The Correspondent, May 1997

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Larry Allen

Farewell to the piano man

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THE GORRDSPONIIDNT M^y 1997

High Speed

Popular piano Lart1,'

Allen

nt

bas

an ancl

FCC

fauotu"ite

fÌnalþ retired. Robin

Iynant, spoke to bint about bis life and tinxes in Asia before be leftfor the US

TIIE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLTJB

Krltg

-l L¡¡ser Allrett Ror<1. Hottg

Tclepllrne:

lilI l5lI lirx: 2tl6lt r09l

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: fì'c@f<r'l rk. org

President

Gitnnin¡

Vlce President -

Krrin À'ltlrìlströnl

-.1()hn l']rul Fißt Vice President Second

tsa),fielcl

Corespondent Member Governors lJob l)rvis, Crth¡, Hilhorn, Rohin L1 n:utt. Irlicluel \l:r'ke1.

Kees \fctsclrrr..ltrr:rtlrrn J\lirskl'. Rol> À'f ()untf()rl. Keitlr lliclrhtrr g.

Christoplter Slrrtrglltcr. Httlren vrtn Es SL'c ft'l t t r.l': Crrt hl Hilborn

Derek Dauíes sþeak to the Freeclc¡nt Fotu.tn

Jounalist Member Governors Silrl Lockhrrr, Fmncis Mor¡îrt)' Associate Member Govemors

Low Speed

William H Areson..Jolrn Corben, Ronrlcl Ling. -lulirn lValsh

Australiatt-bonl añist a.nd Club nxetnber, Mun"alt Zanot'ti, is back

Professional coromittee Corrtrrtor: ì!lichael lvhckel House Coflmlttee

in Hong Kong, Scenes of Hong Kong & Macau, opeixs 6tt the Wótgtxer Afi Gallery May 1J

CottLenor: Ronrlcl Lin¡¡

Multi-media committee Colr¿r,ø: Kees À'letsehar Finance

Comittee

Con|ctrcr: Willirnr

Membership

H

Arcst¡n

Comittee

Ctrrl"rtor: Hul)efi \'1n

Es

Tizrtslttzr: -ltrlia n \Valsh F & B and Entertaiment Comittee Cu t t'etrc)r: Krrin Mrl¡tstt iinl

'wall Comittee Cotttutrt: [ìolr Dil is Freedom of the Press Co|lmltt€e

Multispeed

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The creation ctl'tcl crótsl:t of Saatcltí €' Saatchi Aclueúisitxg

The Correspondent EDITORIAL OFFICE Jeff Hesels oocl, Eclitor 'I'elephone: 2Ai1 0493 Fax: 2tlt5 2530 Ë-nrril: jlrc@netvig¿ttor conì Assistanl Eclitor: Nlelindr Persson

Publlcations Corunittee Con

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Dl,is. Terr¡, f)trckltrrrr.

Saul L<¡ckhrn.

Robin L1'nrnr. Kees l\lctschar, Ht¡ìren vrn Es

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THE CORRESPOI\TDENT WEB SITE

httpr//ww.fcchk.org

1997 The Fore¡gn C()rresponclents'

Cltrb of Hong Kong

ttre President L6L9-

Lrrnctllines fBook trRerzielr¡ Co|lflicf i ng Accoui't ts

-1l-

E>*ribitlon Pr:i\¡ac)r

22-

ProfessionalContacts

27-

\X.rPS

Lunc.trljines

A mecliurrr of few w'ords

Singapor-e is not a jor-trn:tJìstic

t2-

Collection

Getting to know the Personal (Prir.acy) Ordinance

Tìbetan Infonnation Network

aO-

iftre FCC Hamdorrer

Murray Zanoni's Hong Kong

Cor.er Stol:Jrz Hats off to Lar-ry

Tlrt F<reign Corles¡nrrclent"s Cltrh o[ Hon¡¡ Kong

O

L4-

Hanclover happenings

'tb<¡se of

PRINÏER fììprrss Offset Pr¡nting Fîctory I-irìlitecl

Kodak Profess¡onäH

t

rvnor: l'aul Bayfield

KEVIN GOLDMAN

sLlccess stofJ/

28-

Fr:eedofrlFortrrrr

32-

Social FCC Faces .lrxrn Hor4ey

Tu,o cheer-s fol colonialisur

Covel photoglaph l)), HtLbeÍt van

Mzry

Es

7997 THX

CORAXSP0IIIIDI{T

D¿Lta

IN COS WC TRUsT a

/-/a

To the edítor

\

From Mr Roger Goodwin Director of Public Relations IrQ British Forces Hong tr(ong Quote from a shell-shocked Club president John Giannini after the Battle of tl're Press Pen at the

membefs migl'rt be interested to know that before losing count we registered 151 inclividual membels of tl-re press party that day, easily olrtstripping our

Decommissioning of HMS Tamal: 'I've had an offer to spendJune in Afghanistan. I think I'll take it - it'll be

More palticular'ly, would you

safer!'

As a sign of things to colne,

previous record (108 for the visit of Major-General Liu Zhen'ùØu). believe at least 32 - yes, 32 - separafeTY cameras? I wish I hacl shales in Sony.

€o5

Lettet"s

,

to tbe ediTor are øluays wirt yourself a. bofile

utelconte

øn otiginal or of Stolicbnøyafor Luitty

letter-

ñght to

but we reserue tbe

editþr

clat4ty

orþr

reasons of space.

,/.,.-,',,,,,\

I {.

I GAVE. UP AAY F

CC

^AE^ABÉRSHIP./

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i

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l

hile on a dally basis at reasoneble l'ates.

Northwest Aillines is spr>nsoring

a

special FCC Reporter's Notebook, which will have our special Hanclover' logo designed by Peter Cook. One notebook will be given free to all members and guests and additional notebooks may be pulchased at the

H:andover

reception desk.

Othel souvenir items designed and

produced by Peter Cook will be

T-shilts, polo shirts, golf balls and coffee mtrgs. These are now on sale (see ad page 14).

improve Club revenues are being considered. It is enconmging to know that so rnany people care so deeply about their Club. ***t***++***

I'd lìke to thank all those who took the tirne to attend the meeting on April

7th dudng which the rise in monthly subscrþtiontèes was discussed. Iwould especially like to thank those who wrote

letters.

All your views on ways to

Don't forget that the deadline to submit your ballot for the election of the next Board of Governors is May 28th at 3:00 pm. Please vote. It's lmpoftant

@

happenings ol'sorne tirne members havebeen coming up to me and asking what the club is planning for the Handover period. I am happy to say that in spite of a slow start, we are now ready to

provide professional programs and

entertainment that should be memorable for both rnembers and

guests.

Un'der the guidance of convenor Michael Mackey, the Professional Conmittee has embarked on an

ambitious plan to provide

week leading up to the handovel.

ínvited to the ceremonies in the

They are:

Convention Centre will be able to view the Handover on television. Food and drink will be served all night, so that those of us who had to cover the event

o Jtrne 25th - A welcome cocktail

for all registered visiting correspondents and rnernbers of

r-eception

reciprocal clubs will be held in the Main Dining Room from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm,

. June 27th - The last FCC Zoo Night under the UnionJack.

taken a 'round up the usual suspects' apploach. The idea is that a roster of speakers from every part of Hong

JLrne 28th - The FCC Handover

will be a gala evening featuring

resident press. I am happy to

gounnet dining, fine wines, live mttsic and dancing fol the all inclusive price of HK$1997 per couple. By popular demandwe're bringing back the bh-res,

annolrnce that with the sponsorship of DHL, The Foreign Corlespondents' Club HandoverMedia Guide is ready for distribution. Painstaking research and consultation went into preparing

will hold press conferences either in the

soul and Motown band,

morning or afternoon duling the days before and after the Handover.

The FCC will not justbe providing a soapbox for politicians and activists to ventilate their views. These will be full blown pless conferences where the speakers are liable to be subjected

Year's Eve party one of the bestwe've ever had.

'be

abrasive' style bybothlocal andvisiting

press. Invitations are going out now.

Dates and times will be announced in separatemailings as the schedule takes shape.

