120,000 Protesters Take to the Streets to Support HKTV

A reported estimate of 120,000 protesters dressed in black took to the streets to attend a rally led by HKTV staff members on Sunday, October 20. Last Tuesday, two new Hong Kong television stations were issued with free-to-air licenses, but Ricky Wong’s (王維基) HKTV, which has produced over 10 television dramas and invested in over $900 million HKD in television operations in the last two years, failed to get the approval of the Hong Kong government. Supporters of HKTV demanded the government to give a reasonable explanation as to why HKTV’s license application was rejected.

Despite the large number of protesters, official police reports state that around 20,000 people marched to the government office in Central from Causeway Bay. Former TVB artists including Maggie Cheung Ho Yee (張可頤), Frankie Lam (林文龍),Yoyo Mung (蒙嘉慧), Rain Lau (劉玉翠), Shek Sau (石修), Ursule Wong (黃宇詩), Sam Chan (陳宇琛), and more were in attendance. Current TVB artist and The Confidant <大太監> star Power Chan (陳國邦) attended the rally with his wife Mimi Lo (羅敏莊) and 1-year-old daughter Jan Chan (陳禛). Sheren Tang (鄧萃雯) did not march with her colleagues, but did upload a photo of herself dressed in black on Weibo, offering her support to the cause. Felix Wong (黃日華), Kenix Kwok (郭可盈), Ekin Cheng (鄭伊健), and Fala Chen (陳法拉) also declared their support.

Yoyo ended her contractual relationship with TVB in 2013; her last two dramas with the station were A Great Way to Care 2 <仁心解碼II> and the yet-to-air Ruse of Engagement <叛逃>. She had agreed to film HKTV drama Web in the Sky <天網> with Frankie Lam.

“I will always be part of TVB, but that’s not saying I want other stations to not do well. [I] want an open market to attract more competition. I don’t want any station to die,” said Yoyo.

Maggie Cheung said, “I am here as a resident of Hong Kong, to support the residents’ demands. I am expressing support for HKTV, to uphold the spirit of Hong Kong.”

Though most of the demonstrators left after the rally ended, around 60 HKTV staff stayed outside the central government office, vowing to camp out in front of the office. They also urged supporters to boycott TVB and ATV. Starting tomorrow, HKTV will broadcast its programs on the big television screen at the town square.

Ricky Wong did not attend yesterday’s demonstration, but did release a statement, expressing his gratitude for the support Hong Kong citizens have given for HKTV. He also stated, “Everyone is concerned about whether or not those in power are really respecting the wishes of the Hong Kong people, whether or not Hong Kong really follows its laws and institutions. [I] hope that, after today, everyone will be able to understand that Hong Kong needs to stick together. For Hong Kong, don’t let those with extreme minds of thought affect our own. We need to work together to maintain Hong Kong’s righteousness and lawfulness.”

Source: On.cc; On.cc; On.cc; On.cc; Ming Pao

This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.

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Responses

    1. Nori,

      HK protesters have turned out in large numbers when the city’s democracy has been threatened. This is really a protest against HK government intervention in broadcasting options.

      The public has responded well to HKTV’s drama previews and given the current state of TVB’s dramas, they believe that greater competition will be good. Last year, thousands turned out to protest the revised HK education curriculum, which would include Chinese national education. This week, they are rallying against the government’s rejection of the TV broadcast license because they sensed that there may be political reasons behind the decision.

      1. Jayne,
        You are right and it is not just to get a TV station’s license approved. It is much more than that and there is a bigger picture behind it. I guess it may sort of show that the HK government is becoming more like mainland China’s system which is pretty corrupt. Maybe the olden days under British rule were not that bad.

      2. You’re exactly right, Jayne. It’s actually not really about HKTV getting a license anymore…this has evolved into an important political and social issue on the level of the national education issue…

        By the way, check out the latest articles about the issue from SCMP:

        http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1336582/calls-government-explain-denial-free-tv-licence-hktv-mount

        http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1336703/supporters-gather-outside-tamar-protest-failed-hktv-licence-bid

    2. why is it surprise?
      Have u seen the quality of TV series HKTV has produced? They are really good. Go on Youtube and watch them!! THere needs to be some rival in HK TV stations, its obvious TVB has been dominating for a very very long time.ATV doesnt even produce drama series anymore due to low budget. There are soo many actors out there that hve soo much potential but NO opportunity to show their talent. Having another TV station would help that!!

