The Correspondent, Septemeber 1998 by The Foreign Correspondents' Club, Hong Kong

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TIte Official Publication of tbe Foreign Corcespondents'Club of ÍIong Kong

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Nbert Cheng surrrives attack What happened to positive non-irrterrrerrtion?

The riches of ancient Angkor

Canoil _f

Attack on the press p..hnp, by the rime this edition of' I Tbe Corrcspontlent is publisherl

Moriarty in his first interuiew from his hospital bed. As to the identity of the

Ho Pui-chiu to warn his boss off covering any further stories about

and distributed, we'll know who's behind the cowardly attack on Hong

shadowy figules behind the attack,

Shenzhen.

he's less sure. He's never been known

Kong talk-show host and FCC rnember,

to pull a punch when it comes to

Albet Cheng, and the motive for-the

verbal flaying andthe list of those who have experienced the sharp end ofhis tongLle is extensive. Before the handover iast year,

Applds proprietor, Jimmy Lai, is no stranger to intimidation attempts. In1993, a petrol bomb was hurled at his house. Two years later, he was assaulted and r-obbed. The following

vicious chopping. However, as fhe magazine goes to bed, it's difficult to hold out much hope fol a speedy conclusion. These cases are notoriously difficult to solve.

membeL, was iust as brr-rtally attacked. His arm was severed by two men who

Albert told a packed-out audience at an FCC luncheon he had no intention of buttoning his lip or reining in his unless his life or outspoken sryle the well-being -of his family was thleatened.

forced theirway into his office. Despite a $5 million reward, his assailants

Now, as he lies swaddled in bandages behind a police guard at

remain atlarge. In both cases, the FCC joined other pless and me dia associations to denounce the violence. The police are pulling out all the stops this time. A reward, now totalling $4 million, is on offer for information leading to Alber-t's

Que en Elizabeth hospital, facingyears

After all. it's been lwo years since publisher Leung Tin-wai, also a Club

attackers.

In Tin-wai's case, few harbour much doubt the attack was plompted by a particular arLicle in his magazine, Sunsbine Weekly, In Albert's case, it's hazier. The fact the attack occurred at the carpark of his place of work would seem to link it with his Commercial Radio show, Teøcup in a Storm. On the other hand, the catpark may have been chosen simply because it plovided ideal conditions for an ambush.

Albert, who was voted by Time rragazine last year as one of the 25

most influential Hong Kong pelsonalities, is in no doubt his attackers meant to kill liin. It was no walning, he told RTHK's Francis

of painful physiotherapy, his worst feals have come true. There is no doubt in his rnind that the attack was both an

year, commenlator Lee Man-youn, a .Weekly, writer with Metropolitøn was knifed in the back, One murder of a political commentatol and journalist was solved and that 1992 case had

nothing to- do with his job and eveqthing to do with a love-triangle crime of passion. The other attacks are

anyhing but amateul as shown bythe fact that no one has been called to and few hold out much down hope that -anv"::îl':: "acked account

SounDAY YOU WANT TO BE IUST IIKE EVERYONE ELSE . o. To usE THE VERY BEST

assault on his outspoken views and

ag it'tst freedom of expression in general. In India last year, seven joulnalists five of them by a single were killed to the NewYorkcar bomb, according based Committee lo ProtectJournalists. Fourteen journalists were languishing in mainland Chinese jails. (See <www.cpj org> for furthel details.) In corlparison with other parts of Asia, the Hong Kong media has had a safer

Unfortunately it seems, violence is the order of this month's column. Instead of signing off with something uplifting, this column conch-rdes with

time of it. But there's no room for complacency. No one can forget what

plosecule. This case involved visitors

a case of violence against members of the Club staff, A colÌrt case is pending and I cannot afford to risk a contempt of coult fine. But suffice to reiterate

here the FCC will not tolerate any abuse of our staff and won't hesitate to

wolthwhile ensuring you don't have

a series of grudge-related

visitingJekyll and Hyde on your hands.

against the media is a worrying trend. On the same day as Cheng was attackecl, a thug armed with a pole smashed the windscreen of an APPIe Dailypress car after ordering reporter

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attacks

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RTHK. The shooters who specialize crr,rising the police broadcasts

wasted no time. Albelt 's attack hit the news even before parzrmedics cor,rld start replacing the more than five litt es of blood he woulcl lose. A long-tine FCC member, Albert recently adclressed a ch-rb luncheon,

intersper-sing wickedly funny colTtments with a set'ious prediction: The window for free explession was

closing, bit by bit, and the gap

for.

commentary

and for comfitentalors - faster'. But no one, was shrinking -not even he, could have guessed it

would close on him so soon, or so savagely, The molning of the attack, I called the Club President, Diane Stonnont, to cliscuss what might be done. \Øe agreed that flowers shoulcl be sent as soon as possible to express suppol.t

to Albert and his family.

interview rnakes clear', the vicior_rsness

of author Lynn Pan, who had

of the act

pr-rblished her book, Sons oJ-tbe Yellow

natlÌre of- it

and the intensely per.sonal

have been cause

just

for.

Emþeror, chronicling four centuries of Chinese Diaspora. Lynn, herself well known to the

time his belief that this was attempred hornicicle, not an alar-urn, and that his concern now hacl to be for his family. If someonewas capable of doingtbis, what might be next? A number of people have asked how the interview came about. The answer goes back in time (eight year.s

sevelal families as means to ilhtstrate the larger pictr-rre. Borrowing the device, I decided to profiie Lynn by writing abont hel family ancl its

more sober-l'eflection In the few rninutes he spoke with n're for bloadcast, he levealed fol the first

to the month) and has its own link with freedorn of expression. I first met Albert when he was publishing a

number of magazines, alnong them Hongkong, Inc., then edited by anothel FCC stalwart, Bob Howlett (now with the Inforrnalion Sel-vices Department). I had wlitten a plofile

Diane

Club, had profiled the history of

own fascinating lravels. It began, innocently enough, with the smuggling of Lynn and heltwin sister into Hong Kong,:the girls hidden with their nanny beneath the floorboards of a ship. For people in Hong Kong,

not an Llncommon beginning" The article was colrìmissioned by a company that produced magazines for sevet'al clients, and was intended as a covel'piece for a pr-rblication put

outby a bank.

Br-rt

neither the article,

undertook to arrange it with the office.

Later the same day, when doctors indicated that he would like ly surwive the attack, Diane and I discussed a more formal response. This was, after all, the second time an FCC nember had been attacked by knife-

wielding assailants. (The other

Albert Cheng surrrives vicious attack

victirn was publisher Leung Tin-wai who was chopped while in his office in May 7996.) Meanwhile, I had spoken with a representative of the Hong Kong Journalists Association and learned they were also planning a statement. Diane asked that I draft a response in

ny capacity as chairman of the Press freedom Subcommittee and, upon her approval, we wonld send it jointly.

The outspoken t>roa-dca-ster y/a-s attacked uzitkr chol2pers a-ncl left for deacl in Atrgust- Ra"dio Telerzision Hong r(ong's Fr¿¿tz<;is ,Llt<>ri¿zrtJ¿, a. journa-list trrerrrt>er of the FCC Boa_rcl of Gorzernors, ol>tainecl tl,re first intenzieuz vzitl-r thre stricken talk skroqz l-rost, .u,zLro is also an FCC rnernl>er

plofession,

f ln rne morninq olAugust l!, ^-r. \-/Nb"rr cheng lãfr ho-e for his

media figule attacked in such a fashion within 27 monrhs, spoke volumes. No possible motive could

a.m. drive-time call-ìn show at Commercial Radio (CR). Another day

at work, taking calls, slagging bureaucrats, roughing up politicians,

the usual rich diet of outtageous

commentary, caustic observation and just p.lain hell-raising that makes more than one million people tune in daily and keeps his show Teacup in a

the top-rated infotainment chopping him r.epeateclly with beef - in Hong Kong. But on this knives.Afewseconcbnt broadcast dh^r-dor.., particr-rlar was not deepwoundslater,Albertchengwas storm

p he would going to

the

news, writhing in pain and bleeding

profnsely, a victin of the kind oÌ

\Øe made no specific mention of pless freedom in the statement, as Albelt's

his

repLltation as

controversial commentator, the place

of the attack (the station's glor-rnds), and the fact that he was the second

expiain, much less justify sucli ana.ct, as the statement made clear.

In the very earliest days of his recovery, Albert spoke briefly on tape

to CR, in a weak but brave voice indicating that he would return to the microphone undar-rnted. Some friends said he would come back fiercer than ever. But as the accompanying

FCC

condemns attack

Hong Kong, Augnst 19 For-eign Correspondents,Club condemns -The a long-time club member and prominent the attack upon Ml Albert cheng,

local commentator. Mr cheng was attacked this morning by-fwo men wirh knives or¡tside the premises of Commercial Radio, his place of work. He was baclly wounded, has lrndergone lengthy surgely and is in the intenslve care unit at eueen Elizabeth Hospirai. such violence is intolerable ancl unjustifiable, i'respective of motive, and the FCC joins with othel citizens of Hong Kong in urging the police to make every effolt toward bringing the assailants to justice. The Club extends its sympathy to Mr Cheng,s wife ancl farnily, and its wishes Mr Cheng a speedy ancl complete recovery. Mr cheng is the second FCC member to he rhe victim of a brutal assault. In May 7996, the publishel of Su.rprise Weekty Mr Leung Ting-wai was seriously wounded by two men with knives while at work in his office. The perpetlators lemain at lar ge. .

