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Letters | Lack of live news on Hong Kong protests in English keeps many residents out of the loop
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To my understanding, Hong Kong has two official languages: English and Chinese. In the British colonial period, Chinese became an official language only in 1974, so non-English speakers could represent themselves in court without having to rely on a translator.
The Basic Law stipulates that, in addition to Chinese, English may be used as an official language by the judiciary, legislative authorities and executive authorities.
But since 1997, the language of choice has been predominantly Chinese. According to academics at universities, as well people in the business sector, proficiency in English in our so-called world city has declined.
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Hong Kong continues to describe itself as an international city. It is ironic that during these weeks of crisis, live television news coverage of the protests is only in Chinese. Even the ticker tape running across the screen is in Chinese, not English.
This effectively excludes thousands of residents, who consider themselves Hongkongers, as well as visitors and members of the international community who work and live here. Since the local live news reports do not serve them, they have to turn to international channels, such as the BBC and Channel News Asia, for up-to-date news in English. We all care about Hong Kong as much as any Chinese speaker. This is our home and we are just as concerned about our city.
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N. Fung, Repulse Bay
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