      1. Are you insinuating that the other two who obtain the licences are rubbish companies.

      2. @richardkcc: No, Angela is not insinuating that the other 2 are rubbish companies. BUT, if you’ve followed the news on this free TV license thing at all, you’ll understand that the direction the other 2 companies who got licenses (i-Cable and NowTV) are taking will not promote much creativity or growth in the HK television industry. Though NowTV will be making TV series, their focus is on the Mainland market whereas with i-Cable, they don’t even have plans to make TV series — their focus will be on ‘infotainment’ (meaning large scale sports programs, news, documentaries, etc.). HKTV was the only station out of the 3 whose focus was on TV series aimed at HK audiences.

    3. Why can’t HK Government listen to her citizens. It’s not only a matter of approving a TV license or not. HK Government seems to create a culture/ poor atmosphere against public view/opinion. Just a mess!!

  1. more ppl would have attend the protest should they had known it was on

  2. They can protest all they like, HKTV still won’t get their licence. Do you think the govt will give in just becos these people are protesting? It’ll not only be a loss of face, it’ll also mean the govt can be easily pressured and that’s a no no.

    1. damn right HKTV will not be getting their license with that attitude, and i hope they won’t.

      1. Why are you so against them getting their license? Maybe having competition will actually improve TVB’s quality of television.

    2. Who says protesting doesn’t work??? Look at the National education thing last year….more than 100,000 protesters showed up for that too and look at what happened — the govt ended up backing down on the issue…..

      1. education vs tv station, which is more important?

        This is totally different. Really hope they won’t obtain their license

      2. @penny: No, it’s not different. If you peel back the layers, both issues boil down to the same thing: FREEDOM OF CHOICE. Ask any of the non-HKTV affiliated protesters who took to the streets on Sunday what they were protesting for and they will tell you that they are upset with the government taking away their right to choose. Most of the non-HKTV celebrities who attended the rally and were interviewed (ie. Power Chan, Chin Siu Ho, etc.) all talked about the same thing – if the HK government won’t even let its citizens make their own choices on something as minor as which TV stations to watch, what confidence do they have that the government will let them choose on major issues such as what type of education their children should have? This is why most of us here keep reiterating that this issue has gone beyond merely ‘which station should get a license’ – at this point, the licensing issue is secondary – the more pressing issue is the political and social question of the HK government taking away its citizens’ basic rights. If the government takes away the citizens’ freedom of choice now, then what’s next? Freedom of speech?

      1. Maybe you are not a HK citizen that’s why you don’t give a damn. But to the people of HK, open and transparent governance matters!

      2. Thank you chocolate-bunny. I hope you can be more considerate and spare a thought for others before you make insensitive comments.

    3. I agree with you, choco-bunny. I doubt the government will give in to street protests because it would send wrong signal that their decisions can be so easily changed.

      1. @bizzybody. The HK government backed down on implementing National Education in HK after massive protests last year. So they have given in to street protests.

      2. I don’t know why the Gov’t has to be on the high chair all the time. Just fess up and say I effed up! Life is simple, keep it that way!

      3. @carat, that’s good to know. At least the government listens to their citizens (not like somewhere else where people can protest all they want and end up being victimised or charged in court).

    4. It’s funny how they have the time to protest for HKTV. This protest is non sense. You lost and stop complaining. Sore losers.

      TVB run this town……

    5. Wake up HK Government! nothing to deal with “face”, no people no Government, you must win people’ heart & soul to keep good Government running. Good Government always listen to people. Let them compete with each other in media market…it will do no harm to public. Never underestimate power of people!!

  3. Wao, that is a lot of people.
    Good job!
    120,000 people is considered a lot especially when HK population only about 7 millions.