The F&B/Entertainment Cornmittee under the strict control of Robin Lynam and 'Ministel of Fun' Karin Malmstr'öm has put together an unbeatable calendar of events for the

Some months ago I mentioned that the Ch"rb would be producing a guide book for both visiting and

.

Kong's political spectrum

to glilling in the Lord Deedes

our'

stories and pictules.

Bash

a

continuons flow of news-rnaking events frorn the FCC. They have not

will be able to relax after filing

Soul

Commotion, that made our last New

June 2!th -'Last of Empire' lunch buffet will be held in the Main Dining o

Room starting at I:30 pm

and

continuing on thr-ough the afternoon.

The committee promises that this will be a 'sumptuous colonial affair'. o June 30th - Paint the Town Red In the spirit of the night, the one clublwo parry system will be in force. lìecl will be the theme in the Main Dining Roon with elegant ¿rnd creative East'West food, drink ancl live music for the -

all inclusive price of HI(S1841 pel couple.

In the Main Bar all those who through some oversight were not

_è ,-9

HANDOVER xonc r.oactp/

nonc

ronct!/

The FCC Handover logo.

Natio îal'Writers Union offers help

to correspondents, authors

will receive one free copy of tlie guide. If additional copies ale reqr-rired, they will be solcl at a price

The National \Writers Union, an orgaîization of freelance'writers and authors in the United States, is establishinga chapter for overseas writers, to help them in their dealings with American publishers. Dave Lindorff, a Hong Kong-based journalist and authot, and a founding member of the N\ØU, will answer questions about the organization at an informational meeting co-sponsored by the FCC on Thursday, June 5, fromT-9 p.m, in the Hughes Room of the FCC. Lindorff says that the N\øU, founded in7983 , now represents over 4500 American writers, and offers a medical plan, information about agents and model contracts, anda booklet of advice on negotiating book contracts.

'But for overseas writers and journalists, perhaps the most impofiant thing the N\ØU can do is help you get paid,' he says. Grievance officers of the NfØU recently announced that they'd passed the US$ 1 million mark in terms of money recovered for writers from deadbeat editors and publishers.

The N\X/U is open to all professional writers. Membership dues ale ort a sliding scale based upon income earned florn writing.

of HI($50 each.

The infolmation desk staff will be able to answer questions to help visitors get around Hong I(ong.

For information about the meeting, contactl)ave Lindorff at2688-6085.

Email address : dpl@netl.hkbu.edu.hk

this guide, which will offer information not covered by Government Information Service literature or Hong Kong Tourist Association guidebooks.

The media guide will

be

distributed at a DHL sponsored information booth which wíll be set up in the Club lobby. The booth will be staffed by bilingual joulnalism stuclents from local universities.

Every Club rnembet' and visiting correspondent who registers for a gue.st card

Thele will also be

guides who

a

roster of str-rclent

will be available for May

1c¡c17 THE CORRXSPONDINT

T

woogie child prodigy playing cluets

with a young "Sugar" Robinson.

light back down 'the boot' to Naples, jurnped on a boat, went throlrgh the

sent to souther-n Calífolnia to lealn the tricky art of riding a horse and playing glockenspiel at the salne time.

This, of course, v/as wartime and

after abor-rt ayear andaLraffLarry got

his filst overseas posting to Algiers, via Casablanca, in the region of whicl'r Field-Marshal Erwin Rotnmel was becorning a bit of'a nuisance.

it

IIats off to Larry Pol2rrlar piano lTran and FCC farzcrurite Larry Allen has finall;z retired. Robin Lyrl.a-n::., qzkro sat in uzith tl-re rrraestro occasionally, spoke to him before l-re left for tkre United States

nightlife scene offered plenty of oppoltunity to exelcise his talents. "\X/e put on shows and at night I

would fiìore or less moonlight and play in the nightclubs. That went on until finally they decided that they were going to send me home. By that time I had met a lovely lady who I decided that I woulcl marry, and I decided to stay in the Philippines," Larry explains.

wound up working there for five years, mostly at a clLlb called the Golden Gate.

"That's how I got into theJapanese part of my repertoile. 'ùØherever I went I usually picked r-rp something of the language - enough to put on a show

I would incorpol'ate it into my songs, or a joke, ol something like that. It was quite successfr-rl."

The wandedustwas still upon hirn however', and the next stop was Thailand. Larry took up a residency at a club called The Oasis in Bangkok.

One of his strpplenrentary gigs was a and

command performance for the King a keen jazz fan and saxophone player.

The royal band used to do broadcasts for national radio, andLarrywas asked to sit in. 'rI think the owners of The Oasis

were relaLives of the King in some way and they had told me that they were going to have him call me to come and play on the radio programme. Me and my Filipino bass playel played for hirn

r-rndergoing retraining for a different rnilitary role and not liking the look of

integral part ofmemorable evenings for most of us, and some membels will

come home. He immediately took to the Philippines and found that a lively

In I95I l-ie got an opporllrnity to play in Japan for the first time, still under American occupation, and

occurred

heavy altillery. \øith his ttnit disbanded, Larry found himself

an

Mecliterranean and acloss the Atlantic, througl-r the PanamaCanaland into the Pacific. About 48 days later we landed in Manila, right by the yacht club."

Larry didn't know it yet, but he had

to eventhe mosttone deaf of aucliences all ror-rnd the region.

to the American military that traditional cavalry troops were not exactiy what was required to take on tanks and

Somewhat belatedly

good humotued lepartee have been

getting ready to go

ovel'there, andwe turned afonnd, went

championships and bloke a few

retumed to the United States aftermore than 50 yeals in Asia, ahnost 40 of them in Hong Kong.

Lar'ry's singing, piano playing and

jr.rst

little distracted

a

records and things like that. Then, I went on to the nilitary. I was sent to Indianapolis whele Fort tsenjarnin Harrison is ancl joined the cavah'y."

Music immecliately carne back into his life aln'iost inevitably, Larry was drafted into the band. He was then

without Larry Allen, who has now

were

frommusic by spofis, playing football, baseball, anclbasketball all, itappears, pletty capably. "I was quite good at it, " Lany recalls. "\Øe won several state

In his teens he got

\leither Hong Kong nol tlre FCC I \ will be anything like the same

"NØe

on into Normandy when the war ended

it

much.

"Then one day I'saw titis sign on the wall at the barracks saying'If you can dance or play report to'Sü'arrant Officer so and so'. Right after that I turned in rny gun and eveq,thing and became special selice, playing piano fol the troops."

Larry joined a pelforÍLance

tlor-rpe which went thlough the whole

remember hirn making his unique

war pLrtting on shows combining

contribution to tlìe atmosphere of the

skits and music. As an edr-tcation in

FCC from as long ago as the Conduit Road days u.'hen the late Charlie Srnith

pelforrnance itwas, to say the least, a tor-rgh school. "It was a vely flexible

introduced him to the Club.

Tl're hallmark of great entertainel's is that they rnake the whole process look effoltless. In reality th¿rt relaxed style of Larly's took manY Years of hard work to hone into shape, not to mention a performer's oclyssey which took him l'ralf q,ay roltnd an ernbattled

show 'ùØe could go right up to the front line and put on shou.s for the

In recent ),zears a- fevz of us qzkro pLay a little ourselrzes hrarre a-lso l-ra,d tkre l2leasure of sitting in qzitl-r l-rirn The Philippines being at that time nnder- Amel'ican julisdiction, he had no problem taking his discharge there, and 1're began to work in earnest in the

and then with hirn also," Lalry remembers.

\Øhile working at The Oasis club

he got anothel invitation whicl'l sor-rnded intriguing "I went on to variotrs otl'ier places and lhen a lella called Lr.rigi wanted to open an Italian bar in Hong Kong and wanted me to come and play here. That's gotta be 1958 and I stayed."

Since his arrivalin town almost 40

clubs and bals of a town that was intent on having one hell of a post-war party. "l must have opened every cocktail

years ago, Larry has wolked

lounge that was open at that time in Manila. I think my very first job was at

and present including stints at the Hilton, the Dynasty and the Hyatt

aplace called the Here's How Cocktail Loungewhichwas ownedby a fella by tl-re name of Bud Hall, who was

Regency, taking occasional overseas

extensively for clubs and hotels past

a mattel of fact we put Germans too becalrse shows folthe on

AmeLican, but fi'om Hawaii. He was

postings fol gigs back in Japan and llìol'e recently in China wl-rere he q,olked fol the Shangli-La group in

into raising orchids and that kind of

the early 90s.

they used to watch thlough their

thing and he br,rilt the bal

Per l'iaps his mosl farnons lesiclency was at the Kit ICrt bar where he had the

troops tl'rele. As

by the age of three. He grew up

being transferred to a Britisl'r ship headecl for Italy and the Er-uopean theatre. They landed in Naples and wolked their way up through the

sideline.

