The Correspondent, April - June 2021

COVER STORY

T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E F O R E I G N C O R R E S P O N D E N T S ’ C L U B

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HONG KONG

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APRIL 2021

Covering the Coup A Burmese reporter dodges armed soldiers, informers and internet blackouts

The unfortunate truth about ‘fake news’ laws, p.18

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Flight MH370: Was the missing plane hijacked? p.22

50 Years On: How Ping-Pong Diplomacy changed geopolitics, p.26

18/3/2021 9:20 AM

CAST YOUR VOTE! The annual FCC Board elections are coming up in May.

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Don’t forget to vote by mail or in person by 3 pm on 20 May 2021.

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CONTENTS COVER STORY

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COVERING THE COUP: A MYANMAR JOURNALIST REPORTS

Freelancer Kyaw Hsan Hlaing documents the day-to-day angst of working during a military crackdown.

Cover Photo: Ye Aung Thu / AFP

UPFRONT

THE REGULARS 2

Editor’s Letter

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Committee Insights: Turmoil and Triumph in DC We go behind the scenes with the Wall Committee to learn how they curated the Capitol Riot exhibit in record time.

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From the President

On the Wall: Temple of Speed Don’t miss Joe Honda’s thrilling motorsports photography, capturing pivotal races in 1960s Japan and beyond.

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Club News Cast your vote for the next FCC Board of Governors, join us for the Human Rights Press Awards, and get to know Financial Controller Alex Lee.

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Wine & Dine Easter feasts and fun, white asparagus galore, a Mother’s Day cocktail and the ultimate Singapore noodles recipe.

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Member Insights Journalist and psychotherapist Kate Whitehead shares stress-management tips for the pandemic and beyond.

FEATURES

Member Movements Who’s joined, relocated or resigned? Here’s the skinny.

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New Members Get to know our latest batch of FCC members.

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Escape Routes Who better to recommend the best Hong Kong hikes than Everest mountaineer and FCC member Michael Tomordy?

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Speakers Enrich HK shares financial planning advice for helpers at a time when everyone’s feeling the pinch.

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‘Fake News’ Legislation Stifles Critical Reporting FCC First Vice President Eric Wishart examines the reality of emerging ‘fake news’ laws.

Without a Trace: What happened to Flight MH370?

Former FCC President Florence de Changy’s new book raises chilling questions about the official storyline.

The Table Tennis Match that Changed the World As China and the US faced off over ping-pong 50 years ago, Jonathan Sharp witnessed a new breed of diplomacy.

THE CORRESPONDENT

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Book Review FCC member Jake van der Kamp’s The Rise and Fall of the Hang Seng Index offers a no-nonsense guide to investment.

Reading List A dozen top-notch reads as recommended by a few of the FCC’s distinguished speakers.

Last Laugh David Cain finds something to smile about as he wrestles with bad news and COVID-19 fatigue.

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The Foreign Correspondents’ Club 2 Lower Albert Road Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2521 1511 Fax: (852) 2868 4092 Email: fcc@fcchk.org Website: www.fcchk.org

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS’ CLUB HONG KONG

EDITOR’S LETTER

The Board of Governors 2020-2021 President Keith Richburg

Dear FCC members, It’s been a rough start to 2021, with ongoing pandemic restrictions, crackdowns on free press and troubling news around the region.

In our cover story, we chronicle one of the most brutal events, the Myanmar military coup. On the ground in Yangon, journalist Kyaw Hsan Hlaing describes an increasingly dangerous world of internet blackouts, informers and armed soldiers (pg. 14).

After seizing power, Myanmar’s military junta proposed a cybersecurity law that takes aim at “misinformation and disinformation”, among other offences. In February, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam also announced plans to consider legislation combating “false information on the internet”.

What could this mean for journalists? FCC First Vice President Eric Wishart turns a microscope on “fake news” laws, which have been used by governments around the world to stifle critical reporting (pg. 18).

Next, we dive into former FCC President Florence de Changy’s new book on Flight MH370, which vanished on 8 March 2014. Having spent more than seven years investigating the mystery, de Changy reveals a captivating counter-narrative that challenges official reports (pg. 22).

April marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of Ping-Pong Diplomacy, in which American and Chinese table-tennis players faced off as part of a larger geopolitical game to improve relations. Jonathan Sharp, then Reuters’ China correspondent, takes us back in time (pg. 26).

This issue, we’ve also introduced a few new sections, including a tempting recipe from FCC Executive Chef Johnny Ma (pg. 10), some hiking inspiration (pg. 42), and a reading list chock-full of recommendations from the club’s notable speakers (pg. 47).

And a quick personal note: I am expecting my first child (a girl!) at the end of March. While I adjust to parenthood, my colleague, Ed Peters, will helm the July issue. I’m confident he’ll bring you lots of riveting reads!

Cheers, Kate Springer Get in touch: editor@fcchk.org

First Vice President Eric Wishart Second Vice President Tim Huxley Correspondent Member Governors Jennifer Hughes, Mary Hui, Tripti Lahiri, Kristie Lu Stout, Shibani Mahtani, Kristine Servando, Dan Strumpf Journalist Member Governors Clifford Buddle, Adam White Associate Member Governors Genavieve Alexander, Andy Chworowsky, Liu Kin-ming, Christopher Slaughter Club Treasurer Tim Huxley Club Secretary Jennifer Hughes Professional Committee Conveners: Eric Wishart, Keith Richburg Finance Committee Conveners: Tim Huxley (Treasurer), Jennifer Hughes Constitutional Committee Conveners: Liu Kin-ming, Keith Richburg Membership Committee Conveners: Jennifer Hughes, Clifford Buddle, Kristine Servando House/Food and Beverage Committee Conveners: Adam White, Andy Chworowsky, Genavieve Alexander Building - Project and Maintenance Committee Conveners: Christopher Slaughter, Liu Kin-ming Press Freedom Committee Conveners: Eric Wishart, Dan Strumpf, Tripti Lahiri, Shibani Mahtani Communications Committee Conveners: Genavieve Alexander, Kristine Servando Wall Committee Conveners: Adam White, Shibani Mahtani, Christopher Slaughter, Kristie Lu Stout General Manager Didier Saugy Editor, The Correspondent Kate Springer, Springer Creative Email: kate@kate-springer.com; editor@fcchk.org Publisher: Artmazing!

Tel: 9128 8949 Email: artmazingcompany@gmail.com Printing Elite Printing, Tel: 2558 0119 Advertising Contact FCC Front Office: Tel: 2521 1511

Corrections: The Correspondent, January 2021 Issue

• On pg. 29, we incorrectly stated that the FCC has 196 reciprocal clubs. There are currently 96 reciprocal clubs.

• On pg. 30, we incorrectly referred to Hong Kong as a SAR in the 1970s. Hong Kong did not become a SAR until 1997.

The Correspondent ©2021 The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong The Correspondent is published four times a year.

Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the club.

• On pg. 43, we incorrectly stated that those over 65 who have been members for at least 20 years are eligible for Silver membership. At least 30 years are required.

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THE CORRESPONDENT

18/3/2021 9:22 AM

FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear FCC Members, It’s my great honour to be back as the FCC President at this critical juncture.

The last time I had the privilege was 24 years ago. A lot has changed since 1997, but much remains depressingly familiar.

Hong Kong then was entering an uncertain new era, facing questions about the future after the handover. The city was also battling a deadly new zoonotic pathogen, H5N1 or “bird flu”, which killed six out of 18 infected people in Hong Kong and led to the slaughter of more than a million chickens.

That same year, the entire region reeled from a financial crisis that saw economies in free fall and currencies collapse. The volatility sparked protests against authoritarian governments in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, leading to optimistic predictions that Asia may finally embrace the global trend toward pluralism and openness.

Some autocrats continued espousing “Asian values”, a notion that prized stability and consensus as a counter to the supposed Western ideals of individualism and democracy.

In Myanmar in 1997, a military dictatorship that refused to recognise the result of earlier free elections was formally admitted to ASEAN despite its abysmal human rights record. In Cambodia, strongman Hun Sen staged a coup, then jailed opposition politicians and journalists or forced them into exile.

But still, democracy in Asia seemed on the march. Or so I thought. Looking back, this prediction seems naive at best and definitely short-sighted.

When democracy is under assault, so too is press freedom.

The military has once again seized power in a coup in Myanmar. Hun Sen, now Asia’s longest-serving leader, has again been rounding up scores of opposition politicians, vowing to remain in charge “until I want to stop”. And student-led protesters have again taken to Bangkok’s streets, trying vainly to dislodge yet another military government that took power after a flawed election.

The old “Asian values” debate has faded, since replaced by the notion of a “Chinese model” of efficient authoritarianism touted as superior to the mess in the West. China now holds up its effective handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of the superiority of top-down, authoritarian decision-making.

Like before, Asia faces a long economic recovery from the pandemic. And Hong Kong is once again facing an uncertain future under a new national security law and a sweeping overhaul of the electoral system that promises to sideline the prodemocracy opposition. If 1997 was Hong Kong’s handover, this last year has been an extreme makeover.

When democracy is under assault, so too is press freedom. Most countries in the region have backslid on the global indices for democracy and freedom of the press. We continue to see journalists threatened with defamation, blasphemy and lèse-majesté laws, or worse, imprisoned and killed. Emerging “fake news” legislation seems designed to stifle critical coverage rather than tackle the scourge of disinformation.

Fortunately, one thing that has not changed in the last quarter century is the central role of the FCC. Whether serving as a fierce advocate for press freedom or a welcoming platform for lively debate, the FCC remains integral to the life of this city and the region.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

As for my return as president at this juncture, I am reminded of the old French saying coined by writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”, meaning, “The more things change, the more they remain the same.”

Keith Richburg Hong Kong March 2021

THE CORRESPONDENT

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CLUB NEWS

7 April: Annual Nomination Meeting Know someone who would be a great addition to the FCC’s Board of Governors? To submit a nomination orally, don’t miss the Annual Nomination Meeting, which will be held at the club on 7 April 2021 at 6 pm.

The meeting is open to all members and pertains to the 2021-2022 term only. If you can’t make it in person, you can also make a nomination in writing. Pick up a form from the club office and submit it in person or by registered letter no later than 6 pm on 7 April 2021.

What positions are up for nomination? l President: Must be a Correspondent Member l First Vice President: Must be a Correspondent Member l Second Vice President: May be a Journalist or Associate Member l 8 Correspondent Member Governors: Must be Correspondent Members l 2 Journalist Member Governors: Must be Journalist Members l 4 Associate Member Governors: Must be Associate Members

20 May: Annual FCC Board Elections 2021-2022 The annual FCC Board elections will be taking place once again this May. Have ideas about how the club should be governed – and who should lead the way? This is your chance to make your voice heard.

Correspondent, Journalist and Associate members may vote in the annual elections by mailing a paper ballot (which will be sent to members on 14 April) or in-person via the ballot box in the club foyer. Just be sure to cast your vote before 20 May at 3 pm.

25 May: Annual General Meeting

PHOTOS: FCC

The FCC will hold the Annual General Meeting (AGM), where members will vote to approve a series of reports, review any proposed article amendments, and officially install the new board on 25 May.

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THE CORRESPONDENT

18/3/2021 9:23 AM

6 May: 2021 Human Rights Press Awards Now in their 25th year, the Human Rights Press Awards (HRPA) are organised by the FCC, Amnesty International Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Journalists Association as part of a mission to recognise top rights-related reporting in Asia, and raise awareness about threats to human rights and freedoms.

For the 2021 edition, which covers work published or broadcast in 2020, HRPA has invited prominent figures in the fields of media, law, academia, and human rights volunteers to judge more than 400 entries, from both professionals and students.

This April, HRPA will run an online poll in which members of the public can vote to decide the annual People’s Choice Photo Award. And on 6 May, HRPA will announce the 2021 winners online.

For further details, please visit: humanrightspressawards.org

Top: Mattress Shield by Lai Chun Kit, Ming Pao; Above: Police Shoot Pepper Spray onto Protesters, by Yu Chun Leung, HK01; Left: Anti-Extradition Bill Protests in Hong Kong by Lam Chun Tung, Initium.

Shopping for Mother’s or Father’s Day gifts? Don’t forget the FCC has a huge range of merchandise, running the gamut from ecofriendly reusable tote bags to wine glasses, beer mugs, coffee mugs, international power adapters, Parker Pens, portable power banks, mousepads, notepads, T-shirts and much more. Swing by the club office to check out the latest additions to the collection.