    1. Well, another 10,000 people showed up again today to watch the clips from HKTV’s series and variety shows that they showed on a big screen in front of govt headquarters. Also, the artists from those shows went on stage to share their experiences (including Lieu Kai Chi, Dominic Lam, Kwok Fung, Benji Chiang, Catherine Chau, etc).

  4. I think this so called protest is a waste of time for people. With this attitude, they surly won’t get it.

    1. If everyone has your negative attitude, then change would definitely not happen. You may think protesting is a waste of time, but you are enjoying the benefits that people in the past have won for you by protesting against the government and corruption and fighting for their rights. Your negative and apathetic attitude is actually most dangerous to society because it means you are either too lazy or too passive or too uninterested to stand up for what you believe…if you believe anything at all.

      1. Totally agree with you Mt, we should be thankful for the protesters taken their time to stand up for their right, the best quote and I totally agree with Power Chan (陳國邦) said “I’m afraid of the government more than TVB.” This is so true. From Dennis Prager “The bigger the government the smaller the citizen”

      2. Yes. Those who are passionate about making a change deserves to be commended for making an effort despite knowing it’s an uphill battle.
        I’m sure they’re aware that chances of government giving in is slim, yet as a matter of principle, they still want to be heard instead of being one of the silent majority like most of us are.

      3. We’ll said Mt! People who do not care are selfish people who live in their little world and don’t care about anything or anyone that is beyond their little world. The basic rights that we all have such as minimum wage for example, are things that the people before us have fought for and sometimes died doing so. I guess some people do not realize any of that and take it for granted.

      4. Thanks MT …

        I’m pretty tired of selfish people that just reap off of people’s sacrifices.

      5. good point mt,1+. hope more ppl in hk will support this issue.

      6. Perfectly stated, if a bit harsh sounding. – It’s sadly the truth. It’s awesome to see that at least some people have courage to stand up. I hope HKers never give that up!

        Most Americans have lost it, that’s why politicians get away with so much crud over here.
        As long as we have our iphones and welfare checks, we couldn’t care less what horrible things are done or not done in our government. – -At least not enough to actually stand up and protest or vote about it.

  5. Normally the favour of the public will not be a favour of the government I believe the other 2 stations have good deal with the government. Offering better monetary deal. When come to business is all about money involve.

    1. The other two stations are owned by billionaires. I don’t think they offered any bribes to the HK government, but I’m sure they didn’t wanna piss off Richard Li or Peter Woo.

  6. I think that every government (even in developed countries) has its own pros and cons, and that there are some extent of corruption. But I feel that in order for HK government to be “open” and more “democratic”, you need to get rid of the Mainland China government controlling HK government.

    I personally think that HK was better off under British control, than under Mainland China control.

    And as for this protest, it’s good but I’m not sure if there will be any changes since the HK government seems to withstand its decision for HKTV…

    1. Well, it’s hard to say in my opinion. The Legislative Council members are speaking out now and most of them claim that they were in favor of issuing 3 licenses. And some of the Executive Council members are now putting the blame on CY Leung, claiming he was the one who made the final decision.

      Basically, the latest is that govt officials themselves are calling for the Executive branch to take action: either provide a thorough explanation of how they came up with the decision, or allow HKTV to appeal the decision, or reverse the rejection and issue another license.

      The Legislative Council is even talking about using their special executive powers to force ExCo to release all the documents related to the decision and also reevaluate the proposals again…

      1. llwy12,
        Thanks for the updates. The public is looking for a more thorough explanation of why HKTV was rejected and transparency in operation rather than silencing the masses with a vague response.

        In past instances, has the Executive Council so easily released documents to the public?

        The likelihood of reversing the rejection and issuing another license will be low though.

