https://www.scmp.com/rss/277549/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The city's largest lawyers' group yesterday joined the chorus condemning the Occupy Central civil disobedience plan, with its president saying the action was without legal grounds and the notion of "peaceful violence" was just "beautiful rhetoric". And the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office warned against "a confluence" of the plan and Taiwanese independence, after a controversial meeting between a key Occupy Central organiser and a former leader of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1343923/law-society-condemns-occupy-central-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1343923/law-society-condemns-occupy-central-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2013 20:30:15 +0000 If Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's "low-profile" meet-the-people sessions meant only buying fish with his wife and having curry meals, as he was proud to tell the public in August, he should perhaps look at what his top aide, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, is doing. The chief secretary paid a secret visit to some subdivided flats in Yau Tsim Mong District ahead of the government's poverty summit last month, a social worker who focuses on the issue revealed. "She was concerned about the situation... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1343935/carrie-lam-takes-secret-peek-poor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1343935/carrie-lam-takes-secret-peek-poor?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2013 20:24:08 +0000 Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has refused to detail the reasons behind a controversial free-television licensing decision, although the government is no longer bound by any judicial process to hold back its explanation. The administration has said that looming legal action and the Executive Council's confidentiality rule meant it could not reveal why Ricky Wong Wai-kay's company failed in its licence bid, while two other firms succeeded. The impact of that decision - which led tens of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1342636/excos-hktv-talks-are-confidential-says-leung-chun-ying-his-popularity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1342636/excos-hktv-talks-are-confidential-says-leung-chun-ying-his-popularity?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Oct 2013 07:45:15 +0000 Eight business groups yesterday issued a statement condemning the Occupy Central movement's alleged connection with Taiwanese independence advocates and its plan to blockade the finance district, saying such a "reckless act" could harm "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong. The joint statement added to pressure on the civil disobedience movement, which has tried over the past week to downplay a meeting between its key organiser and a Taiwanese politician seen by Beijing as an advocate of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1342134/business-groups-worried-occupy-co-founders-meeting-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1342134/business-groups-worried-occupy-co-founders-meeting-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2013 20:08:29 +0000 Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor yesterday deflected criticism of a population policy consultation paper, saying the government would do its best to assess the manpower needs of the local economy. The city's second-highest official said she believed training and educational institutes were the key to solving staff shortages. Training local talent "is our top priority", Lam said. "We have put training of local talent before admission of overseas talent" in the paper. Meanwhile, a member... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1340824/chief-secretary-promises-efforts-manpower-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1340824/chief-secretary-promises-efforts-manpower-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Oct 2013 21:30:09 +0000 Mainland media have warned Occupy Central activists they are "playing with fire" after one of the movement's organisers met a Taiwanese politician seen by Beijing as an advocate of independence for the island. They said co-operation with "separatist forces" could bring chaos to Hong Kong and provoke sterner measures from Beijing to maintain stability. A leader of the civil-disobedience, pro-democracy movement met the former chairman of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party, Shih Ming-teh, in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1339158/occupy-central-playing-fire-meeting-dpp-mainland-media-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1339158/occupy-central-playing-fire-meeting-dpp-mainland-media-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Oct 2013 19:30:00 +0000 The central government "sincerely" hopes to see Hong Kong elect its chief executive in 2017 by universal suffrage, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said yesterday after meeting a top Beijing official. But head of Hong Kong affairs Zhang Dejiang reiterated the long-standing conditions: it must comply with the Basic Law and the NPC Standing Committee's rulings, Leung said. "Zhang explicitly said the central government sincerely hopes Hong Kong could achieve universal suffrage in the election of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1338239/beijing-sincere-about-universal-suffrage-2017-says-cy-leung?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1338239/beijing-sincere-about-universal-suffrage-2017-says-cy-leung?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Oct 2013 20:30:45 +0000 An application to set up a company to run the affairs of the Occupy Central pro-democracy campaign has dragged on for over five months, with the Companies Registry questioning whether the business was being set up for a "lawful purpose". Campaign organisers say the government is using executive measures to obstruct lawful activities. They say the high-profile idea of rousing 10,000 people to join a sit-in on the streets of Central next year is only part of their plan, and will not happen if the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1338187/occupy-centrals-attempt-register-company-hits-roadblock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1338187/occupy-centrals-attempt-register-company-hits-roadblock?