Joint condemnation from media groups Hong Kong, September 1-The For.eign Cor.r.espondents, Club of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Federation ofJournalists, the Hong KongJournalists, Association, the Hong Kong News Executives'Association and the Hong Kong Pless Photographers'Association strongly condenn the brulal attack on radio programme host Albert Cheng. Aftel Mr cheng was attacked ìn the carpark ar commercial Radio on the morning of August 19, each of the five organisations conclerrned the act. Nowwe ale standingtogetherto showsoliclal'ity. This actof violence should not be tolerated by society and should be condernnecl. No matter what the attackers' motivation may be, to resort to violence is an act of cowardice. lØe hereby state that the media will not be intimidated by such vioience. \X/e r-trge the police to all that they can solve the case. Those found lesponsible should be brought to justice.

Septenber 1!

nor indeecl the magazine that it was supposecl to be in, ever appear.ecl. Objecting, as I

latel told by one of the b¿rnk's PR men, to the inclnsion of a piece that nùglttoffend Chinese sensibilities, the rlagazine rl,,.as haltecl as it l,'ent to press and tl're w-as

accollnt v!'as pulled frorn the fill tl-rat hacl assigned me. But Albert Cheng hacl no ploblems n ith that leacl

paragraph, and

it came to

Inc. Inthe years since, we've gotten to knor¡r' publishecl in Hongkong,

each odter better. So u,'hen I went to the hospital to say hello, Albert was kind enough to have me allortu,ecl in. I say allou.'ed, becanse he's kept in a seclrre wing of

tl'ie hospital q'ith not more than 10 singe lootns. Unifonned police ale

at the heavy, locked door while plainclothes officers, who clearly spencl a lot of tirle in the gym, keep watch within tl'ie u'ald. It is hard to knou' hoq,' much of this p1'otection (r,-hic1'r 1ater, I arn told,

giving the u.ard ¿l s$.eet arorrla nnpleasantly reminiscent of a funer-al pallor-rr', and entel'ed Albel't's roon-r. It u,'as his e.yes. More than anything else in the loom I saw his eyes. And then his riglrt hand, bent

inclucled rnetal checks) is for' mr-rch for the otl-ier occupants. Before entering, I waitecl acljacent room r¡-hile an in

Albert r-rndelwent physical therapy. I sharecl the loom with

a grollp of gir'ls given to clelightful bulsts of giggles;

n'ith piano w'iles. He u,'as shaven ciean, face unmarked, familiar srnile present br,rt pulled down sornehou,' at the sides. He was draqrn, yes, had

lost u,'eight bnt wasn't 5¡aunt. Pale but okay. Not bac1. Ancl then, the eyes: Clear but with the lustre of painkillers. The upper licls cL'ooped in a u''ay I hadn't noticed before,

giving them a softness,

vr-rlne¡ability .ancl a sense of shock

disconceltingly close to panic.

woulcl have been leally disappointecl. "That's not the qtrestion. The question

Cbastened. Tl'ie u,.ord leapecl into rny heacl.

is, is tl-rere son-rething .you \N^nt to say?" "Yeah, sur-e." He noclded towatd lny bag and lris eyes saicl, "Open ìt r,rp."

FM: Filsr of all, Alber, how are yolt feeiing? AC: Uhhn'r.. I don'r know

how to say... (cbuckle)... I shouldn't say I feel good, br_rt I'm lecovering. FM: \ù/hat abolÌt movement

in yoru lirnbs, youl hands...

bulnvictitls of what must have been a

AC: It's allt'estricted.

horrific fire. They were there to visit hin'r, to give suppoft, to show they knewu,'hat darnage could be done to ancl

goodness ancl joy intact. Rayrnond \(/ong Yr-rk-man, another top-rated

comûrentator ancl Albert's close friend, came in. He spoke to tlie delightecl girls, who blushed gigglecl some- more and fuliously, covered their faces witli hands that were missing nails and palts of fingers

with scars. I triecl

to inagine what their meeting with Albert would be like. I couldn't. Raymond and I shook hands.

After awliile, it u'as clear- he had thoughts, things to say, tl-rings he wantecl people to hear. Br-rt I hacl honestiynot come for.wor.k, norunder false pfetenses, and tolcl hin-r so directly, stressing that mine u,'as a personal visit only. Alber-t glanced dor¡,'n at rny shoulclet bag. ,,ìØhen yoll'l'e feeling stronger," I saicl, ,,if yolr'fe up to it and if 1'e¡1 u,ant to talk abont it fol'tl-re recoLcl, let n-re knor¡,,. Is there an)¡thing yotì want to me to sa1'," he inquired and I laughed. I had the feeling rhar if I'd saicl no he

back at an angle and held in plzrce

tü.'o of themwet'e

ancl were u.ebbed

that vr'e l-iacl.

lzCctìrn- As journalists uze szr:ite the uzord." a, tLT ousand tirrres l>ut don,t think uztrat it rea.ll¡r fnea.rts until it's tfrere staring l>ack at )rou, Tvr:apped. in l>andaq(es-- -

Albelt, ancl how

a body and still leave life

that, I figulecl, tvele also taxing his stlengtir. He clidn't knou'the FCC l-rad issr-red a statenent, br_rt was pleasecl

\ùØas

there an¡hing I sl'rould knon , I asked?

He shook his liead, no. \X/ho do you tl-rink did it, he inquilecl? I had no iclea. He sl-rook his head again. \ù7e walked togetl-ier', past by the rows of

flou,'er baskets lining the hail ancl

Before

I cor¡ld

what

say n-rr-rch at all

lie beganspeaking: "Yourself-worth," he saicl. "You'r'e lf ing there bleeding and there are people looking at yoll

and people are taking yollr

pictule. . .yoi-r feel youl self-u.orth. . it's emballassing...yoLr feel it just slipping away." .

Victint. As joulnalists we wlite tl-ie word a thousand times but don't think what it means, really neans, r¡ntil it's thele staring back at you, wrapped in bandages with eyes-inthe-headlights ancl a u'aveling voice. hardlynoticed his wife Irene who was busily sorting and filing faxes from aror,rnd the world, recording names from get-well cards, tending to any need she could. She blought me a chair. Albelt spoke, I listenecl rno.stly. His spirits were rising, helped by a steady strean-r of visitors and calls I had

I worly now

and..

r-esr_rme

work? AC: I clon't know, that's something

I have to cliscuss with rny family... I

think the people are going after my life. I clon't aglee w-ith w-hat most repol ts or colrllrentalies say: 'It,s a big rn.arning.' Because if it's a u,.arning, they clon't have to chop rne so rnany times and, in fact, if.. it is s<¡ close that, rny doctor told me it is so close that it

was only one centimetre difference (and) theywould touch my main bloocl rnybloocl...

vesse1...I u,oulcl have lost all

FM: So you feel it was not a warning, you feel it u,'as attempted mr-rrder?

AC: Yes, definitell'l And also, I

vely strong statement:

TV. It's nothing to do with my personal 1ile. I liave clean per.sonal life,

^vetyNr-tmbel two, nnrnber one. I'm financially independent...I clon't believe I owe anybody any money. FM: \Øhat âbollt response from

people, from friends? AC: Generallyspeaking, I think I have a lot of public support, which I appreciate, and I'm touched very

much, that gives me... at the

moment it gives me all the strength to recovel'. That means the public recognises my work in the past, and also a lot of politicians, senior government civil servants, even if we have had different opinions in the past, but they're very concelned about rny case and I appreciate that, too. FM: Is yor-tr family concernecl that if you go back to work, that yor-r might snffer a seconcl attack? AC: Itis rnyconcern, too. BecaLlse at the moment, I don't knowwho did

this...unless they find the...uh...yor-r know... they find the.. (long patLse)... the killers... (sqftlg if I wanr to say that...they may come back again... so....uh...oh, I don't know what to say... I have to concern not oniy my

safety, br,rt also rny family's safety. And also, I made a statement befor-e '97, a lot of press...incir-rding local and foreign press...they come to lrre and say'when will you stop talking?'

And I said, 'when my life's being lhreatened, or my own personal safety's being threatened'. . . I remember, I even said that to you once...so now this has really happened... and...r-rh...I rhink I have

"lftris

--- is regarding freedorrr of expression- - -rrr¡zoutspokenness of frr)¡ cofnrn(efrtafJ¡- - - ofr ttre ra-dio"

says 'hey, look atwhatAlbert Chan has

received don't want to be Albert -you Cheng and yor,r may not be as h-rcky or as...yolr know...as hirn'... \ùØhatwill he think in the first instance? FM: Reporters, jor-rrnalists... often report on crime and sometimes their.

view of crime changes when they become the victirn or they're sornehow touchecl by it... how has it affected you in that way? AC: I always suffer, I rnean I'rl always against violence, it rnakes no difference if it's me of it's any

body else. I think Hong Kong cannot be a place folviolence. Hong Kong's supposed to be civilized. I

think my attack

is not just an attack on me personally. I think this is an attack on Hong Kong. I think when

my...when the pictlìres (were) on CNN and other media worldwide. . ' that scared a lot of people about coming to Hong I(ong as tourists or as investors because they think Hong Ko.ng has no law and no safety. FM: Do you have any idea who might have done this or why? AC: I have some ideas....br-tt as I .

to sit down to...to discuss this

witl-r

n'ry friends, and my family...