      2. @Jayne: the answer is no, the documents are usually not released, which is why Legco is considering using their special powers to do so (I believe it requires a certain number of votes from Legco members and they already have members committed to giving a ‘yes’ vote). The reason why the documents are so important is because the only ‘explanation’ (if you could call it that) the govt gave was that HKTV was the ‘weakest’ amongst the bidders, so that’s why they don’t get a license….however the consultants report that the Communications Authority and the Executive Council used to make their decisions (keep in mind that the CA recommended issuing 3 licenses while ExCo only issued 2) that was leaked to the Media clearly shows that HKTV was ranked the 2nd strongest station and even scored higher marks thn NowTV in several categories. This has contributed to the public’s call for an explanation because by saying HKTV was the weakest when they were the second strongest means the government was obviously lying….

    2. I agree that Hong Kong was so much better off under British rule. It used to be my favorite city as a child. Nowadays, I go there and end up complaining that the mainland Chinese immigrants are polluting the place with their bad habits and bad Cantonese. The shopkeepers now speak less Cantonese than I do, and I’m not even Canto by blood.

      1. Feel the same way ..

        When I visit HK now, it’s just a mess. I couldn’t stand how there were so many Mainland tourist all over the city. 🙁 The government is trying really hard to assimilate China into Hong Kong. I miss the British rule!!!

      2. @Iris: Completely agree with you. HK isn’t the place it once was and that’s really a shame. HK used to be one of the safest, most attractive places to live and visit, but now, it’s deteriorated to the point where it’s not even worth visiting anymore.

        We’re only 16 years into this “one country, two systems” thing, yet look how badly things have already gotten. I hate to imagine what will happen in the next 34 years — I don’t think we will need to wait until 2047 when the “one country, two system” thing ‘expires’….HK will be turned into another China way before then at the rate we’re going now….

      3. So am I correct in interpreting the sentiments expressed here as that HK’ers are incapable of governing themselves and that they need to be ruled and subjugated by their white colonial masters?

  7. Support protesters 100%;. Freedom and Democracy for HK citizens. The Hk government must respect the Bill of Rights of the HK citizens.

  8. 1) Normally number of protesters are exaggerated by the organisers and downplayed by the govt which is the usual case in HK. I have attended a protest organised by a pro democracy party where they claimed there were 40,000 and as much as we wished it was the truth, the maximum could only be approximate 5000. SCMP reported the number of protesters for this pro HKTv should be midway between the 20,000 and 120,000.

    2) By all means investigate all parties involved including RW since he claimed to have received a personal call from a very senior govt official who invited him to put forward a bid for the license. He said it was more of a confirmation that he would get it. Well if I am a business I would either be very worried to receive such favourable treatment well in advance or I would be very confident and started investing.

  9. Apologies typo error, I mean to say “if I were a business man ….”

    1. LOL…yup…CY Leung definitely sounded like the ‘puppet’ that he is, continuing to repeat the ‘no political consideration’ speech as though he’s trying hard to make himself believe that it’s true. What an idiot! With the stuff he said today, he’s pretty much telling the HK people to go screw themselves.

  10. Was there any good reason given as to why HKTV was excluded from getting the license? Or, is it the privilege of the Govt. not having to give any? Please, can someone enlighten me?

    1. Proposals regarding the issue of additional free TV licences were made by the Executive Council (EC) which comprised of different members and submitted to the CE for his final decision. Work done by the EC have always been kept confidential. I hope my information is correct.

  11. Sorry to bore you guys but thought a little more information may be useful to those who don’t live in HK. There are protests almost ever weekend, For those with a more common interest HKU have taken on a neutral role of sheeting up counting stations along the protest route. Their figures frequently fall midway between those given by the organiser and govt .

    1. Yes, I went Hong Kong very frequent I have seen protesting in HK actually is very common and in a sense is good for HK ppl to fight for their rights.

  12. Not sheeting, I mean Setting. Ai yah this mini iPad is really too small.

    1. You think the mini ipad is small??? What about the Ipod? Gosh that thing is tiny.

      1. Never try to post using my iPhone or even Galaxy too many typo mistakes. People will come back “Get an education first” haha.

      2. I just got a Mini iPad recently and it is a good size to me. Prior to that I only had my laptop and a tiny iPod which really stained my eyes.

      3. I love my Ipad. A good size for me for watching movies, typing, playing games. Mini will be good for traveling because Ipad itself is kinda heavy.

