Seek Australian public support on extradition

I refer to the leader headlined 'Welcome decision from Australia won't heal rift' (May 30). An Australian who has lived in Hong Kong for 10 years, I have followed the saga of Australia's Justice Minister Chris Ellison's refusal to extradite David Hendy and Carl Voigt with increasing frustration and anger. Anger at the Hong Kong government for its weak approach in trying to resolve the issue. And anger at Mr Ellison for his bloody-mindedness. I am sure all other Australians living here would also want both men extradited to face the authorities for their alleged crime. I have followed the Australian newspapers with interest, but have found nothing on this matter. The article 'Australia agrees to extradite HK man' (Sunday Morning Post, May 30) quoted Legco security panel chairman James To Kun-sun as saying he 'thought the Australian public would be Hong Kong's best allies'. This is absolutely correct. Mr Ellison is ultimately responsible to the electorate. May I suggest that Hong Kong pursue this matter through the Australian media, for instance, a television programme such as 'A Current Affair', where a news reporter will front Mr Ellison and at least let the Australian public know what is happening. At present, no one knows, no one cares. Stop pussy footing around and get the matter resolved. XAVIER CHANG, Shekou, Shenzhen Zen's dictatorial stance Because Bishop Zen Ze-kiun is a stalwart advocate for political democracy in Hong Kong, I find his comments about the Educational (Amendment) Bill 2002 rather alarming ('School management bill is like Article 23', May 26). His objections to the proposed incorporated management committees (IMC), which will be required of all financially aided schools, appear to be at odds with his call for democracy. Surely school administrators funded by our taxes should wish to listen to the advice of democratically selected members from their own school community: teachers, alumni, parents and community representatives. At any rate, school sponsors will still dominate the committees by appointing 60 per cent of members and the chairperson. In a democracy the people of the community have a voice in public decisions that affect their lives. The bishop seems to be saying: take it or leave it - we, the sponsoring body, will decide everything. Such a dictatorial and undemocratic approach could be tolerated, even while regretted, in a private school. But the Catholic schools have become public institutions by receiving our tax dollars and should be accountable at least to their own constituents, if not the wider public. The bishop fears that some IMC parent member will ask for computer classes to replace Bible lessons. Well, the school sponsors will control the IMC by a two-thirds majority; that is not much democracy to ask for or to fear. But, more important, should any student be required to attend Catholic Bible lessons? Shouldn't that decision be left to the parents? I am in favour of religious schools teaching the faith of the sponsoring body. But the sponsor should pay for the instruction, not the government, and it should be voluntary. It is indeed unfortunate that Bishop Zen has missed the opportunity to demonstrate democracy at work. JERRY JUERGENS, Ma On Shan Out of place Talking about birth rates, Philip Bowring ('Hong Kong's greatest family crisis', May 31) writes: 'Gaza, with a rate of 6.1, [is] a tribute to Palestinian determination to defeat the murderous Israeli occupiers and their Russia- and Brooklyn-born Jewish colonisers'. How this one-sided, racist comment belongs in a column about Hong Kong's low birth-rate is a mystery to me. JAMES YETMAN, Pokfulam Breaking the rules In 'A right to free speech' (May 25), Simon Kwong disagreed that the so-called democrats' taking to the streets should be responsible for the shrinking room for freedom of speech, blaming it instead on the central government. He seemed to have missed A. E. Gazeley's message - it is your choice whether or not to respect the rules of the game, but if you break them, you are inviting the consequences. The reality is that the rules are not against freedom of speech, but against universal suffrage in 2008. I believe having universal suffrage in 2008 is too ambitious and was never part of Hong Kong's winning formula. However, freedom of speech has always existed in Hong Kong, and will continue to. Still, the two are not exclusive and, in fact, come hand in hand. EDWARD LEE, Lam Tin Sustained cleanliness I echo what your leader 'No time for muddle on public health' (May 22) said: there is a pressing need for a high-powered government body to be formed to co-ordinate and sustain the efforts started by Team Clean last year. Such efforts require a government-community partnership. The Team Clean approach is top-down. There is a need to involve the community at local level. The Healthy Cities project, which is strongly supported by the World Health Organisation and adopted by many leading cities, is the best model to promote this partnership and improve the city's physical and social environment and the health of the people. Since 1998, some district councils have joined Healthy Cities. We need to urge the government to encourage other district councils and the community to take part. PROFESSOR S. H. LEE, Chinese University of Hong Kong Save the seahorse The attention you have given new international regulations governing the seahorse trade ('Endangered sex-boosting seahorses given a lifebuoy', May 24) is most welcome. But I wish to clarify several points. First, the proposed 10-centimetre minimum size limit is a measure recommended by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The size limit is voluntary, with each signatory, including China, choosing whether to adopt the size limit and use any other management tools. Second, Hong Kong is one of the world's leading importers of seahorses, along with the mainland, Taiwan and Singapore. Its estimated consumption level is relatively small only when compared with the mainland. Finally, while it is true that most packaged medicinal products containing seahorse ingredients target the impotence market, dried seahorses are prescribed by traditional medical practitioners for a wide range of ailments, including asthma, other respiratory problems, heart disease and mental disorders. SAMUEL K. H. LEE, representative, Marine Medicinals Conservation Programme Singapore comparison I refer to the letter headlined 'Defence of Singapore' (May 31). Wee Kek Koon says my words 'blackmail' and 'bribery' are loaded and I am a sensationalist. Maybe he can give me another description for telling someone that he gets something if he votes for you (money, goods or services); my word for that is bribery. Or that if he does not vote for you, something will happen to him or his neighbourhood (deprive them of services). I call that blackmail. Why do I pick Singapore for a comparison? Because both places are cities. Both have been 'Asian tigers'. Both have British influence. And both are Chinese, although Singapore has other cultural influences. Most important, Hong Kong is being bashed by the US for its lack of democracy. This is where the hypocrisy of the US comes in. It turns a blind eye to what is happening in Singapore merely because Singapore provides the US with a harbour for its navy. JEFFRY KUPERUS, Clear Water Bay