaction and retaliation. When gov-

that it is an interference in the internal

spective. The Hanoi government supports it. A Phnom Penh government that can keep resistance forces down may

who are non-aligned, as they put it, but ter-

be supported by

ribly important.

that a four-party coali-

tion in which

the

Phnom Penh government with the two noncommunist factions can

work politically to contain the Khmer Rouge

over time.

A

Japanese,

solution

satisifies both Vietnam

in that direction. It seems to me we're

going to have another military round, and I see no evidence that or

either Vietnam

Beijing is prepared to be very flexible at particular stage.

this

0,,1"'fähål#;'J1¿:

the circumstances, for

we

have,

gone through three stages. The first was

that at least minimally and China. I do not see that matters are moving

It

seems to me, first of all, that in some respects these are the most critical relations today. In our economic struggle with the

to seek tariff reduc-

Victnaln is a situation ili which the lirnclantrntal issues lie with thc indigenous leaclership, anil it is not yet clear that the leadership is preparecl to be realistic either about sç6¡omic policy . of .

3i:ï*J'äruv

,

tions. That was done,

and had limited was to tackle the

effect. The second

problem of currency re-evaluations. That too was done and it had a far more modest effect than many economists predicted.

Now we are at the question of structural

impediments and I

us to recognise Vietnam

diplomatically. It would create confusion in Asean which is already having diffìculties holding together in this very tenuous period of political negotiations. It would anger China and create yet another issue and it would muddy the Cambodian situation. The time will surely come when we

do recognise Vietnam, but we are not in any major sense, in my view, going to compete with the Russians, as some argue, for the affections of the Vietnamese government. The Soviet Union itself is very discouraged about Vietnam and rather angry about the misuse of its resources. I think it would love to have us share the burden. Vietnam again is a situation in which

the fundamental issues lie with the indigenous leadership, and it is not yet clear that that leadership is prepared to be realistic either about economic policy, despite certain talk of reforms, or about

think it

somewhat

ironic that if you want to accuse the United States of intervening in the inter-

nal affairs of another country, we are intervening far more in the internal affairs of Japan than we are in China. We have just set up some committees to dis-

cuss a series of structural problems in the Japanese economy that are inhibiting trade. Is it right? Is it just? My answer is

"yes". Because whenever major economies become as interdependent, as integrated as ours and that ofJapan, then we have got to have some common rules of the game. You cannot have interdependence and have radically different rules

by which people play. We shall either have freer trade and more access in investment terms or we shall have managed trade, a development which I would very much deplore myself. The fundamental challenge here is for both our societies, the United States and

THE CORRESPONDENTDECEMBER 1939

13


ì¡

I I I

MEET THE PRESS

MEET THE PRESS

Japan, as well those who are moving very

tional standpoint.

rapidly into forms of economic integra-

I

suppose this is one reason why people are looking for a new political philoso

tion with the two of us, to re-examine the structures of their economy and the relevant policies. And that certainly includes the United States. There's enough blame

phy, probably,

should say, a revised political philosophy that will re-establish certain fundamental values. I think, inci dentally, it could be done by taking some of the cardinal principles of liberalism

to go around on all sides.'We are procras-

tinating in developing the right macroeconomic policies. One of the problems is that as a demo-

and restruchrring them so thatwe accept

the notion that one has to place a platform under the least privileged element

cratic society, politicians get no advantages from anticipating problems that do

of society; that one has to place a premium upon the fact that there is a quotient of evil or of weakness in all of us, and therefore governments must be limited in power.

not seem clear, and after eight years of prosperity, it is very diffìcult to mobilise the American people when they're as prosperous as they are. Their primary concerns are on issues like crime and drugs, and raising taxes does not seem a vote-getter. The problems, nonetheless, are serious and history will record who were the politicians that had the courage to face them and face them squarely and still command authority. I think it can be done but it requires a kind of initiative

that I don't see on the immediate horizon.

Let me conclude by saying that I think we're in an extraordinarily interesting period: When economics is in command, rather than politics, of most of the international relations of the world, when alliances are changing in nature and becoming alignments with a great deal more independence and partnership. This demands that the major powers move from more unilateral decisions toward a more cooperative decision-making process and build the institutions that can sustain them. I think

also, it is almost certain that we are going to re-examine our strategic poli-

cies and our strategic commitments. We are going to realise how much economics matters in the total security pic-

ture. And one of the difficulties is: As we, and, yes, the Russians, reduce their global strategic commitments

-

and that is going to happen over time - it is going to put a higher premium on the

Now the fundamental defence of There c,{lì be no return to Stalinism, no return to the old orders in the l,eninist societies. Whatever may happen, now these are

iffiËå:iti:ì:,îil:i events around them.

among our main partners.

QUESï0N:

think yu

It seems to be a consensus - I will go along with this - that

Marxism as an ideologlt has been found to be wanting. What is likely to reþlace it or clme uþ with a new set of ideals? Are we looking at religion or . . .

I

SCALIIPINO:

slack and create the conditions that will make for indigenous and regional secu-

question, because

size powers that have either the will or the resources to do that today. That's a problem that we have all got to face. Finally it seems to me we are in a period, where neither autarky nor isolation is any longer capable of being sustained by

,

ble. Only a few countries are clinging to that. . . This places those societies on the perimeters of the global revolution that they really want to be a part of. The " question, therefore, is: How do we integrate them and how do we resolve these problems between a rushing interdependence and different structural economies

medium-sized powers to take up the

rity. And there are very few medium-

?

think that's a very good I don't think we've

found the answer to what lies ahead. As you know very well, with the decline of secular ideology, including Marxism, religion, particularly fundamentalist religion has re-emerged in politics and has moved

forward in certain societies in certain

ways. I think people do need a set ofval-

ues, if you will, a kind of lodestar in a

the overwhelming number of countries in the world. This means, in my view, that there can be no return to Stalinism, no

period when rapid

return to the old orders in the Leninist societies. Whatever may happen, now

od when, generally speaking, the thrust of leadership is toward pragmatic, problem-solving approaches which are emi-

these are porous societies whose people feel the tempo of events around them. No more totally closed frontiers. It's impossi-

14

rur coRRESpoNDENT

I

socio-economic

change is undermining their mores. But I don't think it can be easily found in a peri

nently rational from an economic standpoint, but are not satisfying from an emo-

DECEMBER 198e

democracy is not that human beings are perfectable, but absolute power corrupts and I think we can rebuild for this age a

democratic philosophy that accepts a social policy as well as individual freedom. But it hasn't been done, and part of the crisis in Leninism, in my opinion, is that they are in a transitional phase moving away from blind faith, from the role of ideology being primary in the citizen's life to a situation where the citizen in those societies is asking very much the same question that the citizens in democratic societies have asked leaders for some time, namely, "\Mhat have you done

for me lately?" When you move from faith to a pragmatic question like that,

you have had a revolution. How to buttress the relationship between the citizen and the state with permanent values, that's part of the challenge for all of us.

personally believe that, erratically, there

will be progress in North-South negotiations. We can reach, I think, some overall

agreements particularly if the major states

surrounding Korea will support the pro-

I

Asian allies will shift, particularly if we can reach, as I expect we can, a broad agreement with the Soviet Union about arms reduction in the Pacific Asian theatre. That will come, in my opinion, if we go ahead successfully with the arms negotiations in Europe and similar matters. We've barely begun such discussions as they pertain to

SCAI-/|PINO: You have certainly raised a very critical and a very complex subject. I don't think there's any doubt that emotions on both sides have become sharpened and, to some extent, more bitter

because

the Asia Pacific region.

well as con-

sultation with the governments concerned. There must be no surprises. Surprises in the security realm are always destabilising and if we were to do some-

thing precipitous in the Korean peninsula

scenario

we have gone, we've had very little

SCAIIIPINO:

results in terms of the actual reduction of the trade imbalance and yet, I see two

ly a foreigner, an outsider. I think

SCAIIIPINO:

In my opinion, it's almost cer-

tain that in the course of the next decade and possibly sooner there will be some reductions and re-dispositions of American forces where they exist in fixed bases on foreign soil. And what I think is important is to have the closest consultations with governments so that this is not done unilateralþ I do not favour an imme

diate reduction of American forces in South Korea. I think we have served a pu{pose there thafs been very important. One of the purposes clearly has been to

deter another major conflict, one that could erupt even out of accidents. If the axe murders had been against South Koreans rather than against Americans and the firefight had come up, could it

have, would

it

have, been

stopped?

