TOP STORIES
Migration and misinformation amid uncertainty in Hong Kong
- 2021-04-29
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Jasmine TseEdited by: Simran Vaswani
- 2021-04-29
Jean Francois Harvey from Harvey Law Group, along with over 60 immigration companies, were at the International Immigration and Property Expo on March 27. However, what Mr Harvey witnessed there left him dumbfounded. “I saw consultants openly telling people to buy start-up visas. I also saw others squarely selling jobs — it may not be a real job, but it’ll get them the visa,” Mr Harvey recounted. Paying money for a job offer is illegal in Canada, but such blatant advertising at the expo shows how many people are not aware of Canadian immigration policies, making them susceptible to misinformation and fraud. Immigration fraud has long been an issue in Hong Kong, as Mr Harvey observed throughout his 29 years as an immigration lawyer. “But now, there’s a big increase in interest in immigration, so there’s more misinformation than ever,” said Mr Harvey. The number of Hong Kong passport holders applying for temporary or permanent residency in Canada reached 8,121 in 2020, hitting its highest point in at least five years despite border closures because of Covid-19, according to Reuters. And with misinformation comes fraud. Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marco Mendicino released a statement on March 5 to commemorate the government’s Fraud Prevention campaign, saying, “Immigration fraud targets people who want to come to Canada in good faith. Sadly, the pandemic has exacerbated these troubling activities, with new ways for dishonest individuals to defraud clients.” A 2019 investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation exposed how an immigration consultancy targeted Chinese nationals and charged them up to $170,000 Canadian dollars (HK$1,052,754) for a fake job. CBC also found that Hong Kong had reported “high rates of fraud or suspected fraud, and only 15-22% of arranged employment offers were found to be genuine.” Nancy Caron, a spokesperson for Immigration, …
Camping staycation: A new form of vacation apart from staying in hotels
- 2021-04-28
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Janice LoEdited by: LAM Tsz Yau
- 2021-04-28
Mawin Cheung Man-wai was heading to his office to take a break, but another group of campers showed up. So he welcomed them to his campsite instead. Mr Cheung is the chief executive officer of Easy Organic Farming, a campsite located in Yuen Long. Although Covid-19 restrictions mean they can only serve half the usual number of customers, the campsite is fully booked every day. Since the start of the epidemic in January 2020, staycations have been a worldwide trend. Not only are hotels used for staycations, camping is a popular alternative. According to the Annual Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research survey in January this year, Hong Kongers ranked fourth among 32 countries as most wanting to travel. Of those asked, 46% said they wanted to travel in 2021, while 74% said they would probably or definitely get vaccinated if that is what it takes to travel. In November 2020, Hong Kong and Singapore tried to form a “travel bubble”, where citizens might enjoy quarantine-free travel between the countries. However, the plan was put on hold when a fourth wave of Covid-19 hit Hong Kong. “I felt sorry to reject some of the customers’ bookings, but I want to ensure that campers can enjoy a safe and spacious environment during their stay at my place,” Mr Cheung said. “That is also the main reason why my campsite can attract that many people for staycation even during Covid-19.” Ricky Chan Wai-kit, 44, a loyal customer of Easy Organic Farming, regularly goes camping there with his children. It is not only an opportunity for him to bond with nature, but also allows him to reminisce about the past. “When I was young, camping was no different from military training. We had to do everything from scratch, such as looking for logs, …
“ Blue Fridge” project helps a community in times of need
- 2021-04-27
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Shameel IbrahimEdited by: LI Chak Ho Samuel
- 2021-04-27