THE CORRESPONDENT

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PHOTO: L AKSHMI HARILELA

FCC Goods & Gear

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CLUB NEWS

Turning a New Page In October 2020, The Correspondent became one of the first magazines in the city to ditch its plastic delivery envelopes in favour of a more environmentally friendly paper alternative.

Plastic packaging wreaks havoc on the environment, with just 13 percent of plastic waste recycled in Hong Kong each year. Virtually none of the world’s plastic magazine mailing covers even make it that far.

Instead, they often end up in landfills, incinerated, or worse, in our waterways and environment where they could take hundreds of years to disintegrate.

The FCC is proud to introduce paper envelopes, which decompose after two to six weeks. We felt this was an important change for the city’s magazine industry, and just one example of the club’s biggerpicture sustainability efforts. Stay tuned for more information in the next issue.

We now use paper envelopes, which decompose after two to six weeks.

SPEND APRIL IN ITALY The FCC is pleased to welcome Guest Chef Fabio Mariella to present a series of Seasonal Italian White Asparagus dishes this April.

Join us from 12 to 23 April to enjoy a set menu starring the prized vegetable, or reserve a seat at our Theme Dinner on 20 April.

*Photos are for reference only.

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THE CORRESPONDENT

18/3/2021 9:23 AM

Meet Alex Lee Shu Yeung, FCC Financial Controller Alex Lee, 53, has been a friendly face in the finance department over the past three decades.

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you find your way to the FCC? Alex Lee: I was born here in Hong Kong, then later studied in the UK. In 1986, I became a cost controller – planning and controlling the budget – at the Hong Kong Hilton. That’s where I met a financial controller from the FCC, who invited me to join her team. That was 1992, almost 29 years ago.

What does your current role entail?

AL: Our department covers audits, purchasing, cost control and members’ accounts. I am very interested in the fluctuations in our numbers because it shows our progress and challenges.

To control prices, you need to consider the cost of the ingredients, how the chef designs the menu, and how they use the ingredients. If the price is too high, members won’t order it.

Which events have been the most significant during your years at the FCC? AL: Apart from the Handover and the New Millennium party, one that really sticks in my mind is the Po Leung Kuk Charity Ball in 2002. We hosted 1,000 guests and had to make all the arrangements, including selling raffle tickets, auction items, and working with many different agencies. It was a brilliant success, and I learned a lot.

PHOTO: L AKSHMI HARILELA

How has the pandemic affected your work?

AL: The biggest impact has been the group restrictions – no evening dining or events, like the New Year’s Eve party. We anticipated some of the holiday events might be restricted and, luckily, saved on costs.

Overall, COVID-19 restrictions are tough to plan around but we admire the leadership from General Manager Didier Saugy, who has kept a tight rein on costs and identified opportunities to generate new revenue. This has kept us on track – as well as newly inspired – during the crisis.

Anything else you’d care to add?

AL: I’d like to thank the Board, especially Treasurer Tim Huxley, who has given me so much support. And I’d like to thank all nine of my staff, a couple of whom have been with us for more than 20 years. The back office is a wonderful place to work.

Put your calculator down for a second. Where do you go to relax?

AL: While the beaches are closed, I have been cycling with my wife and children in the New Territories. My son

THE CORRESPONDENT

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Alex Lee, the FCC’s Financial Controller.

is 10 and showing signs of becoming a mathematician; my daughter, who prefers painting, is two years younger.

I’m thrilled because she’s learned to ride her bike without stabilisers, so we can go further and faster now.

My favourite cycling trail is Sha Tin to Ma On Shan because of the water, fresh air and nature. n

DID YOU KNOW?

The FCC has a spacious back office on Arbuthnot Road, where the club’s finance, HR and IT teams work.

The office used to be in the basement but was relocated in 1998 to make more room for member facilities.

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WINE & DINE

EASTER FIESTA Baskets, bunnies, chocolate eggs... the FCC is hopping into Easter with family-friendly activities, bountiful brunches and an Easter lunch promotion to boot. Make the most of the holiday weekend with brunch accompanied by free-flow mimosas on Good Friday, Easter Sunday or Monday. To keep the little ones entertained, the FCC will be decking out the Main Dining Room with a popcorn machine, claw crane arcade game, plus a special children’s menu. Available from 2 to 5 April for dine-in* and takeaway. Reservations recommended.

Take 3: Takeaway Wines Food and Beverage Manager Michael Chan’s top wines-togo for Easter:

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PHOTOS: L AKSHMI HARILELA

• White: 2018 Louis Latour Bourgogne Chardonnay (HK$220) • Red: 2019 Hunter’s Pinot Noir (HK$280) • Sparkling Rosé: NV Col de’ Salici Rosé de’ Salici Vino Spumante Brut (HK$170)

THE CORRESPONDENT

18/3/2021 9:24 AM

BEST OF THE SEASON As Italian white asparagus comes into season this April, the FCC is flying in a special consignment to celebrate these sought-after spears. Grown underground, white asparagus is prized for its delicate, slightly sweet flavour and tender texture.

Come see what all the fuss is about: The FCC is hosting a mix of a la carte, set and vegetarian Seasonal Italian White Asparagus menus from 12 to 23 April, with a special White Asparagus Theme Dinner on 20 April. Available from 12 to 23 April for dine-in* and takeaway.Reservations recommended.

What pairs with white asparagus?

PHOTOS: L AKSHMI HARILELA

FCC wine guru Michael Chan shares three tempting suggestions.

Prinz von Hessen Riesling Trocken Hessenstein 2018 “Dry German riesling makes a great pairing because its freshness contrasts the mellower notes of white asparagus.

This delicate and dazzling riesling, in particular, is a shining example of crispness and elegance.”

THE CORRESPONDENT

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Canaletto Pinot Grigio Venezie IGT 2019 “Since big, oaky chardonnays and tannic reds will overpower white asparagus, try this light-bodied, delicate pinot grigio. Balanced and refreshing, it has a lovely floral aroma, fresh fruit on the palate and a rush of citrus acidity.”

Paua Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2020 “Light and floral, this sauvignon blanc complements the mild flavour of white asparagus while its acidity provides balance.

Expect a bright nose, gooseberry and passion fruit flavours, and a hint of melon and citrus.”

Cheers to Mum Mother’s Day is coming up on 9 May. Spoil the leading lady in your life with a specially crafted Mother’s Day cocktail at the FCC. As fun as it is fresh, this vibrant pink concoction is made with rum and Cointreau, amid a foaming whirl of milk, yoghurt and strawberries. Available on 9 May for dine-in* only.

*Dine-in events will depend on COVID-19 restrictions. Check online for updates.

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WINE & DINE

RECIPE

HOW TO:

COOK SINGAPORE NOODLES Born and bred in Hong Kong, Executive Chef Johnny Ma knows a thing or two about Cantonese cuisine.

Ma shares his recipe for Singapore noodles, so you can recreate this popular FCC dish at home.

Singapore noodles can be found in Cantonese communities across Australia, Canada, the US and India.

Typically made with springy vermicelli noodles, Chinese char siu, scrambled eggs, prawns, bell peppers, soy sauce and a dash of curry powder, these humble noodles hit the spot when we’re craving a quick yet satisfying meal after a long day.

PHOTO: L AKSHMI HARILELA

A staple at Cantonese restaurants around Hong Kong, Singapore noodles don’t actually come from Singapore.

Despite the name, these noodles were invented right here in the city after the British introduced curry powder.

The combination of rice noodles and curry powder felt like a nod to the Indian-Chinese fusion dishes in Singapore, so they named it after the city-state. Today,

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THE CORRESPONDENT

18/3/2021 9:24 AM

Chef Ma’s Singapore Noodles Recipe: Ingredients: 30gm Shelled prawns (submerge in ice water with 2

tbsp sugar for 30 min) 1 tsp canola oil 2½ tsp Asian fish sauce 150g dried rice stick noodles 2pcs cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp Shaoxing wine ¼ tsp ground white pepper ¼ tsp sugar 2½ tbsp vegetable oil 2pcs eggs, beaten with two pinches salt 30g char siu (Chinese roast pork) ¼ pc medium onion, thinly sliced ½ pc medium red bell pepper, julienned 10g carrot, julienned 1 tbsp curry powder 30g ham, thinly sliced 30g squid 10g scallions, thinly sliced 2 tsp sesame oil

salt to taste Instructions 1. Drain and pat shrimp dry with paper towels and place in a bowl. Add 1 tsp canola oil and 1/2 tsp fish sauce. Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator.

2. Place rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Drain noodles in a colander, rinse with cold running water, then drain until dry. Using scissors, cut the bundle of noodles in half.

4. Place garlic in a small bowl and add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, sugar, and 2 tsp fish sauce. Mix well and set sauce aside.

5. Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a wok or nonstick skillet over high heat, tilting to swirl oil, until smoking.

6. Add eggs, cook undisturbed for about 10 seconds, and then gently move the eggs with a spatula until they start to firm. Break the eggs into small pieces, then set aside in a large bowl.

7. Add shrimp and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add roast pork and onion. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds.

8. Add red bell pepper and stir for 30 seconds, then add carrots. Add 1 tsp curry powder, season with salt.

Cook, tossing, until evenly distributed. Scrape wok contents into bowl with eggs.

9. Wipe wok clean. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil on high until smoking. Add noodles. Stir-fry 30 seconds.

10. Add sauce and remaining curry powder. Stir until evenly distributed. Add eggs, shrimp, roast pork, squid, ham, and vegetables. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.

11. Season with salt and remove from heat.

12. Add scallions, drizzle with sesame oil, mix well, and transfer to a large serving bowl.

13. Enjoy!

THE CORRESPONDENT

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MEMBER INSIGHTS

TIME TO UNWIND Kate Whitehead, a journalist and therapist, discusses how to manage stress during the pandemic and beyond. By Morgan M Davis

The pandemic has been traumatic for people all around the world. Like many places, Hongkongers have experienced varying degrees of isolation, uncertainty and job insecurity on top of existing political turbulence and high-pressure lifestyles.

FCC member Kate Whitehead has seen firsthand how such stressors can impact one’s mental and physical wellbeing through her work, where she bridges two taxing worlds: journalism and psychotherapy. As a qualified psychotherapist and TRE (tension- and trauma-releasing exercises) provider, Whitehead helps clients manage stress and anxiety.

She also writes about mental health and wellness, winning the Mind HK Awards 2019 for the best Englishlanguage journalism coverage of mental health issues. We caught up with Whitehead to hear more about her advice for coping during times of uncertainty: Why did you decide to become a therapist?

Kate Whitehead: As a journalist, the work I most enjoy is writing profiles, sitting down with someone for a one-onone interview and getting to know how they came to be the person they are and what makes them tick.

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Often, people open up and share things they’ve told very few people. That led to an interest in psychology, so I did a master’s in counselling three years ago.

My focus is still journalism – it accounts for about threequarters of my work – and the rest of the time I work as a psychotherapist at a [general practice] clinic in Central, Optimal Family Health. I’m especially interested in working with people with stress, anxiety and trauma, which is what led me to become a TRE provider. I practice TRE at the Clarke Clinic in Central.

What is TRE? What are the benefits?

KW: It’s a series of seven exercises that help the body release deep muscular patterns of stress or tension. These simple exercises activate a muscular shaking process in the body, known as neurogenic tremors, which allow the body to shake off built-up stress.

TRE is great for reducing stress and anxiety, improving sleep, easing muscle and back pain and healing old injuries.

Recently, I’ve been working with a lot of people with back and shoulder pain and sleep issues and seeing good results.

My close friends are now regular ‘shakers’ and I’m on the TRE Board of Directors.

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18/3/2021 9:24 AM

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

TRE is great for reducing stress and anxiety, improving sleep, easing muscle and back pain and healing old injuries.

How has the pandemic impacted mental health?

KW: The pandemic, coming hard on the heels of months of anti-government protests, means everyone’s mental wellbeing has been impacted to some extent. A lot of people are experiencing anxiety or low moods, which has brought mental health issues much more out in the open and helped lift the stigma.

There is so much uncertainty at the moment: when will we be able to travel? When will a vaccine we trust be available? When things feel out of our control, it’s helpful to focus on whatever we can control.

And we must try to find a way to process our emotions.

Sure, have a Netflix binge if you need it, but every now and then give yourself space to process all the baggage that comes with this pandemic.

What can Hongkongers do to manage stress?

KW: There is plenty of research to show that exercise improves not only your physical health but also your mental health. Regular exercise helps reduce anxiety and depression; it also releases chemicals such as endorphins

PHOTO: NICK GAUNT

Kate Whitehead (second from right) leads a TRE session.