Beyond that, this is still a frontier where there is total hostility. One can hope, and I

in Beijing now?

I speak, first of all, as obviouswe

have a dearth of hard information on many critical facts. But I will give you my views. First, I think the government is weak and divided and the shadow of succession hangs over it. I think there is no agreement on some fairly crucial issues, particularly on the future of economic policies. It seems to me that there is a retreat going on, not only in the political realm, but in the economic realm as well. Now part of that is very rational, if you look back you see that at a certain point in the process of decentralisation and liberalisation of the economic area, the cen-

concubines for either side. There are no substitutes for United States with Japan, or really, for Japan with us. And conse-

quently, the real problem will be to get

leaders that take courage and move rapidly, and I think we're going to see

tre lost control of certain vital aspects of the econo-

QUESIION: I'd like to hear your comments on the American military þresence in Asia,

sþecif,cally South Korea, and also the bases in the Philiþþines. Do you think there's a need to rethinh this military þresence?

you elaborate a little on the

seemed intractable. Through the various stages

I see this as a troubled marriage with a good deal of shouting, but no divorce. And furthermore, there aren't available

servative movement in the South, fearful of the results. . . So what I'm saying is, yes, we need to re-examine our strategic policies in a world that is rapidly changing politically, and rapidly changing technologically. Bases can be kept at readiness, in cases where that seems necessary by the indigenous forces, but we

have a situation in the United States where you do have different parties in control of the two branches of government where consensus on many issues can be worked out, but if we need boldness, it hasn't yet been exhibited in the Bush administration. If we need caution, QIJESIION: Could lou see

the problems have

inconceivable that we would break apart.

heighten a strong anti-democratic, con-

not had such a weak government really since the LDP was founded. Now we wait to see what this new election's going to bring. I think one can also say that while Mr Bush's popularity rating is high, we

that's available.

trends. On the other hand, a growing integration of our economies which is moving very, very rapidly. It is simply

for example, it would almost certainly

in the next two to three

My own view is that the unfortunate aspects of things start with the fact that the governments are weaker. Japan has

was wondering if you'd talk a

it's uery much a result of econlmics - in the emotional area. There seerns to be rising tides on both sides of the Pacific, some kind of antiþathy and less and less desire to comþromise on different asþects of their þroblems, þarticulañy in line with the restructuring you mentioned. In the US you see þeoþle getting angrier . . .

also, as you know, the

as

years.

little about the U.S.-Iaþan relationshiþ more in the non-economic area - although

American people and Congress are not likely to accept greatly heightened economic burdens in order to keep the bases in the Philippines. Here too, over time, I think our security needs and those of our

Timing here is critical,

some of this

allies and with the right timing. QUESII0N:

cess and there is some degree of unity in their approach to Korea.

I think,

must do this in concert and with our

my, particularly

vtlw

t/oilcail NOW .

RJUY IIICIUSIVT RAIES.II() l{IDDEil EXNAS

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government-controlled;

cExru rorDofl oHcÊ P1{ONE

price; gray prices

market

-

negoti-

ated between enterprise and industry; black prices

-

black market. A distort-

ed price structure together with a loosening of credit

naturally led to serious inflation and, you're all aware of this, indeed to a degree of decentralisation

that seemed to confront the efforts of any central planning. It's not surprising, therefore, that the effort to tighten up and reconsider the relationship

MIOOTESEX

PßONE (0805) d22¿e (0895) e85ót rErEx 9ì 78¿ 7 CON'IC¡R G

¡ D¡rv¡¡¡ lYHo DrxAxo A l:rlr¡

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sys-

tem, at least that's the way they define it. Red prices -

white prices -

ONE,

AND MORE SAVINGS ON TONGER PERIODS. ATWAYS WITH UNTIMIIED MITEAGE.

rcRo FlEsT

credit,

with a four-tier price

(0r) 9ó833ô8

UB7

UU

between the centre and the regions has been a crit-

ical factor. And yet, the dangers, the risk of stagfla-

THE CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER1989

15


MEET THE PRESS

MEDIA

tion in a situation where critical reforms are stopped, and particularly the pricereform problem, still leaves this economy extremely fragile. The events of June 4 only exacerbated that. The problem was already very much eistent. In such a set-

backs and tightenings and readjustments as there was a threat. And certainlv Mr Gorbachev's problems are enormous with this ethnic violence just under the surface going alongside political openings. So we

ting, it's not surprising when there are no

and we have witnessed one, as we view it,

should not be surprised about retreats

clear answers, that there are different and fundamentally divisive opinions in the leadership levels and I think that that

in China. I don't think this is permanent, but I do think that there is the ability to resolve and, funclamentally, find some

will go on for some time. Meanwhile, it seems to me the effort to turn out economically which the government continues to proclaim, to make contact with the market economies, not to

stop the process of refdrm

mixed economy. You know there's no such thing as pure capilalism. We all have extensive status intervention in our economies.

We have a very crucial intervention

through the Federal Reserve and its capaci-

in these

ty to alter interest rates and affect the economy at large. The leninist society simply hasn't found what a proper role for the slate ca¡r be in a system that is dynamic and market-oriented and I suspect the experiment will go on through this century.

aspects, but to try to halt the flow of "dangerous" political ideas, that's a non-winner. You cannot turn out economically, in

certain lateral respects, and expect to keep political ideas out. It's been tried. Tried in China. Tried for a century at different times. Never, never worked. So

QUESTION: In South Korea, do you think that a democratic system. has now taken

there's going to be constant zigs and zags. Any government is going to try, and must

root

try, to keep stabilily while it also seeks deveiopment. I said that's one of the great

I wish there were more easy questions that were being asked here today. Let me just say that I am cautiously optimistic about South Korea. First of all, SCAIIIPINO:

problems that the l-eninist societies face

today. European as well.

I

?

hope I'm

v/rong, but I wouldn't be too surprised if, at certain stages in the European revolu-

because

tion in Leninist societies, we had turn-

I

see the mainstream opposition

forces being quite responsibte. That the

three Kims are all in their own way being quite responsible. I think that the attacks

The look has changed but the vision endures

on the present government for being weak are better than to have had a situation where the attacks were that this is another militarist government trying to consolidate and tighten his hold on power. In sum, I think the main players in the political game are evidencing a basic understanding of the rules. There's cer-

by K. K. Chadha

tainly been a turn to conservatism in recent months, partly promoted, in my view, by the way in which North Korea

I

played the dissidents', (unauthorised) visits to the North and so forth. And given the recent history of South Korea, the military remain a factor. They are there in signilcant numbers, and given the NorthSouth hostility, they will continue to be a

I

ü

factor.

But I happen to believe that, one, if the economy can remain good; fwo, if the key parties can continue to show responsibility in general; and three, if South Korea can feel a part of a brother-political economic community, I'm quite hopeful and I personally think that there will be some progress, zig-zags in North-South negoti-

start a trade magazine with

EI @

HeLpr.rc BustNrss MANAGE INFoRMATtoN ì5/F

CHINA UNDERWRITËRS CENTRE,

88 GLOUCESTER ROAD. WANCHAI, H K TEL: 5-8335ó27 Designed ond Produced by Toppon Moore Adverlising Depl

16

rsn coRRESpoNDENTDECEMBER

and Far East Builder and built up a good readership base. The Hong Kong and Far East Builder was launched in 1935 as the Hong Kong

Builder, and was taken over by the Straits Times Group in 1960. It was the longest-running trade magazine in Hong

the content was also expanded to

include economic reports and signed articles from businessmen and politicians. With features like "Dateline Asia"

the publication actually became more reader-friendly.