FM: Do you feel this is

receives a phone call and (someone)

a message

not just to yoll personally but to the media at large?

AC: (laugbs) I rhink quire obviously fi'om now on, a1l the publicity abolrt my atack and my condition, I think any commentary, or any commentatof of any pfogralnme

host or programlne proclucer who

saicibefore, it's lelatecl ro my job, that's

for sure, I can assnre yoll that. BLÌt a lot of people are joking that I offend 3,000 people a year...(cbuckles),..so it's a wide guess,

is... even after'ftil1 recovely, I rnay not gain my movement 100 pef cent. pafiiclllarly w-ith n'r1. rÌght leg, which has severe damage to the nerye system. FM: Do you think you'll

have to make

This incident is regalding freeclorn of expression and definitely is legarcling my outspokenness, or my comnentaly in the past on radio or on

Media organisation reps visit cheng R;,tx;lx-';*:::î;i:; Albert Cheng on September

seclu'ity in a t'oom festooned with flowers, carcls, and letters of support.

wish

My initial reaction was one of hirn well and reassure him that we sulprise at how cheerful he was wele r-tniteci in condemning the attack clespite i-ris wounds-anclthe distinct ' prospect that he would nevet'make a in no r-rnce|tain terms. Delegates from the FCC, rhe fu1l recovery. Hong Kong Fecleration ofJournalists, BLtt as the conversation wol-e the Hong Kong Jor-rrnalists' on, it appeared he was masking his Association, the Hong Kong News feelings r-rncler the upbeat banter. He Execr-ttives' Association and the Hong was relltctant to ponder his fr_rtur-e,

Kong Press

Irhotograpl-rer.s'

Association made theìr way to Qr-reen Elizabeth Hospital wliele Albert was

recr-rperating amid heavy police

shying awayfromthe topic,

br,rt

jokecl

abont annoying his nr.rl-ses with his hyperactivity following the removal of the heavier bandages ancl talked

impassively about the state of his injulies.

\Øitnessing the effect

chopper attack on human flesh was bad enough. Seeing the effect on the mind wa.s almost worse. It was a thoughtful and rather deplessed groLrp of people who emerged from that hospital loorn. I feruently hope that the doctols' worst fears aren't lealised and thatAlbert does recovelfr,rlly. Aswe toldthe reportels waiting outside, itwould be the best revenge

against the cowards behincl the attack. D.S.

Septel'rber'1

Brí,ll's Content

'Click Through' will be a legular depafiment coveling news on the rùØeb.

Blill ís vely thotightful

Tl-re irraugural edition of thris nev,z rrl.agazirre krit tLre Ar-rrerican neqzsstands in Al-rgust xzith tkre prornise to e><plain tl-re u.orkings of tkre For-rrtkr Esta-te to botkr tlre public and fellouz 1>rofessionals. In last rrrontkr's issue <>f TVte (:orresPorzc)etzt, our intrepid reporter in Los Angeles Stt,tétrt \Y'olfenclctle disctrssed ettrics in tLre LI.S. rnedia- and qr-roted e><tensirzel;z frorrr Brill's (;o?'zte?'Lt. In tl-ris article, hre rerzieqzs tkre rrlragazirle itself

at US$ 3.95, Brill's Content's premiere issue coveris a crusadìng banner of red, yellow and black to go with the impact it has made amongst

elling

other journalists at least.

weary public and possibly the

Am e ri c a n Lawy e r when itbrou ght the

President.

Paula Jones rumours involving the President to a level that could not be

Some

in the profession

believe

Content is highly unlikely to survive in its present ambitious scale because, simply, there just aren't thaf many media stories around. Brill has retorted that editors are running stories about media issues without even knowing it.

The picture presents animploding

montage of press and cops surrounding the feared enigma, Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr,

head of the grand jury investigations into alleged misdeeds in by the President. The cover is spoiled, in my

checking'. Apart from the flagship 'Plessgate'piece, the issue rlrns a stoly on how the Wasbingtort Post ran an

colnmns, ContenT rLlns at least one piece to provoke prurience, jealousy and lage. 'Payday' lists the rates top media pundits can ask for a speaking

highly moral business of 'fact-

acclrsatory story on Senator Robeft Byrd, a Denocrat from \(/est Virginia, which was so badly founded on foggy facts that it had the Senator as a regular traveller on a lrain which he had not

Another article explained

Its the sort of 'hail fellow and lets be frank' image of Content and himself that Brill likes to project, even if rightwing enemies on Tbe Standørd magazine also like to tell tales of

instant weeping family membels at slaughters and disasters across three time zones to talk on air. It

ends, quite disturbingly, for the

old fashioned. Jeff

Zucker,

executive editor of NBC's

Inaugural edition

Sbow

reading,'\Øhy don't you commit

day

is quoted: "Victims of

wringing its hands over Princess Diana's death or pointing fingers at

individual paparazzi in the Paris tunnel. "tVe would trace back the -those

photographers to

the magaztnes théy had wolked for' recently and therefore tó the publications which were creating the

learned that

checking. He has a more evangelical vigour on the subject of quality control in general: "I have randomly taken the

how the bookers on all TV stations get fara.way state troopers and clergymen and

Taking the most awfully consuming news story of the last year as an example, Brill illustrated Contenls' perspective on the worid. The magazrne would not have been

three emotions thal

The 'Pressgate' alticle itself is a good attention grabber, but the magazine is about a 1ot more than Lewinsky{ail. Roger Pailiff

of 20 people quoted in an edition. Each is sent a folm letter enclosed witl'i a copy of the article they were featurecl in. The lettel asks:

hor-rr.

contracts of

been bolnée Stassinopor,rlos

names

a time. Ina parallel colurnn, one Alisa Tang, news assistant of the New Yorle Time| gets U5624.01 an

US$10,000

dlamas to lay audiences. Itwas with all

going through the motions of fact-

and those of their families is one of the ogres of social politics. In this case, the media s/as getting credit where credit was due.

magazine don't. \Øe are (still) arguing about it."

Beltway

against the press.

been on rnore than three times and not

class Americans have to go through to ensure their health

publisher, at The Roosevelt Hotel on 1July. "You do?" repliedBrill. "So do I but some people on the

to explain

serious qualification in life was to have

difficulties that ordinary working

Stephen Brill, the editor and

engagement

Bri11 believes that when that sort of article occurs, editors have only been

its left side.

[o errant writers from Brill

- Amongst its 32 features and

are in one of theirtailspins of apoplexy as to why the man now defends Clinton

New York Times' expose of

commentator at a Los Angeles Press Club 'Q & A' session with

but the guy never talked lo me."

sounded dou,nright pulitanical on this

for a decade anyway.

highlights a media triumph: The

2. Is the qlrote acclu'ate? 3. How do you rate the article? 4. How cor-lld it be done better?" There was a particularly memorable response. "Oh it was a good quote. I was very happy with it

ignored. Now, the anti-Clinton right

Columbia/HCA, the giant health care company. The unneruing

psychotic tendencies and notes

of Intelnet browsers. For the LA Press Club, Brill

treated?

\Øilliam Safire of the New Yot"k Times, nowadays one of the greatest causes ofna|colepcy inprint, eal'ns US$25,000 for sedating peopie on his feet.

opinion, by a glib, over-sporty quarter inch contents band down

"I like that!" declared

about

cybernews. He plomises a fail and reflecting percentage of the magazine will be taken up with it, beginning with a critique on the commelcialism

death with an imitation of Zsa Zsa Gabor reading Arlanlic Montbly at

1. how coulteously were yolr

Arianna Huffington whose one the

daughter of a Greekshipowner-and whose sr.rbsequenl plactice was to use her wide-hipped wiles lo subjugale influential men on both sides of the Atlantic. She usually calrses pain by syndication. At least 14 times a year she goes out to'daahling' audiences to

market for those kinds of pictures. The

we would feature the CEOs of those olganisations."

By ùe way, a year's additional 'fi'êe subscription went to the reader who sent an afiicle or transcript úhich has the most Lrses per 100 words of the specific phlase (and Brill's bete noire), "sonrces say". The winner anci the offender are to be announced in the next issue.. (To be continuecl)

THE 1999 FCC DIARIES The 1999 FCC range of executive diaries is now available at "Club" prices. Each has been specially produced with a wealth of important information, in either black imported bonded ieather or calf skin for wallets. All feature a discreet club logo and your name, if requested.

Avoid disappointment and order early as stocks are limited. Orders will be available for collection in December. Allow three weeks for personalizing with your name or initials. C. The FCC Pocket Diary. 58 weeks in popular the popular week-to-view format; week-to-view format; international public holidays; world atlas. HK$320.00 international public holidays; general information.

A. The Desk Diary. 58 weeks in

terrible things....have somebody handling their media interests. Its

B. The FCC Compact Desk Diary. The

SteveBrill'spromisetobringwhat stairsmagazines,eventuallybefunded unfortunately the way the world operates at the end of the twentieth

new convenient size of 164 x 21Omm,

size with international IDD codes and

popular week-to-view diary;

world time chart.

suicide?'

It could,

with a lot of Manhattan

the media does to its consumers is a by a corporation that does not mind big one. Immediate media enmity is taking a loss, but this is unlikely. Brill assured, patticularly after the ultra- sholrts on the magazine's banner that detailed 'Pressgate' investigative this is 'tbe independ.ent uoice of tbe article into the Lewinsky affair in the mediøøge'.Heisgoingtohavetolive inaugural issue which can have or die by that. nobody huppy except perhaps a Brill published and edited Tbe

THD C0RRXSPOilDENI September 1998

century."