Journalist and pyschotherapist Kate Whitehead.

and serotonin that improve your mood. The gyms may be closed [off and on], but the country parks are open and they are free.

You've written two books: one about Hong Kong crime, the other on sex work. How do you manage your own mental health when writing about difficult topics?

KW: The crime writing was a while ago and I’ve moved on to less grisly pastures since, but I do still enjoy a good murder story. My great de-stressor is exercise; I’m a big hiker and as soon as the gyms reopen, I’ll be a regular at Fivelements again.

I also meditate and do TRE at least twice a week. And I’m lucky enough to have some really good, close friends who not only keep me on an even keel but make life fun. n

K ATE’S TOOLKIT Practice better mental wellness with these tools.

VIA Reports

Start your wellness journey with this free self-assessment, which identifies your strengths and how you can apply them to improve your life. viacharacter.org

THE CORRESPONDENT

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Headspace

A go-to for those new to meditation, Headspace makes the practice more approachable with intro classes and goal-oriented sessions. headspace.com

Calm

One of the most popular mindfulness apps, Calm shares techniques to improve sleep, focus, self-improvement and more. calm.com

Seven

This fitness app offers a range of seven-minute workouts that you can squeeze into your schedule to boost your mood and mental health. seven.app

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COVER STORY

ON THE FRONT LINE:

A MYANMAR JOURNALIST REPORTS

Chronicling events on the ground in Yangon, Arakanese freelance journalist Kyaw Hsan Hlaing documents an increasingly perilous situation for journalists in the wake of the military coup.

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KEY EVENTS IN MYANMAR 1948 Burma becomes independent 1962 Military junta assumes power 1988 8888 Pro-Democracy Protests bloodily suppressed 1989 Ruling military junta changes name from Burma

to Myanmar 1990 Multi-party elections held. Aung San Suu Kyi’s

NLD wins 2008 Military-drafted power-sharing constitution

hastily passed in the wake of Cyclone Nargis 2011 Reforms introduced 2015 NLD comes to power in landslide elections 2017 Military commits mass violence against

Rohingya; 740,000 flee to Bangladesh 2019 Aung San Suu Kyi testifies to the ICJ in defence

of genocide charges 2020 Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD wins national elections,

military decries election fraud 2021 Military seizes power 1 Feb; declares

year-long state of emergency; country-wide

protests and strikes ensue

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A protester calling for the release of detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

write about armed conflict between the Arakan Army and Burmese military in my native Rakhine state, and we have been working together since.

As hundreds of thousands demonstrate and workers strike across every sector, the situation continues to intensify. On the weekend of 13-14 March, at least 51 people were fatally shot, bringing the total number of people killed by soldiers and police since the coup up to at least 126. According to The New York Times, more than a fifth of those killed have been teenagers.

More than 2,100 people have been arrested as of 13 March, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, and many of those arrested were seized from their homes at night without a warrant. At least 37 journalists have also been taken into custody, of whom 15 have not yet been released; some were beaten upon arrest while others have been forced to sign statements that they will cease reporting.

Five prominent Yangon-based media groups have had their licenses revoked and been banned from publishing on any platform, while the military has raided several media outlets, seizing computers, printers and data servers.

The military is arbitrarily shutting down the internet and people, including me, are afraid to make phone calls in case the calls could be intercepted.

Living under an authoritarian state is all too familiar in Myanmar, which was run by a military junta from 1962 to 2011. During those years, we were surrounded by informers, the government heavily censored media, and SIM cards were kept prohibitively expensive (upwards of US$7,000 in 1998 and around US$625 in 2011), effectively cutting off our access to news and information.

In 2011, the military began a series of reforms, and

PHOTO: STR / AFP

hen my roommate woke me early on 1 February with the news that the Myanmar military had staged a coup, I knew that as a freelance journalist focused on human rights I could become a target.

I deactivated my Facebook account and requested the editor at an international news agency delete my byline from some sensitive articles. I then walked around my neighbourhood in Yangon to assess the situation.

Everywhere I looked, I saw faces lined with fear and uncertainty.

The military had cut my phone connection, but I heard a rumour that one network was still accessible. I queued for two hours to buy a SIM card, but when I activated it, there was still no connection.

After the military, known as the Tatmadaw, arrested former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi along with more than 40 party officials and declared a year-long state of emergency, everything has taken on a new urgency, including my work as a journalist.

I have been reporting around the clock as a freelance journalist for publications such as TIME, Al Jazeera, The Nation, The Globe and Mail, VICE News and Columbia Journalism Review in partnership with US-based freelance journalist, Emily Fishbein, who worked in Myanmar from 2015 to 2020. During the pandemic, we teamed up to

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PHOTO: SAI AUNG MAIN / AFP

Protesters demonstrate against the military coup in Yangon on 14 February 2021.

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PHOTO: SUPPLIED

COVER STORY

Kyaw Hsan Hlaing reports from Yangon.

in 2013, the price of SIM cards dropped hundredfold. I accessed the internet for the first time from my village in Rakhine, on the western coast, in 2014.

Myanmar held openly democratic elections in November 2015, bringing the National League for Democracy (NLD) to power. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi became the country’s de facto leader, and although the country was still under a 2008 military-drafted constitution allowing the civilian government and generals to share power, many expected that the NLD would counter the military’s influence and champion democracy and human rights.

Aung San Suu Kyi dashed expectations when she defended the military against charges of genocide for its treatment of the Rohingya at the International Court of Justice in 2019. Other ethnic groups in Myanmar, including my own Arakanese community (also called ethnic Rakhine), have also been bitterly disappointed by Aung San Suu Kyi’s failure to condemn human rights abuses that the Tatmadaw allegedly committed, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Instead, her government backed the Tatmadaw’s violent campaigns, blocked humanitarian access and, in parts of my home state and the neighbouring Chin state, imposed the world’s longest internet shutdown. Since 21 June 2019, government restrictions on the internet left more than 1 million people without effective access for 19 months.

The NLD government also cracked down on press freedom, especially in Rakhine, where it blocked independent media access to conflict-affected areas beginning in 2016, with the exception of pre-arranged reporting tours in which journalists were accompanied by government minders.

During the first four years of NLD’s term (20152018), 67 lawsuits were filed against journalists and media personnel. Of these, 31 were filed by the government; 11 by the military; and the rest by religious institutions, tycoons, employers, political parties, armed groups and others, according to a report in May 2020 by Yangon-based freedom of expression organisation Athan.

More than three dozen journalists were charged with defamation, while others were charged with supporting an unlawful association or alleged terrorist group when they reported on conflict between the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed organisations or interviewed their spokespersons.

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In 2018, the government imprisoned Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo for possessing classified information which police had planted on them, while they were reporting on the massacre of 10 Rohingya in Rakhine.

They spent more than 500 days behind bars before being released in May 2019 under a presidential amnesty.

While the NLD severely curtailed media freedoms, sinking back under military rule is far worse. Almost immediately, journalism became significantly more challenging and dangerous, and the obstacles and risks are increasing by the day.

On 27 February, I went out to observe the protests.

After being tear-gassed, I ran away from authorities only to come face to face with a soldier. He pointed a gun at my friend and me, and said: “Back up, I don’t want to shoot you.” I backed up and immediately left the area.

MAPPING MYANMAR

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PHOTO: STR / AFP

A protester holds a sign denouncing Myanmar General Min Aung Hlaing.

What’s more, the social media landscape has changed dramatically. Facebook, which serves as the main source of news, information and communications in Myanmar, has long been used as a vehicle for hate speech and disinformation targeting ethnic minorities. After the military banned the platform on 4 February, users migrated to Twitter en masse. Two days later, the military banned Twitter as well, but users have continued to access both platforms using VPNs. Since the coup, my Twitter followers jumped from around 400 to nearly 10,000 as of 14 March. I have not received any serious threats online, but I worry that malicious activity will increase; I have already seen a spike in trolling and disinformation on the platform.

Intermittent internet shutdowns have posed another major problem. While the hazards of social media are many, the lack of online access is even more dangerous.

Unable to check reliable news sites or trusted sources to verify information, I have been calling my contact at a fact-checking civil society organisation for assistance.

But now she sometimes replies that the group is unable to confidently make an assessment.

With arrests increasing, I have taken extensive precautions to protect myself. On the day of the coup, I wrote down important phone numbers in my notebook, using nicknames in case police confiscated it. Next, I deleted all contacts, audio files and messages from my phone. I began using VPNs to access the internet, and when I use phone data, I switch between four SIM cards to separate my personal communications, browsing history, and reporting work – a strategy I had also used when reporting on armed conflict in Rakhine.

It is now much harder to collect information as I do not trust anyone. When I go outside, I am constantly alert and carefully assessing my surroundings. Informers could be anywhere, and I often feel as though people are watching me, especially when I carry my camera. I don’t talk openly with taxi drivers, and I am guarded even with my closest

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friends and family. I avoid talking deeply about my feelings and personal information as well, because people could take advantage of my vulnerabilities.

I see journalism as a tool to solve problems, and I am particularly motivated to promote human rights and social justice. I aim for in-depth coverage which prioritises the inclusion of diverse voices and especially those who are vulnerable and marginalised, such as displaced people, ethnic minorities and those living in remote areas.

Covering under-reported stories during an emergency, I feel an extra sense of responsibility to document what is happening accurately, informatively and effectively.

Despite the risks and pressures, I feel strongly motivated to persevere.

The most important thing is to share what is happening in Myanmar with the world. My country has already gone to the dark side, and if we don’t do anything, we may become trapped under military control for a long time. We need to end this situation and find our way to the light.

Each of us has our own role to play. For me, that role is journalism. n As told to Emily Fishbein, Kyaw Hsan Hlaing’s reporting partner, on 14 February 2021. Last updated on 14 March 2021, hours after the military issued a directive to telecoms operators to shut down the internet indefinitely in the country.

Kyaw Hsan Hlaing is an Arakanese student, researcher, and freelance journalist from Myanmar’s Rakhine state who focuses on peace, human rights; and social justice. He works to share on-the-ground situations of diverse people, especially marginalised and conflict-affected minorities, with the international community.

Emily Fishbein is an independent freelance journalist who worked in Myanmar from 2015 to 2020 and plans to return when she is able. She seeks to share diverse voices and perspectives, especially highlighting underreported stories. Prior to writing, she worked with refugees and displaced persons in Myanmar and the United States.

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FEATURE

HOW ‘FAKE NEWS’ LEGISLATION STIFLES CRITICAL REPORTING In February, Chief Executive Carrie Lam floated the possibility of ‘fake news’ legislation. But experts warn such laws have been used to silence government critics around the world. FCC First Vice President Eric Wishart examines the issue.

O

ne of the first steps taken by the military government in Myanmar after it seized power in the February coup was to announce legislation aimed at curbing online “misinformation” and “disinformation”.

If enacted, the cybersecurity law would punish anyone who spreads what is commonly known as “fake news” with three years in jail. It would also oblige internet service providers to remove content deemed to be offensive by the new government and disclose journalists’ personal data.

Like all “fake news” laws, it casts a wide

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net, covering any content “causing hate or disrupting unity, stabilisation and peace”.

Both disinformation and misinformation – two often conflated concepts – fall within the scope of the law. Disinformation is fabricated and designed to deceive, while misinformation can be the result of a genuine error that is shared without malicious intent.

Criminalising both in a single law would provide a powerful weapon for the Myanmar government in its battle to stifle dissent, serving as an example of why “fake news” laws have proved popular with

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COVID-19 have claimed countless lives, and Donald Trump’s “Big Lie” about election fraud drove the rioters who stormed the US Capitol in January.

The term “fake news” has come to become a popular way of describing all kinds of bogus information shared online.

Trump transformed the phrase into a cudgel with which to attack critical media coverage, and it was gleefully seized upon by authoritarian leaders around the world.

“When President Trump called CNN and The New York Times fake news, a week later President Duterte called Rappler fake news,” says Maria Ressa, founder of the Philippines-based online news outlet.

Governments from Nicaragua to Russia have introduced fake news legislation that usually shares three common features: it is ill-defined, hastily adopted, and used to attack media freedom and freedom of speech.

Some countries created entirely new laws while others amended existing legislation to target what they regarded as disinformation. In one high-profile example, Egyptian authorities arrested

Disinformation is fabricated and designed to deceive, while misinformation can be the result of a genuine error that is shared without malicious intent.

– Eric Wishart

PHOTO: HANDOUT / ROYAL THAI GOVERNMENT / AFP

authoritarian leaders around the world.

Such laws send a blunt message: Contradict our version of the truth and we’ll throw you in jail.