-

be

In 1978, the name was changed again to Asian Business. Jack Maisano. who joined as the editor the following year, restructured the publication, breaking it into different sections Special Reports, Statistical Profiles, interviews with leading businessmen and politicians. In the early 1980s more colour

was added, along with manage-

an

ment-related articles. There was a greater attempt to cover all aspects of business. The shareholding in the publication also changed, with the Straits Times Group acquiring the Asia Magazine stake

in 1984. As Asian Business entered its

it was redesigned "to bring the magazine 25th year of publishing,

to

into the modern times,"

Soong was said to be quite close

Sally Aw Sian, publisher of the

Hongh,ong Standard and Sing Tao,

and managed to secure office space in lhe Standard's News

,\

ï I

I

Today, Asian Busin¿ss has a print run of 83,000 copies in as

Building at 635 King's Road. However, realising that it would take a

while for lhe magazine to get established, Soong decided to leave and pursue his other dream

-

many as seven editions to cater to

the requirements of advertisers. About 70,000 of these are still on Publisher and editor-in-chief Jack Maisano with editor

agency Bnan

agency, Panasia, died with,Soong after his brief struggle with cancer in the late '60s.

After Pandit became editor and publisher, the name of the magazine was changed to Asian Business and Industry and the office moved to Central, in premises owned by the Straits Times Group.

Pandit strengthened the editorial

team by bringing in T J. S George, T, K. Seshadri, and S. Viswam, senior journalists, from Bombay.

says

Maisano, now publisher and editorin-chief. The new look was given by current art director David Sutton, formerly of trade magazine specialists Morgan-Grampian in l¡ndon.

which he had set up in the '50s. The

LTI'.

Pandit had borrowed the idea of con-

trolled circulation from the Hong Kong

company, Asia Marketing Media Ltd. Soong, the founding-editor of Asia Magazine,became the editor and Pandit took over as the advertising manager.

an Asian news and photo

(Er)

In 1978-79, Asian Business and Industry took on a new look, with plenty of colour ads. As the number of pages increased,

Their idea was promptly backed by Asia Magazine and the Straits Times Group of Singapore, publishers of the Straits Times, which took up one-third and two-thirds of the equity, respectively, in the new

Now, the dreamed computer drawing tool of artists and designers is available from Toppan Moore. The Easyl graphic pad lets you enter and edit your ideas on a computer screen with your pencil, on an ordinary sheet of paper.

TOPPAN üOONE

azine saw several editors come and go.

Asian theme.

drawing tool is available

Toppan Moore is now offering this graphic pad of choice at an introductory price of $3,000. Check it out today. Call Toppan Moore on 5- 8335627 to arrange a demonstration.

even carried reader enquiry cards.

a

it

Pandit, an advertisine/ marketing guru from Bombay, both of whom had decided to move out of the then fledgeling Asia Magazine to

At last, à natural, intuitive computer

videotape.

January 1965. "Asian Industry is the fìrst publication designed specifìcally to meet the need(s) of the growing number of Asians who are being drawn into modern industrial activity," wrote Norman Soong, the editor, in the 32-page inaugural issue.

The magazine was said to

¡

When you draw on top of an Easyl, thousands of pressure sensitive points translate your strokes into an accurate image on the computer screen. Just draw as nature intended and view the results on the screen. The drawings can be saved, printed or transferred to a typesetter, slide recorder or

SIAN BUSINESS, which celebrated its 25th anniversary with a big bash at the Marriott Hotel last month started lile as Asian Industry in

-

the brainchild of Soong, an American-Chinese, and R. V.

ations and that will further help,in my view, at least in the short term and allow the democratisation process to go for-

ward.

The magazine remained very much

trade magazine until the mid-'7Os

Caplen (lefi)'

Kong. In the late '60s its name was changed to Asian Building and Construction and sold to Reed Publishing of the UK, which closed it down in 1987. Pandit then made

kian

Business an¡l

Industry the flag-carrier of the newlychristened Far East Trade Press (FE fP), owned by the Straits Times Group and Asia Magazine. FETP now become a leading publishing house in Hong Kong with a string of magazines. Under Pandit's stewardship, the mag-

the controlled circulation list.

The name and layout have - the format is more open

changed

now

-

but Asian Business is still doing

what its founders intended to do. Consider this excerpt from Soong's Introduction'. "Asian Industry will narrate the experiences of entrepreneurs in the hope that others may learn or draw

inspiration from such accounts. It will report on new developments and trends and take up problems that may be of interest to those already involved in the industrial process." Substitute "business" for "industrial" and the message is clear.

T

1989

THE CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER 1989

17


BOOKS

BOOKS

Keeping Hong Kong in the picture

liistrl:ts ('ll,rìr |llrìll \'¡ :rt' ll¡<'k. rri\ -ri:l 'l lris ¡ilrrr. l,l,Iria r, .\l I r'llill lr 'rr. :.i l:r lr,ì l, ¡'lt:ti¡,r' tlrr,k' -'\ l lir

t

lue tlrlk

.\

rr

This is the time of the year when coffee-table tomes come to bloom to catch the eyes of Chrisûnas shoppers. Two that should be at the top of the charts are Frank

by Vernon Ram HERE can't be two more contrary characters than Frank Fischbeck and Arthur Hacker who, paradoxically, share one common passion: a vision of Hong Kong through their own perspectives.

Fischbeck, a self-exiled South African photo-journalist based in Hongkong since

the mid-'60s, is a reclusive, saturnine introvert with a poetic streak in his visual compositions with the camera. An oldtimer with a string of books and multimedia creations to his credit, Fischbeck produces them seasonally between photographic assignments that bring him the real bread to pay his bills.

Hacker, a retired civil servant, is a graphic designer with an eye for

ubiquitous, curlicue lines on silkscreen

prints, evokes bitter-sweet, absinthe-

flavoured satire about the tinsel-glitz of bars and discos in Wanchai, the MuayThai boxing girls of Thailand and the sublime peace of a lily pond in Bali. These are the visual arts exhibits at the Galleria d'Arte.

The book of Hacker's postcards is another chapter altogether. It is also a

pointer to how one can open an Aladdin's cave offantasy and legend by sheer accident. In Hacker's case, it was the auction of the personal effects of the grandson of

a former Governor of Hong Kong, Sir

the lascivious and a heart for the historic. In the space of just one month, he celebrated in November two major triumphs: one was an exhibition of prints and drawings at the Galleria d'Arte at 44 Robinson Road in the Mid-Levels, and the other was his Hong Kong history book seen through picture postcards which he collects as a hobby.

Each of the two authors capture,

in their own inimitable way, the seemingly endless panorama that makes the rich tapestry of life in what is destined to become a thing of the past, the last of the great Oriental cities.

Fischbeck's exercise in bricks and mortar in a constantþ evolving, redeveloping Eastern metropolis is laced with a fair spicing of local flavours, myths and legends: fung shui, ancestral homes, burial sites and rituals riding cheek by jowl with high rises, hi-tech gizmos and the endless quest for new peaks in an insatiable megalopolis living on borrowed time and space.

Hacker's Hong Kong, with its

18 rnn coRRESpoNDENT

DECEMBER 198e

John Pope Hennessy. Among the effects

disposed was the Visitors' Book at Government House during Sir John's

tenure, a mine of information that was to lead Hacker to unexplored labyrinths in 'piecing together the mosaic of his postcard history of Hong Kong. Fischbeck's approach to his craft, by contrast, is clinically accurate and

meticulous in every detail. Three

years

in the making, Building

Hongkong was for its author a labour of love for the most part. Buildings are vain objects in that they require the best light in which to be captured. The photographer freely confesses to having been at the tender mercies of the weather, shooting like mad when the skies were clear and there was sunlight free ofgrey, dark clouds. "My Hong Kong is not a touristy public relations exercise, a hot-air, bubblegum story sheathed in chromium and air-conditioning," Fischbeck said. And his work,

every frame a painstakingly assembled choreologistical masterpiece, is proof of the legend that earned him his credits as Lifeb first tull-time photographer in Asia in the '60s. Asked for his working style, the usually reticent Fischbeck thawed sufficiently to say that it evolved from a basic visual-oriented illusion in his mind. "In the structuring of the book, the words were considered at every step of the path and the pictures changed accordingly."