Hong Kong’s unemployment rate in December 2020 stood at 7%, according to government figures. It was the highest in 17 years. The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, a group co-ordinating NGOs in the city, estimated that more than 359,900 families, or 17.1% of economically active households, were affected by unemployment or underemployment in the last quarter of 2020. More than 1.1 million people had at least an unemployed or underemployed member in the family, HKCSS added. As a result, 24,200 children in 92,500 unemployed poor families were living below the poverty line, HKCSS estimated. Mr. Khan watched “I’m Livin It,” a Hong Kong movie which featured the struggles of the city’s homeless people and “McRefugees” that is homeless people who spend the night at 24-hour McDonald’s restaurants. “I was thinking everybody put their grocery [in] the fridge. When you go home, [if you] want something to eat, you would open the fridge. People just want to open the fridge and take whatever they want,” Mr. Khan said. Mr Khan said he painted the fridge blue because “everyone wants to see a blue sky.” When he started the project, Mr Khan said, he had to shop at the supermarket to fill the fridge. But after his daughter posted about the project on Facebook and made it go viral, local media rushed to his place to find out more. “Between 9 am and 6 pm, within half an hour, all the food was gone,” said Mr. Khan. “There [were] actually incidents [where], a homeless guy [was] standing in front of the fridge and he looked at it for another ten seconds and suddenly, he said, ‘I haven’t opened any fridge for years’,” Mr. Khan added. Aziz Khan (not related to Ahmed Khan), 30, knew Ahmed Khan as a family friend and …
Copyright infringement prevalent in Chinese social media
- 2021-04-26
- The Young Reporter
- By: Zhu Zijin Cora 朱子槿Edited by: CHEN Bingyi
- 2021-04-26
Melody Yin is typing the title of her work in the search box, but the first post that popped up was not hers. “I’m actually not upset at all,” said Ms Yin in one of the videos she posted talking about copyright. “Copying is so prevalent in we-media. I’ve found my post being copied twice.” “In fact, that’s much less than other bloggers who have more followers,” she said. The 27-year-old part-time blogger has been publishing articles online since 2020, mainly focusing on self-development and daily life sharing. She has 14,000 followers on RED, or Xiaohongshu, meaning “Little Red Book”. She filed a complaint to the platform and the copycat post was removed. “That’s it. The platform did nothing else to protect the content makers’ copyright,” she said. Founded in 2013, Xiaohongshu has since gained popularity in the mainland and Hong Kong. The platform mainly features beauty and lifestyle content, as well as e-commerce. Today there are more than 12 million monthly active users, according to data platform iiMedia. It is not uncommon to see content makers like Ms Yin facing copyright infringement issues in China. But many are unhappy with the limited measures to punish and prevent future copyright tort. With COVID-19 lingering and people spending more time online, the competition among text or short video content makers to stand out is intensifying and copyright infringement. “When I’m watching Douyin, I often feel like I might have watched that piece before, or at least watched a similar one,” said university student, Henry Wang Yun. Douyin is a popular short video platform, the Chinese version of TikTok. “There are so many posts with similar content. You can find copied versions even across different social media platforms,” Mr Wang said. Copyright refers to the owner’s “exclusive right to use the work”, …
Tap & Go unveils usage details of $5000 government consumption vouchers
- 2021-04-23
- The Young Reporter
- By: Yoyo Kwok Chiu TungEdited by: Vikki Cai Chuchu
- 2021-04-23
Tap & Go, an e-payment service provider, became the first operator to announce details on the usage of the government’s HK$5000 consumption voucher set to launch this summer to boost the city’s economic activities which have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The government announced earlier this month that it has picked four stored Value Facility (SVF) operators to assist the implementation of its consumption voucher scheme. The selected SVFs are AlipayHK, Octopus, Tap & Go and WeChat Pay HK. Tap & Go, presented by Hong Kong Telecom (HKT) Payment Limited, is the only SVFs providing a physical debit card and it said eligible users could use it to receive the government’s consumption vouchers. “I usually shop at supermarkets, I could pay by using Tap & Go because it supports Visa and UnionPay, which is quite convenient,” said Ms Fung Ka-wai, 22, a current Tap & Go user. “There’s less options (SVFs), I have to follow the government’s regulations if I want to get these consumption vouchers,” she added. In Tap & Go mobile app, there is a separate interface for users to pay by using vouchers. Tap & Go would be provided with different payment methods through the app, for example Mastercard, UnionPay or Fast Payment System (FPS). New merchants who subscribe to HKT’s smart point of sales (POS) service could enjoy free terminal rental and no transaction fee will be charged for Tap & Go QR code and FPS QR code during consumption vouchers scheme period, HKT also said in its website. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in his 2021-22 Budget speech that electronic consumption vouchers will be disbursed by instalments to each eligible Hong Kong permanent resident and new arrival aged 18 or above, so as to encourage and boost local consumption.