In Hong Kong, Chief Executive Carrie Lam told the Legislative Council this February that her administration’s priorities include tackling “doxing activities, hate speech, discriminatory remarks and false information on the internet”.

First, however, the government will focus on dealing with the invasion of privacy and doxing – the publication of personal details online – as it would be difficult to push through anti-fake news legislation quickly.

“In recent years, governments worldwide have tried to tackle the problems with legislative or administrative means,” she said. “Since this encompasses a wide spectrum of issues involving some degree of sensitivity, we will study the experiences and practices of other countries and places.”

As Lam noted, she is not the first government leader to recognise the offline dangers of online disinformation and conspiracy theories. Bogus claims about

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha (right) attends the launch of the Anti-Fake News Center in Bangkok on 29 October 2019.

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FEATURE

‘FAKE NEWS’ LAWS PASSED DURING COVID-19 Since February 2020, nearly 20 countries have passed some form of legislation to combat disinformation.

Russia Hungary Uzbekistan Bosnia Romania Tajikistan Azerbaijan Algeria

Jordan

UAE

Vietnam Thailand

Philippines

CREDIT: INTERNATIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE

Puerto Rico

Cambodia

Bolivia

JAILED JOURNOS

Iran

1

Bangladesh

3

Rwanda

3

Cameroon

5

Egypt

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22

SOURCE: CPJ

A record number of 34 journalists were imprisoned for “fake news” in 2020.

Brazil

Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein in December 2016 for “disseminating false news” among other accusations. He was released, without charge, in February 2021 after spending four years in jail.

The COVID-19 pandemic gave governments a further pretext to stifle critical voices. Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and one of the leading critics of “fake news” legislation, said a second wave of fake news laws has been part of what he called the “COVID crackdown”. “It’s a global phenomenon,” he said in an FCC Zoom discussion I hosted in June 2020.

Ostensibly designed to prevent the spread of dangerous rumours about the disease, the laws have instead been used by both autocratic and democratic governments “to impose sweeping restrictions on civil liberties and to enhance the power of the state,” Simon said. “This ranges from expansion of surveillance to restrictions on assembly to new laws restricting the dissemination of ‘fake news’ which the governments feel is up to them to determine.”

Simon has also expressed concern about what comes next. After the pandemic, we could be left with a world where “state power is strengthened, civil liberties are weakened, accountability is reduced. We

have to be mindful that it is playing out before our eyes,” he said.

When it comes to how to legislate against the spread of fake news online, Malaysia and Singapore provide contrasting examples. Embroiled in the multi-billiondollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) embezzlement scandal, the government of then Prime Minister Najib Razak – who was later imprisoned for 12 years – rushed through a fake news law in April 2018.

The legislation imposed a six-year jail term for the dissemination of news that was “wholly or partly false” and was widely seen as being aimed at suppressing coverage of 1MDB during an upcoming election campaign.

I spoke on a “fake news” panel in August 2018 with Malaysian Member of Parliament Nurul Izzah Anwar, who accused the Najib government of wanting to create a “Ministry of Truth” – that is, an Orwellian department of government devoted to suppressing unpalatable facts and promoting propaganda.

Nurul Izzah, daughter of prominent opposition politician Anwar Ibrahim, said that “fake news” laws in Southeast Asia would “only strengthen the hands of the authoritarian”. Najib lost the election to Mahathir Mohamad in May 2018, and the new government later repealed the law.

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PHOTO: KHALED DESOUKI / AFP

Egyptian authorities imprisoned Al Jazeera Producer Mahmoud Hussein from December 2016 to February 2021 for “disseminating false news”, among other accusations.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Singapore, the government took a more systematic approach to adopt its own fake news law. A select committee interviewed 65 witnesses and organisations and received 170 written representations before producing a 279-page report and a set of recommendations for the Singaporean parliament.

I met the chairman of the committee, Charles Chong, when we spoke at an Asia-Europe Foundation forum, entitled “Exploring the Battlefronts of ‘Fake News’”, in Brussels in October 2018. He presented a convincing case for the need to take action against disinformation, and the committee findings that he shared at the meeting were far from a surprise: “We have considered and recommended that the Singapore government consider new legislation, which will disincentivise deliberate online falsehoods and even impose criminal sanctions for malicious actors,” Chong said during his presentation.

Singapore passed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) in May 2019 and it came into effect in October that year. The law gives any government minister the power to declare online content “false” and order a correction notice to be published on the offending web page. Contravening the act can result in a five-year prison sentence or a fine of up to S$1 million (around HK$5.87 million).

Freelance journalist Kirsten Han, at that time editor of the independent news site New Naratif, gave five hours of evidence to the select committee, related to her

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work in facilitating information sessions on the issue of “fake news” and “deliberate online falsehoods”. She also filed a written submission, which urged the committee to consider non-legislative solutions, such as media literacy and greater transparency since “disinformation campaigns thrive in an information vacuum”.

According to Han, the government had only been going through the motions with its public consultation. “They already had something in mind and were looking to direct people towards their conclusion,” she says.

What has been the result? According to Human Rights Watch, the Singapore law has been used “primarily against content critical of the government or its policies”.

An online FCC panel discussion on 9 February 2021 with Maria Ressa, BuzzFeed Media Editor Craig Silverman and the Asia Global Institute’s Alejandro Reyes showed just how difficult it is to find a workable solution to the fake news problem.

It is an immensely complex issue, and the stakes are high. But one thing seems clear: fake news laws, at least in the form that they have been adopted so far, are not the answer.

“I can’t think of one actual past piece of legislation in this area that has necessarily worked out well,” says Silverman, one of the leading experts on the fight against disinformation. “The big trend I’ve seen is you have authoritarian governments seeing this as an opportunity to criminalise dissent and to criminalise actual independent critical reporting.” n

I can’t think of one actual past piece of legislation in this area that has necessarily worked out well.

– Joel Simon

Eric Wishart is the First Vice President of the FCC, a member of the AFP news management, and has just finished writing a book about the global impact of fake news, conspiracy theories and propaganda.

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FEATURE

WITHOUT A TRACE:

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO FLIGHT MH370?

Former FCC President Florence de Changy’s trenchant investigations point to a secret cargo, an abortive hijack and an insidious cover-up. By Kate Whitehead

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F

“One year on, and there was not a shred of tangible evidence that the plane had crashed in the Indian Ocean – not a single piece of debris,” says de Changy, who served as FCC President from 2017 to 2019.

Her follow-up story for Le Monde revealed gaping holes in the official narrative, which got people talking. In May 2015, the paper sent de Changy to the Maldives, where people claimed they had seen the doomed plane. Such tips turned out to be red herrings, but her articles caught the attention of French publisher Les Arènes, which led to a book deal.

“I started moving at a different speed, slower and more thoroughly,” says de Changy of writing Le Vol MH370 n’a pas disparu, which was published on the second anniversary of the plane’s disappearance.

Step by step, interview after interview, de Changy discovered a wealth of intelligence and incongruencies. Among her interviews, the investigative reporter spoke with MH370 pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah’s friends and family members. They protested what they considered a smear campaign to ultimately blame him for the incident by questioning his mental health and fitness to fly. De Changy also gained access to confidential records, which convinced her the pilot had been okay to fly.

Her investigation concluded that MH370 made no U-turn; no one turned off the transponder and ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting Systems), as claimed by

One year on, and there was not a shred of tangible evidence that the plane had crashed in the Indian Ocean – not a single piece of debris.

– Florence de Changy

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

light MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing on 8 March 2014 with 239 people on board.

Halfway across the Gulf of Thailand, the Boeing 777-200ER vanished from air traffic controllers’ screens without a trace.

The plane’s mysterious disappearance captivated the world. And when French daily Le Monde despatched its Hong Kongbased correspondent, Florence de Changy, to Kuala Lumpur to report on the tragedy, the veteran journalist had no idea it would lead to an ongoing, seven-year investigation and two books on the subject. The first, Le Vol MH370 n’a pas disparu [‘Flight MH370 Did Not Simply Disappear’], was published in 2016 by Les Arènes, and has since been translated into three languages with updates in each edition.

This February, HarperCollins published her second book: The Disappearing Act: The Impossible Case of MH370, which connects the dots from de Changy’s earlier investigations to reach a bold conclusion that discredits the official narrative as a sophisticated, costly and clumsy fabrication.

To recap: Within days of flight MH370’s disappearance, authorities claimed the plane had made a U-turn, flown back over Malaysia, and eventually crashed in the southern Indian Ocean. This was the official narrative when de Changy began reporting in Kuala Lumpur. But when she returned a year later to revisit the story, she discovered many details that simply did not add up.

De Changy speaks with Malaysian Member of Parliament and Admiral Mohamad Imran bin Abdul Hamid.

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When official pronouncements didn’t add up, de Changy sought out insights from sources across Asia.

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FEATURE

SOURCES: BBC; AUSTR ALIAN TR ANSPORT SAFET Y BUREAU FLIGHT PATH ANALYSIS; FLORENCE DE CHANGY

MH370: POSSIBLE FLIGHT PATHS

Potentially Shot Down 02:45MYT

Lost Military Radar 02:22MYT

Last Handshake Ping 08:11MYT

3 Indian Ocean

4

Kuala Lumpur Original Route Officially Reported Flightpath Officially Projected Flightpath De Changy’s Hypothesis

Plan A was likely a cargo ‘confiscation’ [hijack] operation to cloak the plane with two AWACS, force it to land, seize the problematic consignment and let it fly off again.

2 Final Contact with ATC 01:19MYT

1

Take-off 00:41MYT

then Prime Minister Najib Razak; the plane never crashed in the southern Indian Ocean; and the subsequent Australian search operation was either a deliberate or passive act of diversion.

During her investigations, she assembled new evidence that begins to tell a different story and raises new questions.

“I identified a problematic [electronic] cargo on the plane that had not been X-rayed, which is a no-no in terms of

aviation safety, that was delivered under armed escort to the airport,” says de Changy. The 2.5-tonne cargo was listed as “Motorola walkie-talkies and chargers”.

She also learned two US AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control Systems) – mobile, long-range radar surveillance and control centres for air defence – had been operating in the area.

At first, de Changy didn’t know what to make of this information. But after the Chinese edition of her first book came out in 2017, a military contact informed de Changy about AWACS’ jamming capabilities, which led her to a hypothetical conclusion.

“Plan A was likely a cargo ‘confiscation’ [hijack] operation to cloak the plane with two AWACS, force it to land, seize the problematic consignment and let it fly off again. The plane would have landed in Beijing with a slight delay, a non-event by Chinese aviation standards at the time,” says de Changy, who points out that the intercept was planned at the point where Vietnamese air traffic controllers would have assumed responsibility from their Malaysian counterparts.

She believes this scenario – based on a mix of sources, clues and confidential documents – failed because the experienced pilot refused to go along with Plan A. “Disaster happened when the plane was about to reach Chinese airspace at around 2:45 am off the northern coast of Vietnam,” she says. De Changy hypothesises that the plane was shot down accidentally or intentionally – most likely by a fighter

PHOTO: MOHD R ASFAN / AFP

– Florence de Changy

A recovered Boeing 777 wing flap identified to be part of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on display during a memorial event in Kuala Lumpur on 3 March 2019.

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PHOTO: GOH CHAI HIN / AFP

SCREEN TIME

A family member of a Chinese passenger from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 protests outside the Yonghegong Lama temple in Beijing.

jet, missile or a new laser-guided weapon system that the US had been testing in the region.

In The Disappearing Act, de Changy continues to untangle this complex web of information. It’s well worth reading to find out about the confidential documents and off-the-record conversations that led to her conclude the official narrative is a fabrication.

She admits there are still some gaps in the story but hopes that this book could motivate more people to come forward.

De Changy has been trying to track down the two Cathay Pacific pilots who flew over the Vietnam coast the day after the incident and reported spotting a massive field of metallic debris to air traffic control.

Although this report is in the official log, she hasn’t been able to identify the pilots.

Perhaps this might be the time for them to speak up, says de Changy.

“With each [new book] deadline, you revisit documents, relaunch new leads, call people again – with every deadline, the story improves, and you push it further,” says de Changy.

Any book that dares to debunk the official narrative is bound to invite grilling, and de Changy has braced for criticism.

However, she has already received many

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endorsements to date. Veteran investigative journalist Edward Jay Epstein says the book is a must-read for anyone wishing to understand one of the greatest mysteries of the 21st century.

Clare Rewcastle-Brown, editor-in-chief of London-based Malaysian investigative news outlet Sarawak Report, adds that it “demystifies the world’s greatest aviation secret”, and the Financial Times’ Victor Mallet comments: “with ruthless forensic skill, Florence de Changy has dismantled and discredited the official versions of what happened to the ill-fated flight MH370”.