'Gatekeepers' relates how America'shard-backedmallphilistine, BarnesandNoble, clecicleswbatbooks you buy."The answer: - who'd have thunk it- involves money?".

D. The FCC Address Book. Handy pocket

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E. The FCC Calf Skin Wallet. Ideal for

international public holidays; general

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HKS 80.00

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Order forms available at the front desk or call Lavinia, Sarah, Jennifer, Don or Doris on 2521líll

Septernber' 1998 THE C0RRXSPOIIDENI

-T--_

Left:

"'Welcome back," says general ma.na.ger Oliuier

Trinquand

Below

a.txd sttúÏ.

Tbe new Saigon-Saigon

Bør on the Carauelle

Hotel's roo.ftop

s .s (^ .s

the city. It has all the usual five-star frills: swimming pool, terrific French chef, expertly trained staff and well-

appointed rooms. There

are

communication facilities that the sclibes of the Vietnam \Øar era would

not believe; every room has plugs and connections for laptops to get hey, into telephone system and onto the Internet. dool to the new toq¡er, the Next

presto! Tan Sot't Nbut AitPort Tbe

uiewfrom the Carauelle Hotel's rooftop bar cluring

tLse

Vietnatn

old 10-storey Caravelle, once the tallest

building in Saigon, has been renovated. It now contains serviced apartments and club floors for the hotel, More importantly, the oldrooftop baris now back in business. For reasons unknown it is called Saigon-Saigon.

particr-rlady the nightly spectacle of flares surrounding Saigon's Tan Son NhutAirport. \Øhen Saigon fell orwas liberate d, depending on your point of view, in Aprll 1975, the Caravelle was a perfect vantage point to record the artlal of the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. For the yoLlnger generation or those with no feel for history, there is a }{ard Rock Café planned for the ground floor. Trinqr-rand is fascinated by the history of the old hotel andwould like

to hear from any reporters

bleakfast and other frills'

In order to entice a

or piayed there during the years of ttirmoil. "It's a vital chapter of our past, ancl one that I would like to'have chronicled," he says. "The Caravelle was centre stage during the longyears of the war. It's a chapter of history that

shouldn't be forgotten."

@ DeltaCaravelle Hotel 1! Cong Truong Lam Son Quan 1, TP Ho Cl.i Minh City, Vietnam TeL (84) 8-234999 Fax (84) 8-234-3999

\X/ith this 1957 photo taken by ex-President Gr"ry Seads, Tbe Correspondentbegins a new section which, hopefully, will run frequently, perhaps every issue if the response is good. So dig out those old photos, jot down that anecdote or reminiscence from days of yore (or not so 'yore') and send it in.

new

into visiting seneration of travellers has Trinquand CitY' Minh t. Cf.li

A trio of FCC sta.lua.rts in New York City 41 years øgo: Pacita ancl Dauid Roads crossed patbs tbere uith tbe Associated. Press' Robeñ Liu (wbo's still the AP bureau cbief in Hong Kong) Tbe trio then descend.ed on anotber Hong Kong hancl, tbe tben CBS News

and- renewal' *'

There is a new Z4-stoteY hotel the most model'n and stylish in

qâ

comespondent Guy Searls wbo was on leaue to útttend Cc¡lumbia Llniuersity as a CBS Foundation Fellow. Seørls recorded tbe moment on his Polaroid. Euen øfter all tbis time, allfour are still regulørs at tbe FCC and wbat's more ctre still easily recognizable. Botb Seørls - a.re and Roads þttst presid.ents. Road.s (1966-6D claims tbe membersbip record. of 49 years wbile Searls (1964-65) cløims tbe number tuo sþot at 46.years/

tower,

September 1998 TEE THX cORRf,SP0lfDXNT September 1998

cameramen who worked, slept, drank

Down memorylane

Welcome back lfl-re <>ld Cara:relle Hotel, v,zhrere rnarry a correspondent callecl Lrorrre during tkre Vietnarl \X/ar, reopens q¡ithr a sl2ecia-l offer f<>r all FCC roolTls at a975 prices, tl:ie year ttle rfrerrrt>ers - I{euirz. Sitz<:l¿zirrepofts frorrr I{o Chi .*/af en<led. À4inh City

From that rooftop vantage point a generation ago, photographers trained their cameras nightly on the skies to catch the fireworks of distant battles,

CORRESP0IüIEI\IT

Whatever huppened to positive non-intefrrention? ol the gr.ear successes of Government's decision to participate lìn. \-f uong Konjouer.rhe yeers was in the equities malket is ill-conceived, the government's refusal to poorly explained and down right undertake projects that were better clangerous. It artificially manipulates left to the private sector. They prices, sencls signals that shouldn,t believed, rightly so in my opinion, that business was better experienced,

and better informed, than bureaucrats. Business not the government should be- largely left to decide for-itself what activities to

r-rndeltake (albeit with all too few considerations for the environrient). If I want to sell men's pink three-piece fur business

suits the government didn't really care. If I

found someone to trÌake these suits for 200 an hour,

the government dicln,t care. Its only concern was

that my sales are fair, honest and above-boarcl (and that I pay taxes and have the proper licenses and safery standal.ds). Similarly, banks were deemed best positioned ro clecide

be sent andundemines Hong Kong,s international reputation. It wastes my

tax money on activities not rightly the pr-rrview of the government and

channels that money into the pockets of people stupid enough to be on the wrong side of the market, but lucky enough to be

Arna-teur plrotogral>l-rer PlriliP ]Yotrrse, uzkro in rea-l life is a-n e><ec..-rti\ze director of tkre propert)z consrtltants Chesterton pett),z altcJ alt associate rl.rerrrl>er of tkle FCC, visited one of trre qzo^<lers of thre qzodcl

proper lole in the marketplace is two-fold: to ensure transparency (i.e., that btryet-s anc.l sellers know what they ale buying and what l'ecent prices have been), and to ensltre efficiency or transactional economies (clon't ya just love

jargon?). Daddy sets the mles. periocl. The recent intervention to prop up the Hong Kong doliar and the local stock and property mar-kets remincls rne of the stoly of a groLip of senior

bul.eaucr.ats fr.orn the Korean stock marketwho wele in the US to study the New York Stock Exchange. Ar rhe NYSE they were intlodltced to officials who explained

"- -- Go\zeffrrnefrt's

decisiorr to participate in ttre eqrrities rrrarket is ill-conceir¡ed--and doqzn riglrt dangercrus-"

the history and oper-ations

of the market. At the conclusion, they thankecl

their hosts for a very

thorough pIesentation,

bailed out. If yor,r,re still woncler.ing,

my business pian was suitable I'm against it. (sorry)

The riches of aÍrcient Angkor

i.e. worthy of funcling

or not. -There

are exceptions (e.g., public ho'sing), but these simply sel've to underline the basic Business knows best. This rule, ^rle: arso known as positive non-intervention, is to a large extent the reason that Hong Kong is not facing the horrific

Fir-st, a fewmarketfr,rnclamentals:

Ever.y transaction has a buyer ancl a

seller; subtract one an<l the.e,s no

<ieal. For every sr-rcker who loses money there is a genir-rs who makes money. . Idealty, ihe buyer and seller

clete'mine the price between themserves. rnowing what other.

economic problerns that plague buyersandsellersthinÈis(orrecently Korea and other neighbour.ing was) a fair price is valuable

cottntries.

Daddy knows best? The highly successful history of positive nonintervention makes recent official statements and actions all the - Kong mote pLtzzling. The Hong

infor.mation that can assist in agreeing

on a price (particularly in real esrare and the -oì.y markéts). . Trusting each othe.to ptuy fair is critical.

vith th.i" fundamentars of

capitalisminmind,thegovernment,s

but asked "How clo yoLr keep the stock

market up?"

I'm not snre what the response was, but the proper answer should

"tùØe

care

don't. Frankly, we don't

if the market rises

5% or.falls

80%. That's not oul.business. Our bnsiness is to ensur.e transpal.ency

and efficiency, nothing moLe.,, \X/hat right has the Hong Kong Government to decide that ,up, is good and'down'is bad?

Dauid O'Rear, Regional Economist 6t.t tbe Economisl

Intelligence UniI, belieues there is ualue ín Asiøn equities, but not ãt tbese prices.

fur, ou".

7OO years ago, Chou Ta-kuan, an emissary with the ) Chinese legation which visited Angkor

between ALrgust 7296 andJune 1297, set sail for Ningbo in China. He took

with him his personal notes, the only written record of life in Angkor in the 13th Century. Of Angkor Thom, capital of medieval

Angkor ìØat, the largest and most famous of the temples, was built during the firsr half of the 12th Century. It liei outside the walled ciry ofAngkor Thom andis surroundedbya rnoat 200 metres wide. Although it became the tomb of

.Europeans perfected the high vaulted

ceiling so characteristic of Gothic

architecture, their Khmer counterparts never achieved the true arch on which this strtrctu¡e depends. One of the most significant features

King Suryavarman II, it is generally

.ôf Angkgr

situate

240

to produce the elixir of life that will give them immortality. In the heart of the fortified city lies the Bayon, a Buddhist

of phnom

more than half a century later in

temple built almost a centu ry after

1850 by French missionary Farher

Angkor.\ùØat. The four most famous towers reveal silent,

Charles-Emile Bouillevaux. A decade later, Henri Mouhot, a French naturalist, visited Angkor

carved faces, often thought to be images of Buddha but, according

and dispatched reports of

an ilization, pos ing many questions for archaeologists and historians in the \íest. nown

to historians, inore tikety to be images of King Jayawarmanyll

ci v

who reigned from 1181 to about 7220.

