City Beat | War over words speaks volumes about 'world city'
If Ambrose Lam was trying to dodge trouble by refusing to use English, it backfired
Two recent events, although unrelated, have thrown the spotlight on one particularly thorny issue: the use of English in Hong Kong.
Language is one factor Hong Kong uses to back up its claim to be Asia's "world city". With English and Chinese as its official languages - symbolic of the "one country, two systems" set-up - all government documents are bilingual.
But when it comes to non-government agencies, the use of English is optional. That is, until a war over their words breaks out in the media.
The issue came to a head at a recent Law Society press conference about its political reform proposal for 2017, when its president, Ambrose Lam San-keung, refused to answer a reporter's questions in English.
An ATV reporter, of Chinese ethnicity, explained that he needed a sound bite in English. But Lam dug his heels in, saying he had already clearly explained his views in Cantonese. He suggested the reporter translate his response.
Apparently dismayed by Lam's uncooperative behaviour, ATV World decided to teach him a lesson, airing a special report in its prime-time news bulletin that night, in which the anchor began: "The Law Society unveiled its proposals for democratic reform today, but we won't be reporting it because of the attitude on display during the press conference."
Another anchor continued: "Instead, we want to make a point here, and show you how increasingly difficult it is these days for English newsgathering in Hong Kong, our so-called world city."