It was a vely successfr¡l bar. Later on I worked atthe barof tlie BayviewHotel and I worked at the Swiss Inn and so n'rany othel places in the Philìppines."

At the Here's How, Larry began to wolk r-tp what ultimately became the most distinctir.e piano man act inAsia,

perforrning in the chnrch rr-rn by 1-ris parents, and emerginÉl as a boogie-

country to Florence, putting shows on all the way.

introducing the line of patter in

since in Hong Kong has been accolded this honoul, and it speaks volumes fol his drawing powel'.

"I got into business on 1rry own at

between songs that has encleared l-rim

the Café de Palis on Queen's Road

world.

Lanywas boln in sor-rtliern Indiana in 1,922 and was already playing piano

binoculars we were that close."

Larry and his fellow petformers went right through North Africa before

as a

uniqrre clistinction of lraving a neon sign outside the doo¡ annonncing his

nightly appearances. No pelformer

NIay

7997 THD

C0RRESPONDDIIT

Tibetan Information Nletwork

A larger Lctrry oue euening ctr SLLtberlancl Hortse, circa 7976 Le.ft:

Below lan^y attd nlenxoiy

oJ'

Ross Wcry sbare a. scnlg

Netqzork's Robbie Barnett q/as orìe of the rrìost Ifit¡etan Inforrrration depressing s1>eakers ever at aÍt FCC h,rnctr. À4icl-rael Àzlacke¡z reports

itt

Chadie Smitb

epressing is not a label for the man himself but about his topic, Tibet, andwoven into that, how journalism has failed to understand this example of the one country-two systems. 'Lack of information in all directions is the most important characteristic', is a one-sentence summary of Barnett's talk. He gave one quite startling example ofjusthow

whicl-i was a very farnolrs restaluant whenl tookitover. The Chinese owner

sold

it to me because he wanted

someone with a name to br¡ild on it, but the owner was not the landlord. I got a three year lease and built it up.

Then the landlord came along and said he was going to faise the rent, and that was it."

Five years ago during

membels. Larry, who plays very rhythmically dliving piano when he ës wants to never needecl more than a co bass playel for suppolt, altl'rough he dicl have a larger band for a while Larry also played in Sutherland w'hicl-r gave Tony Carpio one of his House before the first of two stints in filst gigs. the present premises. In recent years "In 69 the President Hotel, q'hich his performances in the dining room then becarne tl-re Hyatt Regency, got in on 'ùØednesday evenings and on touch u'itli me and I went to work in Satuldays in tl-re bar have been the Chin Chin tsar which v,,as a long and very snccessful stint. I left thele consistently popular draws, and he ancl went to the American Club and has played a key lole in many special worked there for another five or six events including the annr-ral New Year''s Eve pafiies.

wolking at the Hong Kong Club, the

Most people have special

Kowloon Cricket Club. " Notforgetting, of coulse, the FCC.

favoru-ites fi'om Larry's lepefioire. For

"My association with the FCC started n'ith Charlie Srnith, way back when you ü-ere at the mansion on the liill I think a fella by the name of Bnzz Hunt was the general manaflef at that time and I was playing at the Paramonnt-

Nigl-rtclub, in the btrilcling dilectil' across lrom Alexandra Hor-rse. I was playing in the lobby of the mansion.

They had tl-ris clining r<¡om off to the side of the piano and I u,'ould play thele cluring cocktail hours."

Generally it's the rightists who encourage this and the leftists who disdain it. Not in Tibet. Here Barnett reported those resisting the opening up of the Tibetan economy were not the leftists butthe Tibetan moderates who were arguing in fact for a Tibetan controlled economic development, a policy in Tibet that would be in the

over that knowledge without saying too much about its sourcing or its implications. Softly, softly as opposed to the bully pulpit.

But the key concern is not so much the tensionbetween core andperiphery, whichis afterall a historicproblem, but a joumalistic one. 'How well are we describing China when we can only see this bitatthe centre....andwe cansee so

little of its extremities where

pervasive this is.

sorne it's the jazz or the bhies, for others the pub singalong lìlatef ial or the Irish folk tr-rnes. For rnany it's the rùØanchai tsal Girl's Lament.

In recent years a few of us who play' a little ourselves have also had

thc plerL.srrre <>f sitting in u,ith him Karin Maln-rstr'ötn, Bill tsarker, Aira l)uckhar-r'r ar-icl rnyself have all at various times ptrt or-trselves tl-rlottgl-r this oftcr.r hair laising experience, and

had a great deal of ft-rn as \Øe'il rniss him.

zr

resttlt.

historically so much change has tended to come from?' asked

a

crackdown, Beijing denied that there were tanks in the central square in Lhasa. TIN within hours had published the serial numbers of the tanks. It was, admitted Barnett a 'delicious

Around this time the Laly Allen Trio started a unique example of that gloup format in that it had only two

years, and while I was there I was also

marketing of the Chinese economy.

moment', but

it

Rarnett.

Itwouldbe convenientto stop there, but not helpful or accurate.

For example there is genuine embarrassment and concern in Beijing that they'don't even know'

covered the

the whereabouts of the Pachen Lama (the young boy who is the reincamation of one of Tibet's

'terrible truth..... probably Beijing hadn't been told there were tanks in Lhasa'. \Øe'll all miss him. There has been some discussion lately of how we can 'replace' Larry, and the short answer

is, of course that we can't. There is

only one Lan'y Allen. Music and entertainment at the club will, of colrrse, continue but it won't and can't be the san-re.

I'm

sr-rle

we all wish him well in

settling in to his new home in Connecticut, but also 1-rope that l'ie will come back fol the occasional visit.

Celtrinly Lalry is e.\pecting to rniss Hong Kong.

"It's been rather ezrsy for me here in Asia. I've had wives and chilcilen ancl I've stayed for them, btit it solt of gres.. on rne. I've had a very difficult tin-ie making my rnincl up to leave but rny brothers and sisters are laettinÉl older. I'rn tl-re youngest and they're a lot older than I arn. I have two cl'rilcL'en ín college in the States ancl I think they'r'e in need of a Dad. I think it's tirne for me to go home." @N

venerated Buddhist leaders).

'Inforrrration we get outside

Lhasa, outside Tibet, is probably only a reflection of the lack of infomation that goes

from Tibet to Beijing,' said

Proof, said Barnett, there is

'some kind of military or Robbie Barnett spe.tks to mentbers of reþression

Rarnett. This fundamental lack of the most basic information explains

in

the stop-go cycle between outright

hands of Tibetans rather than in the hands ofa new generation ofChinese

repression and co-existence on which

technocrats'.

Beijing operates.

It

also offers a yet

more sinister explanation of what happens and why in Tibet.

'Dig below the story of martial law,' said Barnett of the period which was terrible for the Tibetans and 'now it seems this was a method developed

by the centre, by Beijing perhaps, to bring to heel the uncontrollable forces of the armedpolice andwhoeverwere the political powers behind them, because theywere really r-unning wild.'

This is all sobering sruff made worse by the factthat the key thing seems to be the destruction of Tibet by whatever means neces sary. T ake f or example the

Not that Beijing is crowded with lied-to, misguided liberals who once they know how brutal minor officials are, step in and after a stern rebuke allow

a

hundred flowers to bloom. Hu

Yao-bang 'could have resolved the problem', said Barnett, only it was a pafi of his downfall as well.

Andthere are hardliners inBeijing too. Xao Siu is one example of the

'merciless repression' school of diplomacy. This, is should be noted, is one of the few points where Barnett was pithy. His delivery, which makes sound bite reportage difficult, reflects a man knowing a lot and trying to get

intelligence faction or section that is running its own poliry in this region'. It goes without saying that what has happened as an example of one cou ntry-two systems is omínous.