De Changy concludes: “As a senior journalist who has worked in this part of the world for some time, I could not let this nonsensical story go unexplained. I feel a duty to get to the bottom of it.” n

In 2018, de Changy’s French publisher sold the rights of Le Vol MH370 n’a Pas Disparu for an Anglo-French TV mini-series.

“It’s a five-figure deal [in euros], but don’t forget that in most of these deals, you share about half with the publisher, and your agent usually takes a cut as well,” says de Changy.

Looking ahead, de Changy may also have another TV project in the works in the US. In 2019, when HarperCollins announced the publication of her new book, Netflix expressed great interest. But the project remains under wraps for now.

Visit the FCC to purchase ‘The Disappearing Act: The Impossible Case of MH370’.

Better yet, leave your book at the front desk and de Changy will swing by to sign it for you.

Kate Whitehead is the author of two books about the Hong Kong underworld and has worked for the South China Morning Post and Discovery magazine. She contributes to local and international media outlets while also working as a psychotherapist. Turn to pg. 12 to read her ‘Member Insights’ interview.

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FEATURE

50 YEARS ON:

THE TABLE TENNIS MATCH THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

Ping-Pong Diplomacy signalled the first step towards normalising US-China relations back in 1971.

A youthful Jonathan Sharp was on hand to watch events unfold.

A

s an increasingly anxious world watches the growing rivalry between the United States and an ascendant China, this April marks the 50th anniversary of an event in Beijing (then Peking) that changed the world.

Dubbed ‘Ping-Pong Diplomacy’, a surprise Chinese invitation to a US table tennis team to visit the People’s Republic of China paved the way to mending longsevered ties between the world’s most powerful nation and its most populous.

This Chinese initiative, a classic example of Beijing using sport to further its political and strategic goals, was hailed as one of the key developments of the late 20th century.

One could also argue that Ping-Pong Diplomacy sowed a seed for the tensions that strain China-US relations today.

It was my good luck to cover the match for Reuters. The global landscape then was far removed from today, with China slowly emerging from the grimmest days of the Cultural Revolution, one of the deadly political storms unleashed by Mao Zedong.

The economy was blighted, and the horrors of famine were recent. Today’s glittering

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Both China and the US had motives to thaw their relations, which had been in near deep freeze since the Communists took power.

Jonathan Sharp covering Sino-US Ping-Pong Diplomacy in 1971.

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modernity was a distant dream.

China also faced an increasingly hostile Soviet Union, formerly an ally, with clashes erupting along their mutual border. Beijing needed better relations with the US as a counterweight to the Soviets.

For its part, the US was still mired in the Vietnam conflict. President Richard Nixon had pledged to bring his country out of Vietnam with honour. Improving relations with China, which strongly supported North Vietnam, might help to achieve that goal. And Nixon, too, sought to use Beijing to counterbalance Moscow – or to “play the China card”, as was said at the time.

Both China and the US had motives to thaw their relations, which had been in near deep freeze since the Communists took power. As a symbol of that enmity, American passports were marked “not valid for travel into or through mainland China”.

The curtain rose on the diplomatic breakthrough in Nagoya, Japan, host to the 31st World Table Tennis Championship in March 1971. Following an encounter between the flamboyant American player, Glenn Cowan, and China’s star Zhuang Zedong, Mao approved an invitation for the Americans to visit China.

The US accepted. Diplomats in Japan blacked out the not-valid-for-China line in the Americans’ passports. But how to get to Beijing? Such was China’s isolation, there were no flights from Japan, or indeed from virtually anywhere.

The Americans flew to one of the few entry points, Hong Kong, and walked across a diminutive railway bridge at Lo Wu which marked the border. From there, they took the train to Guangzhou and flew to Beijing.

Ping-Pong Diplomacy was also a turning point for Reuters, and for me personally. At that time the news agency had no reporters in the Chinese capital. Its last China

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PHOTOS: AFP

Top: An American table tennis player (right) trains with a Chinese player in April 1971 in Beijing; Above: The American delegation of players poses with Chinese communist leaders in April 1971.

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PHOTO: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTR ATION

FEATURE

CREDIT: © MORT DRUCKER

A ping-pong exhibition match in Beijing in 1972, which Nixon attended.

Famous American caricaturist Mort Drucker depicts Mao Zedong and Richard Nixon playing ping pong.

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correspondent, Anthony Grey, had endured 27 months of vindictive and humiliating house arrest between 1967 and 1969.

His ‘crime’? British authorities in Hong Kong had arrested pro-China media workers during the 1967 unrest, and Grey’s confinement served as retaliation. His books about the ordeal, Hostage in Peking and The Hostage Handbook, remain riveting reading.

Reuters was offered a reporter’s visa to cover the table tennis drama, and, as I came off an overnight shift at the 24-7 Chinawatching Hong Kong bureau, I was told to collect the precious document from the China Travel Service office in Kowloon.

The next morning, carrying my typewriter and £300 (which would be roughly HK$20,600 today) from the Hong Kong bureau chief, I crossed the Lo Wu bridge for my first, long-sought glimpse of Mao’s China.

I was not in the least apprehensive about being the first Reuters staffer in China following Grey. I was just excited. The situation in 1971 had changed since 1967 when the Cultural Revolution mayhem was

at its height.

So it was that in the afternoon of 14 April, in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, Premier Zhou Enlai told the Americans that they had “opened a new page in the relations of the Chinese and American people”.

Zhou also took a question about the hippie movement from shaggy-haired Cowan. Wearing a floppy yellow hat, a T-shirt emblazoned with “Let It Be” and purple, bell-bottomed trousers, Cowan cut an incongruous figure amid the almost universal drabness of 1971 China.

The Premier said he didn’t know a lot about it, but “youth wants to seek the truth and out of this search, various forms of change are bound to come forth… when we were young, it was the same too.”

To my alarm, Zhou also remarked on the presence of a Reuters correspondent, and that he had read my reports about China.

I asked Zhou what he thought of them. He said some reflected the reality, and some didn’t. ‘I’ll take that,’ I thought.

The actual ping-pong matches seemed

THE CORRESPONDENT

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PHOTO: THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

Glenn Cowan (right) shakes hands with China’s Zhuang Zedong after catching a ride with the Chinese ping-pong team in Nagoya, Japan on 4 April 1971.

fairly routine. The Chinese players far outclassed the nine Americans, who were handed a few games for the sake of face. But ultimately this wasn’t really a sports event.

Filing copy in those days of primitive communications – even telephone calls from China to the outside world were an on-off possibility – was a numbingly slow process. It involved handing in my typed stories at a post office where the words were counted and paid for on a per-word basis. Hours would elapse before my prose – doubtless well-examined by censors – reached Reuters in Hong Kong.

Speaking of surveillance, I made a point of giving my minders the slip to see the house where Grey had been incarcerated.

I repeated this token gesture of

remembrance regularly when I was based in Beijing with Reuters in the 1970s and ‘80s.

What Grey endured must not be forgotten.

After Ping-Pong Diplomacy, events moved rapidly. US National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger paid a secret visit to Beijing in July in 1971 and Nixon made his historic visit to China in February the following year.

Full diplomatic relations between China and the US followed in 1979, just as China was opening to the world and gearing up to become the economic – and geopolitically assertive – powerhouse that it is today.

Few could have imagined 50 years ago during Ping-Pong Diplomacy that China is now better known for its aggressive “wolf warrior” diplomacy. n

Filing copy in those days of primitive communications – even telephone calls from China to the outside world were an on-off possibility – was a numbingly slow process.

A Dispatch from 1970s China “Breathlessly describing everything I saw during my visit – as first-time reporters to China tended to do – I mentioned in an article, written in Shanghai while on my way home from the capital, that I had seen two Chinese airforce jets take off at the airport.

Being an aviation buff, I recognised them as a Chinese-manufactured version of the Russian MiG-19. About an hour after filing, and clearly, before the story had been transmitted, an official approached me and said, deadpan, that there was one sentence in my report that was “not in the best interests of Sino-British relations”, terming Reuters as a British government organ.

He indicated the few words about the jets. Hastily, I deleted the offending reference and heard nothing more. International relations remained undisturbed.”

– Jonathan Sharp

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In 30 years at Reuters, apart from Ping-Pong Diplomacy and three years based in Beijing, Jonathan Sharp covered wars in Vietnam, Lebanon and Angola, the release of US hostages in Iran (1981), Steve Jobs’ launch of Macintosh (1984) and the release of Nelson Mandela (1990).

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COMMITTEE INSIGHTS

Turmoil and Triumph in DC This January and February, an arresting photo exhibit of the deadly Capitol Hill Riots graced the walls of the Main Bar. Two of the Wall Committee’s co-convenors explain how it came together so quickly.

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t usually takes us months to pitch, plan and prepare a photo exhibit for the Main Bar’s “Van Es Photo Wall”. But not this time.

As news of the 6 January Capitol Hill riot shook America and the world, the Wall Committee co-convenors gathered for our monthly meeting the next morning. While still processing the situation, we agreed to translate the breaking news story into a photo exhibit.

We moved fast, reaching out to fellow journalists, publications and agencies to secure images from their colleagues on the ground. With photojournalists stretched between the fallout from the riots and the forthcoming presidential inauguration,

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we anticipated that they might not respond until the dust had settled. Yet within days, dozens of images poured in.

We received powerful contributions from Drew Angerer, Roberto Schmidt and Saul Loeb of Agence FrancePresse (AFP); J Scott Applewhite of Associated Press; David Burnett of Contact Press Images; freelance photojournalist Ben Eisendrath; Erin Schaff of The New York Times; Leah Millis and Mike Theiler of Reuters; Ashley Gilbertson and Ron Haviv of VII Agency; and Michael Robinson Chavez and Amanda Voisard of The Washington Post.

AFP’s Loeb captured some of the most iconic images of the attempted

insurrection, including the shot of a Trump supporter sprawled inside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, his feet perched on her desk.

Loeb also documented the moment when rioters lounged on leather sofas in the Capitol Rotunda, underneath “Surrender of Lord Cornwallis” by historic American artist John Trumbull.

The oil painting depicts an orderly send-off for the British army after they surrendered in Virginia in 1781, ending the American Revolutionary War. Reuters’ Theiler captured another stunning instant in the Rotunda when a rioter bearing a Confederate flag ambled past a portrait of Charles Sumner, a former senator and virulent opponent of slavery.

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5 1 Supporters of US President Donald Trump, including Jake Angeli (centre), a QAnon supporter known for his painted face and horned hat, entered the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.

Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP 2 Trump supporters clashed with police and security forces as they stormed the US Capitol while Congress debated the 2020 Electoral Vote Certification. Photo: Roberto Schmidt/AFP 3 Trump supporter Richard Barnett sits inside the office of US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP 4 Rioters climbed walls, broke down barriers and pushed passed law enforcement to enter the building.

Photo: Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post 5 Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn in as Vice President of the US

by Justice Sonia Sotomayor on 20 January 2021. Photo: Erin Schaff/The New York Times 6 A police munition explodes while supporters of outgoing President Trump gather in front of the Capitol Building. Photo Leah Millis/Reuters

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COMMITTEE INSIGHTS

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7 A Trump supporter carries a Confederate flag on the second floor of the US Capitol near the entrance to the Senate. Photo: Mike Theiler/Reuters 8 Thousands of Trump supporters assaulted the US Capitol to support the President’s baseless claims that he won the election. Photo: Amanda Voisard/ The Washington Post 9 National Guard troops found a moment to rest under the gaze of George Washington as they patrolled the Capitol grounds on 12 January. Photo: Erin Schaff/ The New York Times 10 Trump supporters seated below John Turnbull’s “Surrender of Lord Cornwallis” painting in the US Capitol Rotunda. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP 11 National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman recited her poem, “The Hill We Climb”, at the inauguration of President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on 20 January 2021. Photo: Erin Schaff/The New York Times

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From her vantage point inside the building, Voisard captured images of terrified Capitol staff while on assignment for The Washington Post.

Some fled with hands in the air, while others crouched behind furniture in barricaded offices. Meanwhile, The Post’s Chavez documented a pro-Trump mob scaling the walls of the Senate side of the building.

Exhibited together, the photographs not only depict a day of utter mayhem but also characterise the riot as an affront to the United States.

Veteran photojournalist and Wall Committee member Robin Moyer, who curated the show, dubbed it “Rolling Thunder” – a nod to Operation Rolling Thunder, the failed US bombing campaign over North Vietnam from March 1965 to November 1968.