Hongkgng. Greetings from

thc

EasL

One of Arthur Hacker's postcards. Oppcxúbpagu Hong Kong views by Frank Fischbeck.

The inspiration for his latest work, according to Fischbeck, was his feeling for the history of the place that runs like a thread through all of his past books about Hong Kong. Taiþan Traders, Chi,nuery, Old Hongkong, and now Building Houghong are all very much a part of Hong Kong's history. I got Jan Morris to write the introductory essay because she is a well-known historian and travel writer, and I wanted this book to be a mix of travel writing and a history of the place. Fortunately, she had been here earlier and done her own book about Hong Kong, having travelled to all the villages and shrines in every nook and cranny of the NewTerritories." As for the audience to which the book is targeted, Fischbeck foresees them as people who had been here a long time and have since returned to their homes and who carry fond memories oi the place. "It is called Building Honghong,butis is not a book about the construction industry. It is purely a visual history book of the city through its buildings, the trend and grorvth of the cþscape and its architecture. "The book is not devoid of people who have been involved with the growth of the city at every stage. I have included each segment of the Manchu period which is being rapidly destroyed or redeveloped; then the buildings of the Colonial era

which are still being used The book focuses on the trend and growth of architec-

ture in Hong Kong through what its

becoming obsolete. "Technology is progressing so quickly that we have to bow out gently and with grace. Sadly, photog-

builders have erected on these shores. Throughout, we have ¡üoven into it the interlocking thread of fung shui which

tion of recognition through the years. It

was so important in the Manchu period, in the ancestral houses and halls, the village homes and ancestral graves...all have relevance to the fabric of Hong Kong's growth through its architecture."

enough to record news events. It never really received anything like the status

Fischbeck names three people who have had the most infuence on him. "One is Ian Berry Megnum; the others are the late Iarry Burrows and Jummy Soullier." They were real gaints who taught me that it was important to tell the world what was hap peninC, not what it wants to hear. That era of journalism, sadly, is vanishing, overtaken by new technology and electrographics. "Now the authentic scenes we used to create, whether you were photographing

game in Ærica or war or the portrait of a city, can now be done better with computers today. They can marry an aeroplane on to a fantastic skyline of Hong Kong which would have taken us weeks to plot and plan. But people like Berry, Burrows

and Soullier were different: they were authentic and would never concede to fake photography." On a personal note, Fischbeck is not

above admitting that his kind are all

raphy has always fought in vain for a posibecame a tool, but not a means to an end. It was never an art in that it was just good

the painter did." On an equally cynical note, Fischbeck

was inclined to believe that the printed book is also headed for extinction. "How

are we going to provide the paper anymore, the way we squander paper and the trees that have to be hewn to provide

the raw material? I certainly think the book will soon become obsolete the same

way as the old mica-and-wax music records. I think the monitor is going to be the only future for us."

Hacker, by contrast, sounds upbeat in

his Historic

Postcards

of

Honghong.

Having transferred between hard covers what started as a private hobby, Hacker's postcards have to them an infectious nos-

talgia that old Hong Kong hands will barely be able to resist in the inexorable countdown to 1997. Both Fischbeck and Hacker are to be complimented on keeping Hong Kong in the picture, and in more than the literal sense.

THE CORRESPONDENTDECEMBER 1989

T

19


PE O PLE

lHL\ìoNG

Ko\\Gå#Ë'å

Farewell for Derek Davies

o"'to

DEREK Davies who recently stepped down from the top slot at the Far Eastern Economic Reuiew and the presidency of the FCC, has entered a period of adjustment with his new pattern of life. His long-term plans, it appears, are yet to be charted though his association with the Reuiew will carry on, with him continuing to write the magazine's controversial Traveller's Tales column. As editor, and later editor-in-chief, of the Reuieu for the past 25 years, Davies has lived through a tumultuous period in Asia, Hong Kong and the Reuiew. During that period the Reuiew has grown from a sedate chronicle to an influential decision-makers' read. In the course of that enviable march along the success trail, Davies' style of fearless journalism has also won him both friends and foes - in one instance, a defamation prosecution

I-JACKERS

\^/A\I CI--I AI PRII\T

brought by the Singapore Minister Iæe Kuan Yew

Prime

(see Cover Story,

P 5-10).

Many members of the Club and guests gathered at the main bar last month to raise

their glasses and wish the

"Great

Helmsman" happy tidings before he departed for his private villa in the south of France.

Davies was also honoured

a

few

ABOVE: Derek Davres ( rþht)

chatting with the group public relations manager of the Swire Group, David Bell (lefr) and financial writer Tony Measor. LEFT: tvith Clare Hollingworth at the Club's farewell party.

with the former sales manager of the Í'ar Eastern

IJELOW:

Economic Reuiew, Elaine

Goodwin, editor of the Reuiew,

Philip Bouring, and editor of The Corresþondent, P,

Yiswa

Nathan at the dinner hosted by Bowring.

weeks earlier when his successor at the

Reui,ew,

A fine print in elegant curlicule style by the creator of Lap Sap Chung and designer of the penultimate Hong Kong definitive stamps.

together

Philip Bowring, brought a select group of Davies'

friends and associates to a farewell din-

\9BB

The print which measures 15" x 20" comes in an envelope with a strong cardboard backing for safe

ner at the Club's veranda for the departing leader.

postage.

Beautifully printed in a limited editron of S00 numbered copies signed by the artist, it is available unframed for HK$300 post free from:

19tB

Arthur Hacker Ltd., 2/F Sincere lnsurance Western Building, 1 Des Voeux Rd., West, Hong Kong, Cheques payable to Arthur Hacker Ltd. ORDEF FORM Name

Date

)¡¡G

rN5 ¡

. É ¡ntr

¡G

"ff 6É-

É

{'à"',Ì;

Delivery Address:

,z

Ielephone Please send

Signature

or9 lÊ

A

No, of copies HK$300 each

Se¡d lhis form with your cheque to Arthur Hacker Ltd., 2/F Sincere lnsurance Western Buildino. 1 Des Voeux Road West, Hong Kong. -'

THE CORRESPONDENTDECEMBER 1989

2I


PE O PLE

PE O PLE

Wong's joy

Wendy's a winner

IF the celebrated graphic designer and master of the pool table, Peter Wong, was seen happier lately than before and behaving a little out of the ordinary, there was a good reason for it. The sudden outpouring ofjoy was caused, of course, not by yet another gold medal for his design creation. The cause this time was creation of a different kind, " a 6lb 13 oz bundle of joy," as he puts it. Wong, a New Zealander, and Hong Kong-born Nikki Iri, r'ho were married at Hong Kong's Cotton Tree Drive Marriage Registry in October last year in the presence of many FCC mdmbers, are now the proud parents of Daryl Jason, their first child, a son, born,,to be precise, at noon on Sunday, November 19. Ageing parents amongWong's FCC friends who might have forgotten the thrill of entering parenthood, watched in utter amazement when Wong went about

"I

HAVE had

Lui at their wedding

but I feel the need to establish a permanent home and I can't

see that in Hong Kong," says Peter Bennett(righÐ who has lived most of

with Daryl

.ìt

Jason (lefr).

buying drinks for all his friends many times over during most of that week and enjoying a little of the beverages himself. Happiness was everywhere with everyone drinking to the health of "Deejay", the newborn. I

)

)t t'

D

¡

THE ladies in plumed headgear were not geared for the garden party at Government House. Wendy Gallagher, Dorothy Ryan (aboue lefr) and lrene O'Shea (aboae right), å1.

all pillars of the Red Lips Corner at the Club's main bar, had made a team entry for the lady with the most outrageous headgear at the Hong Kong version of the Melbourne Cup at the Australian Club. Gallagher pipped the lot to the post with a hat that had so much ostrich fluff that Dorothy Ryan was forced to make a plea to the World Wildlife Fund: "Think of

tallest building in Central was the City Hall,

the lobby of The Peninsula was not airconditioned but cooled by swirling fans; and David Perkins read the ne\MS on

those three decades in the British colony

Rediffusion

to

TV

Gallagher riposted with: rrNo Comment.rl Irene OrShea showed a bit of leg to invite a pull from anyone who dared. The Red Lips Corner turned tightJipped thereafter.

