Unreadable Code Words Appear in SCMP Ad, Hong Kong Publisher Jailed in China, ATV Bashes Law Society President

Unreadable Code Words Appear in SCMP Ad

An advertisement in the SCMP containing two lines of incomprehensible Chinese characters and English letters goes viral. The advertisement was published on May 1, signed “Elijah ooh.” An HK Golden forum member came up with an answer that most agree with, by referring to Latin, Norwegian and words that sound similar: “Democracy will not come to us by itself. Hong Kong has no way out. Democracy and universal suffrage are not happening—it’s all over for Hong Kong’s next generation.” Elijah was a biblical prophet who rebelled against the corrupt Kingdom of Israel. That said, the ad might not be political at all: another netizen suggests that it reads: “Can’t buy wolfberries. Let’s not bother with boiling soup. We can’t cook, there’s no fish and meat.”

Our take: Rich crazy person or mysterious cult? Either way: awesome.

Hong Kong Publisher Jailed in China

Yiu Man-tin, the 73-year-old editor of Morning Bell Press, has been fined RMB250,000 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for “smuggling” by a Shenzhen court. The publisher is known for releasing books considered “subversive” in China, such as a profile of former president Hu Jintao and a book on the Tiananmen Massacre. He was arrested last year for not paying import duties on the industrial paint he was carrying from Hong Kong to China. Yiu’s son Yiu Yung-chin blames political persecution: the publisher is about to release a book about President Xi Jinping, penned by dissident Yu Jie.

Our take: Ten years in jail for smuggling some paint?