Tibet

Although not totally so. During questions AFP's Paul Harrington asked about the Dalai Lama, Xnjiang and Taiwan and a possible alliance. The Dalailama, said Bamett, with trips to

Taiwan 'is sending a message .....walking towards the emperor, therefore implicitly recognising Chinese

sovereignty

in a kind of

physical,

traditional Asiatic way'.

Going to these places

internationalises the issue and shows

how that troublesome peripherycouldbe linked.'Its

Chinese a

double

edged message and meant to be understood that way in Beijing,' said Barnett.

May 7997 ÌXE GmfSPOtlllEtll

@

T

Singapore is not a o la,ltstic success story ,oufÍ

Conflicting Accounts

À4icl-rael À4a"ckey reports on f)r Ckree Soon Jr- an, secretary-gerìeral

Singapore Dernocratic lfl-re Creation attd Cra-sl-r of the Saatchi & Sa¿rtcl-ri Adr,zertising4 Errrpire by l(erzin Goldrrla,rr

P

tTt,t, is the message, one of several I o. chee SoonJrran wove into his tightly constrlÌcted, sparingly but effectively delivered address to a club lunch.

Dr Chee, a neurosurgeon by plofession but a denlocralic activist by vocation, began by quoting Descartes' great one liner' 'I think therefore I am'.

Itwas whathe said afterthatwhich

Review byJeffHeselwood

was like slaps in the face of

A L,thor.,lrllis fuscinaling accounl l. \of tlre lise and ialloithe Saatchi brothers is former advertising colurnnist for the Wall SfreetJountal, Kevin Goldnan. In tlacin¡J the steps

the Iraqi Jewisli immigrants nade througl-r theil rise to farne as contl'ollel's

of the world's biggest

adveltising

agency, Goldman sat in on meetings, spoke to both sides duringthe ultinate sacking of Mar-rrice Saatchi, looked at the brothels' flarnboyant lifestyle and examined just whele they - Maurice in particr-rlar - went wrong.

The villain of the piece is genelally acknowledged as ftrnd n'ranager David Herlo, who engineered the boardroom

rLrlnplrs which led

to the firing of

Maurice Saatchi, tsutHel'o was merely a catalyst; tlre row hacl been simmering for some tin'ie.

Hen'o was a flrnd manager- for the State of rùØisconsin Investn-lent

Board when he began buying shares

in Saatchi & Saatchi Plc. He strbseqr-rently joined Harris Associates to manaÉle mutr-ral fr-rnds.

Hello was - ancl still is - a man of

cornpletely r-rntarnished integlity, br-rt when he str-rmbled on the convolutions of the Saatchi brolhers,

after being assuled by then cl-rief THI

GORRXSPOIUIENT tvlay 1997

executive Robert Louis-Dreyfus that to mention luclative, BlitishAirways' they were 'out of the pictr-rre', Herro accollnt, pleviously held by Saatchi

felt cornpelled to act.

Herro had been investing in the giant advertising cornpan)¿ on behalf of his ernployels for years, bttt when lie took more of an active part in tl're firanagelnent of the company, Herro discovered that the blothers' expenses, including salaly, came to nore than S1

& Saatchi.

To finally exorcise the Saatchi blothers fi'om the old agency, in1995 it cl-ranged its name to Cordiant plc.

On the day the name change was made official, the conpany's shares closed at 87 pence on the London Stock Exchange. At its height, in

lnillion ayear

each..

'That's an au,fi.rl lot of rnoney for a

company that isn't n-raking money,' Herro is repor-ted to have saicl.

In 799L, Saatchi & Saatchi plc lost US$i67 million ancl had debts

aronnd $273 million. Things got worse and finally, in Iate 1994, Mar-uice was ousted as chairman.

Cllalles had ah'eacly gone. r'esigning in Febnrary that year but later suing

tl-re cornpany for'constrlrctive clismissal'.

Goldmantraces the whole sacl and sornetimes distastefirl story, ('()\'c|inÉ{ the Saatchis'home lir.es, love lives and exlt'avagances in detuil.

The book then reveals how Maulice established tl-re fleclgling New Saatchi Agency, now known as M&C Saatchi, w'hicl-r capturecl the coveted and highly prestigiolrs, not

corlplacency. 'To us human beings

tl'rinking comes as natr-rrally breathing but as much

as

as

we need air

to blealhe so too do we

need

information'. Not, as he adrnitted, something that is freely found in Singapore.

But Dr Chee was not talking

of the

alty than the government, when the opportunity u,'as allowed to rise.)

Not that the broadcast media is much better. Dr Chee has been inten iewed several tirnes by foreign media, liowever 'al1 these years I've

never been interviewed by the Television Corporation of Singapore'.

(Should we really bother-to capitalise something as inept as that is entirely another question.)

This is not, repeat not, an aversion

to being seen as partisan, it's a permanent state of mincl. -ùØhen a recent Austlalian TV docr-rmentary looked at the links via business of some of Singapore's mling elite and

'I tl-rink tl-rerefore

professionally. He was dealing with

The second was being 'du1y warned'by police when the rneeting in qr.restion went on for 22 minlrtes longer tl-ran the licence allowed.

Even on more imminent matters

tl'ran tl-ris, debate is effectively cauterised. Indonesia is currently planning on building some nuclear power plants which if they go wrong, have big regional implications from which Singapore will not be able to escape.

In Indonesia the debate l-ras been vigolons but in Singapore 'not even a whisper,'said Dr Chee. He did not say

if he l'iad this in mind when a bit fur-ther down the line he remarked 'sooner or later we will pay the price' for what is refelred to as mortgaging ft'eedonl lor nraterial gain.

Maybe they already are ancl n-raybe

I a-lr¡'

there is some lesson in that for us in

1987, Saatchi & Saatchi shales traded

this on a different level, that of the consequences this has on the islancl lepublic, Singapore, his l'rorle too as

Burma's clrug lords there was

a

vigorously free but whose futule might

at 5,53.

he stated several times.

diplomatic spat between Singapore

well be evolution to some type of

and Australia.

Singaporean n-rodel.

'And whilst all this was going on not a single word was plinted or broadcast in Singapore till we raised

After his conclusion which again mentioned Descartes, but noted itwas 'trr-rly a privilege and a joy' as well as n'iuch needed personal catharsis to

This is a book of intt'igue and underhandedness. It u,oulcl have made a best-selling novel were it not all tl'ue. It demonstrates the fierce competitiveness within the adveltising world and anyone wl-ro even touches on the indr-rstly - ancl that includes more than a few FCC menbers will find it an extremely good read. One ol two people,

with aclr,eltising may find it rlore than a little embarrassing it will celtainly make closel1. associated

tliem sqr,rilrn if they had anything to do s,ith the events of the time but it is a book of lecord ancl fortl'rat alone,

Kevin Goldman sliould

be

cornrnended. It is a stol'y that neecled to be told.

@

The two outstanding

conseqlrences he said were 'political opposition is effectively stymied (and)

Singaporean's never know whether they are on solid rock or thin ice'.

Hong Kong, which is cttrrently

it,' said Dr Chee, the sadness

as

clear as

Seemingly this has affected the rnedia

his wolds. He then recounted the

who seem, shallwe say, professionally lacking although cowed is probably just as valid, to the point of being propagandists for the ruling PAP in

stoly, or saga, of how the Singaporean govel'nment had worked against the

Singapore.

Dr Chee quoted a

Singapole-

based cliplomat who had sr-rrveyed tl're Singapol'ean press during tl're recent election car-npaign there and hacl found that the PAP got seven

times more coverage than the opposition. (Altl-rough as Dr Chee

noted 'the pr-rblic showed a greaf deal more interest' in the opposition

Democratic Party during the recent election. Tlie word wearying is not really adequate to describe the inventive use of regulations which were playecl against tl'rem.

There were though two moments of bleak hurnonr in r,l-rat is really a tlagedy. The filst was needing a selies

of licences for a speecl'r by Christine Loh which could only be got through the Clininal InvestiÉlation Department.

That's right, the CID.

speak at the FCC, it was question time.

The Chair, yours trr-rly, warnedthat because of the sensitivity of Dr Chee's

position I was reserving the right to rr-rle out of ordel cel'tain questions if they jeopardised Dl Chee's longel term

well being. People at least have the light to know that.