The exhibit showcases desperation, violence and a system on the brink.

And yet it also marks the inauguration of a new president and vice president, with Kamala Harris being sworn in as the first woman, the first Black person and the first Asian-American to hold the office.

And there is one image that particularly shines with hope. On one of the Main Bar’s pillars hangs a photo of 23-year-old National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman by Schaff, of The New York Times. Resplendent in a bright yellow coat, the youngest inaugural poet in US history recites a work she wrote after the Capitol riot.

Gorman’s uplifting words accompany her radiant image: “For there is always light. If only, we’re brave enough to see it. If only, we’re brave enough to be it.” n

How to: Pitch the Committee • The Van Es Photo Wall displays works by both FCC members and talented contributors around the world.

• Exhibits usually focus on Asia, but can feature landmark events outside the region.

• The Wall Committee gauges the journalistic and artistic value of each pitch.

• It also considers big-picture conversations around visual communication and current affairs.

• Exhibits are planned months in advance, with exceptions for breaking news.

Hope to see your work featured? Pitch FCC Board Executive Secretary, Joanne Chung (secretary@fcchk.org), who will present ideas to the Wall Committee.

Did You Know?

The Van Es Photo Wall is named after Dutch photojournalist Hubert “Hugh” van Es (1941-2009), who was FCC president from 1982 to 1983. Van Es started the Wall Committee, which organises monthly exhibits at the Main Bar. Exhibits are open to the public daily from 10 am to 12 pm, and 3 to 5:30 pm.

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ON THE WALL

Temple of Speed

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ack in the 1960s, Joe Honda shot his motorsports photos at the sharp end – on the fringes of the race track with nothing but a few hay bales between him and the speeding cars. His raw, arresting images decorated the FCC Main Bar in March in an exhibit called “Joe Honda: Remembering Japan’s Temple of Speed”.

His daughter Emiko Jozuka curated the showcase in partnership with Tokyo photography atelier Shashin Kosha. “My dad is 81 now, so I’ve been going through his entire 300,000 archive race by race, image by image, discovering how he saw and experienced the world over half a century of taking photos,” says Jozuka.

It was the historic IndyCar race held in 1966 at the Fuji International Speedway track that got Honda (whose real name is Nobuyuki Jozuka) hooked on motorsports and set him on a track to fame. A symbol of Japan’s emergence as an industrial power, the event marked an important

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milestone in his life, as well as a turning point in Japan’s appreciation of a new-found sport.

After travelling to Europe the following year to capture the Formula One season, Honda never looked back. In subsequent years, he covered top races around the world, shooting front-of-the-grid drivers such as Ayrton Senna, Niki Lauda, James Hunt and Michael Schumacher.

Inspired by documentary photographers like Henri CartierBresson and Walker Evans, as well as impressionist painter Claude Monet, Honda shot his gritty, ultra-realistic and poetic images using a variety of cameras, with no attachment to a specific brand.

“When he first set out for Europe, my dad didn’t have a plan and knew he was being reckless, but he was determined to venture where no Japanese photographer had gone before,” says Jozuka, who is the director of the Joe Honda Archive.

“After meeting drivers like Jackie Stewart at the Fuji Speedway, he

PHOTO: JOE HONDA ARCHIVE

Just as Japan was emerging as an industrial power, Joe Honda caught the zeitgeist of 1960s motor racing and subsequently trained his lens around the world. By Ed Peters

wanted to understand the people, culture and technology driving the global automotive and motorsport sector. He knew that journey would begin in Europe, where developments were more advanced than in Japan.”

Armed with characteristic drive and determination, a mere US$500 in cash, two cameras and very little in the way of foreign languages, Honda drove all over Europe in his Toyota Corolla which he’d shipped from Japan.

“Dad chose ‘Joe Honda’ as his alias as he thought foreigners would find it easy to remember,” recalls Jozuka.

“Though he did say he’d considered other names like ‘Coca-Cola’ as well – he’s a bit of a joker.”

As much as anything, this exhibit was not just a tribute to a remarkable man but a celebration of the predigital, shot-on-film age when sports events were about the sheer thrill of sports rather than glossy packaging and merchandising. n Learn more here: joehonda.com; shashinkosha.co.jp/english

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1 In October 1966, Joe Honda, then 26, documented Japan’s first international United States Auto Club (USAC) IndyCar race at the Fuji Speedway in Oyama, Japan.

2 The 1966 international Fuji Speedway race was USAC’s first race in Asia.

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3 Honda says a chance meeting with Jackie Stewart (the race’s winner) inspired him to go to Europe and document the international motorsports scene.

4 The Fuji Speedway was intended to be a 2.5mile (4km) NASCAR-style banked oval. But as funds ran out, organisers converted it into a more conventional road course.

5 Over 50 years, Honda amassed an archive of over 300,000 35mm negatives. Here, Chris Amon (left), a driver from New Zealand, chats with Stewart.

6 Honda covered hundreds of international motorsport races in his career, capturing the industry’s stars, key moments and evolution.

PHOTOS: JOE HONDA ARCHIVE

7 Foreign drivers who travelled to Japan for the 1966 international Fuji Speedway race saw the trip as an exciting adventure. They also had their eyes on the US$7,000 prize.

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MEMBER MOVEMENTS

Who’s left, who’s arrived and who’s still around in a slightly different guise.

•

New Members A warm welcome to new media, diplomatic and associate members.

Correspondents

• Kalvin Ka Chai Rhodes, Self-employed, Creative Children’s Books Consultant • Mark Steed, Principal and CEO, Kellett School • Priya Subberwal, Director, Disha Limited

• Blake Evans-Pritchard, Asia Bureau Chief, Risk.net

• Lee Sullivan, Year 2 Lead Learner and IBEN Workshop Leader, English Schools Foundation

• Peter Parks, Senior Photographer, Agence France-Presse

• Michael Tomordy, Executive Director, Engage Asia

• Bernhard Zand, Correspondent, Der Spiegel

• Philip Yip Kee Tong, Managing Director, Philcon Interior Works

Journalists

• Desiree Wing Si Au, Publisher, Vogue Hong Kong • Rhea Mogul, Freelance • Vasavi Seethepalli, Editor, American Women’s Association of Hong Kong • Chad Williams, Production Editor, South China Morning Post Associates

• Ai Young Ho, Executive Vice President, Novus Aviation Capital (Asia) • Gillian Awgul, Assistant Area Manager, International Social Service

• Gregory Tse, Vice President, Guidepoint • Nancy Valiente, Managing Director, Evercore Asia • Wang Yue, Head of Smart Banking, HSBC • Robert Wrixon, Managing Director, Starboard Global • Yuen Chi Ping, CEO, LongiTech Smart Energy Holding Diplomatic

• Erika Behrens, Consul, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany •

Membership Replacements

• Jerome James Barty-Taylor, Managing Director, Barty Education and Development

Say hello to a few new faces.

• Petru Brediceanu, Portfolio Manager, Segantii Capital Management

Corporate

• Isabel Lijun Cao, Programme Director, The Economist Group Asia-Pacific • David Wan Chang, CEO and Regional Head, Franklin Templeton Investments (Asia)

• Wallace Wai Tak Chan, Senior Trade Manager, ANL • Michael (Mihovil) Dijanosic, Regional Director, British American Tobacco Asia-Pacific • Devendra Kumar Verma, Global Account Director , SWIFT

• Neil Gardner, Chief Customer Officer, Generali Asia • Maciej Rafal Gorgol, Portfolio Manager, Lim Advisors • Adam Harper, Managing Director, Ashbury Communications • Mark Hayden, Regional Managing Director, Cato Overseas

Absent It’s not goodbye, but see you later.

• Ho Yu Chu, Retired

Correspondents

• Kay Hunter, Counsellor, St John’s Cathedral Counselling Service

• Tamsyn Burgmann, Staff Editor International Opinion, The New York Times

• Klaus Koehler, Representative, Woodburn Accountants & Advisors • Jane Shuk Lam, Retired • Heidi Oi Yee Lee, Partner, Howse Williams • Justin Li, Student • Quentin Li, Private Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs (Asia) • Jeremy Lightfoot, Partner, Carey Olsen

• Laurel Lik Fung Chor, Reporter/ Producer, Vice Media

• Katharine Forster, Deputy News Editor, Agence France-Presse

• Peter ZH Qiu, Commentator, Phoenix Satellite TV • Jodi Schneider, Senior Editor, Bloomberg • Colin Simpson, Editor, Bloomberg

• Manson Ma, Head of Marine, Berkley Insurance Company (Asia)

Journalists

• Patricia O’Rorke, Senior Consultant, Habitat Property

• Liana Cafolla, Freelance • Angelina Chen, Director/Producer, Scorpio Films

• Sarah Fung, Publisher, Liv Media

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Associates

Reactivated

• Paul Clerc-Renaud, Managing Director, Fargo Group

Great to see you again.

• Michelle Garnaut, CEO, M Restaurant Group • Gavin Herrmann, Managing Director, Standard Chartered • Andrew Jones, Head of Syndicate Asia, Barclays Capital Asia • Simon Maclean, Director, Superior Solutions • Toby Tun Sing Mak, Senior Account Manager, Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong

Correspondent

• Riina Yrjölä, Correspondent, Voima and Urheilulehti Journalist

• Michael Alan Connelly, Freelance

• Kenneth McGowan, Senior Consultant, Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment

Associates

• Nigel Moore, Director Sales & Marketing, Wallem Group

• Peter Barrett, Retired

• Mark Regan, Freelance

• Michael Yau Keng Lam, Vice Chairman and CEO, Bauhinia Investment Group

• Nicholas Thomas, Director, Great Team International • Vanessa Wall, Self-employed

Category Changes

•

For these members, it was time for a status update.

Resigned

• Jenny Gorman, Honorary Member

Au revoir – we wish you well.

Correspondents

• Jeffrey Black, Team Leader (Greater China Economics), Bloomberg • Mark McFarland, Freelance

Deaths We sadly announce the death of:

• Sheridan Prasso, Senior Writer, Bloomberg News

• Norman Yui Man Yik, Hong Kong Correspondent, Lianhe Zaobao

• Thomas Lo Sui-sing

Journalists

• Peter Lewis, Freelance Associates

• Emma De Ronde, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright

• Stéphane Karolczuk, Head of Representative Office, Arendt & Medernach • Adrienne Ma, Chief Executive, AMMA Holdings

• Carl Maund, Self-Employed • Leonie Romeo, Counsellor, St John’s Counselling Service Corporate

• Peter Henriques, General Manager, British American Tobacco

Calling All Members As we all know, the club is overflowing with talent, and we would love to feature more work by FCC members in The Correspondent.

Do you have a great story idea? Shoot photography?

Keen to proofread? Or simply want to share your feedback over a Headline beer at the bar? Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

We would love to hear from you. Send an email to our editor at editor@fcchk.org or kate@kate-springer.com.

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NEW MEMBERS

Welcome, New Members An Everest mountaineer, a feng shui expert, a guidebook publisher and a raft of other “usual suspects” comprise the latest batch of new FCC faces.

ERIKA BEHRENS

I have been a consul at the German Consulate General in Hong Kong since last July and head of the Consular Section there. Together with my husband, Wolfhard, who is now retired, we have served in German embassies in Thailand, Zaire, India, Egypt, China and Switzerland.

Our common hobby is travelling to learn more about political, economic and social issues worldwide. We hope to meet club members with the same interests and to better understand the environment in Hong Kong and beyond.

ISABEL LIJUN CAO

I’ve been in various roles with the media industry for more than 20 years, most recently as regional director at The Economist Group’s Hong Kong office. Previously, I worked as the head of editorial and programmes APAC at EuroFinance. I spent the first part of my career with Xinhua, as a foreign correspondent and senior editor in Beijing, Afghanistan and London. I’ve lived in Hong Kong for more than a decade with my husband and two sons. In my free time, I practice yoga.

DAVID WAN CHANG

I was born and bred in Hong Kong and went to high school and college in Washington, DC. I am CEO of Franklin Templeton Investments and my career has included working at global banks and trust companies.

I have also volunteered for special educational needs schools. I enjoy a cigar (okay, not at the FCC) with some single malts over a good chat with friends or, even better, journalists.

BLAKE EVANS-PRITCHARD

I run the editorial team at Asia Risk, covering the derivatives markets, financial regulation and risk management at banks. I have been in Hong Kong for six years, and previously reported on international war crimes trials in The Hague. Originally from England, I have also spent time as a journalist in Africa and Europe. I also run City Trail Publishing together with my wife. We wrote the first guidebook to an independent South Sudan in 2011, and have published an expat guidebook to Hong Kong. We’re now compiling a Hong Kong for Kids guidebook.