RTHK producer conviction a ‘dark day for the Hong Kong press’, Hong Kong Journalists Association says
- 2021-04-22
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: SHI RuoshuiEdited by: WANG Yichun
- 2021-04-22
RTHK producer Bao Choy was found guilty of making a false statement and sentenced to a fine of HK$6,000 today at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court. Ms Choy obtained car license information from a publicly accessible database while producing an RTHK documentary on the Yuen Long mob attack in July 2019. She was charged with making a false statement for saying the purpose was traffic-related. “I firmly believe registry search is not a crime, journalism is not a crime, uncovering the truth is not a crime,” said Ms Choy on Twitter, who emphasized that this will not stop her journalism career. Representatives of the RTHK Programme Staff Union showed their support for Ms Choy with more than 30 people hugging her before the trial. Chris Yeung, the Chairperson of Hong Kong Journalists Association, described today as “a dark day for Hong Kong press and a day of shame in Hong Kong”. “The trial is giving a fine of HK$6,000; it's a fine for all journalists. Journalists are here to share the responsibility,” said Mr Yeung, emphasising that journalists must dig up truth for the public interest. He also criticized the judge for ignoring the role of journalists to monitor power. Phoebe Kong, a journalist from Deutsche Welle, said the verdict will set limitations on investigative reporting. “As a common method for journalists to investigate the truth, the criminalization of obtaining license information may result in the disappearance of previous stories and journalists may be afraid of being prosecuted,” said Ms Kong.
Carrie Lam: HK youth should move to Hainan for jobs and the chicken
- 2021-04-21
- The Young Reporter
- By: GOH KylanEdited by: Editor
- 2021-04-21
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said she hoped more Hong Kong youth would embark on careers in Hainan on Tuesday. In a social media post, the city’s leader said Hainan officials will be thrilled to provide employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for Hongkongers. “I hope to see young people from Hong Kong go to Hainan for internship, employment and entrepreneurship and enjoy the shadow of the coconut trees and the Hainanese chicken rice that Hong Kong people love,” she said after attending the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021. Mrs Lam’s mention of Hainanese chicken rice went viral on the internet. “Hainanese chicken rice is a Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine. You should apologize to the people of Singapore and Malaysia,” a netizen commented on her post. “Go for it, Mrs Lam! As a special economic zone, Hainan Island is full of opportunities,” another netizen commented. In April 2018, President Xi Jinping announced the entire Hainan Island will be turned into an international free trade port. The massive project is expected to be completed by 2035, with many Chinese netizens saying it is a move believed to replace Hong Kong. “I think Hainan will not replace Hong Kong, because Hong Kong has its uniqueness such as the judicial system. Although this has been continuously weakened in recent years, it is still better than Hainan,” said Jolyn Choi, a student at the University of Hong Kong. “I would not go to Hainan for Hainanese chicken rice as well. Why not go to Singapore?” Ms Choi added. Mrs Lam left Hainan for Guangzhou, where she will attend the meeting of the Leading Group for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area tomorrow.