      4. I never had an ipad but my cousin did and it was a bit bigger than I wanted it to be and also a bit heavy for traveling. Therefore, I was so excited when the mini ipad came out. I just had to save up my pennies to get it…

  13. 120,000 and 20,000 is a big difference. It’s hard for me to believe no media outlet can narrow the range a bit. I still don’t believe any amount of protesting will make the government relent on the issue. No matter what the attendance was, a large amount of the people there probably went to protest the government as a whole and not the television issue. HKTV is better off trying to become a cable channel than waste their time on a losing fight.

    1. Well can’t you accept different opinions? Are you a dictator then?

  14. It’s funny how some people live on every word that RW said and all that he has done so far is for the benefit of each HK citizen. If he is so dignified why didn’t he go to the authorities 3 years ago to report that he had received such a call from a senior government official which more or less confirmed that he has a very high chance to get the license. He should have come out then and said he wanted everything to be done clean and clear.

    1. Holy Cat! An investigation is definitely in order concerning this mysterious phone call that sounds too much like a solicitation for “kickback”.

      That might explain why RW was willing to plunge HK$900 M right from the get go even before he has gotten the license.

  15. I am a neutral party, just want to pass some comment from my personal point of view.
    I have had watched some HKTV screen shot dramas, and I would say HKTV produce quality filming. Since HKTV had invested 900 million over 2 years, and the end result is beneficial to the citizen and maybe, helping the country to draw in overseas viewers, why can’t the government give HKTV a chance. The government can offer an annual license and to be renewed annually and 3-months termination notice. As long as terms and conditions are spelt out clearly which benefit both parties, I believed HKTV deserved to be given a chance, unless, there are hidden factors which are unable to be disclosed. I believed things can be resolved amicably, government and citizen are just like a big family.

  16. Regarding the number of protesters, latest report from the HK police is an estimation of 36,000 while HKTV claim 80,000 so the figure is nothing close to 120,000. This is posted on SCMP website on 0ct 22.

    1. 36000 protesters? it is a huge number and that the government must take that to reconsider his decision.

  17. Why Power why? TVB will ban you and you have nowhere else to go!

    1. He’s probably demoted to kelefe roles. But I doubt it.

      TVB is also afraid CY Leung’s corrupt government as well.

    2. Power just wants to show how powerful he could be that he would bite the hand that fed him.

    3. I totally respect and admire him for that, but I was horrified to read that he attended and spoke up.
      He really needs the paycheck now that he has a baby and a wife who has no place to work. He has to know there will be repercussions, and he still did it. He’s got bigger balls than any TVB actor IMO. Mimi is so lucky!
      He was slowly starting to get some bigger roles lately too. Ah well, he has a lot of talent and guts, and hopefully can bounce back stronger.

      1. He doesn’t need to worry as this protest is in criticism of the government not tvb. Even the executives at tvb aren’t too happy about the governments decision.

  18. As someone who was born in Hk but grew up overseas and have now moved home to HK, I am very saddened by some of the comments made. The issue here is not about whether HKTV or TVB is better. It’s the way governance is heading in HK. If HKTV’s licence was rejected with proper accountability and reasoning, HK people will accept if it’s valid. But to reject with no reason and say no appeal, that is what got everyone riled up. Can I just ask commenters to be more sensitive please. Thank you.

    1. Do you live in HK now? Heard that HK used to be a great city but is now more influenced by China and has changed drastically. I still hope to visit in the future.

      1. Yes I live in HK. You can’t deny that the central Chinese government has no influence over the political affairs in HK. Nevertheless, HK still remains a prosperous and great city to live in. The drama serial “When Heaven Burns” is a good analogy of the deteriorating morals and political standards in HK. When Bowie gave his last desperate speech to secure a place in the council, he pointed out that politicians are sly, manipulative creatures. Sad, but it’s a universal truth.