From China trade Bennett moved into media marketing in ttre late 1960s, joining the

sovereignty. So, the Englishman who is often mistaken for an Aussie will be heading south next month to build his castle in Sydney. He will join Boyden

Off Duty magazine,then moving to Ihe Far

Australia as a partner.

in Singapore during the Malayan emergency da)6. t-ee Ifuan Yew Bennett recalls, was then considered to be adangerousleftie.

Life has since been a string of exciting

experiences for Bennett. He had seen Bangkok's now infamous Patpong when it was just a quiet thoroughfare, stayed in a 'I-hai temple long before the word hippie

was even thought of, engaged in

carousing with Temenggong Jugah, the Dayak chief in the 1950s, spent six weeks travelling from Ðngland to Hong Kong on the same ship with the newlywed Barrie Wiggham and his bride Mavis and became their friend, represented Hong

Karate

Championship in Japan...the list goes on. læaving the army, Bennett spent one

I

Eastern Economic Reaiew and finally becoming the general marìager of Asiaweek.

The association with Asiaweek ended in

TJ.S. George, the foundereditor, and his deputy and managing dispute with

Bennett came to Asian shores in the 1950s, drafted into the British army to do secuill ¡xlols

Kong in the first world

all those bare-assed ostriches that feathered Wendy's

the forerunner of ATV.rl

China's

22

:*

(below); and

year with the BBC as a trainee studio manager, but later made his way back to Asia as an employee of the British China trader, Arnhold Trading Company, based in Hong Kong. 'Tl4ren I arrived in Hong Kong in 1961," remembers Bennett, "the

30

good years in Asia

which is in its final years before returning

Peter Wong and Nikki

editor(now editor-inchiefl , Michael Ol.[eill. "l was out on my ear," says BennetL This was when executive head-hunting was just emerging as a fascinating new area in Hong Kong and head-hunters were

hunting for managers to lead the hunt. Korn/Ferry International, which was looking for a man with Asian knowledge to manage its Hong Kong operation, took on

Bennett, but two years later Bennett himself was head-hunted by Boyden International for its Hong Kong office. But as he turned 50 this year, says Bennett, it is time to establish a permanent base for the family. "I don't want to wait until retirement, then move and wither. Now is the time to move." But in his regional role with Boyden he will be visiting Hong Kong frequentþ T

THE coRRESpoNDENT DECEMBER

198e

THE editor of the

In 1973, Roy moved to the Indian capital, New Delhi, to join the Press Institute of

Asian Finance maga-

India and edit its publication, Data India.

Barun Roy (right), is moving to new pastures after zine,

having spent nine

years with the monthly magazine. He will join the Manila-based Asian

Development Bank in early January as information officer.

Roy's career in journalism began in his home town, Calcutta, India, when he joined the Englishlanguage afternoon daily, Freelance, in 1953 as a subeditor. In the years that followed he worked as an assistant editor and leader

writer with Calcutta's Bengali-language daily, Juganta4 as well as with Lhe Straits Tivnes in Singapore.

Two years later he left India for Manila and

joined the Press Foundation of Asia as edilor of Data Asia. And, in 1980 he moved to Hong Kong to joinAsian Finance. About this latest move, Roy says that discussions with the ADB have been going on

for some time, but now is the most convenient time for all concerned to effect the move to the Philippines.

I

VISITING Hong Kong recently was Mrs Cynthia Seymour-Jones, long-suffering spouse of Dr Derek Seymour-Jones, longtime fixture of the 15th Floor, Sutherland House, and the nearby Bowling Alley Bar. As they say in the society pages, the couple is at home to London visitors, at 7 Light Horse Court, Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London SW3 4SR. (Phone:01-730 0161,

Ext.231.)

I

OVER a year ago when Steve Thompson (righÐ moved from

back on his brief

encounter

Singapore to join Hong Kong's Racing World as its editor, he was full of hope and enthusiasm. Soon after taking over the editorial reins from Racing World's publisher and founder Matthew Oram (riqht) in September 1988, Thompson set out to bring a new look to the magazine. "IT will be a lot clearer, a lot more

with

Hong Kong and the

Racing

World,

Thompson

now

says that as time went by he began

to realise that he

wasn't truly inter-

ested in horse rac-

to be very

ing. Now back in

pleased," he said then. However, that association did not last more than a year. Thompson is now back

MPH, he is working on a series of

modern. Werre going

Singapore

with

to his former base, Singapore's MPH

four travel books focusing on Singapore,

Magazines, where he had worked earli-

Malaysia, Thailand and Bali.

er, mainly on the Singapore Airlines'

Thompson's wife Shakti, who also had given up her work with Singapore's

inflight magazine, Siluer Kris. Racing Woild recrtited Thompson as editor after the internationa-l head-hunting firm Boyden Associates conducted a region-wide search and identified him

as a potential candidate. But looking

Community Chest to move to Hong Kong, has, like her husband, rejoined her former employer. Racing World has, meanwhile, named

Rupert Most',n

as

editor.

THE CORRESPONDENTDECEMBER 1989

I

23


IVERSI

ON

It was all in the cards T I L-l

ONG before the 10storey high iVlarlboro

Man, long before television commercials, even long

before glossy magazine ads, there was the cigarette card. This 1.5 by 2.5 inch card, with a picture on one side and a descriptive text on the other, was the advertising medium of

the tobacco industry. Its heyday lasted 50 years, from 1890

until the start of World War II. Each 10-pack of cigarettes

had a colourful card inside, usually one of a set of 50. Smokers aligned with oth-

Forresters go home

duced on just about every birdsl theme imaginable

- cries of beaks, orchids, street old London, Victoria Cross heroes, whaling, occupations for women, famous pugilists, the Boxer Rebellion, racehorses, Red Indian chiefs, music hall artistes, Indian nautch girls, Chinese tortures, boy scout signals, ladiesrhats, the meaning of dreams, palmistry, hand shadows... you name it... it was all there. Manufacturers tried to

and they encouraged pals to switch brands so that they

outdo each other with the attractiveness and quality of their own cards, employing some of the best artists and

ers puffing the same brand

FORRESTER, chief subeditor at Reuters and a well-

Hundreds of thousands of cigarette card series were pro-

JIM

could exchange duplicate

known figure at the FCC for the oast four Years as member and .lub gou".nor, left in November for London at the end of his assignment to Hong Kong. His wife Bertha, also a familiar fig-

cards and build complete sets.

copywriters of the day, and

This was the working man's

using the finest quality board and printing techniques. Sometimes the card itself

we at 2 Lower Albert

Road, was

there for his last, final, ultimate farewell.

Known to his colleagues as The Prince of Darkness, for the vears he spent as night editor in i¡ndon, Forrester has been with

Reuters

for

nearlY

colourful encyclopaedia of the wonders of the world.

cost more to produce than the 10 cigarettes it accompanied.

Apart from their artistic qualities and the nostalgia they evoke, cigarette cards provide a fascinating glimpse into contemporary attitudes attitudes towards warfare, the

role of women, natives

of

other countries, nature conservation and so on. Viewed from

the standpoint of the

the attention and passions of

the post-war generations. Each month, Club member Mike Smith (abouÐ will choose a current issue and illustrate with selected cards how attitudes have changed since the early days of this century. He starts off with a look of ivory, an issue that has captured the attention of many

1980s,

pressure groups all over the

they sometimes offer an ironic counterpoint to some of the currènt issues that command

world as well as certain sections of the territoryrs traders and skilled crasftsmen..

RIGHI': Jim Forrester receives a farewell $ft from the president of the FCC, Sinan Fisek. BELOW: Bertha in

conversation with friends during the farewell at the Clutr.

30

and is a veteran oI vears 'British

Provincial

national newsPaPers

and he

-

would sit on, at their

oeril, any who denied lhat ihe Scotsman is a national dailv. An invalided velerun óf th" Second Great

"

Unpleasantness,

Forrester is also a scholar

TIIESE CIOARETTES

(Edinburgh UniversitY) whose casuallY deter-

d€m. rvhicb âre foud ir India, Ceyloû. aDd Alrica. the Africaú beinß the la¡gest When full growÀ. they âttaio B height of

dwarf the collective wisdom of the inventors of Trivial Pursuits'

UNÐER THE IIOST HYGTEìilc coilDtflOns-

ló-ft.