Thele was silence and then some questions wl-iicl-r ale best described as lacklustre. Ancl naybe that is the point.

Not what lre said hrrt the pervasiveness of u4rat he and everyone else thele felt unable to say.

@ May 7997 THX CORRxSP0ill)H{T

T

Iwo cheers for Colonialtsm

O CHEERS FOR COLON

frorr a speech b¡z former FCC president and past editc¡r c¡f tl-re F¿zr Eczster?'¿ f?euietp I)erek Da-rzies to tl-re Freedom Forurrr E><cer1>ts

O ;:r,xJi: :ff :ffi :ïi,"j' iî

pursuit of the uneatable, and I dare say those in Hong Kong who regard the transmogr:ification which is to take place here at the end of Jr-rne as an

unmixed blessing, will think that phlase a reasonable descliption of a w1'rite-faced, foreign devil, formerlongterm resident of the Colony attempting to tot Lrp some of the positive aspects

of colonialism. But we will

have

enough, more than enough I suspect,

of

Cl-rinese triulnphalisrn, not to say chauvinism, and of condemnations

of colonialist,/imperialist

cfimes

colnmittecl and huniliations irnposed in the months and even years ahead.

I am sure several lips will cud

say that these days I am spending as much tine as I can afford

when

I

in Provence, France, so-calledbecause it was tl-re filst colonial province of the

Rornan empire established outside Italy. Befole that it housed Gleek colonies, and theleafter had peliods of French and Italian lule.

Its past does bring disadvantages, not least the strongl-iolds of French racialist right-wingery, created not only by such factors as nnernployment, but by the an'ival in the region after the bittelness of the break away of France's

fonner Nolth Afi'ican colonies of so many former colonialists and of the people they once rr-rled.

But these bigots do not disguise

a

will be China's most open, internationally rnincled and tolerant

no attempt at electoral reforrn

city.

refolm was impossible as long as China disapproved.

In 1985, refolms wele ploposed in a Legco \ùØhite Paper, presentecl by

China; it

Before we get onto raising

of cheels for the colonial

a

couple

recot'd,

however, we must go into why ncr pailiament exists to hand over. So lnany colnmentatol's, most of whonl should know better, remalk so often that it was useless and unnecessarily provocative to attempt to pfovide a modicum of democracy for Hong Kong at the last minute after so many years

of doing nothing, This year we celebrated 50 years of India's independence, and Hong

I }rave argr-red that Hong l(ong enjo;zed free press, largel¡z

a"

l>ecar-rse tl-re

burear-rcrats ignored it Kong was on the Attlee government's

list lol electoral reform in overseas not eventual

territories, if

was

rlade, and tnre that any n'reaningful

Chief Secretaly, Sir Philip HaddonCave. Later, of colrfse, cluring the governolship of David (now Lord) \Øilson, the clear findings of a local opinion poll in favour of democracy were falsified andthe reforms dlopped in response to pressure from the

Foreign Office, itself bowing to pressure from China. But too many ignorant commentators go on

Otl-rer newly independent Third

anachronistic colony was making its

law and the legal system (botl'r ah'eady darnaged) andthe freed<¡m ofthe press. \Øhat does the phlase 'against China's

\Øorld govel'nments regarded it as an

way towards prosperity in the midst of a region sharply split by Cold \Øar ide ologìes, and hacl no wish to choose

national interest' actually mean? \øe cannot teli, but I pelrnit rnyself to wonder how n-iany alticles after June will be published in Hong Kong newspapers a nd maggzines on political in-fighting in Beijing; on ralnps on the

politically correct colours. Colonialism those days, br-rt by the standards of

perhaps fi'om his predecessor SirJohn

in the thloes of

Yew, or

tocTay, when it is a dirty word. Is the history to be taught in Hong Kong schools to be pigeonholed into tlìe theoretic seven stages of l'iistory as defined by Karl Marx which is still enshlined in that sad building, the Museum of History on Tiananmen

t'evohrtion, for its

rnole self-confident than Lee Kuan the press of the SAR destined to becor-ne as sterile and sycophantic as Singapore's?

It sl'rould not be forgotten that, for lnany years, Hong Kong l-ras hacl the is

Japan's self-ilnage.

TEE CORRESPOITIIEIIT Mav 1997

the past, by revision of history textbooks, is to be repainted in

thing Hong Kong ever had, apart

all concelned happily put leform on the back burner. BLlt it is untrue that

paft of

The man who told buyers to

folward to an a political future. Even

exchanges; on dissidents within China 01'overseas; on prison labour; or on, to mention another colony, Tibet. \Øill China's leaders plove to be

curions process of self-censolship, eschewing news which did not fit

fr-rture as

spawned the appalling phenomenon of what was er-rphemistically called 'developmental journalism'.

sides.

Today, Hong Kong can hardly look

independence. A series ofrefonns for Hong Kong was proposed, known as the Young Reforrns after tlie governor of tl're period, and in the late 1940s were passed to China, which was tl-ien

China's refusal, which threatened the appointees' rnonopoly of power, and

in the

instrlrment for nation building, its journrlists' patriotic duties reqtriling solidarity wilh tl-ie nation or rìore correctly, its government - all of which

will be judged, not by the standalds of

Legco and Exco were very happywith

even nlore

controlled or suppressed.

beware was Haddon-Cave, the nearest

of the French knowledge of how to live it. Hong Kong has benefited greatly fi'om its colonial years, and will benefit

instrlunent of the Party' the rnilitary dictators it as subve¡sive and to be

Hong Kong and Shanghai stock

capacity for the enjoyment of life, and

Meanwhile, Provence benefits

regirne, it possessed no ideology. It was neither left nor right wing. It had notenets, nocleedstosell, orto impose on the people. Hong Kong as an

socialist bloc legarcled the press as an

from its inhelitance of the Italian

Kong do not dominate life hele.

a candicl look øt freedom of the press in Hong Kong

lepeating that no move was made until Cluis Patten did so at the 11'r' hour'. \ùØewere talkingof the impalpable benefits of palliarnentary democlacy (of which there is none), of the lule of

leaction.

Itwas an unequivocal'No'. China would not colrntenance any fiìoves towards democracy.

Of coulse, the then mernbers of

generally tolerant attitude to foreigners, jlrst âs the racialist minorities of Hong

DereÌ< Dauies takes

Cowperthwaite, to a Élovernment idealogue. Itwas he who encapsulated official policies in an immortal phrase: 'positive non-intervenf ion ism'.

I have argued that Hong Kong enjoyed a free press, largely because the bur eaucrats ignored it ancl assumed that everyone, like thern, paid the press

Square, and where the guides tell you

in the whole region.

and its opinions no attention.

that the Opium \7ars ale 'blood debts that must be lepaid in blood'?

Even the Japanese press went in for a

Journalists all over the region envied the contempt in which we were held.

Mar-x

fi'ee-est pless

Elsewhere, the communist/

But the l'eal reason for Hong Kong's freedon-l of the press and of speech

was that, r¡nlike evely other r-egional

Of cotu'se, history according to will colour China's verdict on

Blitain's colonial lole in Hong Kong.

Accolcling t() this, the colonial power exploited its colonies, classically as a

source of raw materials and a captive market fol its industrial goods. Just the 1'evel'se has been true of Hong Kong.

No British company here would have been mad enough to have repatliated

its profits back to heavily-taxed, regularly-devaluing Britain which (especially after it hacl granted

a textile str.rpiclly explessed in square yards rather than in value terms) provided a market fot' Hong Kong factolies.

The business comrnunity of Hong Kong has played an undistinguished role in gualding the freedoms within which it has operated.

qLlota

to Hong Kong,

At first I admiled the

business

comrnunity, for its great flexibiliry and plagmatism. I enjoyed the ruses it

nsed to cilcr-rmvent the riclicr,rlous American Trading with the Enerly Act, when Chinese oranges were slamped 'Sunkist' and canning factories were split clown the rniddle, one side for whole ancl one for headless shrimps, one being nasty Cornn'runist shlinps from China and one for good capitalist shlimps.