      2. Carat, I can’t agree with you more. Now HK is my home too and we can’t deny it’s a part of PRC despite being classified as SAR.. Yes there are many social problems but are these solely created by the govt after 1997. No, some are inherited problems which can’t never be solved or disappear. Housing is very expensive and most apartments are minuscule. We have to accept this is the reality of HK. We can fight for certain issues but it doesn’t mean we have to disagree with all govt policies. Holding the govt to hostage by delaying tactics won’t help the society to move on. Sorry to other readers of this website, I know I am off the topic. Btw I am not a commie, just someone who happen to luv HK.

      3. Well, “sly, manipulative” politicians are ripe everywhere even in Western Countries. The question is if the HK government is becoming as corrupt as Mainland. That would be unfortunately, but not unexpected.

      4. Thanks Carat and Mockinggenius! My sister in law is from HK as well and often comes back to visit her family there. Her aunt and cousin live there and they still love HK. However, they said that they miss the good old days when China had less influence over the HK government. But of course is still a great place to be. My 10 year old nephew visited there with my sister in law about 2 years ago and really liked it(although he liked South Korea even more). I hope to visit one day.

      5. @Advo,
        You made a great and really true point that politicians that are sly and manipulative are everywhere. Yes, even here in the US, there are plenty of those. But hey, if you want to be a politician, you cannot be too nice and innocent because you would not be able to become a successful politician with that kind of personality.

  19. Gov’ suppose to help business grow not to stop them. If HKTV suck so bad they will fail on its own. The Gov’ have no reasonable excuses to denied HKTV. Let the free market work on its own, if the product is good people will watch it if is bad it’ll go away for good or do its best for better servic. Plain and simple. I feel the peoples frustration. Thought HK was better then mainland China.

  20. this is so crazy, hk is turning communist! the hk gov is so chicken!

    1. That is sad but keep in mind that no matter what, HK is in a sense under communist rule now even though they do not say it straight out. Hk is so tiny compared to the big China so do they have a choice??

  21. I will support TVB, nowTV, icable, and even atv, but not hktv

  22. Hong Kong is still a great city, I’d say one of a greatest in the world – up there with London and New York. Sure, there a lot of social problems such as unaffordable housing, pollution and overcrowding but you’d find its common in a lot of the major developed cities in the western world. The fact that people can protest and not have to worry about the repercussions shows that freedom of speech is still in tact.

    1. Good point and yes, even here in the US especially where I live(in the SF bay area), unaffordable housing is a big problem, hard to find jobs,etc… all of those problems exist. I am sure there are many countries around the world that have those same problems too. You are right that the freedom of speech still exists. Can you imagine if they did that in China?? I do not even want to think back to the Tiananmen square days because it makes me depressed…

      1. Hong Kong, even though not a democracy, is a lot more freer than so-called ‘democratic’ countries. At least it respects the rule of law and freedom of speech. As long as they’re people in hk that are willing to fight for these core values, Hong Kong will be fine.

  23. I hope whatever black money the HK government accepted from TVB is worth all this backfire and scrutiny.

    Sure Ricky came on quite arrogant and pushy but the end result for him would have been what all common TV audiences wished for. Not only did the government procrastinate for an extra year (or more?) they slammed down a perfectly good proposal with extremely fishy reasoning.

    HK is definitely going backwards and not growing with the rest of the world. It’s only a small island but it dosen’t mean it has too stay small minded.

    1. Can you blame Ricky for being pushy and all?? Even though he was pushy and all, look at what happened… By the way, HK is not an island but a peninsula.

      1. Yeah a peninsula, real ring to it. Btw never said there was anything wrong with Rickys puchiness eithe if you read what I was saying properly.

  24. not only do they need to protest, they need to investigate the reason why hktv didn’t get their license.

  25. Hong Kong, even though not a democracy, is a lot more freer than so-called ‘democratic’ countries. At least it respects the rule of law and freedom of speech. As long as they’re people in hk that are willing to fight for these core values, Hong Kong will be fine.

  26. One good thing I like about HDTV is that it looks like they’ve actually spent money on the productions. Tvb, from the sets to filming techniques to special effects, looks so cheap. A shame as I Iike tvb a lot.

