https://www.scmp.com/rss/501375/feed Justin Bong-Kwan is a practising barrister based in Hong Kong and a freelance writer. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The Hong Kong government’s Covid-19 slogan is, “Together, we fight the virus”. As Equal Opportunities Commission chairman Ricky Chu Man-kin said: “It is this sense of togetherness, not labelling and stigmatisation, that will help us put up our best fight against the virus.” However, the singling out of foreign domestic helpers in the application of anti-pandemic measures would seem to be at odds with the government’s official stance. Having withdrawn a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination plan for the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3135086/hong-kong-government-must-be-sensitive-risk-institutional-racism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3135086/hong-kong-government-must-be-sensitive-risk-institutional-racism?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 May 2021 22:45:11 +0000 Since the end of January, holders of British National (Overseas) passports have been eligible to apply for settlement in the UK as a pathway to British citizenship. An estimated 600,000 Hongkongers could emigrate to Britain in the next two years, according to a survey by the Hongkongers in Britain association. While the diplomatic row over Britain’s announcement of the BN(O) scheme has been the centre of much media attention, potential social problems that could arise from an influx of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3128430/bno-passport-holders-fleeing-hong-kong-should-know-britain-has?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3128430/bno-passport-holders-fleeing-hong-kong-should-know-britain-has?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Apr 2021 00:30:14 +0000 With mass coronavirus vaccinations set to be available next month, the possibility for Hong Kong to return to some semblance of normality seems to be on the horizon. Yet, 2021 will see the city adjusting to a new normal, one that is underscored by a more defined national identity and a stronger sense of belonging in its relationship with the rest of China. While Hong Kong has reverted to being an integral part of China since the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, 2020 marked a watershed for Hong... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3117724/hong-kongs-growing-sense-identity-chinese-city-natural-and-should?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3117724/hong-kongs-growing-sense-identity-chinese-city-natural-and-should?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Jan 2021 22:45:15 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor recently conferred honours and awards at Government House on those recognised in the 2020 Honours List for their distinguished contributions to the Hong Kong community. This year’s recipients included Legislative Council president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, former police chief Stephen Lo Wai-chung, as well as actor Natalis Chan Pak-cheung. While acknowledging contributions to society is a noble gesture in itself, is it appropriate to do so under a system... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3113323/hong-kongs-honours-system-must-be-recognised-colonial-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3113323/hong-kongs-honours-system-must-be-recognised-colonial-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Dec 2020 22:45:13 +0000 On June 7, demonstrators marched to the US Consulate in Hong Kong in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The movement is a protest over police brutality against African Americans and was sparked by the recent death of George Floyd. While some may perceive the movement as a response to an American problem, racial inequality is not unique to any particular part of the world. Having said that, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison stirred up controversy when he remarked that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3090233/black-lives-matter-protests-offer-opportunity-hong-kong-examine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3090233/black-lives-matter-protests-offer-opportunity-hong-kong-examine?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jun 2020 01:30:14 +0000 Since Hong Kong began implementing social distancing measures, in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19, regular life has come to a screeching halt. A poll conducted by Chinese University’s Centre for Communication and Public Opinion Survey found that 51.4 per cent of respondents felt that the outbreak had had a significant negative impact on their daily lives. Hong Kong’s public health response has undeniably necessitated adapting to a new way of life. For many Hong Kong residents, this... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3081358/what-coronavirus-weary-hong-kong-can-learn-napoleon-oscar-wilde-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3081358/what-coronavirus-weary-hong-kong-can-learn-napoleon-oscar-wilde-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2020 01:30:13 +0000 As the fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus goes on, Hong Kong seems to be under a perpetual cloud of gloom. On any given day, it is almost impossible to read or watch the news without being bombarded with reports of newly confirmed cases and further disruptions to the city’s day-to-day functioning. While it is imperative for Hongkongers to take care of their physical health in these challenging times, it is also important to be mindful of how the prevailing societal atmosphere is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3065234/whats-ailing-hong-kong-not-just-coronavirus-induced-panic-also?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3065234/whats-ailing-hong-kong-not-just-coronavirus-induced-panic-also?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2020 22:00:10 +0000 Votes have been cast, and the ballots counted. Despite uncertainties over whether this year’s district council elections would take place, they went ahead on November 24 without incident, albeit under heavier security. With anti-government protests into their sixth month, it was a politically charged set of elections, with pro-establishment candidates anxious about a backlash for supporting the extradition bill that triggered the protests. And indeed, pro-democracy candidates rode the wave of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3039312/dont-let-hong-kong-district-council-election-politics-detract?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3039312/dont-let-hong-kong-district-council-election-politics-detract?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Nov 2019 22:01:03 +0000 Following another mass anti-government march last month, Yuen Long MTR station became the scene of a campaign of violence by men dressed in white T-shirts against protesters and innocent passers-by on the evening of July 21, leaving at least 45 injured. When it came to light that some of the attackers were triad members and some were known to pro-establishment lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, the public were up in arms. They condemned what they claimed was government and police collusion with... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3021822/dangerous-resource-hire-hong-kongs-triads-have-long-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3021822/dangerous-resource-hire-hong-kongs-triads-have-long-history?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Aug 2019 04:30:13 +0000 As the dust settled at the end of the first opium war, Britain’s vision was for sparsely populated Hong Kong to serve as a port city for international trade. The idea was to make money. Lots of it. Charles Elliot, the first administrator in Hong Kong, proclaimed in 1841 that Hong Kong would be a free port. True to his word, liberal economic policies under laissez-faire governance reigned. The stage was set for Hong Kong’s go-getting nature and forward-looking ethos. Hong Kong attracted migrants... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3017044/how-britains-capitalist-experiment-has-shaped-hong-kongs-attitudes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3017044/how-britains-capitalist-experiment-has-shaped-hong-kongs-attitudes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2019 01:00:26 +0000