From an adnirable pragmatism can corne nnprincipled cynicisrn. In the 1970s, r'eforms in housing, medical NIay

7997 THE

CORRf,SP0IIDEIYT

I se11.'ices ancl welfale lvere disn-rissecl by the busire ss conllunity as the 'free

Iuncl-r' apploach. As t1-re bzu'gaining about Hong Kong's ft-ttt-tLe went on,

the authorities. The resr-rlt is, not one

the fi-arnework andthe fi-eedoms while

name - not one u,riter or cl'amatist, not even an artist or colrlposer - colrles to

wzrs being

nlincl as a flower growing alnicl the

the businessn'ien myopically disn'rissecl effolts to guarantee hnrlan rigl-rts, frec-

sterility imposed fì'om above.

speech, a fi'ee press ancl other basic

Singapole is rr-rn,

ÉlLÌar¿rntees, as Lrnnecessary

obstacles

to tlieir getting on with their br-rsiness u,'ith China I believe tl-rey ale still affected by rnyopia ancl tunnel vision, tliat they do not accept the ilplications of China's

intentions to profit lrorl Hong Kong, not the other u,ay abor-rt.

The cleative energies of Hong Kong have not only for-rnd expression in br-rilding businesses and factories, br-rt in music, cinema, theatle, dance, design, painting, sculpture and the lest of the alts. Compare the verve and

lichness of Hong Kong with another

lalgely Chinese cotltnunity, Singapore, where the press is supplessed, opposition politicians harassed or driven into exile, where ideas clo not flow, wl-rere theatle g1'olrps are closed down tor satirising

Beijing rather likes the wa;' ar-rd Lee I(uan Yewhas recenth. shal'ed l-ris wisdom with

our Cl-rief Execr-rtive-designale, Mr Tung Chi-l'rwa.

I'd like to go on listing sone of the malginzrlly good things about the colonial past to list for example the colonial explolels who drew the first maps of China's desel'ts, the Silk Roacl and the Himalayan passes; the colr¡nial

in love with their patch and fought London fol its intel'ests; the district officels who officials who fell

stlrcliecl its languages, compiling the first dictionaries of dozens of clialects, and so on. tsr-rt

while mindfr,rl of the past, I to simply point to tl-re

one of the u,'odd's five greatest cities

'

built.

Itwas Hong Kong, follou'ecl sorne yeals later by Singapore and Taiu,'an, r.hich sl'roq,'ed how the Cliinese, far' from being stranglecl by Confr-rcian inhibitions ¿rs some once thought, could plosper ancl lead the way in the r-nodel'n world.

One cannot clairn clenoclacy has playecl a part, but fi'eedom celtainly has. The colonial pou,.er at least knew enough to folliow I aiss e z-faire pohcies with fieedom of speech and of tl-re press as mr-rch as with the econolrry

That is colonialism's Éal'eatest achievement. I only hope that the colonial past is never'looked back on as an epoch of comparative freedom,

and that Hong Kong is due to experience a period of trlre colonialisn-i.

98 per cent Chinese city, and so 98 per'

I only hope and trust that a local Chinese will never clraw a future British visitol aside ancl whispel to him that

cent of the cr-eclit mLrst go to the Chinese. But the British did plovide

Hong Kong was better'rulecl by the foleign devils

wor-rld prefer

Hong Kong skyline of today. This is

a

E

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Unlike most of our plevious games the scores u,,ere quite good. \7a1tel Nahl u,-as the ovelall winnel u,ith 41 Stableford points and there u,'as a clustel of players in the high 30s Neu,- n-rember-Philippe Reis was nearest tlie pin ancl guest Santiago, lrom Urr-rgr-ray, 1-rit the longest dr:ive.

Philippe will cause Lls some adrninistrative problen'rs since our record keeping systelr wasn't ciesignecl for players u,'ith single figule handicaps Special nention nr-rst go toJeff Heselwood u''ho scorecl 21 more points on the back nine at Lakes.oocl than he managed on the back nine in our recent Eaame in Gr,tam Next definite game is the Kau Sai Chau hzrnclover special onJr-rne 16th (Monday) r'etr,rlninp¡ b1' junk. Thele v'il1 be ¿rnotlier game in May. Details to be ¿Lnnottnced sholtly.

Jr-rlian

\X/alsli

Secretary FCC Golf Society

ìvlay

i997

THE GORRXSPOIìII¡EIIT

Aberd.een

Harbour Hollywoocl Road Police Sta.tion

Central.from the Hopeu,tell Centre

Murray Zanoni's Hong Kong

Wancbai Market

Jaffe Road, W'anchøi

Zanoni's latest exhibition Scenes of l{ong Kong ønd Macau will be opened by Sir Rogel Lobo, CBE., JP at the \X/agner Art Gallery on Tuesday, May 73 at 6p.m. These latest

watelcolours portray the stunning panoramic and ustralian-born artist and Club member ,Murray Zanonr is back in Hong Kong with another exhibition. You know him from the graphic watercolour of the FCC exterior that hangs in the Club's Main Dining Room. Many members

contemporary cityscapes of Hong Kong, the maze of marine

will also remember Macøu Wøtercolours,his last exhibition and book launched in Hong Kong in 1996.

colonial architecture. Zanoni has captuled Hong Kong and neigbouring Macau in a brilliant blending of past, present

traffic on Victoria Harbour, traditional aspects of Chinese lifestyle, streets, markeß, boat building, temples and tea houses, and the last remaining remnants of Hong Kong's

Queen's Road, Central

THD CORRXSP0I||IENT May 1997

and fr,rture.

Tai O, Lantau

May

799

t-

THD C0RRXSPONDENT

THE LONDON GLOBI THEATRE COMPANY

I

Present

Robitt Mcleish

Natalie Bohnt

Nigel Miles-'Íhontas

Getting to know the Personal Data (Prwacy ) Ordinance

By Robin À4cl-eishr, Depu$z Privac;z Comrrrissioner for Personal I)ata at tl-re Office of tkre Prirzac¡z Corr-rrr-rissioner for Personal I)ata- rñ/a,s forrrrerly responsible for tl-re Principal Assistant Secretary for Horrre Affairs Ordinance drafting, and passage of tl-re Personal T)ata" (Prirzac¡z)

Pelsonal Data (Plivacy) OrdinancecameintoforceonDecember20,lgg6. Atthecoreof theOrclinance In..ri"clataprotectionprinciples. These principlesencompassasetof fairinfolmationpracticesthalhave

'Tn.

achievedinternationalacceptanceand alefoundinoneformol'anothelinpersonaldataprivacylawsaroundthewolld.

This article provides anintroductiontothedataprotectionprinciples,whattheyneanforprivatesectorolganisations in general and journalists in particular.

Tbe Datø Proteclion Principles

Ìl,Iichael Sbaut

DINNER THEATRE AT THE FCC

2l & 22 7z3O Pn

May

Main Dining Room $szs Reservation 2521 1,511

The central pillar of the fair information practices embodied in the data protection plinciples is the notion that when inclividuals provide information about themselves they do so for palticular purposes which should be adhered to. Accordingly, the data protection principles require that pelsonal infolrnation shor-rld only be used for the pLlrposes for which it was collected or ones directly related to them. To assist in giving effect to this requirement, the plinciples also require that individuals should be informecl of the pLlrposes for collecting tl'ieir personal information when it is collected dilectly from tliem and that personal information shor-rld be kept for no longer than is necessary to fulfil those putposes.

In adclition, the data protection plinciples require that personal inforrlation should be collectecl by means that ale 1awfi-rl andfaî, its accur-acy should be ensuled ancl it should be lield ancl tl'ansmitted under appropliate conditions of security. Lastly, they give individuals the riglrt to access and colrect personal inlonnation relating to themselves.

Tbe Kelt Message

The key message to be drawn frorn the data protection principles is that persons who collect, r-rse, hold and process personal infonnation need to develop a special sensitivity towalds such information. Personal information mLlst not be tl-eated as being sírnply a cornmercial con'unoclity or just a tool of yor-rr trade. Inclividuals have plivacy interests in their' personal information and those interests mtist lle lespected and protected.