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Oct 2013 20:30:30 +0000 Leung Chun-ying's failed election rival Henry Tang Ying-yen has been keen to comment on the government's recent controversies - from weighing in on the call for an explanation of why Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV) was denied a free-to-air television licence, to criticising Leung for bungling his talks with Philippine President Benigno Aquino, due to his "lack of experience". While some have speculated as to why, a source acquainted with Tang believes it is because the former chief secretary... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1338197/tang-still-bitter-about-missing-out-top-job?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1338197/tang-still-bitter-about-missing-out-top-job?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Oct 2013 20:29:40 +0000 Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying yesterday denied he over-ruled a majority of his cabinet to reject the application of Ricky Wong Wai-kay's company for a free-to-air television licence. But his remarks in the morning failed to clear the clouds over the decision-making process, and Wong later asked whether the chief executive had become bigger than the law. Leung said many reports of the past few days that quoted Executive Council members holding a different view from the government were... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1337524/leung-chun-ying-denies-overruling-exco-over-hktv-licence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1337524/leung-chun-ying-denies-overruling-exco-over-hktv-licence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2013 21:08:58 +0000 The government has given mixed messages over whether a leaked document - stating there was no justification for denying any of the three applicants free-to-air television licences - was a genuine paper discussed in the Executive Council. Secretary of Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung confirmed yesterday morning that the paper, three paragraphs of which were published by Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao on Saturday, was "one of the documents" consulted by the government. Cable TV also obtained a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1336131/government-cant-get-its-story-straight-leaked-tv-licence-document?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1336131/government-cant-get-its-story-straight-leaked-tv-licence-document?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Oct 2013 21:00:45 +0000 An HK$815 gift of beef brisket and fish balls came up for mention at a legislative hearing yesterday into the alleged lavish spending of former anti-corruption chief Timothy Tong Hin-ming. Tong said he had acted in "courtesy of reciprocity" when he approved the purchase as a gift in return for lychees that guests had bought for the graft-busters. The argument came as a last-ditch defence against criticism of Tong's spending on entertainment, gifts and official visits as Independent Commission... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1334790/tong-says-gifts-were-spirit-courtesy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1334790/tong-says-gifts-were-spirit-courtesy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Oct 2013 19:44:50 +0000 An audience of 2,000 cheered and applauded as Ricky Wong Wai-kay turned up at an open-air Chinese University forum last night - and those who had been unable to get a seat joined in from a nearby rooftop. The size of the turnout was Wong's second shock of the week, the first being Tuesday's rejection by the government of his application to launch a free-to-air TV station, an unexplained decision that appeared to have left much of the city equally stunned. Last night's show of support brought... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1334093/wong-proves-he-can-draw-audience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1334093/wong-proves-he-can-draw-audience?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:45:15 +0000 The second vote on a motion of no confidence against Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying in 10 months was defeated last night after a five-hour debate in the Legislative Council. The motion had been tabled by Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki who said the city had been "torn apart" since Leung had taken office. Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor described the motion as "empty", sparking a fierce exchange between pan-democrats and Beijing loyalists. I regret to see the legislature, for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1333130/no-confidence-motion-against-chief-executive-fails?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1333130/no-confidence-motion-against-chief-executive-fails?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:17:00 +0000 Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying is likely to win a confidence vote today despite seeing his overall popularity rating stay below 50 points for the seventh consecutive month. A University of Hong Kong poll conducted earlier this month put his latest rating at 48.1 points, 1.3 points lower than the rating the same source gave him in September. Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki, who filed the motion, said its backers did not expect to win the vote despite the fact that the city had been "torn apart"... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1332477/leung-chun-ying-survive-confidence-vote-poll-rating-dips-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1332477/leung-chun-ying-survive-confidence-vote-poll-rating-dips-again?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Oct 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The head of the Equal Opportunities Commission has condemned lawmakers for a newspaper advertisement he says might promote discrimination against mainland migrants, amid growing cross-border tension. NeoDemocrat lawmaker Gary Fan Kwok-wai, one of those who initiated the advertisement, could further fan the flames of discord with a Legislative Council motion calling on the government to put the interests of Hongkongers first in every policymaking decision. The advertisement, signed by more than... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1330378/head-equality-watchdog-condemns-lawmakers-ad-mainland-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1330378/head-equality-watchdog-condemns-lawmakers-ad-mainland-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Oct 2013 12:27:40 +0000 After almost three decades, there is still no certainty that Hong Kong's struggle for democracy will bear fruit by the end of next year. What is certain is that no parties want further delays, including Beijing, according to a veteran Beijing-friendly politician. "Beijing officials are not impressed with the idea of dragging the debate on for another five years," the source said. He was referring to what vice-chairwoman of the national legislature's Basic Law Committee Elsie Leung Oi-sie said... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1328010/beijing-keen-see-end-democracy-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1328010/beijing-keen-see-end-democracy-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Oct 2013 16:00:00 +0000 A radical pan-democratic group is seeking law revisions to ban Filipino domestic helpers from working in the city until Manila apologises for the bungled rescue in a Manila hostage-taking crisis three years ago that killed eight Hongkongers. Under the People Power plan, all Filipinos would eventually be barred from entering Hong Kong. The idea was met with reservations by the security minister, legislators and the family of one of the dead hostages, expressing concerns about the effect on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1327987/lawmakers-propose-ban-maids-force-apology-over-manila-bus-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1327987/lawmakers-propose-ban-maids-force-apology-over-manila-bus-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Oct 2013 11:33:34 +0000 The Occupy Central organisers are hoping to sign up 5,000 supporters to donate HK$1,000 each to raise HK$5 million so that they can run deliberation meetings and electronic voting exercises. Dr Chan Kin-man, one of the key organisers, said they were confident they would meet the target but if they failed they may have to scale back the campaign. Chan said yesterday that the campaign would cost at least HK$6.8 million before summer next year. That included HK$2.15 million for two deliberation... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1326661/occupy-central-hk5m-appeal-pay-electronic-voting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1326661/occupy-central-hk5m-appeal-pay-electronic-voting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Oct 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Hongkongers could turn their voices into votes on contentious issues following the completion of a new civil referendum platform next month. And the city's political reform is most likely to be the first topic for an electronic ballot. The Occupy Central campaign plans to run a small-scale voting exercise by the end of the year to draw up a list of "democratic principles" that the campaign would then pursue. The PopVote project, jointly developed by the University of Hong Kong and Polytechnic... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1322932/hongkongers-get-voice-electronic-voting-platform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1322932/hongkongers-get-voice-electronic-voting-platform?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Oct 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Universal suffrage with a screening mechanism would be a completely unacceptable, "dark, Middle Ages" arrangement that would resemble Iran's electoral system, says a Danish sculptor and human rights activist who has been barred from entering Hong Kong twice before. Jens Galschiot, the sculptor who created the University of Hong Kong's Pillar of Shame, was allowed into the city on Thursday for the first time since 2005. He is in the city mainly to repair the weathered sculpture, which was created... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1319461/screening-ce-candidates-would-be-iran-says-sculptor-jens-galschiot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1319461/screening-ce-candidates-would-be-iran-says-sculptor-jens-galschiot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The graft-buster is set to overhaul its rules for officers' conduct in an effort to "remove the ambiguities" after the scandal over former chief Timothy Tong Hin- ming's spending exposed a string of violations. Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) commissioner Simon Peh Yun-lu announced the review yesterday after attending a Legislative Council hearing at which community relations director Julie Mu Fee-man was heavily criticised for overlooking the rules during Tong's tenure. "It... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1318588/anti-corruption-commission-seeks-overhaul-rules-officers-conduct?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1318588/anti-corruption-commission-seeks-overhaul-rules-officers-conduct?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 For the first time since the overspending scandal at the Independent Commission Against Corruption erupted, its former chief Timothy Tong Hin-ming admitted yesterday that he had made mistakes. But he insisted he was an honest man. Tong's admission came after he was dragged back before the Legislative Council's Public Accounts Committee for a grilling that lasted more than three hours - with lawmakers intent on clarifying inconsistencies between Tong's earlier testimony to them and an independent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1317782/i-made-mistakes-admits-ex-graft-buster-timothy-tong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1317782/i-made-mistakes-admits-ex-graft-buster-timothy-tong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 A top mainland official in charge of Hong Kong affairs yesterday urged the city's political appointees to improve their sensitivity when it comes to policies which have an impact on the mainland. Citing the controversy over the limit on mainlanders taking baby milk formula across the border, Wang Guangya, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said there was a need to explain clearly to mainland cities and provinces the impact of Hong Kong's policies. His message was quoted by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1317019/beijing-hints-displeasure-over-hong-kongs-handling-baby-formula-issue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1317019/beijing-hints-displeasure-over-hong-kongs-handling-baby-formula-issue?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The top US envoy in Hong Kong said yesterday Washington would not support any political parties or give any prescription on reform when it came to the city's democratic development. Clifford Hart's cautious approach in his maiden public speech came a month after Foreign Ministry Commissioner Song Zhe warned him to stay out of the city's affairs. Speaking at a lunch hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce, the US consul general said Washington supported Hong Kong's progress towards genuine... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1316881/us-will-keep-its-nose-out-hong-kong-poll-says-envoy-clifford-hart?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1316881/us-will-keep-its-nose-out-hong-kong-poll-says-envoy-clifford-hart?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Sep 2013 10:40:27 +0000 The right for voters to nominate chief executive candidates under universal suffrage was left out of the Basic Law because few people proposed or supported it, according to Beijing's Hong Kong propaganda chief. Hao Tiechuan, publicity director of the central government's liaison office, cited records of the cross-border committee that drafted the Basic Law as well as the Hong Kong committee that sought local views. "During the drafting and consulting processes of the Basic Law, the University of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1316180/public-nomination-was-not-accepted-1980s-says-state-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1316180/public-nomination-was-not-accepted-1980s-says-state-official?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Up to 3,000 people are expected to be involved in a series of meetings over the next two months to come up with "democratic principles" for the next chief executive election. The second "deliberation day" will be another attempt by the Occupy Central campaign to forge a consensus on political reform. But unlike the first event, which was just one meeting, it will involve about 24 groups and more than 30 meetings throughout the city. "We want our message [about striving for genuine democracy] to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1316178/occupy-central-has-high-hopes-second-consultation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1316178/occupy-central-has-high-hopes-second-consultation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The Legislative Council's summer recess has not necessarily been a time of rest. Some have taken the chance to take sponsored official trips; others have been busy meeting with voters to shore up support; opposition figures have been limbering up for the new term. They have been joined by an unlikely bedfellow. For real estate tycoons' representative Abraham Razack, it's been a busy summer preparing for a showdown with the government over property cooling measures. He is planning to table two... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1315362/good-trumps-right-says-abraham-razack-property-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1315362/good-trumps-right-says-abraham-razack-property-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 As the electoral reform debate lingers around the issue of nomination - and whether or not there will be screening of candidates - Beijing has a more pragmatic concern: who are the potential contenders? A name that appeared recently from the pro-establishment camp was that of Transport and Housing Secretary Anthony Cheung Bing-leung. The founding chairman of former pan-democratic group Meeting Point, and later the Democratic Party vice-chairman, Cheung is regarded as an open-minded academic. "If... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1312410/whos-who-list-contenders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1312410/whos-who-list-contenders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The former head of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Timothy Tong Hin-ming, will face fresh questioning by lawmakers next week about his spending on gifts and official trips during his five-year tenure. The Legislative Council public accounts committee has planned hearings on Wednesday and Thursday after finding inconsistencies found between Tong's earlier testimony and a report by an independent panel. "This committee has to be very fair, open, and at the same time search for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1312488/legco-question-timothy-tong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1312488/legco-question-timothy-tong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 A probe into overspending by ex-ICAC chief Timothy Tong Hin-ming found rule breaches on 42 occasions in his five-year reign. The findings were revealed by an independent review committee set up to investigate Tong's use of public money while head of the graft-busting agency. Two of the breaches are the subject of a criminal inquiry. The report brought a call from Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying for the Independent Commission Against Corruption to seriously follow up on the report's... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1308815/former-icac-chief-timothy-tong-criticised-breaching-spending-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1308815/former-icac-chief-timothy-tong-criticised-breaching-spending-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Sep 2013 11:02:43 +0000 Hong Kong urgently needs to groom political talent for the era of universal suffrage, says executive councillor Bernard Chan, as the government, political parties and business will all face succession problems in the next decade. Despite the heated debate going on over election methods, Chan told the South China Morning Post that he was more worried about who would be capable of assembling a strong team to run for the top job. It is a pity we have not had the time and resources to groom... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1308520/political-talent-deficit-looms-universal-suffrage-approaches-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1308520/political-talent-deficit-looms-universal-suffrage-approaches-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Executive councillor Bernard Chan has waded into the controversy over where to find land to build more homes. He urged a debate on alternative options to boost supply, not just by cutting into country parks but by including other land such as farmland. When the city's population is jammed into 6.9 per cent of the land, the living conditions are going to be bad. Society should conduct an informed discussion about what we want. You can't have everything He was shocked to learn that less than 7... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1308601/farmland-may-be-another-option-ease-land-crisis-says-excos-bernard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1308601/farmland-may-be-another-option-ease-land-crisis-says-excos-bernard?