The most recent Cambodian records date fi-om the 1 5th Century.

Archaeologists have attempted to

reconstruct the history of the Angkor period (9th - 15rh Cenruries) from carued inscriptions, written in Khmer and Sanskrit. At the height of its development in 1000 AD, Angkor covered

an area of

some 200 sqlrare kilometres andhada population of 600,000. During his visit,

Mouhot had counted more than 100 temples, remarkablywell preseled and reflecting the change in r.eligious focus

from Hindr,rism to Buddhism.

the eight galleries, the most

famous depicts the 'Churning of Sea of Milk', a Hindu myth in -the --which the gods and demons are churning the Sea of Milk in order

Penh and close to the great lake of Tonle Sap, which was rediscovered

unk

preserwedsandstonecarvings. Of

noble'". An apt description indeed of

this ruined city,

is the bas-reliefs,

metres of remarkably well

Kampuchea, he wrote: "These are the monuments which have caused merchants from overseas to speak so often of 'Cambodia the rich and

kilometres northwest

1ù7at

comprising some 1,200 sqtnre

If cep te d rh at Angkor -üØar wa s bu ilr a temple, dedicated to the Hindu

Vishnu. . It is said that Angkor largest religious

Chou Ta-kuan were ro

revisit Angkor today, he would be astonished by what he saw:

Thefamed Angkor Wat Tempte

jj:#jrt

i.ifr,l'Jì.tt il?fl Jå; ".. god prised -u.,!'n,riaings apart, reavrng a

behind mysterious iírugå, porrrayed \Øat is rhe so vividry in the firm l"ndianø ¡ones complex ever built, and tbe Tempte of Doom. The

coveringanarcalargertltanthevatican restoration of angkär is a massive

inRome. Angkor\Øatis contemporary projectwhichwas started atthe end of with the great European cathedrals of ih"-lurt century and will continue for Chartres and Canterbury, but the many yearsto come. architectural style is of course entirely (pboto essay on next þage) different. Interestingly, whereas the '

Septer.nber

Clockwise from top Left: Tbe west facade of Angkor Wat from tbe inner causetuay; Tbe noñhwest touer oJ tbe upþer Angkor Wat; Bas-relief The Terrace of the Leper Kirtg, Angkor Thom; SilentÍaces of the Bayon; Bas-relief of tbe Kbmer army in battle against tbe Cbams, Bayon leuel of

Clockwise from top left: Outer gallery o.f tbe Bayon; Ta Prohm, one of tbe largest sites at Angkor; Ncture encroaching on history; Tbefilm IndianaJones and the Temple of Doom tLsed Ta Prohm as a backgrotu'td; Tbe Bayon.

Photos by Philip Nourse THE CORRf,SPONIIEI|T September 1998

Septen'rber 1998 THE CORRDSPOlllIlElllT

Myth-debunking the order of the day

IùØith clue

respect, this is a matter that the Comn-rission of Enquirl n-ill har.e to determine. In spite of the grouncl rr-rles he set before his talk (notto talk abolrtmatters or-rtside of tl-re pur-r,ieu' of the AA sr-rch

as the reasons

for dre bleakdown of

calgo sewices ancl issr-res tl'rat could be prejuclicial to the Commission and he

two other enquilies) Leeks

At a" 1>rc>fessionzll ltrrrchec>n Clinton Leeks, tl-re fa"milia-r fa.ce of tkre Airport Ar-rtl-rc¡rit)2, responds to his critics. C)tril l)ttrup report,s

linton Leeks is a blave man. But then. as a malathon n-rnner of some note ancl as the most oft-quoted spokesman in the hot seat since the opening fiasco of Hong Kong's new airpolt, he is accustomecl to the flak. And at tirnes gives as good as he gets.

at a recent

This was

FCC

^pparent Pl'ofessional Lr,rnch q,'here Leeks was grillecl by tl-re media and assorted concerned conslÌûìers, but also given kr"rdos for a job well done.

Setting tlie mood early by concecling tliat he was indeed that 'humble prat' if the opening of Chek Lap Kok could be fairly described as a

"State-of-the-art PR PntfaII" , qLroting the headline of the hard-hitting article that appearecl in the July issue of this magazine, (Leeks' response

that article was published in the August

the attack: "Contrary to some people's beliefs, the AA is not an indepenclent kingclom. For me and my colleagues, the lastfive years have been an endless procession of meetings with a huge range of governfirent and pr-rblic

bodies."

Leeks aclroitly won over his audience by way of a few funny lines

at the expense of his

r,rnfortr-tnate, scandal-plagr-red, first-namesake in the

White House, belore selving up a veritable tour de force in mythdebunking. "Despite such recent headlines as

'Clinton Forced to Confess', 'Lying Clinton Says Sorry', ancl 'Clinton Pleads

for Folgiveness', I can now confirrn that Monica Lewinsky, in her oh-sodisúnctive belet, did, in fact, spencl some time with us at the AA as a trainee traffic controllel in 1993," deadpanned Leeks, "but, alas, it was only for a few short weeks." rùØithout waiting for the appleciative laughter to subside, the

Airport Authority's Director of Corporate Development forged on to THE C0RRXSPOIIDEI{Ì Seprember

eally days and that it coulcl have better plepared its people for some of the problems that eventnally arose, Mr Leeks l'eiterated CLK's opening date was decided on a pulely commercial level and that political and othel face-

'ùØhat ale we supposed to read into this? That the AA was not the piper br-rt the pipee? Not the master of its own destiny?'ùØas Hong Kong's best known spinmaster passing the buck? "It is an absolute rnlth that the original decision to build the wodd's

saving pressllres l'iad no bearing whatsoever in the clecision-making on u'hen to open. Elabolating on this statement,

largest airport was intended as a confidence booster," he stated adamantly, adding that ilonically, he

decision made in 1995, whereby the

was Government House as an aide to Governol Sir David \X/ilson when the decision w-as taken. "Granted that after the events of June 1989 in Beijing, it

came

lssue.)

have shown sufficient humility in the

to be seen as a confidence

measlrre and, whethel we liked it or not, the AAbecame a hostage to politics

ever since. Asking a hostage to complete such a htrge engineering project within a fixed br:dget and on time was quite a challenge. "I wor-rld also like to debunk, once and for all, anothel n-ryth that, in some way, \\'e opened the airport to coincide

with tl're well-laid travel plans of President Jiang Zemin or President Bill Clinton. It was judged ready to be opened when it was judged ready lo be opened. 'We were ttnder no

obligation to create a feel-good atrnospl-iere for any particular

presidential entolrrage. If an¡hing, it was comûrercial consiclerations that clictated the date of our opening," stressed Clinlon. Conceding that the AA might not 1!!8

Leeks explainecl that the AA had been in a unique and unenviable position

brought about by a diplomatic amor.rnt of money the AA could borrow to finance the airport project was fixed and the amollnt of equity provided by its sole shareholder the Government was also fixed."So, both opportunities for laising finance were set in stone. S7e had to

complele a mammoth engineeling project by a certain date within a certain budget so thal we could start laising revenue to repay our debt. That simple discipline of having a finite amount of money to get the project leady and I'm not saying to

was

nevertheless candid.

"Hong Kong is already facrng

I l-iave been committecl to be as open

arrival hal1 was causing problerns that

and as honest as possible. It is sin'iply

perhaps the AA sl'rould have been

not possible to be absolutely open

better prepafecl, but lieclged tliat aclmission by cornmenting that passenger flow patterns with 15,000 'test LÌsers' turned or-tt to be very clifferent fron-r real passengers. He also acknowleclged problerns u'ith

abor-rt everything. None of us clo

it in

olrr prir.ate lives or we'd be thor-rght tholoughly obnoxious. 'ùØhat u'e did do q,'as to set Llp regular press visits to give everyone a chance to see what was happening and to ask qr-restions. "As for being secretive, I can recall the last governor saying no project has

ever been mole written abolrt or

at thern.

difficr-rltyear. I clo realise that the events of Jrrly 6 have not made it any easier, especially w-iù the ploblen-is w-ith the

produced so much public documents than onr new airport. Thele is a u'hole library on it open to the public. The fact of the matter is that the AA has

But members of the press were lnany not the only questioners

been a wholly Government-

quiz the pelsonifiôation of the SAR's new airport. One woman con-rplained tliat in spite of telephoning ahead to her' chauffeul wllen she was in cLlstoms, she had tlouble

cargo serwices which have gleatly clarnagecl or-rr image in the short run. Tl-ris fact for me will always be a source of personal legret. Bul let r,rs remember also that big cornpanies al'e

a1wa1'5

not easy lo love ancl, for some 1'eason, big projects a1'e easy to hate. ''As the r rlious enqtrilies

into the

issr-re

Mac palace is loóated

go on their

inexorable rvay,

1et Lls t1y

between Allival Gates A and

B in the mile long Arlival Hall. And since there must

renain objectirre about what I believe to be actuaily now'

bealeastakilometl'e

a pretty goocl airport, an airpol't tliat will get better

beñi.een tlie varior-ts exits, the meeting point has unofficially become McD's, especially since the official 'lneeting point thele is is not distinctive.) Sl'ie wantecl a pick up zone

and an airpolt that is tlr-rly a tremendons zrchievement for Hong I(ong. To ignole this

fact and to continlle to publicly belittle ourselves for'

having completecl such

outside. Leeks explained

project can only benefit our competitols ancl blind us to what had been achievecl. If that happens, it will, in the fulure, be a fal greater caLrse for regret than has so far l-rappened on this ploiect." Tl-rat this argLrment

the diffìculties.

