bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

Latest measures will not cool property market
The  central government has taken steps to cool the property market on the mainland, but I feel these measures are unlikely to be  very effective.
The government has announced an increase in down payments for all homebuyers in order to deter speculators. However, this reform is not going to be very effective as a quarter of  all homebuyers pay cash for their  homes. 
Also, the average mortgage only covers about half of the value of the property because  people want to avoid paying interest. 
Therefore,  this  new policy will not deter  the many speculators with deep pockets, but  it will adversely affect people who are not wealthy, cannot afford large down payments and who want a house to live in, not for speculation.  
Increasing the supply of new homes should, in theory, lead to reduced prices.  
Also, the fact that the new homes are small and medium-sized means that  they are aimed directly at those who are worst hit by inflation. 
However, the flaw with this plan is that there is a lengthy construction process and, by the time these houses and apartment blocks are ready, the  housing bubble may already have burst.
So, if the government is missing the point by increasing down payments,  and  greater supply will take too long to have an effect, what should Beijing do? In my opinion, it  must tackle the root of the problem. 
Deposit rates are capped at 2.25 per cent. This is not even enough to compensate for inflation, which ran at 2.4 per cent in the year to March. With such low deposit rates, why would anyone put money in a bank? 
Clearly, the mainland  must raise its  rates to  act as an incentive for people to make deposits rather than fuel the property bubble. 
Of course, the central government does not wish to  increase deposit rates because by doing so it would be putting pressure on the yuan to appreciate. 
In order to cool the property market,  Beijing must allow some flexibility in the price of the yuan, in turn allowing for upward adjustments in the deposit rate.
This will serve to adjust the skewed trade balance with the US and help China by making it less dependent on exports and more driven by domestic demand.
Deep Vaze, Mid-Levels
HK flag for war memorial
I refer to Cynthia Sze's letter regarding the Cenotaph in Central ('PRC flag right for memorial', April 30).  
The war memorial stands in the heart of Hong Kong. 
It is there for people to remember and to honour those who  died in defence of our freedom. 
Those who died in the two world wars for colonial Hong Kong were British servicemen and allies of Britain.  
The Cenotaph is part of our history and of our colonial past, a past which should not be forgotten. I can appreciate that it is difficult for the government to decide which flag should be flown at the monument. But, as an ex-Royal Air Force officer, I think British  servicemen who died fighting for the freedom of Hong Kong in the first and second world wars would not be happy with a foreign flag being flown there.  
I believe the Hong Kong  flag would be the best option. 
If we also want to commemorate those Chinese soldiers who died in conflicts other than the two world wars, then perhaps we could raise the flag of the United Nations. But I would prefer it if we just had the Hong Kong  flag. It can serve as a reminder of  the freedom and peace which  are so important  to our city.
Spencer C. K. Lai, Yuen Long 
Doubts over scientific test
I refer to the letter by Ian J. Stones ('Global flood never happened', April 29). 
He is right. The Bible never mentioned a global flood, but rather a great flood. 
He also claims that the Shroud of Turin is a fake. 
What is certain about the  shroud is that the radiocarbon dating carried out in 1988 was bungled and left many questions unanswered.  Scientists involved in the test concluded  that the shroud was a medieval fake.
I wish to make a few points  which science cannot explain.
The marks of Roman coins were found over the eyelids of the shroud from the time of the emperor Tiberius. There is Lebanese pollen on the linen yarn. 
If this was really a fake from the Middle Ages, then the person responsible was a genius and had a lot of  foresight. 
Physicist  Harry E. Gove [who designed the carbon-dating technique used on the shroud]  has admitted that bacterial pollution could have led to a more recent dating of the relic. 
Russian scientist Dmitri  Kouznetsov, also a non-believer,  demonstrated that when the shroud was nearly  destroyed by fire in Chambery in  1532 while it was kept in a silver casket, the resulting baking process  certainly caused a variation in the dating.  
Angelo Paratico, Sheung Wan
Trap policy is more humane
The present policy of killing stray animals is outdated and inhumane. The government should review it. 
I would suggest instead a strategy of trap, neuter, vaccinate and return. 
At least in this way, there is less chance of the strays contracting diseases.
I would also like to see more people in Hong Kong adopting these animals. We should respect their right to life.
We must address the root of the problem. The attitude of pet owners in Hong Kong has to change. People must realise that when they buy a pet it is a lifelong commitment.
Too often individuals have a very blas? attitude and, having purchased an animal, will then simply dump it. 
Apart from adopting the trap, neuter, vaccinate and return policy, the government also has to try to  change people's attitudes.
Bryan Chan, Tsuen Wan
Questioning DAB's motives
I agree with James Tien Pei-chun ('DAB airtime sale opens door to richer parties, Tien says', April 30). 
The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong has positioned itself as a grass-roots political party, so I would like to know how  it can afford to pay 'more than HK$500,000' for a weekly radio show. 
This adds  to the speculation that the DAB is generously funded by the tycoons who donated funds to Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's re-election campaign for his second term. 
Surely these super-rich businessmen already have enough influence on life in Hong Kong through the functional constituencies in Legco, without spreading their tentacles into the geographical seats. 
Isn't it also about time there was proper registration for  the membership and funding of political parties in Hong Kong?  
I also agree with Mr Tien that 'one person, two votes' is a workable solution to the deadlock over universal suffrage. It could actually improve Legco.  
This would allow people a vote in a geographical and a functional constituency.  
However, Mr Tien's idea of  'candidates nominated by the various trade and professional groups' sounds too much like special business interests (including the Liberal Party) trying to retain their present overbearing influence.
Charlie Chan, Mid-Levels
Beijing has been very flexible
Those  who support the views of Stephen C. K. Chan ('Voters can send strong message to Beijing'', April 27) must face up to the fact that Beijing did not ignore their demands. 
It is they who keep moving the goal posts in order to continue to have an excuse to reject the government's political reform package.
They first demanded a timetable for introducing universal suffrage. When they got the timetable (2017 and 2020), they demanded a road map, which it is clearly too early to lay out, especially for the Legco election of 2020, and lends itself to further nit-picking by them. They then demanded a pledge to abolish the functional constituencies by 2020 to achieve what they call 'genuine democracy'' or 'genuine universal suffrage''.
They must realise that it is only their spurious opinion and not a fact that functional constituencies and universal suffrage are mutually exclusive. Not accepting their opinion is not the same as ignoring their demands.
Peter Lok, Chai Wan
Soul at risk
I refer to the views expressed by Tsang Yok-sing, the founding chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong ('Elections may lead to 'tyranny of majority', Legco president says', May 4). 
Mr Tsang strangely supports the status quo of the 'tyranny of the minority', which is not democratic and will not lead to the betterment or the progress of Hong Kong.
The DAB is in danger of losing  its soul by fostering  unnatural alliances with the vested interests of 'big business'. 
Christian Rogers, Mid-Levels 
Long reach
I refer to the report ('UBS case puts HK in US tax dodge spotlight', May 4). Why should Hong Kong be the slightest bit concerned over the problems of the US Inland Revenue Service in chasing tax delinquents? 
The US has a draconian tax system that is unique in its reach and complexity. 
If America can't administer it, that's its problem and definitely not ours.
Peter Mallen, Pok Fu Lam



Letters