Hong Kong lawyer quits BNP Paribas after Facebook post supporting anti-government protests and ridiculing pro-Beijing activists
- Jason Ng resigns from senior legal post at French investment bank amid mainland China backlash over online remarks
- Company and former employee refuse to comment as global firms in Hong Kong feel squeeze over protests
The resignation of Jason Ng followed an earlier apology from the French investment bank, saying the remarks “did not reflect the view of BNP Paribas”.
Ng, who served as legal head of the company’s debt capital markets in Hong Kong, stood by his use of the phrase “monkey see, monkey do” when calling out pro-Chinese protesters earlier this month.
“It isn’t my fault that a common North American expression I used has been misconstrued and twisted to political ends,” Ng said on his Facebook. “But that isn’t the scary part. What worries me most is that the same can happen to anyone in Hong Kong. And it isn’t right.”
Ng said it was a choice of activism work over his day job, and he stressed he harboured no ill feelings towards BNP.
He described losing the job as “minuscule” compared with the city’s young protesters. He also paid tribute to airline crew sacked by city’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific for expressing support to protesters, saying they are “unsung heroes” when considering whether to resign from BNP.