  27. Watever! Bet d HK govt gonna stand firm n reject every appeal good luck to u HKTV anyways.

  28. Mega miaow: Does anyone have concrete proof of corruption or so called exchange of “black cash” as of this moment. Can you prove it? If not then its not fair to the HK Govt, the public to make such allegations. At the same time can I say RW is also corrupted because he claimed to have received a personal call from an important govt official 3 years ago to invite him to submit an application for a free TV license. He also claimed that this official more or less confirmed that he would get it. Why didn’t he go to the authorities back then to report that he was scared stiff by such favourable treatment?

  29. I have heard you guys saying that communist china influences hk nowdays. In witch way? Can you give me a straight example? What is different between 2013hk and 10years ago hk?

      1. China certainty has influences not only in HK, but the whole world too.
        However, since HK belongs to China, surely China does have some say in regards to how it is run. But the local politics and policy matters are mostly for Hongkies themselves to decide. By the way, a mainland Chinese should have more say about HK rather than a ex-Hongkonger with Candian / US passport. If u are a Canadian / American/ Australian, you would have pledge your loyalty to your country, and not to Hk or China.

    1. are you living in the cave the last 10 years? source=>read the news

  30. Kolo, Bubblez Hello there, it’s you who have just emerged from your cave or crawled out from a deep well. You can’t deny HK has always been a part of PRC and nobody expect everything to remain unchanged after 1997. But so far most of the fears regarding loss of press freedom, unchecked corruption have have remain unfounded. We can still protest 24/7, scream profanities at both local govt and PRC if one enjoys doing it. I luv HK and will continue to support the govt because we still have a great health system, safe environment, low unemployment, low income tax etc. Western style democracy is not the one and only way of governing.

    1. yeh the health system is great but only for the rich.and what about the housing problems for the common ppl,the inflation,the environment pollution problems(garbage),the 1ppl 1vote system. yes we still have press freedom,we can still protest but for how long? dont you see the hand of communistic china in hk matters are going bigger and bigger?. you cant deny that the common hk ppl are happier under british rules.but the most sad thing is that we cant change a bit with all our protest because c.y.leung pretend to be blind,deaf,to our voices and follows as a slave the communistic rules.

      1. HK people appeared happier under British because they have no say at all. Almost everything is decided by the British civil servants with directives from 10 Downing Street, where British interest is paramount. Ask yourself why is it when British was running HK, most of the big juicy contracts were awarded to British companies with hardly a whimper.

        But now that HK people have more and are actually running the government, people are becoming more unhappy. Does that mean Hongkong people are unable look after themselves, and need their white master to tell them what to do? Talking about having colonial mentality!

    2. I never said that Western style democracy is the one and only way of governing. And I am aware of that as well. Even on a previous post written by me on another article about HKTV not getting its license, I commented that every government (municipal, provincial and national government) has its own pros and cons which includes some level of corruption. That said, I never said that Canadian government/politics is perfect, the “right” way to go and control a country.

      Furthermore, I do not think that HK people are unable to take care of themselves either or look after themselves. I just think that if you compare British Control and Mainland China’s control of HK, it’s quite different.

      And the links that I’ve posted are only to answer “Help Me”‘s questions, a starting point.

  31. @thisispointless comment. China corrupt, nobody did anything. After people protested and continued to gain momentum and now people are being ousted and removed from power.

    @ihaterhktv comments. Very good. Shut up no one cares. You don’t want competition? You don’t like people complaining about freedom of choice and speech? Move to mainland China and enjoy premium content management from the Peoples Moderation Army for free.

    I won’t post a real view on this since most people on here only have the ability to read their own posts and views.

    HK competition. Peace out.

  32. a useless protest… won’t waste any time rather stay home watch some TVB we got no choice now XD

  33. I totally disagree the way HK handle this issue, and all the while looking forward HKTV drama, But the way the protester using scapegoat of May Cooking series- chicken essence, the way she laugh and Auntie don’t go out protest is way too much. This is too personel attack

  34. Holy crap! Glad China hasn’t fully taken ova Hong Kong are they’ll drive tanks to send these people a-running!

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