The tusks. from wbicb we get ivory. beæu¡e up to 8-ft iú length. aEd a peir will weigh 325lbs Tbe ivory l. used for carving. haûdles for cutlery, billiard baus. etc , ¡¡d tb€ hide ir conveÉed i¡to l€ûthe¡ Nd used

The Forresters say thev might return in

f6

."uãn yeutt' time [or the

b^u6tr9 Eheels @ulåcÈurê.

change in administration

at Upper Albert Road and elsewhere in the territorY

cutler/

ISSUEO BY

GALLAHER ITP

but it could dePend on whether the FCC still

BELFAST & LONDON.

serves a good Post-Pran-

Armagnac'

ARE MADE FROM FIIIESî SELECIED LEAF

There Bre noP praetically only two speci€s of thìs buge pachy.

mined erudition could

dial

No.9 '

A SERIES OF E5

Cþarette cards tìl

I

<:t

by:

BAT'Sþorß of the World' (þlain back), 1917 Gallaher 1921 Hudden, 1926.

24

THE CORRESPONDENTDECÐMBER

1989


s T o

P

P

FT

E

s S ^JoÂ,v

SO A heady club \ryeek THE CLUB's annual red liquid

week, that begins with

a

breakfast and ends with a gala evening a week latel was the

high point of Club activity for those members who are, or

claim to be, dedicated wine connoisseurs.

Many turned up for the

7.30 am breakfast on November 16, which began with

the chief barman of the Club, Sammy Cheung, opening the cask containing this year's Beaujolais Nouveau supplied by Parry Pacific and flown to Hong Kong by Hong Kong's

own flag carrier, Cathay

Pacüc.

The new vino

from

Mommessin went well with the country-style brealdast. A week later, at the gala

evening on Friday November 24, the musical talent of Michel and Rosemarie Emeric of l¿ We lxa¿getatn of course. But when you see the væied combination of gifu and prizes we're offering to Macintosh buyers from October to December, you'll probably want to reach for your calculator. Check the box and you'11 see what we mean. If you don't think that's generous enough, simply buy any Mac and you'll automatically qualify for our Lucþ Draw, where you stand to win the new Macintosh Porøble, worth HK$53,592. In addition (we hope your calculator can keep up with all this), if you buy øny Mac, except the Mac Plus, you'll receive a free ImageWriter II, worth HK$5,112.

Vhichever way you look at it, this unique Apple offer adds up to $ving you more power to your as your elbow. call your Apple Authorised Dealer

i:å?il

frrät

for

3

Apple COmputU

Rose Noire and the record col-

Buy I Mac lJ Buy 2 Maclls

-

Receive a free Apple

Buy 3 Mac IIs Buy 5 Mæ IIs

-

Receive a free Apple LæerWrjter

[SC.

Receive a frce Apple Læertrldter

llNT

You may

8-bit Video Card Receive your choice of an Apple Scanner, or an Apple Hard Disk 80SC, or an Apple Tape Bækup 40SC, free

mlr ard match your grlls æ you wish All items subiect to stock

^vailabilily

of RTHKs Off-TheBeaten:Track fame Mel Tbbias accompanied the vino and la cuisine Francaise prepared by Jean-Pierre Vullin, the owner of Auberge Bressane of Bourgen-Bresse. He was brought to Hong Kong for the occasion by lection

Cathay Pacific.

Only Mæ ll Hard Disk modeLs are applicable lf you buy the IIci, you will receive an Apple RGB Monitor instead of the 8-bit V¡deo Card

THE CORRESPONDENT DECEMBER 1989 27


VIDEO CLUB THE video library, located just off the Pool Room bar on the lower g¡ound floor, is open: Monday to Friday (Noon- 2.30pm and 5pm - 7.30pm) and Sahrrday (Noon- 2.3opm).

Thingies

Busting: starring Elliot Gould and Robert Blake Die Hard: starring Bruce Willis and Allan R. Alexander . Mike's Murder: starring Debra Winger and Mark Keyloun No I with a Bullet starring Robert Carradine and Billy Dee Williams The Manhunter: starring William Peterson and Kim Greist

MEDY 1O: starring Bo Derek and Dudley Moore

A Fish Called Wanda: starring John Cleese and Jamie How to Beat tlre High Cost of living: starring Susan lange Scrooged: starring Bill Murray and Karen Allen

[æe Curtis Saint James and Jessica

Tlvins: starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny

de

Vito

Working Girl: starring Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver and Melanie Griffìth

Bright Ijght, Big City: starring Michael Fox and Phoebe Cates Finish line: starring James Brolin and Josh Brolin

I¡ve and Passion:

Anastasia

Buster Carolann Cocktail Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid Death before dishonor

A Bridge Too Far Dancers Doctor Zhivago EI Cid Fellini Satyricon Gandhi

AWorldApart

Project X Red Heat Renegade

Running Man Russkies Some Kind of Wonderful Stand and Deliver

StraightTime Survival Quest

633 fuuadron

Gunga Din

Ever5.{hing You Wanted to I(now About Sex FawþTowers - Basil the Rat FawltyTowere -The Germms Fawlty Towers - The Kipper & the Corpse Fawlty Towers - The

Crom ual

-l-2 Crown uol. 3-5 Crown lal. G8

Jezebel

Kagemusha

14 Going On 30

The The The The

All Night l,ong

The The The

Tucker

-

2 on the rocks

Beetlejuice Being There Benny and Friends Benny Hill Beverþ Hills Cop II

Big Big Business

ADTILTB{TEKXAINME}IT 9 1/2 l{eeks A Man in

Arthur

I¡ve

BigTop

Psychiatrist Ferris Buellerrs Day Off Funny Farm Hancock:The Bedsitter Hancock -The Bowmans Hancock - The Poison Pe n Hello Again High Spirits

The Scarleta¡rd the Black The Thirty Nine Steps The Wooden Horse

COMEDY

Barfly

II

I€tters

hrgo

Khartoum Melba My HappiestYears Unknown Chaplin The Colditz Story The Cruel Sea The Dambusters The Four Feathers The Great Escape The last Emperor

TheElecficHoremm

The

ïI7

Crown uoL. Jewel in the Crown uol 12-74

The Dance/sTouch The Dead Pool [,ost Boys Presidio Principal Running Man Taking of Flight 847 Untoucbables Untouchables Untouchables

Adam Autumn Sonata Backstage

Caddyshack 2 Crocodile Dundee Crocodile Dundee

Jewelin the Jewel in the Jewel in the Jewel in the

Pee Wee

Blazing Saddles BreaKast at Tiffany's Caddyshack

Tootsie Tough Guys Vice Academy WC. Fields Whoops Apocaþse You Ruined My Life

DRAMA A Case of Libel

FULL LIST CIASSICS

Throw Momma from tbe Train Tin Men To Be or NotTo Be

Ze'l:gZeligZelig

starring Franchesca Dellera and Nicola Warren Scandal: starring John Hurt and Joanne Whalley-Kilmer

ACTION/A.D!tsNTTJRE 8 Million Ways to Die A Roorn with a View

Spitting lmages- Spit with Polish Slakeout Stars And Bars Switching Channels The Couch Trip The Dame Edna Experience The Great Outdoors The Meaning of Life The Pick-upArtist The Squeeze The Telephone The Two Ronnies They Still Call Me Bruce Three Fugitives

ThreeMen&aBaby

Short Circuit: starring Fisher Stevens and Micael McKean

Key

Silent Movie Soulman Floppy mass of Rubber Spitting Images - Rubber

N/ADVENTURE/THRILLER

Hot Pursuit less than Zero Masters of the Universe Metal Force Midnight Run N9 Way Back Prince of the City

Planes, Trains mdAutomobiles Revenge ofthe Nerds (Nerds in Paradise) Ruthless People

Spittinglmage-A

DECEMBER RELEASES

Defence Play Desert Rats Dog Day Afternoon Enter the Dragon Fair Trade Fatal Beauty