NEIL GARDNER

I was born and schooled in the UK, but as an expat child, my father exposed me to African jungles and Arabian deserts. That lit my spirit of wanderlust, which brought me to Hong Kong – where I am the chief customer officer for Generali – via Australia, China, Korea, Indonesia and Thailand. I love Hong Kong. I don’t call it home, even though my children do, as they have lived most of their lives here. Instead, as the FCC has such an amazing atmosphere, I think I’ll call the club my second home.

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THE CORRESPONDENT

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ADAM HARPER

Like a lot of expats, I came to Hong Kong for a couple of years to get some international experience. That was in 2004. At the start of 2020, with an impeccable sense of timing, I started my own communications consultancy, Ashbury. I’m from the UK and married with two children – and another on the way. I started out as a journalist with EuroWeek and have also worked as a capital markets banker and corporate communications specialist. When I’m not working, I have a passion for rugby, skiing and the novels of John le Carré.

MARK HAYDEN

I was a military brat living between Taiwan and Washington, DC in the 1960s. After graduate studies in 1981, I went into banking in Taiwan and later supply chain management. I’ve been in Hong Kong since 1999 and love being a bridge builder between Eastern and Western cultures and business practices as the regional managing director for Cato Overseas. Mandarin is my first language (having attended Taiwanese schools from kindergarten) and my wife, Susan, is Taiwanese.

KLAUS KOEHLER

I am a representative at Woodburn Accountants & Advisors, which specialises in inbound investment to China and Hong Kong. We offer companies a one-stop-shop approach to their corporate service needs. I arrived in Hong Kong in 1970 from my native Germany and worked in a trading company just as China was opening up to the world and when Shenzhen was a village. My travels have taken me throughout Asia, and in my 50 years here I have seen change at a speed that was unimaginable in my early days.

HEIDI LEE OI YEE

I am a partner at Howse Williams focusing on mergers and acquisitions, public takeovers, and regulatory and compliance work for Hong Konglisted companies. Born, bred and educated in Hong Kong, I am also the past president of Rotary Club of Hong Kong Northeast where I enjoyed devoting my spare time to charitable work and socialising with fellow Rotarians. I like hiking, baking and drinking, as it gives me time to mingle with friends.

JUSTIN LI

I am an aspiring architect raised in Hong Kong and Canada. After graduating from the University of Toronto, and having returned to Hong Kong to be closer to my family and look for new opportunities, I became one of the key designers in the Ma Wan Old Village revitalisation project, which won the Silver Award in the Hong Kong Institute of Planners Awards 2020. In my spare time, I enjoy sketching, hiking and playing basketball.

QUENTIN LI

I was born in Canada, grew up in Hong Kong and returned to Canada to pursue my undergraduate degree. Four years in Montreal taught me not to mess with Canada’s winter, so I eventually returned to Hong Kong to pursue a career in finance. I’m currently a financial investment professional at Goldman Sachs Investment Management Division covering clients in Greater China. Outside of work, I enjoy playing basketball and collecting modern sports cards, in particular Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Luka Doncic rookie cards.

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NEW MEMBERS

JEREMY LIGHTFOOT

Having evacuated the British Virgin Islands as Hurricanes Irma and Maria approached in 2017, I lived out of a suitcase in New York, Cayman, London and Cyprus before finally arriving in Hong Kong.

Originally a barrister, I run a litigation team for an offshore firm, Carey Olson, spending my days on disputes involving Asia and the Caribbean.

My goal for 2021 is to learn to surf. If I declare that in writing here, I’ll have to learn in order to avoid embarrassment – peer pressure has its advantages, so please do remind me.

PATRICIA O’RORKE

I was born in Hong Kong and this is my fourth time living here. There’s obviously something pulling me back. I have been frequenting the club for 30 years with my generous friends and always felt at home here, so decided it was finally time to join myself. Originally from a nursing background in London, real estate has kept me busy from the late 1980s.

I have been with Habitat Property for the last 11 years, and am now a senior consultant.

PETER PARKS

I am a staff photographer for Agence France-Presse and I see myself coming full circle, returning to Hong Kong after 16 years away as bureau photographer in Beijing, Shanghai and Sydney. I first arrived in Hong Kong in 1993 working as a freelancer, then joined the Hong Kong Standard before AFP in 1996. I covered the handover, bird flu, the economic crisis and SARS before leaving and now find myself returning to an even more serious pandemic and a whole new political climate.

VASAVI SEETHEPALLI

I am thrilled to be part of the FCC. And even happier to have been in Hong Kong for the last 13 years, I couldn’t have chosen a better place.

I started my editorial journey as a freelance writer. Later, I worked as an editor at Hong Kong Living and now I’m the publishing chair at the American Women’s Association, one of the oldest women’s communities in Hong Kong, where women from all walks of life inspire each other.

PRIYA SUBBERWAL

I am a classical feng shui consultant with a background in interior design.

My journey into this unusual field began with a glance at a zodiac coffee table book in 2006. Since then I have received formal Chinese metaphysics training in Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong. I started my own company, Disha Limited, in 2016. Disha comes from the Sanskrit word dishadhara, which means ‘direction’. I am also a yoga enthusiast, bridge player and an avid reader. I love the FCC’s vibrant atmosphere and enjoy socialising with friends and family there.

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THE CORRESPONDENT

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LEE SULLIVAN

I am a lead educator at the English Schools Foundation and the International Baccalaureate Organisation for Asia-Pacific. Egypt, Kazakhstan, United Arab Emirates and the UK are among my previous work locations. Having married into the local Cantonese culture, I now consider Hong Kong my home. My wife, Daisy, and I are delighted to join the FCC, as we are attracted by its history, culture and heritage.

Most of all, we look forward to connecting with the FCC intelligentsia and engaging with fellow members.

MICHAEL TOMORDY

After a brief spell in the British Army, I moved to Hong Kong from London in 1997 to work on Chek Lap Kok Airport with a consulting engineering and architecture practice. I am currently the managing director of Engage Asia, a resilience and technology consultancy, and am a technical expert at international arbitrations. My hobbies include mountaineering and I summited Mount Everest in 2018. I am currently training for a one-month self-supported expedition to Alaska in May and may be seen dragging a tyre to the Peak.

ROBERT WRIXON

Like many Irish people, I have spent years abroad. After eight years in US universities, I lived in Japan, Malaysia, Australia, England and Mongolia before settling down for the past nine years and getting married in Hong Kong. As managing director of Starboard Global, I invest venture capital in critical mineral exploration and normally travel to project sites around the world. I make time for Ireland/Munster rugby, Arsenal football, and the wife and two kids (not necessarily in that order). Looking forward to meeting and boring the pants off many FCC members in future.

PROFESSIONAL CONTACTS PHOTOGRAPHERS CARSTENSCHAEL.COM – Award winning Photographer. People - Corporate - Stills - Food Architecture - Transport. Tel: (852) 9468 1404 Email: info@carstenschael.com JAYNE RUSSELL PHOTOGRAPHY – Editorial People - Food. 18 years Fleet St, London experience.

Tel: (852) 9757 8607 Email: jaynerussell@me.com Website: www.jaynerussellphotography.com VERÓNICA SANCHIS BENCOMO – Lifestyle, editorial and portrait photographer based in Hong Kong.

Available for assignments in the SAR and the wider region.

Tel: (852) 9841 9742 | post@veronicasanchis.com | @VeronicaSanchis | www.veronicasanchis.com

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ESCAPE ROUTES

TAKE A HIKE

In honour of Earth Month in April, we head into the wild with FCC member Michael Tomordy. The intrepid mountaineer shares his top off-the-beaten-path trails for every fitness level with Gayatri Bhaumik.

At 702 metres, Ma On Shan (meaning ‘Saddle Peak’) is the tenth highest mountain in Hong Kong.

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ichael Tomordy does not shy away from a challenge. The English risk advisor, who has lived in Hong Kong since 1997, has spent the past two decades exploring the territory’s hiking trails – even completing the MacLehose, Wilson, Lantau and Hong Kong trails in one go.

His passion for hiking eventually led him to the exciting world of mountaineering. In 2018, Tomordy summited Mount Everest and, this May, he plans to tackle Alaska’s Denali mountain, the highest peak in North America at 6,190 metres.

Before the pandemic, you could often find Tomordy leading small group treks in Nepal. But due to travel restrictions this past year, he’s concentrated his efforts on rediscovering Hong Kong’s diverse landscapes, dense woodlands and craggy peaks. Here, Tomordy shares three of his favourite trails for a break from the city.

Take it Easy: Lamma Island Family Trail

Lamma Island is home to one of Hong Kong’s most leisurely hikes, though those who want a challenge have plenty of add-ons – like tackling Mount Stenhouse – to ensure they break a sweat.

Start with a ferry ride from the Aberdeen typhoon shelter to Mo Tat Wan, a small village on Lamma’s eastern coast. From there, you’ll head west along the water, where plenty of scenic views, historic sites, and snapshots of island life await.

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Difficulty level: Easy Time commitment: 2-4 hours Highlights: Ancient “feng shui” forests, peaceful coastal paths, South China Sea views, Tin Hau Temple and the Kamikaze Cave, from which the Japanese planned to launch suicide missions during WWII. Best for: Beginners and families.

Where to eat: Stop for seafood in Sok Kwu Wan or enjoy vegetarian bites at Bookworm Cafe in Yung Shue Wan.

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PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK

Stop for a seafood feast and learn about fisherfolk culture in Sok Kwu Wan village before heading up into the hills on the way to Yung Shue Wan. The island’s main town is the perfect place to grab a Yardley Brothers craft beer by the water and explore the shops before hopping on the ferry to head home.

Try the Lamma Island Family Trail for an easy, family-friendly hike.

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Step it Up a Notch: Tai No Ancient Trail

If you’re looking for equal parts culture, wilderness and coastal views, this trail checks all the boxes. It starts from Ma On Shan Country Park barbecue site, heads over The Hunch Backs peak and then on to Ma On Shan.

From there, you’ll join the MacLehose Trail before making your way onto the historic Tai No Ancient Trail – meaning “Big Brain”. You’ll need a little bit of mental (and physical) agility to tackle this stony path, which winds through the deserted village of Tai No. There’s a Tsang Clan ancestral hall, a few remaining cottages and two century-old stone mills (once used to press sugar cane) overtaken by twisting vines and spongy moss.

After Tai No, the path reconnects with the MacLehose Trail via a steep downhill section. It’s tricky, but you’ll be rewarded with stunning views of Sai Kung’s coastline before wrapping up on Clearwater Bay Road.

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK AND MICHAEL TOMORDY

Difficulty level: Medium Time: 4 hours or more Highlights: Challenging peaks, moss-covered stone mills, feral cattle, Sai Kung views.

Best for: Hikers with a few miles under their belts.

Where to eat: There are no cafes along the way, so bring plenty of snacks and water. Then head to Sai Kung Village for seafood, burgers, Mediterranean cuisine or a healthy smoothie bowl.

Tough Stuff: Ngong Ping 360 Rescue Trail

The Ngong Ping 360 Rescue Trail, which runs from Tung Chung to the Tian Tan Buddha, is among Hong Kong’s most demanding. From Citygate Mall, make your way to the Tung O Ancient Trail, which leads the rescue trail.

You’re on the right track if you see the Ngong Ping 360 cable cars overhead and a flight of endless steps stretching up the mountainside. The stairs are as unforgiving as they look, but you can’t beat the views over Lantau along the way.

What’s more, the trail – which was initially built to service the cable cars – passes by lush woods, ravines and

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Top: The Ngong Ping 360 Rescue Trail; Above: Michael Tomordy summited Mount Everest in 2018.

streams. Call it a day when you reach Ngong Ping or add another challenge. For a gruelling workout, continue up and over Lantau Peak, head down to Tung Chung Road, then hike over Sunset Peak all the way to Mui Wo. Alternatively, follow Lantau Trail Sections 4-6 to Tai O.

Difficulty level: Hard Time: Between 4 hours (ending at Tian Tan Buddha) and 6 hours (ending in Tai O).

Highlights: Quiet trails, trees and rivers, airport views, spectacular sunsets, Tian Tan Buddha, and many options to modify the hike.

Best for: Highly fit, experienced hikers.

Where to eat: If you finish in Tai O, head for one of the hole-in-the-wall eateries by the jetty. In Mui Wo, enjoy a beer and pizza by the water at The Kitchen.

TAKE 6: HIKING TIPS Tomordy shares his tips for a safe, rewarding day on the trails.