One non-pless qLÌestioner commended Leeks and the AA on Clintott Leeks: He gaue as goocl

cts be

got

ovnnecl bocly strbject to absolttte n-rles as to what it could say. It was govelned,

- were ready was a open before we very clear obligation on our -part and an effective taskmaster. "Certainly, to have sat ther-e and

negotiations betvi'een Britain and China.

endlessly postponed the opening,

organisrtion wlrose prinrary concern

"\Øe have also been subject to lr-rles on confidentiality. rùØe are a company and we are reqr-rired to act tliat way by 1aw. For example, or-rr pay scales ancl oul commercial agreernents

to seek perfection - been a sensible wotilcl not have -commercial strategy. \øith hindsight, you may very weil make the point that in the light of what happened on improvements

Jttly 6, could we not have deferred the

opening or done things differently?

- of CLK, members of the public, users took advantage of the oppol'tunity to

fincling hirl ¿rt McDonald's. (For the uninitiated, the Big

cordwith his audience was evident from the tladitional shonts of 'hearl hear!' fi'orn tlie floor. He also pointed oLlt that the AA u.'as in

while we tlied, with the best of intentions, to make further

the travel industry u,ho u'ere having real problems meetinÉl clients, bttt keeping to style, also took a pot-shot

strr,rck a

transition, changing from

constrllction to one thât now mllst concenlrate on management. rl,.as

But,

if the mastel of PRspeak

tl'rought he was going to get off that ligl-rtly, some melnbers of the meclia andJoe pr-rblic had othel ideas. rù/as

the AA fi'iglitened of the

meclia,

secletive and non-transpat'ent? "Tlrlouglior-rt rnytime with the AA

qr-rite

lightly, by the overriding need to

conchrde latl-rel difficult diplomatic

u,-ith otl-rer cornpanies are conficlential. This is not jlrst to rnake life difficr-rlt for

colresponclents. I am told this is the rl.ay business nonnally works." Leeks accepted that the size ofthe

fine airport

stating that this u'as his fourth airport opening hon he rrraneged to :rrrive on the opening days of the Palis, Denver ancl I(uala Llrmpur airpolts he did not explain. "I am filrnly of the r.'iew that an operator shoulcl allow his cllstomers to do his PR. These days, we get a lot pot all from of customer bouqllets either rny heavily-disgr-rised rnothel and a few brickbats, sometines welldeserved. The lattel we respond to as quickly, r'esponsibly ancl sensibly as possible. This is tlre way we alc going to lnove forq,-ard to make our ailport not only the largest in the r.orld, but also the best."

@ Septembcr- 1998 THE CoRRXSPoNDEIIT

Has Hong Kong

challenged legime that we now have in Hong Kong. "And if you want to pinpoìnt the

exchanged one colonial rtraster for aÍrothefl

myself, it is that it is very difficult to get infolmation about practically anything that is going on, consiclering that there is so much going on at the moment. That's a problem." Vines noted that he had collected some criticisrn fol tlie book's less than scholarly nature and that he had failed to include footnotes.

one change for working stiffs like

Forrrrer FCC president and h.tclel>enclent correspondent Sterze Vines l-rets just launcl-red a, straigkrt-ta-lking book on post-colonial Hong l{ong. Ancl, a-s kre told a- l2acked FCC h-rnckr, he finds Hong l(ong is still a colon¡r. Pan-¿l Brzj,,¡fielci reports teve Vines, in his book (ltong Kong, Cb ina's New Co lony) and in

"\Øith Tung Chee-hwa they got it right. He doesn't need to be controlled because he is already on the same wavelength as China's leadership. "Powerhas been concentrated into the hands of this man in a way that leaves very little scope for chailenge. Just as it was in the former colonial

his speech at the FCC launching of the

book, was, in a word, blunt. He has little time for oul present and folmer masters and their'lack of regard for the

wishes of the people of Hong Kong. Vines central thesis, as the title of the book suggests, is that Hong Kong

system."

has done little more than exchanging colonial masters.

"All China wanted in Hong Kong was a colonial system, administered by a pro-consul, in which the people

thernselves

Chinese leadership would like for China: a non-ideological system,

Havìng said all that, Vines still concluded that Hong Kong remains very different from China. "It isn't a system which people in China would

necessalily involve having buttons pressecl from Peking. "The important thing for them was to get the man in charge right. THE C0RRXSPONT¡ENT Seprernber.

cognise."

Although the book is ostensibly about Hong Kong since the hanclover, its roots lay in the years Vines has put inlo observing Hong Kong as an C)bseruer correspondent, as the editor of the Eastern Expressandnow as The

1!!8

was the extraoldinary truth that in the

since Hong Kongbecame the HKSAR.

looks

proceedings got a leal opportunities to express lheil views. "Therewere some shampolls and

backwards and tties to understand how we got to where we are today.

absolutely no oulcome whatsoever in

that

Vines said, of course, thathe asked

"rVhat was uppermost in my mind

of Hong Kong never at anystage in the

of what has^nhappened

one of his greatest fans Zhou Nan to write the fotward. -"Needless to -say, he sent back a message to say he was surprisedI was still inHongKong. So I took that as a no." Liu Ping had other things to do as well. \øith his published worcls, Vines is also letúng himself in for attention

from the government(s). "I fear, in fact, that this book may slam shut some doors . . . of the very few that are

still left open.

"The main thing

have noticed

working as a journalist since the handover is this amazing information-

other sham activities that

At tbe Board of Gouentorc þreJunch receþtiotx Steue Vines u)ith (tighttoleft) presiclent Diane Stonnont, Paul Bayfielcl, uice þr"esid.entsJeny Richat"clsott and Philip Segal, be kept under control to the point where China insisted -that Lrttcle 23 ldealing with subversion] be writtên into the Basic Law. This wasn't even discussed in the eady stages of Basic

through-trainwoulcl solve all. The tr¡rth of the matter is the breakdown in negotiations, the end of diaiogue and the irnpossibility of a through-trainwas

Law drafting.

established in1.989.

how it changecl China's attitude towards Hong Kong. "It was also crucial in demolishing the n-rany myths about Hong Kong:

David \Øilson was in dealing with the Chinese after 1989, despite being a fully paicl-up rnember of the old school

had

the negotiations and certainly not on the outcome of those negotiations."

Although the leaders of Hong Kong come in for some stick in the speech and in the book, Vines is full of adrniration for the people of Hong Kong, particularly their response to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. "The real turning point in the

history of the transition and remembel' tl-iere has never -been a transition an)ryvhere between two forms of rule lasting 73 yearc was when Hong Kong was the only -part of Chinese soil which launched the n-rost extraoldinary act of defiance against the Chinese government. "And pelsuaded the Chinese govemment that this was essentially a dangerous place, potentially a place ofsubversion and therefore a place to

people here ale only interested in lnoney and aren't prepared to go oLrt on the street and fight for things they believe in. "Yet, what happened? There was a fifth of the

population olrt on the

streets. I have never been an),nvhere in the worldwhere this has happened for

any reason. As q,ell, it was in such a controlled, orderly manner u,here there was absoh-rtely no need for policing during those momentoLls days." As far as Vines is concerned, this really marked the mornent when the colonial governmentlost it. The people

whowere

or-rt

on the streets orwatching

at home lealised that they had

government here little in touch with what they were feeling.

"If you LemembeL, the then

Governor David \Øilson talked about

how nìce it would be to have

negotiated settlement where nothing bad ever happened in China. He criticised the fr-tttu'e Patten regime lin 19911

for not knowing how to deal

with China.

"And that somehow this

malelons

"People forget how humiliated

"So it was crr-rcial in

instant

frequently in Hong Kong."

Hong Kong's modern history.

whole process of goingfromonefom of colonial rr-rle to another, the people

about the present. A view which doesn't seem to be shared very a q

but other things as well. "Much -of the history in the book be familiar, but lit u.as included]

has taken

"I have this quaint idea

Steue Vines

the fringes." Vines said that under this colonial system Hong Kong now has, it doesn't

sometimes history tells us something

anymore. If they did they would find this is an illusion. An illusion that the

oppressively controlled politically, but with a free market operating alound

because memories are shorl and mendacity is long in the making of

It is more of a thing that

freedom coulcl exist and flourish and political freedom and civil liberties wor-rldn't be allowed to flourish. "Poor old KatlMarx musr be really stirring in his grave when he hears cornmunists thinking they can detach political and economic systems. "They obviously don't read Marx

will

"This is the longest instant book in the making. To have managed to pt'oduce

this book within the year of the handover fis consideredJ is very impressive. And it would have been

= I ñ I

is.