Concerns about the lflxpnrct of tbe Orclinance Very few people would deny that the requirements of the clata protection principles represent basic common sense notions of fairness. Nevertheless, there are c()ncerns abor-rt the impact of implementing tl-iem. In the private sector, May 791)7 THE

C0RRXSP0Iì|DEI{T

/r.i:

s.

such concerns revolve aror-rnd the costs of irnplernentation and restrictions on the ability of cornpanies to maximise the value of their information resolrrces.

Jor-rlnalists, on the other hand, are concerned tliat the privacy argument will be used to lestrict the fi'ee flow of information. They rnay also be concerned that the use of access r-ights ar-rcl tlie powers of the Privacy Commissioner for Pelsonal Data, the legulatory autholity establishecl by the Ordinance, may be used to interfere with their activities.

r Cottce nts It is certainly true that implementation of the data protection principles requires changes to be made. Changes always have a price tag. There is the cost of revamping clrrrent systems: for example, to include statements of the purpose of collecting personal information in customer forms and to enslrre the erasure of personal information when the original purposes of collection have been ftilfilled. There is also the cost of devoting human resources to co-ordinating and drawing up procedures for compliance with the Ordinance. But the price of compliance must be viewed against the benefits.

Successful implementation of the data protection principles sends a positive message to customers and employees. It says we care about you as individuals. This is good for cr-rstomer and employee relations.

Implementation of the data protection principles is also an opportunity to get to grips with information collection, hoiding and processing systems that may no longer be fully under control. Are you sure that you are doing your best to collect only the information you need and to enslrre acctracy? Improvernents in these areas should bring operational efficiency and planning gains.

At a higher level, comfort should be taken from the fact that the irnplementation of the PersonalData (Privacy) Ordinance means that Hong Kong comes up to the international standard that other places with such laws wish to see. As a result, there should be no interference by those otl'ier places in the free flow of personal information to Hong Kong on which trade, particularly in the service industries, crucially depends.

Pñuate

Sectc,¡

Journalists' Concerns The concerns of journalists, on the other hand, reflect the tension that exists between tl-re right to freedom of expression and the right to protection of privacy. Privacy has been described famor-rsly as the right to be left alone.

But it is the essence of journalism not to leave alone something about which the public should be informed.

The tension between these two rights was paid very close attention during the evolution of the Ordinance, not least in the Committee of the Legislative Council chairecl by the Hon. Emily Lau \ùØai-hing, which scrutinised the Ordinance plior' to its enactment.

Journalisls' Sources The first concern of journalists is with respect to theil sources, particr-rlally confidential sources. A common question asked by journalists is: does the Ordinance prevent soLlrces from passing on information?

The difficulty for a sor.rrce is that the personal information he or she wishes to disclose to a journalist was most likely not originally collected for this purpose. The data protection plinciples say that the information sl'iould not be used for a new purpose such as this without the consent of the individual concerned.

However, if the source wishes to 'blow the whistle' on someone they are hardly going to seek, let alone obtain, that person's consent to tell a journalist, On this basis, President Nixon woulcl never have resigned.

The Ordinance deals with this restriction by allowing clisclosure of personal information to a jor-rrnalist where the sor,rrce has reasonable glounds for believing that the publishing or broaclcasting of the information is in the public interest.

Accordingly, the Ordinance simply reflects the existing basis on which sources generally provide inside information to journalists. Of course, the decision to disclose information to a journalist still rests with the individual ol olganisation concerned.

A second worry a confidential sor-rrce rnay have is the possibility of being found out. A possible scenario under which it is feared this would happen goes like this. A confidential soLlrce cliscloses information from internal files to a jor-rlnalist about the dubious activities of a particular individual. The jour-nalist publishes a stoly exposing that individual's activities.

The individual who is the subject of tl-ie story complains tc¡ tl-ie Plivacy Commissioner about an alleged breach of plivacy

rights. CouldthePrivacyCommissionelleqr-rirethejc>r,rrnalisttorevealtheidentityofthesolrrceaspal'tofhisinvestigation?

The first point to make is that it is most unlikely that the Privacy Commissionerwould wish to do this. tsut the straight answer is that the Plivacy Commissioner cannot require a journalist to reveal the identity of a sor-rrce without the authotÌsation of the High Court. In considering whethel sr-tch attthorisation sl'rould be given, the High Cottrt is required, THX G0Rf,f,SPOlvtlENT May 1997

by the Orclinance to consider a list of matters, including: wl'iethel tlie alleged contl'avention of the Ordinance is of sufficient gravity; wl'ietl'ier the investigation wonld be substantially preludiced if the relevant order were not made; and wf iether any cornmon law privilege applies. The net effect is that a very high test must be met before a Court Ordel to this effect could be glanted under the Oldinance.

Interference in News Gøtbering Apart fi'om issues relating lo sources, concerns have also been expressed about a possible chilling effect on jor-rr-nalists caused by reqLrests for access from individuals to the personal information they have collected in their news gathering activities. The safeguald against this provided by the Oldinance is that there is only a right of access to pelsonal information that has actr-rally been published or bloadcast. In other words, any material that has not been pr,rblisl-ied or broadcast, for example a journalist's notes and other source rnaterials, are not covered by the access right at any time, before ol aftel the lelevant piece is published or broadcast.

The Ordinance also carefully cilcumscribes tl'ie Privacy Commissioner's powers of inspection and investigation in relation to journalists. He has no power of inspection of any part of a personal inforrnation system that holds such information for the purpose of a news activity. Also, the Privacy Commissioner can only investigate a suspected breach of the Ordinance following a complaint and even then only aftel the material that is the subject of the complaint has been pr-rblishecl or broadcast.

All this does not mean that journalists are outside the coverage of the Ordinance. Other than the limitations already described on the individual's light of access to personal information held by journalists, the data plotection principles apply in full to news gathering activities. This includes the requirement to use fair means to collect personal infot'mation.

A requilement which has its counterpart in the stipulation of the Hong KongJournalists Association's Code of Ethics that information should generally be collected by straight-forward means.

Concluding Com.tnents rü/hile there is a tension between journalistic freedom and privacy, the Ordinance has struck a balance that u.eighs l-reavily in favour of the forn-rer. Indeecl, no other comprehensive data protection law of which we are as'are affords such a high level of protection for journalists to pllrslle tl'reir activities within the overall framework of the data pl'otecti-on plinciples.

Author's Note : Througbout tbe ørtíclefor ease of reading, I refer to peßonal infonnation as being subject to control by rhe Personal Data (Priuøcy) Orclinance. Strictly speaking, it is 'personal data.'tbat is controlled, i.e. recorded personøl inform.øtion. Neuetfheless, disclosure of persctnal informatictm in"ferced.from þersonal døta is deemed to be a use of personal dara and hence subjecl lo control by tbe Ordinance.

Guidance material issued by the Privacy Comrnissioner for Personal Data The Privacy Commissioner for PersonalData has the statutoly responsibility to promote, monitor and superuise compliance with the Ordinance. To assist organisations to cornply with the Ordinance, the following publications are available from the Office of the Privacy Comrnissioner for Personal Data at 2007, Office Tower, ConventionPlaza, Harbour Road,'SØanchai, Hong Kong:

. Personal Data (Plivacy) Ordinance - A Guide for Data Users - No, 1. . Compliance with Data Access and Con'ection Reqlrests - A Guide for Data Users - No. 2. . Or-rtline Action Plan for Cornplying with the Data Protection Principles - A Guide for Dafa Users - No. 3. . Personal Infornation : Your Privacy Riglrts Explained. . Shofi training vicleo at a nominal charge. . The PCO's hotline number is 2827-2827 o Internet website address : http:,//www.pco.org.hk

@

(c) Copyrighl resetaed by the Office of the Priuøcy Commissionerfor Personal Data May 7991 THE

CORRDSPOIIIIEI|T

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THE GORRXSP0NIIEIIT Mav 1997

be alelt to attention-grabbing visuals

to sustain interest.

Bloaclcast

requires more interaction with colleagues to prodrÌce the news item

proclucer with Asia Br-rsiness News, has recently completed her first year'

in television news at ABN after

or show. The broadcast journalist finds her solrrce of satisfaction comes from the team work and the

having wolked f or Media magazine

entire creative process of production

well as Trauel Trade Gazel/e. She spoke at the Aplil rneeting of \X/omen in Pr¡blishing Society about tl-re transitions she has had to rnake in the way she tackles her wot'k.