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Download a Hong Kong hiking app – I use Hiking Trail HK, Maps.me, and AllTrails.

Don’t push yourself too hard on a new trail. Be mindful of your hiking experience and the weather.

Keep your phone fully charged. When not in use, turn it off or use “aeroplane mode” to save juice.

Carry emergency hydration salts, snacks, chocolate bars and water.

Pack a hot drink in a small thermos for warmth in case the weather turns bad.

Always pack an extra T-shirt and a fleece.

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SPEAKERS

HOW TO BETTER SUPPORT DOMESTIC WORKERS DURING COVID-19

PHOTO: MAY JAMES / AFP

Given new challenges posed by the pandemic, Enrich HK’s Esther Guevara shared advice for those who employ a foreign domestic worker. By Morgan M Davis

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you’re going through a crisis, but your employee is [also] going through a crisis and sometimes [you] don’t know about it,” says Guevara, alluding to the fact that many FDWs may not share any details about what’s going on behind the scenes – their family or financial situation – if an employer does not inquire.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

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ost people could use a financial refresher course in the best of times, let alone a pandemic. And financial planning is even more essential for those whose purse strings are stretched a bit tighter, such as Hong Kong’s foreign domestic workers (FDWs).

Esther Guevara, a financial planning trainer at Hong Kong charity Enrich HK, joined the FCC for a Zoom session on 17 January entitled “A Personal Finance Workshop for Domestic Helpers”, in which she outlined the major financial stressors impacting FDWs during the pandemic.

Many migrant workers have come under increased pressure to send more funds home than usual, due to family members who are ill, unemployed or underemployed, says Guevara. On top of this, workers are also concerned about layoffs, isolation, mental health challenges and potential exposure to the virus.

During her FCC workshop, Guevara focused on the how-to of financial management for FDWs, but also shared a number of tips for employers as well. In a conversation after the webinar, Guevara emphasised the importance of a trustful, supportive employer-employee relationship where both parties acknowledge the new challenges posed by the pandemic and check in with each other regularly.

“This is the time when there shouldn’t be a barrier. Yes,

Enrich HK’s financial planning trainer, Esther Guevara, shared her tips with FCC members on 17 January.

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“The problem with employer-employee relationships is sometimes that [FDWs] are very shy or proud,” says Guevara, noting that many would not ask for help unsolicited. An FDW also may not be comfortable sharing, even if an employer asks about their personal struggles.

Even so, Guevara suggests that employers try to maintain an open, non-judgemental dialogue. Start by asking how the FDW is faring in light of the international health crisis. It’s likely they may be feeling isolated due to social restrictions, anxious about catching the virus, worried about family members back home, or facing greater financial pressures.

By asking specific questions about family, friends or how the pandemic has impacted the worker, employers can get a better sense of their wellbeing.

Guevara says such conversations are less about additional financial support, although that is an option if it is well thought out and discussed, and more about connecting with an employee as a person – offering an opportunity to voice concerns about an unemployed spouse, sick parent, or child at home without a laptop for virtual classes.

“As an employer, you can help them process it and break it down,” says Guevara. She also recommends mapping out short- and long-term financial goals together, which can help workers feel more in control.

Have they made a plan to meet their family’s immediate needs? How much do they need to set aside for long-term goals, like sending a child to school or starting a business in their home country later in life? What about retirement?

Talking about budgeting – how much money can be saved, sent home or spent – and timelines can empower workers and alleviate some stress.

“Migrant domestic workers are vulnerable to financial scams and get trapped in a cycle of debt,” says Guevara.

“We believe that financial and empowerment education is a life-changing solution to challenges faced widely by migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong.”

Additionally, Guevara recommends giving FDWs plenty of space and time to be alone. If a worker lives in your home, it is easy to fall into an unhealthy pattern where he or she starts working longer hours while Covid-19 social restrictions remain in place. However, workers need time off – perhaps even more than usual – due to the unprecedented emotional, mental and financial strains caused by the pandemic.

If as an employer you are concerned about an FDW seeing their friends in public and possibly exposing themselves to the virus, Guevara recommends clear communication around expectations while referring to Hong Kong’s latest guidelines.

“When you have an employer and employee living in the same household, trust and communication are key,” she says.

“If difficult conversations need to be had, whether it’s about finances or social distancing, we always advise employers to adopt a calm, non-judgemental approach.”

For more information or guidance, Enrich HK runs workshops for both employers and FDWs. The charity’s advisers can also answer questions about social security schemes and retirement planning for workers in Hong Kong.

WEBINARS

In Case You Missed It Check out a few of our recent discussions:

Trump’s Days of Rage in the White House

With Bob Woodward, a Washington Post Associate Editor, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author During a Zoom discussion on 24 February, award-winning investigative journalist Bob Woodward pulled back the curtain on the final days of Donald Trump’s tumultuous presidency.

Woodward covered everything from Trump’s idiosyncratic style, handling of COVID-19, reaction to the 2020 election and a potential comeback.

Myanmar on the Edge: Implications of the Military Coup

With Ali Fowle, freelance journalist; Manny Maung, Human Rights Watch; Wai Wai Nu, Women’s Peace Network Myanmar’s democracy was crushed on 1 February as the military retook control of the Southeast Asian country. The return of military power has prompted mass demonstrations, internet blackouts, curfews, arrests and deaths. But what’s next? The experts discussed their predictions for Myanmar and the region.

Social Media Bans: Protecting Society or a Threat to Free Speech?

With Maria Ressa, Rappler; Alejandro Reyes, Asia Global Institute; and Craig Silverman, BuzzFeed News When Twitter suspended Donald Trump this January following the Capitol riots, many people lauded the decisions. But it also raised questions about the freedom of speech on online platforms.

In this conversation on 9 February, the experts contemplated the fight against disinformation, the power of Big Tech, the dangers of stifling dissenting opinions and what the precedent means for the future.

Interested in the full conversations? Watch them online here: fcchk.org/past-speakers

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READING LIST

NEW BOOK

TIME TO DUMP YOUR INVESTMENT ADVISER? Letting someone else make your investment decisions for you is a waste of time and money. For similar nuggets of wise counsel, dip into Jake van der Kamp’s new book, says Jonathan Sharp.

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If advisers are so smart, surely they should be rich enough to retire. Why do they spend their time advising others?

takes aim at targets other professionals, too. For example, he has the financial press in his sights. “You are not going to make yourself rich by reading the Financial Times.”

That’s because what the media reports is already reflected in the market: it’s in the price if it’s in the press. So what do you need to invest successfully? Good judgment helps, says van der Kamp, but that’s something you learn at your mother’s knee, not from a business school or the media.

As for journalists themselves? Apart from “lefties” who usually make the best reporters, journalism is for bright but lazy people, he writes. “Yes, bright, I concede it. Don’t forget the lazy.” If journalists were really interested in corporate accounts or investment valuations, they would abandon journalism. “Many do so. I did.”

Van der Kamp says he has no hot tips on how to reach the promised land of wealth but rounds off his book with no-nonsense guidelines, such as: if in doubt whether to deal in the market, don’t.

Pick up a copy at the FCC or order it online from blacksmithbooks.com.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

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ny personal investment advisers who came to the main dining room to hear Jake van der Kamp’s lunchtime talk on 19 November 2020 might well have squirmed.

This was not because the author, veteran financial columnist, and longtime FCC member was anything less than his usual informative – and highly entertaining – self. Far from it. But he was also scathingly dismissive about the capabilities of, among others, investment advisers.

Echoing a thought that may have occurred to most people, van der Kamp asks: if advisers are so smart, surely they should be rich enough to retire. Why do they spend their time advising others?

Van der Kamp concedes that advisers do have their uses, as they know how and where to buy investments. “[But] they know no better than anyone else what to buy or when.”

Explaining why investment advisers cannot lead you to the promised land, van der Kamp hammers home that the “what” and “when” decisions should be yours. You are your own best investment adviser – that’s the drumbeat message running through van der Kamp’s breezy book The Rise and Fall of the Hang Seng Index, which is less about the Index and more of a how-to investment manual.

“No amount of research, yours or your investment adviser’s, will tell you more about the present circumstances of the market than the market already reflects in its prices.

Nor can all this study reveal the future,” he writes. “Your thoughts on what the future holds are as good as anyone’s and they are what you must rely on.”

In his FCC presentation, van der Kamp also poured cold water on the supposed significance of insider information.

“Ninety-nine per cent of what purports to be insider information is not.”

Drawing on his career as an investment analyst and as a columnist for the South China Morning Post, van der Kamp

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MORE GREAT READS Need some book inspiration? FCC’s distinguished guests share what’s on their shelves.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

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Maria Ressa, the CEO of Rappler, joined February’s talk on social media bans. She recommends: What Tech Calls Thinking by Adrian Daub and The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff.

The Asia Global Institute’s Alejandro Reyes also spoke about social media bans in February. He recommends: Interior Chinatown

by Charles Yu.

In December 2020, Monty Python star Michael Palin discussed his long career in comedy and travel writing. He recommends: Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves, and Adam Johnson’s The Orphan Master’s Son.

Mark Thompson, former CEO of The New York Times Co, joined the FCC in November 2020 to examine the role of public broadcasters.

He recommends: Why Liberalism Failed by Patrick Deneen and the Audible version of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.

Lawyer and author Antony Dapiran spoke at an FCC lunch event in November 2020. He recommends three books: Half the Perfect World by Paul Genoni and Tanya Dalziell; Summer by Ali Smith; and Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

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Dr Sarah Borwein discussed the Biden administration in November 2020. She recommends: The World: A Brief Introduction by Richard Haass.

Tom Orlik, Bloomberg’s chief economist, joined a November 2020 panel on the Biden administration.

He recommends: Lenin’s Tomb by David Remnick.

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ILLUSTR ATION: PEARL LAW

LAST LAUGH

EASTER SEVENS

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y original optimism for 2021 faded quickly when the January newspaper headlines read more like the plot of a Stephen King novel than real-life current events.

In Hong Kong alone, we learned of vaccine delays and mass arrests of pro-democracy politicians, while reports from mainland China unveiled brand-new anal swab coronavirus tests.

The only high points, so far, have taken place farther afield in the US where the Commander-inCompetence departed the White House after some supporters remodelled the Capitol building and Reddit users bullied poor Wall Street hedge funds.

Groundhog Day continued back at home. The government started rolling out surprise, ambushstyle lockdowns across the city in an attempt to isolate and test more COVID-19 carriers. But citizens were having none of it – more than half the residents in one location either refused to take a test or ignored the knock at the door.

Little wonder, given the confusion over which test they’d receive: either the traditional nasal swab (also known as the ‘brain tickler’) or the new, improved and highly invasive Chinese variety.

A more likely scenario for testing noncompliance could be that the community is simply COVID fatigued. That, or they just didn’t hear the doorbell, since most of us are partially deaf from the incessant jackhammers deployed by our hardly regulated building sector.

Perhaps a ‘testing incentive programme’ could have been a better approach. For example: free vaccinations, Hong Kong Sevens tickets, cash handouts... although it would need to be a substantial amount to entice me to take the new back-channel test.

Unlike the COVID case count and LegCo’s

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frantic tactics to control it, Hong Kong weather has been reassuringly pleasant. As I deliver my winter coats to the dry cleaner for their annual hibernation, I have started making plans for the next holiday, Easter.

I say ‘holiday’, but if Christmas was anything to go by, it could be just another round of Netflix streaming and toilet-paper stockpiling. I considered attending church, since Easter really is a religious celebration and has nothing to do with chocolate sales. But it’s been so long that I would need a refresher course.

I think I still know the plot – a wandering man cures the sick, performs a few miracles, feeds a load of people with a couple of fish and some bread, gets arrested and convicted on questionable charges, receives the death penalty, was out of sight for a few days, then resurfaces. Now that I think of it, I’m surprised Trump didn’t also pardon Jesus on his way out of office. But then again, maybe he didn’t have the cash to pay for the privilege.

Around the same time as Easter, we usually have another great quasi-religious event, the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens (although the tournament’s been postponed until November this year). Easter and the Sevens share other similarities: Both run across three days, people crucify themselves on Friday, and some wake up on Monday with no recollection of what happened the previous three days.

It’s a miracle fans survive at all – and it’ll be a miracle if the Sevens is held in 2021. But let’s pray it is, since the city is sorely in need of a light at the end of a long very dark tunnel. Amen. n New Zealand-born David Cain is a freelance project management consultant and has lived around Asia for 18 years – always coming back to Hong Kong “like a missing sock in a clothes dryer”.

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