"It is an attempt to smell Hong Kong as well as see it. I am trying to paint a picture of this place in all it aspects not just politics and

So, this isn't one of those quickfix-written-in-three-days exelcises.

assessment

Chinese leadership was that economic

what it

s6enemiçs-

"It's not realIy

said, "in which the dream of the

colrrse, it is prejudiced. And prejudice is perfectly okay, when people know

paftnefs.

impressive except that about 10 years to do.

of Hong Kongwould have less politícal rights than the people of Ethiopia," he

people who call

Ind.epend,enls correspondent. He is also a participant in Hong Kong as a businessman dealìng closely with local

"It isn't scholarly," he said. "lt doesn't have footnotes. It is very anecdotal. It is quite personal ancl, of

Foreign-Office-let's-do-br-rsiness-withChina group.

"The accusation that Patten scuppered all chances of negotiating with China [was wlongì, basìcally they didn't exist and those that did were only on the most onerorÌs of terms." Vines has been criticised for being soft on Patten, but he considers it was a successfr-rl governolshìp within the linits of what is possible.

"Those limits were severely curtailed by Blitish colonial history

which set about q,eakening

and demolishing the institutions that could

have allowed Hong Kong to stand much more firmly on its own feet. "In five or six years, Patten wasn't going to put all those institr-rtions back together again. But he did instill a certain confidence particulady in the legislature which is a lasting - be a pity if thatwas legacy and itwould overlooked."

Hong Kong's'shameless' elite Vines said the book also focr-rsed on the natlue of Hong Kong's elite:

September

"one of tl-ie most shameles.s, ignorant,

contemptsome of tl-re ner,'allies har,'e

and basicall)' Lìnattractive elites

fol China. Nonc of this u,'as publicly

yor-r

are likely to come across an1-n'here in the u-orld. "These are the people u,'ho have clone a shameless transitior-r from the colonial peliocl to the present one n'ithout batting an eyelicl.

"The same people rl'ho u'ere crar,'iing up to ßeijing u,-ith foreign passpol'ts in their back-pockets, $'ere

the san're people nùo did the sarne crau'l all tlie q¡ay to London just zr feu,. yeals pleviously ancl dicln't notice they u,-ere g¡oing in a dif'ferent dilection.

"Hong Kong l-rasn't gor the it cleselves or the elite it

leadership

deserves. You har.'e a vel'y intelligent

and bright population q'irl'r this appalling set of people u'ho hacl clustelecl aro¡-rncl the colonial r¡achine

like moths and ale norr,' clustering around this regillie like n'roths. "Also look at hou.'China set about forging its alliances, folging its fan-rous Unitecl Front, r¡hich was clesignecl to sqLreeze or-rt all of those rvho clicln't lavonr the new, order'. "Tlrele u rs lrrrazing cynit.isrn on both sides: the conrempt China has fol some of its nen' a1lies, ancl the

explessecl fan'iilies. "

not u,-hat I call happi.'

tlie m3di1 hasn,r got l'epoftinÉa has becontc

fear.people hacl oi

".f happenecl has climi¡ ishcc I,, i, i'

Self censorship

Nature

Inevitably, Vines also looked at tlie often cited

i.ssue

of self censolship

by journalists. He took a rlole cliffel'enr

vielv than rlost. Altlior,rgh, in lesponse to a qLlestion follon.ing his speecl'r, he clid adn'rit tliat he made no reference in the book to his former en-iplol.ers the litigious NIa family' ''Sclf-cens,

\\,or.sc.

rrshilt is

Ilisnonlel

There is no self-censorship in Hong Kong media, there is censorship. The censolship is exelcisecl by the people n-ho ou.n the bulk of the meclia in

Hong Kong, lt's not editors, its not jor-rlnalists u,'olking at their desks.

"It is tl-re feal'that the propt'ietols

"The great ploblen-r for t1're nieclia is the ven high clegree of ownership of the meclia bv n'hat are essentiall), non-rleclia companies w'ith business interests in China. "Having saicl that, I zrn'i pleasant11. stu'prisecl by hon', since the takeover',

rhink

r..,, 1iìrl.'

of the legal s1,¡;1s1¡¡

One of the rrto.st f.t.t,r¡rrcntlt usccl <lehzrtecl--ter.nls

in I l,,rrrr lt.,tìi -¿lncl lras l¡een nrlc , rl l:rri.. I lrt, ,,,,,r,ì.,-"ì.1,i rule-oflaw cleltatc \\ its ()\ t,r. .l.ung.s clefence of the movc t,, ,rr,rl.., ,,,,i1..

A peak behind the scenes

n-rainlancl institr-ltiol-ls lrc,r oncl tltc r.,r..ll

of Hong Kong lan

"Until I c:rn-lc to I lo¡tg Ii¡¡g I ner,'el r-eally uncler.sIoorl u lr:rt rllc rirlt, of larl,'r'eallynìea1lI It',s ¡tot rul lrlrstr:rr.t concept, it is soncthirll t trr t t.orD I

regr-rlates the l-a1'

¿r s<.rc

ir.'tr is

¡tlctclr

¡llr.

the feal of that clisintc.t¡rrtirrg

It.s

irtro

lzru'lessness ancl tltc r.on.r¡.rlol.rìiscs n-rade with the lc'.qrl s\.\t(,rìì tlrrrt is sc2ìry¡.

u'il1 stop then'r ancl if they clo go be1'onci

tlle linrits. tlrele n illbe lcpelctrssions.

,,,,,,. ti.". -lli," ,,,, ,,,i.*ùii,,,r:,.:

"It's the casu:rl

:rt tit ur

lt..

l): I r.l

u l:u

l\.

b1' Tr-u-rg, to$'al'cls tltt' lcgrLl srrtr,rri. rvhet'e he s:r1's this is jLrst :t tììrlttcr ()l legal technicalitics, so lct s ntr¡r c oll. '

A reu'iett,of'Stcttt, l'inL'.¡ lxx* u,ill 6Iþpeclr

irt tlte

,¡¡¿,.t

i ç,ç¿¿t,

rr/"1'ltr.

Corresponcle nt.

THE FCC BOOK 1997. EYEWITNESS ON ASIA. UP TO 1997 AND [<irTOND .249 PAGES .614|MAGES . A COLLECTORS' ITEM

I tt ,,' vou know thc ncwspaper' ,( \'n,',,11' - the one sen ed in tlte

b:rr rrc¿rs, I n'ould like to give yor-r a little insì¡¡ht into hou'it's formed, hou.. itenrs gcL c[ranged ancì most inportant, \\'hy. To stert n'ith, even though this is a bul r.r.rcr-u, almost everythinÉl is the Arlericans cookccl 1o olcler c¿rll this ¿ sltort ordermenr-r u'hile the rcst <>f thc rvorld refers to it as an à la c/rrt¡e tÌtctìLt.

people ancl occasionally come lrp with an inspilational iclea of my ox'n. After tl-iat, we need to source tl-ie ingredients and check they ale leadily available. \øe mLrsr pracrice

on along sicle to conte uP e moneY and

preparing the clish and der.ise a recipe that fits into our pt'ice strlÌctltl'e. Does it w'ork? If the anss.'er is yes, u,.e then

knr

+ +- { T ^

-¡

portions Lets analyse that figure; !Øith tu.o main serves a day, seven days pel week over eight rveeks that comes olìt two portions pel day or one portion per ser\'ice. Does this ü'arrant a space on the menn ? In the 18 months I l-rave been working at the FCC, approxirnately 3,000 items have appeared on the newspâper 1lìenr.Ì, including the weekly specials and daily specials. So how- does an iterì get on the menu? Hou,'does it t-r'iove fi'om the idea stage to the plate in front of

ùlcnu engineering is the telm It is lta.sic:rll1, the facts and figures of hou, ¿rll the clishes pet'folm; some being high-sellels with lower fr¡od costs, rìolìle being low-sellers with high foocl cost, and others in ltctrvccl'r. AccoLlntants are alr-ays happicst u'ith high-sellers with low foocl costs, but these alone generally clo n<tt give tl-re kitchen rnr-rch to play s'ith ol LLte customer enough choice. Thercl'or'e, we use our market t¡sccl to ztssess dishes on the menu.

the wit plc

*Æ

but the figures clictated it was time to hang up the beans for the time being. In tu,'o rnonths we sold less tlian 120

A t'rrsc in pojnt would he tlle llrlb sl,,,,lk. À goocl tlislr, bur irs sltlc.s:rr,..slowing clown. \X/hy? Ir is still tllt. ,.,n., ,u..,rlent clisll. The answcr Ìs that it has outlivecl its

I FAX2868409"

I tvrrs given a

har-cl

time the last

ttntc I t,,, rk the chilli con car.ne ofl,

la ca1'te or banqtlet,

professional lunches or gala dinners' So there yor-t have sorrre of lhe

techniques used to PLrt lrient'ls together. I hope this is of interest to yolt If yor-r have some comlnents abor-rt this please clon't hesitate to talk to rne ol n'ritc in. Yor-u's gastronomically,

Stephen Wørren

yor-r?

Step one is the 'idea'.

eat ollt,

reacl books ancl ntagazines, chat to

practice with the dish to check out the timing and speed of sen ice. (If lhe answ.er is no, it is eitl-rer back to

the cL'av'ing boalds or starting al1 over with a new clish.) Is the dish easy to mass plodtrce? Tl-ren we need to ascel'tain its shelf life and hoq,- it is best stoled. If a clish passes all these steps, the staff are then tlained to

it to the expected higl-r standal'cl. Now the new-dish is ready fc¡r inclusion in the menr-r. Variations of this systern are usecl for all the clishes servecl in the club. pl'epare

COPIES AVAILABLE FROM THE FRONT DESK AT HKS25O OR CALL 25211511

w-hether they be

TIAVING A PARTY?

