1World1Dream=1Nation1System??

In less than 3 days, the Olympic Torch relay will go on in Hong Kong...

Though i rarely follow the Olympic games, I still think it is a honor that the torch is passing through hk, especially when it is the first city in China to host the relay...

However, in view of some of the recent actions by our government and its enforcers...I can't help but feel shameful of our so-called "Asia's World City".

Yes, I'm talking about the refusal to let the Danish Sculptor and activist Jens Galschiot and two other members of the group The Color Orange to enter into Hong Kong on Sunday. Jens Galschiot is the sculptor of the Pillars of Shame, a sculpture created in 1997 to mark the 8th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Protest in 1989 now erected in the Hong Kong University. Regardless of what Mr. Galschiot and his friends stands for or wanna fight for, the deportation of these three people is utterly senseless and shameful, betraying our city's status as one that embraces freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

Hong Kong Security Chief Ambrose Lee has said people can demonstrate peacefully during the relay as long as they exercise restraint and the government has claimed that there are no 'Black List' of people or activists whom they will bar from Hong Kong during the relay period. But the deportation of the members of the Color Orange group is clearly a slap in the face for the Hong Kong people, we have to face the fact that our government, in the vain hope of hosting a 'clean' and peaceful torch relay in Hong Kong to suck up to our leaders in Beijing, will sacrifice our city's right to freedom of speech and protest to let differences be heard.

Then there's the police operation, code named 'Sahara Operation', in which the police raided the Chung King Mansion (the multicultural enclave made famous by Wong Kar Wai's Chung King Express) in Tsim Sha Tsui to find any suspecting Tibetan Separatists. Though they did not found any Tibetan besides some illegal immigrants and illegal substances, the operation as a whole is already a good indication that there's a crackdown going on right now in the city to ensure that the torch relay can go on undisturbed.

There's also another incident worth mentioning...About two weeks ago, a Hong Kong University philosophy student named Christina Chan (陳巧文), came out to support the Tibetan in their fight for independence and called for the people of Hong Kong in joining her to boycott the Olympics. After intensive media coverage and internet discussion, she clarified her position, or maybe the press did not clarify, saying that she is only hoping that the Tibetan can get real autonomy to decide their own future. What is interesting, or heart-breaking, is that after her initial media coverage, her facebook account and phone were raided with blatant attacks on her stance on the issue. She was instantly labeled as traitor, opportunist, claims-maker..etc. There were even press reports that said her account on Facebook were canceled or not functioning properly because of her believes and call for action.

Though I do not entirely agree with her, I still found her courage to voice out different ideas as something we should encourage instead of pointing fingers and stigmatizing people who dare to be different. We don't want an Orwellian society that is monotonous and collectively obedient.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not provoking or hoping that others would disrupt the torch relay. But I do believe that because Hong Kong is a city that upholds freedom of speech, and that people who have different point of views are entitled to let their voices be heard. I really don't see how peaceful demonstration can hurt our city as a whole. In fact, the existences of different voices in our society is precisely the indicator of how healthy our city really is.

Shit, I just heard on the news that the despicable Tsang Hin Zhi is named as a torch bearer...

Shame on Hong Kong...Shame on us...

D....