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Civic Party lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah will not follow the party's line in voting for political reform even if the majority of Hongkongers say they support a government proposal that falls short of "genuine universal suffrage". The most important criterion that decides his voting preference will be universal suffrage without screening of candidates, he said. As a member of the pan-democratic camp, we have to stick to our principles, which is genuine universal suffrage. Should we follow the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1307145/civic-party-lawmaker-ronny-tong-will-not-toe-party-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1307145/civic-party-lawmaker-ronny-tong-will-not-toe-party-line?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The government's political reform package could be one of the options to be included in a civil referendum exercise next year. The pan-democrats will decide which proposal towards universal suffrage they will endorse based on the referendum results. The Alliance for True Democracy - a grouping of 26 of the 27 pan-democratic lawmakers - will meet the University of Hong Kong's public opinion programme director Robert Chung Ting-yiu on Wednesday to work out the details of the electronic voting... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1306479/pan-dems-voting-exercise-may-include-government-reform-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1306479/pan-dems-voting-exercise-may-include-government-reform-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The police chief yesterday defended the force being named as runner-up for best public image in the government's biennial civil service awards. Despite a string of controversies that have thrown up questions about police impartiality, Commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung said of the prize: "If you look at the city's public order, such recognition is a matter of course." He cited two recent reports, by the World Economic Forum and the World Justice Project, which showed Hong Kong ranked highly for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1305877/hong-kongs-police-force-deserves-public-image-prize-commissioner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1305877/hong-kongs-police-force-deserves-public-image-prize-commissioner?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 A top mainland official in Hong Kong has launched a thinly veiled attack on the Occupy Central movement, saying that the city's "youth" are responsible for rejecting any action that will damage what he called "the rule of law". The remark yesterday by Wang Zhimin, deputy director of the central government's liaison office, faithfully reflected Beijing's hardline stance against the civil disobedience plan proposed by University of Hong Kong law academic Benny Tai Yiu-ting as a last-ditch attempt... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1303574/chinese-official-blames-hong-kong-youth-occupy-central-movement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1303574/chinese-official-blames-hong-kong-youth-occupy-central-movement?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The government will put a wide range of ideas proposed by various quarters on the table to start its long-awaited first round of public consultation on methods of universal suffrage, a source familiar with the matter says. There will be no concrete proposal, but suggestions including popular nomination will be listed in the exercise, which is to be held early next year. It is important for the government to stay open-minded at an early stage. It is also inappropriate for us to pass premature... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1300172/everything-table-reform-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1300172/everything-table-reform-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Three out of five Hongkongers fear the city may see more clashes between pro- and anti-government groups in the future, while about one-third fear rallies will descend into large-scale riots, a poll has found. And they disapprove of radical behaviour from both sides of politics, according to a survey by Chinese University's Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies. Researchers interviewed 893 people from August 19 to 21, a day after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's second meet-the-people... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1300171/protest-conflict-concern-many?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1300171/protest-conflict-concern-many?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 A University of Hong Kong microbiologist has accused the Hospital Authority of downplaying an outbreak of a superbug infection earlier this year at public hospitals in central Kowloon. Dr Ho Pak-leung said the surge in the number of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) cases in March at the hospitals, mostly Queen Elizabeth Hospital, should have been reported at the time. It remained high in the two following months. Figures showing more than 300 cases of the infection in central Kowloon's... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1299365/doctor-attacks-hospital-authoritys-late-reaction-surge-superbug?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1299365/doctor-attacks-hospital-authoritys-late-reaction-surge-superbug?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Three mainstream pan-democratic parties have refused to sign a charter prepared by student-led group Scholarism, which identifies the right of voters to nominate candidates for the chief executive poll as a "primary target". The decisions of the Democratic Party, the Labour Party and the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood have highlighted the rifts among pan-democrats after months of attempts to unite the camp as it pushes for full universal suffrage by 2017. The Scholarism... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1299355/pan-democrat-divisions-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1299355/pan-democrat-divisions-show?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying is doing a worse job than his predecessors and the city will "go nowhere but down" if he continues to govern as he has in recent months, says Liberal Party leader James Tien Pei-chun. In a public outburst that underlined the rift in the pro-establishment camp, Tien also said Leung was the "wrong choice" for the top job. He added that the city would have been better off had rival candidate Henry Tang Ying-yen been elected in March last year. Tien supported Tang in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1299415/leung-chun-ying-wrong-choice-hong-kongs-ce-says-james-tien?