Make it easy. Enjoy the füne fogd and hospitahty

of the FCC in your own home.

2521 151.1 for more information.

CaIT

Seplcrnì)el' 1998 fHD GORf,.ESPOIIIIDNT

FREELANCE WRITERS

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BOB DAVIS - Advertising, corporate, and editorial photography Tel: 2866 0887 Fax: 2866 2212 E-mail: bobdavis@netvigator.com KEES PHOTOGRAPHY - News. Features. Online Telz 2547 9671 Fax: 2547 8812 E-mail: kees@hk.super.net HUBERT VAN ES - News, people, travel, commercial & movie stills Tel: 2559 3504 Fax: 28581721 E-mail: vanes@asiaonline.net

and l¡terature. Speeches and corporate copy writing also underlaken.

Tel: (852) 2827 2873 Fax: (852) 2194 4551 EDWARD PETERS - Features, Travel, Profiles, Fìesearch. Many Asia Pacific photos. Tel: 2328 2553 Faxi 2328 2554 E-mail:edpeters @ netvi gator.com

PROFESSIONAL

PHILIP ROBERTSON - Script, copy, speeches, corporate brochures. Tel: 9406 09457 Fax: 2533 3161 E-mail: rpr@hk.super.net ANN WILLIAMS - Specialist in fashion. Press releases, brochures, newsletter etc. Tel: 28159789 Fax:2545 O2O2

BRr-l Anrwonns

ISHITA BISSET (SHl) - Shanghai Based Management Trainer with PR & Marketing Services Tel/Fax: (8621) 6219 1029

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Tel:2537 5338 Fax:2537 1885 E-mail: firhill @ hk.super.net www.firhill.com.hk

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PROFESSIONAL CONTACTS

HarRonnssrns 9 Staunton Street Tel:2973 0572 Formerly from Codø PIøza

The Professional Contacts page appears every month in The Correspondent and on the FCC Correspondent web site at >http://www.fcchk.org < . Let the world know who you are, what you do and how to reach you. There has never been a better time. Listings start at just $100 per month, with a minimum of a six month listing, and are billed monthly to your FCC account. copy

State Fund lnvestment Limited lmpofiers of: Black Tower, Green Gold (German Whites) Cognac Moyet Chateau La Bourguette (Bordeaux Superieur) La Tour de La Bourguette, La Madelon (French Red)

Tel: 2891-9188 Fax: 2891-7914 E-mail: btilakoo@ netvigator. com

WHO SAID THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH? The Coruespondent requires freelance writers to

cover the Club's professional lunches. And you get paid for your story too!

Contact Saul Lockhart at 2859 8070 or fax 2858 5413 THE CORRDSP0NIIDNT September 1998

THE

ARTHUR TIACKER FCC L997 T-SHTRT

HK$

L20.

E2nnes@$100

3lines

small box @ $300x6mths / $250x1

This classic piece of Hacker memorabilia now available directly from the FCC

@ $150

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yourrecent trip? Take ahappy snap. We'd love to run it. Put the pic/pix with a nice long caption in The Corre spondent inthe basement bar. And please drop the editor an email or phone call to alert him. Thanks

E5hnes@$250

4 lines @ $200

tr Large box @ $600x6mths

/ $550x1lmths

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Name

HAPPY SNAPPERS Crossed paths with some ex-FCCers on

copy attached

FCC Membership No.

Company Name: Address: Signature: For more information telephone 2512 9544 or fax 2575 8600

September

BREAKEAST ON THE

VERANDAH MONDAY TO SATURDAY 7230 - 10:30

Gu^t/n lslâr,rb Íiestâ

FCC PRIVATE ROOMS

A smile, coffee and a freshly cooked breakfast. What a great way to start the day! From $58

The FCC offers members the use of two large inter-connected rooms, the Albert and Hughes Rooms, for private functions, meetings and seminars. The Main Dining Room and the Verandah areas can also be used by members for large parties, business conferences and wedding receptions.

For bookings contact Don on telz 2521 1511 or fax 2868 4092

For the third year running the Guam Island Fiesta, Chef Ronnie Guillermo and the Island Fantasy Dancers are heading back to the FCC for another sense-sational culinary and dance

exÍïavaganza atlhe Main Dining Room on Thursday, October 8. The Island Fiesta Dinner Show, hosted by the Guam Visitors Bureau, Pacific Islands Club and Continental Micronesia Airlines, will also launch on Island Food Fiesta in the Main Dining room.

well

the exotic food and entertainment there will also be a chance to win trips for two, flying Continental Micronesia, to Gnam staying at the Pacific Islands Club.

So let your hair down and experience a little island living. Book now and don't miss ottt on what is one of the club's most popular events.

EVERYTHURSDAY 7:00 - 9200 PM

tsEEF ON THE

Guam is tbe gateway to tbe island,s of Micronesia and, is an easily accessible escape from Hong Kong's daily grind.. Treat yourself to the luxury of 5-star botels, wbite sand. beaches, superb golf courses, great diuing, fishing and. all rnanner of waterspot"ts. Continental Micronesia is offiring a special weekend. package witb þrices stutrting at just HK$3,500, exclusiuely for FCC members wbicb includ.es airfares, 4 dayl3 nigbts' accomm.od.ation 6It PIC Guam or Saiþan and airport tuansfers.

VEBAN A SET DINNER

7.3O pfl, Thursday, October 8 FCC Main Dining Room

That will definitely set you up! ONLY

Call 2521 1511 for reservation

$190 for 3 courses or $f 0S for 2 courses Book early on 25211511 as there is limited space. THX C0RRXSP0Iì|IIDIìIT September 1998

$250 per head

Guam Visitors Bureau Se,tbi sion Bísltan O ua han

Continental

.lVlicronesia

Farewell FCC stalwalt steve

Geograpbic Traueler' Knipp retluns to the us to take r-rp a senior-eclitorial position with Natiottal

Steve Ellis, the for-tr-rer-CEO of Emphasis ancl l<ns_

time rneruber of the FCC, is r.etiring to Ar.rstrelilL. Eighteen years ago, the publisl-ring colnpalty, 11()\\. known internationally for its in-flight rlagaziucs.

published the first edition of the r.evam ped Dßcot,e¡,, Cathay Pacific Airways' in-flight nlagazine. The rc,:rìn lr4to wolked on tl'rat very fil'st edition, which inclucle .s

seven cun'ent ol' formel FCCers, gather-ed for

a su

r¡tr.isc

farewell party.

# È

Left: Steue Ktxipþ Left: Mat"l¿ Graltant' aon' tø" bonotns;Top Top' Pau't BayJield artd Steue' bid.s fat'euell;

È Ê

Asia hands gather in london: Double pulitzer Prize winner Horst Faas, the Associated press' Senior

Photo Editor in London, prepares to bicycle off into a tlanqtril summer evening. \)Øith him (left to tWht) are the Hong Kong Trade Development Council's pR honcho Sarah Monks, the cause of the gathering, the International Herald Tribune's Brenda Hagerty and the AP's Edie Lederer. After. 16 y earc of covering the

wodcl's hotspots from her base in London, FCC absent member Edie is being tr-ansferred to New

Staff wedding last August 16 Long rime FCC stafï members Teresa l(arn and Anthony Ong hetcl their wedcling reception

York u.here she'll become the Ap's Chief Colrespondent in the UN.

Correction

Fonner first vice president Mike Gonzalez and the Far Eastern Econonûc Reuiew must have been surprised to learn of Mike's employment s'ith the esteemed publication, as stated in last month's covemge of his farewell party. In q c

I I

fact Mike, the former deputy editorial page editor of the Asian \Yall Street tournal, is now holding the same position with tbe Wall StreetJournal hn'oþe in Brussels. Apologies to all concerned. The next time you're passing throtlgh Mike, it's The Corespondenl's shoutl

September'1998

[-:il Terescr u'ttlt the sl Left: Antbon'¡t crncl rbe ccttrpte ¿tith the

;;;;,;,';;n teL: iitl'," nl"-,rnOOt'c()ttple

u'irb

Pteskle

Ditlilxg tt Bcrr; onr

50 years attlne FCC A montbly portrøùt of FCC ircepløceøbles

1999 marks the 50th anniversary of the FCC

in Hong Kong

During next March there will be:

o { monster anniversary party . Lunch speaker series . Cocktail parties o { month of anniversary food Come along and meet old friends or just contemplate your navel over the next 50 years. *****

The Conespondent plans a bumper 50th anniYersary issue

Fred Fredricks Member since: Age:

plan to look a little at the past, a lot of the present, and a little of the future. 'We

7969.

Profession: Nationality: Least likely to say: Most likely to say:

'We

Younger than Minnesota Fats who's pushing daisies, but older than Paul Newman. US tax consultant. American "It's deductible." "You're not paying enough taxes."

invite ideas and contributions. We also want YOUR ADS

This is a good way to support your club and your magazine and give your company a high profile in a magazine that will reach the four corners of the globe

Pltotograþbed. by llubert aan Es Kodak (Far East) Limited Sponsored by

THD CORXXSPOilDENT September 1998

f'JiÉ(iË )É.llR'¡}Ël

Place your bookings with the Publications Committee representatives (Paul Bayfield, Terry Duckham and Saul Lockhart)

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