NEW MEMBERS

VIDEO

History of the World Part

1

Innerspace JumpingJack Flash I-aurel & Hardy license to Drive Luggage ofthe Gods Mash Mickiand Maude Milagro Beanfield Mona Lisa Money Mania Monty $thon's Flying Circus Monty R¡thon's Flying Circus 5-7 Monty B¡thon's Flying Circus 8-10 Monty $thon's Flying

l4

Circus ll-13 Moon over Parador

Moonstruck Moving My Demon Ilver Nadine No Sex Please, We're British

Orphans Outrageous Fortune Personal Services

Between Friends Between Two Women

Bitter Harvest

Brideshead Revisited uol. I Brideshead Revisited uol. 2 Brideshead Revisited u ol. 3 Brideshead Revisited u ol. 4 Brideshead Revisited ¿ol. 5 Brideshead Revisìted ml 6 Broadcast News Chinatown Columbo goes to Guillotine Cry Freedom Dangerous Liaisons Defence ofthe Realm

Ðmma Empire of the Sun Flowers in the Attic From the Hip Godfather (part 2) Gorillas in the Mist Handgun

High Midnight Hold My Hand Irm Dying Hostile Witness Ironweed Jack the Ripper Jean de Florette Julia and Julia Light of the Day

I¡ve &War

Marilyn and the Kennedys Midnight Crossing My Life as a Dog No Manrs l¿nd Nuts Salsa

Secret Honor Shy People Someone to Watch Over Me Sophie's Choice

Souvenir TheAccidenhlTourist

The Brotherhood The DayAfter Tbe Drifter The The The The The The The

Elephant Man Godfather HappyValley last Temptation of Christ

Murder of Mary Phagan Purple Rose of Cairo Return ofthe Soldier

TheThomas CromÆfair The Unbearable Lightness of Being Threads Thieves Like Us Unfinished Business

BlackWidow Blind Chess Cameronrs Closet Cohen A¡d Tate Cold Steel

cop Extreme Prejudice F/X Murder by Illusion Fatal Attraction In the Heat of the Night Intimate Betrayal

James Mulvaney, Asia bureau

she won the New South Wales

l¿w

Australian-born Peter Gilmore

Little Nikita

chief for Newsday, has been with

saw service as sub-editor/

the publication since 1979. He was Newsday's United Nations corre-

Society Golden Gavel Award for legal reporting (press) in 1987 and 1988, and received honourable

reporter with the Daily Mirror, Sunday Telegraþh and Sydney

mention in the 1988 Australian Walkley Awards (features).

Morning Herald before becoming production editor of the Sunday

Mary Beth Camp has been

tor for Murdoch magazines in

UTU

Man Marathon Man Masquerade Missing in Action

Wall Street Weeds

Murder Rap Nico: Above the

HORROR

Play Misty For Me Prayer for the Dying

KillerKloms Retribution

MUSICAL Fiddler on the Roof Imagine Moonwalker

SCIENCE FICTION Blade Runner Dune

E.T Moontrap The Entity

SPECIAL FEATT]RES Ausûzlian Animal Mysteries -National Geograþhic Comic Relief Live - Natianal Geograþhic Dive to the End of Creation - National Geograþhic Egypt - Quest for Ðternity - National Geograþhìc Etosha, Place of Dry land Geograþhí.c

Humpbacks -The Gentle

Giants- National

Geograþhic In the Shadow of Fujisan - NationaL Ceograþhic

Il¡rÃ<atna-National Geograþhic

land of the Tiger - National Geograþhic l¿stTribe of Mindanao

-National

Geograþhic

-Natianal

Geograþhic

Living Treasures of Japan I-ose Weight Workout

Men ofthe Serengeti

- National

l¿w

NoWayOut

Jaws Jaws the Revenge

- National

III

Geograþhi.c

Monkeys,Apes

&Mar

Predator Prisoner ofRio Rampage Report to the Commissioner Saigon

Scorpio Shadow Play Sister Sister Sleep Well, Professor Oliver The Bedford Incident The Bedroom Window The Believers The Body in the Library (Miss Marþle) The Ipcress File The Last Innocent Man The MorningAfter The Rosary Murders TheTenth Man Tough Guys Don't Dance Witness in the'War Zone

Mulvaney Skinner

spondent in New York in 198S86 and l^atin America bureau chief before coming to Hong Kong in April this year. Reuters veteran David Skinner served the news agency in various capacities since 1974 - as economic correspondent (Sydney), chief

representative (Malaysia), chief sub-editor (I-ondon), and acting chief correspondent (Sydney) before joining Reuters'Hong Kong office as deputy editor-incharge, of economic news (world desk).

Jennifer Cooke is a senior reporter with the South China Morning Post. Aformer city editor with the Sydney Morning Herald

before becoming chief court

Priæ Hf3Spæi¡l 0u¡dity D¡tcounl

Geograþhic

Geograþhic Save the Panda -National Geograþhic

The Hidden World

- National

Geograþhic

- National

Geograþhi.c

The Living Sands of Namib The Pa¡enthood Game -National Ceograþhic The lgris Ðxpedition - National Geograþhic

The Wonderful Kangaroo - NationaL Geograþhic Wogan On The Orient Express

SPORT American Football læ Mans'87 Tennis Clinic F'R

TheAmsed

TIIRII

The BoyWho Could Fly

Angel Heart

T

Pomfret

Telegraþhin 1984 and a senior edia

freelance photographer in Asia since October 1986 and has wor-

ked regularþ on assignment for Business Week, Fortune, Billion, Sþorts lllustrated, Forbes, and the New York Timæ Srnday magaztne.

New York in 1987. He is presently

chief sub-editor at the Sunday Morning Post. Richard Blair, editor with Mice Communications Umited, has wor-

ked in Asia since 1976 as correspondent for CBS, Newsweek, Busi-

Asian Business sub-editor John Dobson was a freelance intervie'\¡/er for BBC Radio Sussex before becoming chief reporter for the Hastings Obseruer in Britain. After a short spell as edi-

American-born John Pomfret, a former reporter with Riuerside Press-Enterþris¿ in California, 'u/orked for Associated Press in

torvølhArga Newsin New South Wales, he worked as a sub-editor wilh the H o ngk o ng St an dar d untl. August this year.

expelled from China in June 1989.

't

-21

25-{9

50

-

ove¡

otv Amount

Foreign Conespondent¡' Clu b

n

e$ Trau eUer and,Asiø Traa el Traì¿.

New York before becoming Beijing correspondent for the news agency in 1988. He was

Desk Diary

3tx,

255

o Correspondents' Club)

235

O

Foreign Conæpondent¡' Oub

Pocka Diary

150

125

118

Foreign Correspondents' Oub Pocket Addre¡s Book

160

135

128

Bill my FCC Membership account

Signature:

Daytime Delivery Address Tot¡l

Free goldstamping for the following names:

Desk Diary.. Telephone:

Pocket Diary.............. Pocket Address Book

.............

Mail order to Foreign Correspondents' Club, North Block, 2 Lower Albert Road, Hong Kong

28 rup coRRESpoNDENT DECEMBERlgse

Blair

ln conjunction with Garfin Productions Ltd, the FCC is offering 1990 diaries and an address book with goldstamped FCC logo and personal name or initials. For your convenience the diairies will be booked and paid for via the FCC.

Return to Everest

- National

reporter forJohn Fairfax and Sons,

Gilmore

Dobson

FCC t 990 DlAl RIES

- Natíonal Geograþhi.c Polar BearAlert

-National

Camp

Cooke

Free Delivery w¡thin Hong Kong Territories, Overseas delivery will be charged accordingly.


A BOTTLE OF CHIVAS

CROSSV/ORD Compiled by Brian Neil@ 1989 CLUES ACROSS

CLUES DO\ryN

1. l,osing direction, evil comes up to act without 8.

2. Exit rents for retail shops (7)

thinking (10)

Apotonthehead?

3. Aload of bull held in high regard? (5)

(4)

4. Limb we turned into vegelable (6)

9. Red guestwaves his arms around (8)

win surely needed, partþ for protection (6)

5. Those who

10.