Prison rights group calls for transparency in complaint system
- 2021-04-20
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Bowie Tse、LAMA Sumnima RaniEdited by: TUNG Yi Wun
- 2021-04-20
Beyond the high grey walls and barbed wire fence, only a little sunlight shines through the barred windows into the cells where prisoners spend their days. Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre is a medium-security facility where people who are denied bail are often held while awaiting trial. Mr Ma, who doesn’t want to reveal his full name for fear of retaliation, was arrested in November 2020 due to the social movement. He has been in solitary confinement for more than a month, and he doesn’t know when he will get out. “You lose all your rights in solitary cells where you spend 23 hours a day facing four walls,” said Mr Ma, who has been in the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre since late November 2020. “Everything is worse in solitary cells.” Solitary confinement should only be used as a last resort and never longer than 15 days, according to the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. But Mr Ma didn’t file a complaint. The Correctional Services Department introduced the Complaints Appeal Board CSDCAB in 2016, chaired by the deputy commissioner of correctional services. It serves to improve the transparency and credibility of the Correctional Service Department’s complaints handling mechanisms. The appeal board is responsible for re-examining complaints and making final decisions on the appeal cases against the findings of complaints investigations. But those held behind bars have limited channels to cry for help. Complaints in Hong Kong’s 24 prisons are first investigated internally. In 2019, prisoners, members of the public and prison staff filed 504 complaints to the Complaints Investigation Unit of the Correctional Service Department, according to the department’s website. Only two were substantiated and close to 60 percent were found to be unsubstantiated. Social organisations and prison right activists call for transparency to …
Ethnic minority entrepreneurs break the glass ceiling
- 2021-04-19
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Simran VaswaniEdited by: Jasmine Tse
- 2021-04-19
It was almost 8 pm when Anushka Purohit walked into a bakery in Tsim Sha Tsui. Fixated at the smell of freshly baked, glossy and sweet bread that lingered hours after it came out of the oven, she hoped to buy a piece before the store closed. As she was getting ready to pay, the cashier said to the rest of the staff, “Last order of the day.” On her way out, Anushka noticed a tall pile of trays, with each one separated by a layer of assorted breads. “What are you going to do with all this bread,” she asked, curious to know what will happen to all the leftovers. “Throw it,” the cashier said while the other staff prepared black garbage bags. Anushka was shocked by the amount of fresh bread that was going to waste. Days later she saw someone drinking beer. That got her thinking about how to turn one fermented product into another and that’s when Breer was born. Anushka and her three co-founders of Breer use unwanted bread to make beer. In 2019, Hong Kong saw 109.5kg of domestic food waste and 51.5kg of commercial and industrial food waste per person, according to the Environmental Protection Department. With craft beer and breweries becoming increasingly popular in Hong Kong alongside what seemed like a never-ending food waste problem, Breer seemed like a good solution. She first came up with the idea for the Enactus Social Innovation Competition at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. After representing Hong Kong in the national competition, the team decided to pursue it full time, using the money they won from the competitions as capital. Almost half of store-disposed foods in Hong Kong is leftover bread, according to a report by Breer. The city also produces 3,600 tonnes of …
TikTok owner ByteDance likely to launch Hong Kong IPO in second quarter
- 2021-04-16
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: Vikki Cai ChuchuEdited by: Zhou Yichen Gloria 周奕辰
- 2021-04-16
ByteDance has started preparations for its Hong Kong IPO and is likely to file a prospectus in the second quarter assuming the company’s valuation of up to $400 billion (HK$3.12 trillion), about 1.8 times of its competitor Kuaishou, according to media reports. Caixin Global said if the Hong Kong IPO could be successfully launched, ByteDance would be the third most valuable listed company at the Hong Kong stock exchange behind Tencent and Alibaba group. Caixin put the valuation of ByteDance at about US$300 billion (HK$ 2.33 trillion) while Hong Kong and international media reported that it would be up to $400 billion (HK$3.12 trillion). However, ByteDance kept silent on the rumoured listing plan. The listing of the Beijing-based start-up is expected to include BtyeDance’s most popular mobile applications such as Douyin, news platform Toutiao and video service Xigua. TikTok will probably seek a separate listing since it involves overseas assets, Caixin said. China Securities Journal said that ByteDance had notified the operator of the HKEX that it had appointed securities underwriters on Wednesday but the media took away the story from its website on the same day. According to the HKEX underwriting agreements, firms are required to appoint sponsors and underwriters at least two months ahead of applying for IPO. The latest stock-option price for employees trading their bonuses to ByteDance’s unlisted stocks more than doubled compared with last year to $126 (HK$978.82) per share from under $50 (HK$388.42). The price did not move much from 2019 to 2020 at around $44 (HK$341.81). The prominent rise in internal stock-option price reflects the private equity market’s assessment of the firm’s value in the past 12 months. ByteDance now is the world’s highest-valued unicorn. ByteDance’s rival Kuaishou, with 271 million daily active users, reported revenue of 58.8 billion yuan (HK$ 69.93 billion) …