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1299415/leung-chun-ying-wrong-choice-hong-kongs-ce-says-james-tien?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The Democratic Party considers its lawmakers' acceptance of Cathay Pacific's free trip to France as inappropriate and has apologised to the public. Its central committee said last night that the party had a guideline which stated that committee members and councillors should not accept any overly generous offers. If this happened to Leung Chun-ying or [the development minister] Paul Chan Mo-po, they would certainly have been given a hard time It had yet to decide on any follow-up action, said... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1298637/democrats-apologise-cathay-junket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1298637/democrats-apologise-cathay-junket?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying will come face to face with a core organiser of the Occupy Central democracy campaign for the first time at one of two dinners hosted by the government next month. The dinners at Government House on September 12 and 17 will give people from across the political spectrum the chance to discuss universal suffrage. I hope it is the beginning of a dialogue, and the beginning of the government facing the reality of a pressing electoral reform. We will exhaust all... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1298472/leung-chun-ying-face-occupy-central-chief-dinner-reform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1298472/leung-chun-ying-face-occupy-central-chief-dinner-reform?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 A new group set up two weeks ago has emerged as the leading force against Occupy Central, launching aggressive attacks on the pro-democracy campaign. One of its convenors warned yesterday that the planned acts of civil disobedience could lead to "anarchy" and "intervention by the People's Liberation Army". Occupy Central might be 10 times larger. Will the 28,000-strong police force be able to control the scene? Can the campaign organisers guarantee it will not end up in riots? ‘Silent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1298158/silent-majority-takes-vocal-stance-fight-against-occupy-central?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1298158/silent-majority-takes-vocal-stance-fight-against-occupy-central?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Protesters fear there could be chaos during Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s next meet-the-people session on Sunday. Their increased concern comes amid accusations by the Civic Party and others that Leung has links to triad groups – an allegation his office strenuously denies – and due to a lack of public space around the meeting venue. The police have also been accused of a pro-government bias in their allegedly lenient treatment of suspected triads in clashes between pro-government and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1297279/fears-mount-over-potential-violence-cys-next-public-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1297279/fears-mount-over-potential-violence-cys-next-public-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2013 13:38:05 +0000 More than 300 police officers will watch over Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's next meet-the-people session, to be held in Kwun Tong on Sunday, after scuffles marred the Tin Shui Wai event last weekend, a police source says. The police plan to step up their presence at the designated protest zone outside Kwun Tong Kung Lok Government Secondary School, although the site is smaller than the one in Tin Shui Wai. The force will use body cameras and hand-held devices to record any demonstration. "We... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1296963/police-beef-security-cys-next-public-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1296963/police-beef-security-cys-next-public-event?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The furore over former graft-buster chief Timothy Tong Hin-ming's corruption case has been almost forgotten in a summer that saw two executive councillors and two political assistants quit over the latest string of political scandals. But it won't take long for Tong to return to the spotlight: the Legislative Council's public accounts committee has almost reached a verdict, after a series of public hearings which uncovered Tong's extravagant spending when he helmed the Independent Commission... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1296710/spotlight-shine-again-former-icac-boss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1296710/spotlight-shine-again-former-icac-boss?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The Hong Kong University Students' Union has accused Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying of stoking political division, and for the first time has added its voice to calls for him to step down. It said Leung should apologise for an inflammatory speech he made at a meet-the-people event last Sunday which saw pro- and anti-government factions brawling outside. Leung told the meeting he had ordered the Education Bureau to prepare a report on primary school teacher Alpais Lam Wai-sze, who was filmed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1296708/cy-leung-fanning-political-discord-say-students?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1296708/cy-leung-fanning-political-discord-say-students?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 A new group established just last week has fired its opening salvo against the Occupy Central campaign for democracy, splashing out on full-page print adverts urging the silent majority to speak up against the planned acts of civil disobedience. The cash-rich Silent Majority for Hong Kong took out the ads in 11 major Chinese-language newspapers, putting its words into action for the first time since it vowed on Thursday to protect the city's interests. We cannot solve everyone's problems, nor... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1296458/opposing-groups-cross-swords-radio-battle-over-occupy-central?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1296458/opposing-groups-cross-swords-radio-battle-over-occupy-central?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000