Ma bled in the tunny farm (6)

11.

Dream about nothing, but still wandered (6)

6. Former updates lacking softness, makes one sweat (7)

12.The First l¿dy? (3) 14. Ideas, ideas,

7. Ogre being part bird (5)

sometimeswhiqæred (5)

l3.Vowel which make a pledge (3)

16.Thus, then cease to some extent (5) 18.Also a pear by the sound of 20.

l9

Trifles, but not usually for dessert (6)

24.Bombardments of bare rags (8)

18.Guitar gets to the point (6)

Ifs

19.Zero six sacks contain ootheca (6)

often raised, but not necessarily

in the field (4) 26. Patient ice-men to provide last

four

of22 (10)

RULES to:

cRosswoRD,printrine Ird, Unit B, 18/F Harvard House

105-1 1 I Thomson Road Wanchai' Hong Kong

21.Choral composition loses direction, something fishy about that (5)

Entries must reach the office later than January 10 .

not

3.Entries must carry the name, address and the club membership number of the

contestant.

\1'

Hong Kong

23. Beholdl Enter the deputy, we hear (5)

2.

1. Entries must be sent

they say, for rotten

17. Continue, meat (7)

correct solution

The winner is: Phil Arnett

l5.Different underwater operators take direction (7)

(3)

22.They've lured some characters to supply material (6) 25. Crossword No.

it

'

Contact: Paul Sham, Læal Press Frank Wingate, ùerseas Press Telephonei 5-8334333 Cable: CONO'rFAD HONGKONG lelex: 73595 CONHK HX

4.The first correct solution drawn from the entries received wiil be awarded a bottle of chivas Regal' S.The solution and winnerrs name will be published in 17?ø Corresþondent The following month.

New Yqk Contacl: Sarah ¡,lonks Lou¡s Epstein

lelex: 728335 HONG KONG CGO FacsÌmile:

THE YEAR'S BEST BOOK

HISTORIC POSTCARDS OF HONG KONG

(1

)-3 1 2-726-2441

Telephonei (1)-21 2-838-8688 Telex: 710 581 6302 HKrDC NYK Facsimile: ( )-21 2-838-8941 1

D!llrs

Tmnlo

Conlact: Diâna Paiterson Telephone: (1)-21 4-7 48-81 62 Cab|eì HONGTBADS DALLAS

Contact: Lee Meister Telephone: (1 )-41 6-366-3594 Cable: CONOTRAD TORONÏO Telex: 06218056 HKrDC TOR Facsimile: (1)-41 È3661569

lelex:62279520 Facsimile:

(1

)-2 1 4-742-6701

Los Angeles Contact: Daniel C Fernandez Telephone: (1)-213-622-3194 Cab|e: CONOTRAD LOS ANGELES Facsimile: (l )-213-61 3-1 490

VsrcouYor

C¡nlact: Pamela Botlomley Telephone:

(1

)-604-685-0883

Facsimile: (1)-604-681 -0093

{::11..

i

PRODUCED BY Australia

MEMBERS OF

Sydmy

F.C.C. DISCOUNT PRICES FOR F.C.C.

FROM THE PRIVATE

MEMBERS. AVAILABLE FROM THE CLUB'S

COLLECTION OF ARTHUR HACKER M,B.E. 3O rnB coRRESpoNDENTNovEMBER

Amsl*d!m Contact: Gærge M Ammerlaan Telephone: 131)-0n-27 7 1 01 Cable: CONO'rRAD AMSTEBDAM Telex: 15081 HKTDC NL Facsimile; (31)-0æ-228529 Alh6ns Contact; Shawki Saf¡eddine Telephone: l3O1)-7 24-67 23 I 4 I 5 Telex: 219591 GBAD GB Facsimile: (301)-724-8922 Barc€lom Conlact: Jæquin Maestre Telephone; (34)-3-21 7-62-50 Answerphone n¡ght service: (34)-3-21 7-66-54 Cable: PUBLICRELATIONS BARCELONA 6 (SPAIN)

Telex: 97862 SAFP E Facs¡mile: (34)-3-41 5-47-48

Mllan Conlacl: Amy Li Telephone: (39)-02-865405 (39)-02-86571 5 Cable: KONGTRAD MILAN Telex: 333508 HKTDC ¡ Facsimile: (39)-02-860304

C¡ntact: Agnes Hsu (86)-01 -500,3285 Telex:22927 HKIDC CN Facsimile: (86)-01 -500-3285 -Ielephone:

Nagoya

Parls Conlact: Dominique Duchiron Telephone: (33)-01 -47-42-41 -50

Telex: 283098 HKTDC f: Facsimile: (33)-01 -47-42-77-44

(46)-08-1 15690

CONOTRAD STOCKHOLM Telex: 1 1 993 -IDC S Facsimile: (46)-08-7231630 CAbIE:

Vi€nm Franklurl C¡ntact: Lore Buscher

Conlact: Johannes Neumann

Telephone: (49)-069-74-01 -61 CâbIe: CONOTFAD FRANKFUBT Telex: 414705 COFRA D

Cable: CONOTRADREP WIEN Telex: 1 1 5079 HKIDC A Facsimile: (43)-0222-535-31 -56

Telephone: (43)-0222-533-98-1

DESK OR DIRECTLY FROM ROSANNA KWOK

AT THE STOCK HOUSE PRODUCTIONS LTD. TEL. 5.8I07878.

1989

Contact: Douglas Chån Telephone: (61 )-02-æ8-343/6 Cab|e: HONGKONREP SYDNEY Telex: AA 121313 CONSYD Facsimile: (6 )-02-290-1 889 1

'll

Gentral Amedca Panam Contact: Mario Afu Long Telephone; (507)-69-5894 (507)-69-561 r

(s07)-æ-s1æ 2989 HKTDCP PG From USA:3682989 From other æuntries: 3792989 Facsimile: (507)-69-6183

Telex:

ls,lanbul Contact: Yakup Barouh Telephone: (901151 1 -46-24 (901Is20-80-50 Facsimile: (9011527-48-65

Contacl: ¡,llr O Esaki Telephone: 052-971 -3626 Facs¡mile: 052-962-0613

O$kr Contact: Yoshih¡sa Uerc

Stækholm Contacl; lngemo Bonnier Telephone: (46)-08-1 00677

I

Facsimile; (49)-0æ-745124

A SUPERB CHRISTMAS GIFT.

THE

Eurcpe

Zur¡ch Contacl: J A Furrer Telephone; (41 )-01 -383-29-50 (41)-01 -383-29-51 Cable: COI\IOTRAD ZURICH Telex: 817850 CONZ CH Fâcs¡m¡le: (41 )-01 -383-08-1 3

Telephone: (81 106-344-521 1 Cable: CONNOTRADD OSAKA -fokyo Telex: c/o HKTDCT J2691 7 Facsim¡le: (81 )-06-347-0791

Sh!ngh¡i Contact: D¡ckson Leung Telephone: (86)-21 -264196 (86)-21-265935 Telex; 301 75 TDCSH CN Facsim¡le: (86)-21-287478

Singaporo Contact: Arìdy Lim Telephone: 65-2937977 Telex: 40125 MEPLAN Facsim¡le: 65-2962670

London

Tslp€l Contacl: Viv¡a Yarìg Telephone: (886)-02-705-9333 Telex: 23288 OUANTA Facsimile: (886)-02-705-9222

CÆntacl: Martin Evam Telephone: (44)-01 -828-1 661 Cable: CONOTRAD LONDON SWI

Tokyo Contacl: Dav¡d Hu¡

Telex: 9_16923 CONLON c Facsim¡le: (44)-01 -828-9976

Contact: l/r Ramzi Raad Telephone: (9714) 665950 (971 4) 660664 Cable: N¡ARKETS DUBAI Telex: 46361 MABKET EN¡ Facsimile: (9714) 6671 14

K

Telephone: (81 )-03-502-3251 /5 Cable: CONNOTRADD TOKYO Telex: HKTDCT J26917 Facsimile: (81 )-03-591 -6484

Hong Kong

ErlG Tradé Devãlopment Councit


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