He may be facing trial on an obstruction charge next month, but busker Andrew So Chun-chau has continued to perform, including yesterday in a pedestrian zone in Mong Kok. The 50-year-old street performer pleaded not guilty in Eastern Court on June 29 after being prosecuted for obstruction in a public place when he juggled in Great George Street in Causeway Bay on April 6. He is due to go on trial on August 11. 'I will insist on performing before I am convicted because I believe in the principle of rule of law in Hong Kong,' he said. 'I am not opposing the government, but supporting the invigoration of street arts and the creative industry in Hong Kong, one of the six new economic pillars promoted by the government.' So said it was unreasonable for the government to promote arts and prosecute street performers at the same time. 'I am a performer, not a hawker... I am sincere in helping the city establish a place for street performers,' he said. Starting from this month, a six-month pilot scheme launched by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department allows street artists who pass an audition to perform in the piazzas of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Sha Tin Town Hall and Kwai Tsing Theatre for free. So (above) said he hoped there would be a licensing system for street performers in the long term, but he would not perform in the government-designated places because they were selected without consulting the artists. 'There have already been some arts groups in the Mong Kok pedestrians' zone, why don't we start from something that is already happening?' he said. Lawmaker Alan Leong Kah-kit, who helped So with the court case, also called for a licensing system and a code of conduct for street performers. 'The government should make available every means for these artists to share their creative ideas with the public,' he said. Leong will raise a question in Legco today asking the government to explain the reasoning behind the prosecution of the street performers.