Since t1're attenlion span of viewers is n-rarkeclly shorter than that of readels, brevity and clarity in expression are essential, rather than complicated ol clever'language. A viewel cannot review material once it has gone by, so each word used r-r'iust work halder to achieve the desired effect. 'When writing fol the small screen, the reporter' 'telis the story as tl'rough she is describing as

something to a friencl', Ms Bhatt said,

citing a maxim of the broadcast rleciium.

Signature:

explore a topic as deeply as print interviews can, the l'eportel' must

The ernphasis on visuals in television forces the leporter to cl'iange her ernphasis. \Øhi1e television cannot deive into and

rather than fi'om tlie single well crafted piece. \Ø1-rile shifting to broadcast from print jor-rlnalism is difficult in the \øest, it has been easier in Hong

Kong with new television

organisations opening r-tp in t'ecent years. There is still room here to rnrke such tlansitions.

by considerations that the reversion to mainland sovereignty might make this lhe last tine Hong Kong residents will be able to express their feelings about this event publicly and openly.

At the June 11 get-togethel', an official of the Hanclover Ceremonies

Co-ordination Office will discuss events scheduled for this historic event and arrangements prepared for local and visiting journalists.

ÍIong Kong cbapter of WIPS first Wednesday of tbe monlh in tbe I{ugbes Room at the FCC. Non-n'tetnbers are inuited to øttencJ. Men are raelcon'ted if rbey acconxpan! tnenlbers as guests. A 66O cbatge at the door couers one drink and hors d'oeuures.

Tbe

n'¿eets tbe

\ØIPS has cl-ianged the date of its

regular June meeting to June

instead of June 4. The

11

\X¡IPS

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1997 THE

CORRXSPOITIIENT

T_

Diplomatic

FCC South Gathers

in Sydney The Syclney chapter of tl-re FCC South gatherecl once again in April for a long, long lunch full of tall tales. Mole than 50 folner FCCers fillecl the roorn at the Motor Sports Clurb in Pipel Point to discuss the latest Hong l(or-rg happenings.

Along with the FCC groì-rp, the newish Ft'agt'ant

CocktaäIs..

R ¡gb

t:

Stt ta,1 WolJ-e

tt

cl al e

Harbour Club (founclecl in Nlalch 1996) r'eleased

h Estrcl ia Bercttgttel, Ph i I ipp i ne Cot tst t I -Geneta I Left:.lotge Alnrca del Catpio ¿L,il

plans fol

Pent u,ith Sleuen Kabn

of

tl-re

Hong Kong Grancl Ball on.fune 30. And

a good time n as had by all until the club kicked everyolle olrt to set up for clinner'!

Photo: (L-Il) B4rr¡,Peafton of'Asta Today, tYoel ctncl Quinlan (Bíg Sl¿-tt À,lttsic), the uacølioning Alison Locl¿ban, .lct Ì'la,yfieltl ôVomen's Veekll') attcl Ken Ball

Ã,[arict qe

(

o J I a Ø

(hl ¡ uets

it-t' of'

I\Ieu' Engla

tú ).

Aboue: Francis Contish t¿,itlt

Motlhtuarc Janrcs Ìt[asis i Bolstttana Right: Gouentor Pattett a dcl

of Cben Rortgcbun, Sino-

rcsses d ipl o nt at ic g t rcs ts

British.lLG

ancl clttb ntent.bers

Dr Rol f Boclen

mu lle r,

.þøgen

o o

Iq

Kracbt cntcl Denntarl¿'s Eela Olsett

a

õo ë C:ltLb nt.ent.bers Ecl Pe|ers, À4arl¿ Grcthctnt cnul Pctttl.

Hicks tuith tuto ntent.bers tttho cotLlcl r.tbuictu.sl-y trct Þace Pholo tdkei| i.n notThern Tltctilcntd

kee1.t

t.tþ fbe

FCC stalf ott

Go ue rn o

,esta u

Gouenxor Patten sbarcs sonrc polfiical insights u,itlt Keítlt Rícbbutg

.lanne.lu.lsrud of the

r Palte n

Mrxl

a il.togt ¿tpb s

t11,a,lager, G ilbeft

Clsen¿q's FCC

book

Nor¿ua-l' Cottsttlate

e Ho ll i ttgtuo

tilt

K tVl,s ztoJ' C i e b i e tt,

a n cl Po l i s h Co tt

cl í sc

s r t l -Ge

ttss Cl a i rc's Ja m ot

ne

s

1

ru 1, 93 9

brcctking trcu's ol'tbe Gentøu ittuctsiou of'Polattcl

THE CORRDSPONIIENI rVar'

.199t

l¡eena Sikri of ltñia and Glen Schloss of SCMP

of the Bt'itísh Trutele Cr¡ntmission tuiÍb FCC clttb ntctttager Bob Sctndets

Photos by Aira Duckham

More news from the FCC Down Under

the a uisit to Ibe

tlSS USS

Boxer

Dick Hughes Jr', son (ancl look alike) of one of the FCC's most farnous foreign con'espondents, raises a glass

of the native glape with fonnel FCCel Geolge Mackenzie (r) in front of The Ferns, described by the falned Colonel Commanclant of the Hnrlstone Highlandels (Leur-a Rifles, MoLlntain Militia, 23"r['eot&Mouth) as a 'not too expensive restalrrant up here' (whelever in New South \ùØales that may be).

As Mackenzie explains, their r¡eeting was bizalre. "I was looking for my ft'ierrclll, l:ts'1,s¡ <>n Christrnas Day (1996) to give him his annlr¿rl sweetener," relates the Scots malel. " I had folgotten the street numbel ancl u,ent to what I thought was the correct house. The chap thele put me right then introclucecl himselF. 'My narne is Richard Hu¡¡hes.'

"Not the son of the farnous Richard Hughes with whorn I hacl more than a few long lunches in days gone by!"

And the rest is history, as they say.

Niay

199-

THE C0RRf,SPOlllDElllT

T

pick up your FCC book orders!

Please

Some n-ierlbers u''ho ha'u'e olclerecl and paid fol their'

copies of Eyetuitness ot't Asia har.e yet to pìck then-i up.

They ale taking up valuable space in the office.

Sir Les Palletsc¡n -sltarc-s ct.fÞr attecdoles u,itlt Club ntctrtager Bob liltuittg ctt tbe Clttb

Sanclers cltrritrg ct L¡rcak ín

Duplicate Bridge

Rebo quits

\

After many years absence, duplicate blidge leturned to tlie Club on'ùØednesclay, April 16.

At the beginning of the evening, L2 pairs of dedicatecl players (rnembers and guests) discussed

strategy and conventions, making sr-tle they cottld cornmr-rnicate acloss the table to reach the best possible contract.

Over four honrs, u.ith a bleak fol dinner, 18 hands of bridge w-ere played. The evening was cleenrecl à great sllccess and will be lepeatecl regulady.

N(/inners of the first event were tü/encly Ricl-raldson anci Suzanne Franklin; Norrlan Koo Charming waitress Rebo Cheung has decided to leave tlre CltrbafrcrL3years in search of a neu'challenge.

Initially Rebo will take a holiday in England and L'eland, before looking for a neu. job.

Pictr,rled q..ith Rebo are bartendel David \X/ong and Cot"tc spcl'tcle nt eclitor J eff Heselwood

andJames Tang.

Tl-re second duplicate blidÉle tolu'nan'ìent

vu'as

Larry

held on the Verandah on Aplil 30. Convincing n'inners were Michael Gerbel ancl Paul Madigan.

Runnels-r-rp

wele Sheryl Prince and Pliya

Kirpalani.

goodbve

\

Quíz Night Quiz nights have pro'r'ecl to lte extretrtely popr-rlar', the second event attr¿ìcting no fewel than 15 teams. \Øinnels of tl-re quiz helcl on April 28 wele the Ice Hottse

Photos by David Thurston

Stleet Irlegulars, con-rplising the migl-rty ltrains of Philip Bluce, ClintonLeeks, MichaelAskew, ChristopherLanzit, Roxane Koon and Alan Chuck.

THE CORRXSPONIIDNT r\lay ,199-

N'Ia)¡

199r

THE C0RRESPoIìII¡EI{T

--l

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