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HKFP
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- HKFP
HKFP Monitor July 19, 2025: Revived talk of ‘soft resistance,' reactions to Jimmy O. Yang's tête-à-tête with John Lee
This week, we look at how top officials revived talk of 'soft resistance' as the national security law hit its five-year mark, while indie publishers launched their own book fair amid mounting scrutiny. We're also following a scandal at HKU involving AI-generated porn that surfaced on social media, a series of full-page attacks in state media targeting policy think tank Liber Research Community, and reactions to comedian Jimmy O. Yang's tête-à-tête with Hong Kong's leader. 'SOFT RESISTANCE' BUZZWORD RETURNS Top Hong Kong officials raised alarm over 'soft resistance' last month, as the city marked five years since the Beijing-imposed national security law came into effect. Culture minister Rosanna Law said it could show up in songs, performances, or storylines. Development chief Bernadette Linn warned it might even pop up during city planning. In short, it could be just about anywhere. The renewed focus signals a wider crackdown on perceived ideological threats, although the legal definition remains unclear. On June 30, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam tried to clarify. What is soft resistance? Lam said it involves three things: spreading false or misleading info, doing it in an overly emotional or irrational way, and trying to stir up misunderstandings about Hong Kong or Beijing policies. His explanation wasn't far off from what pro-establishment commentator Lau Siu-kai said back in 2021, after the term was first floated by then China Liaison Office chief Luo Huining. As authorities vowed to step up scrutiny, playwright Candace Chong warned that hunting for 'soft resistance' could turn into a campaign that 'disturbs people' and hurts local artists. Is it illegal? Security chief Chris Tang said in 2023 that Hong Kong's Article 23 security law would tackle 'soft resistance.' But the term isn't in the actual ordinance and has only come up in one court case — involving a busker playing a protest anthem. How the law will be used against such loosely defined threats remains to be seen. Every summer, Hong Kong's biggest literary event – the Hong Kong Book Fair – brings together publishers from across the city. But since the national security law kicked in, the fair has been under tighter scrutiny. The organiser, the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council (HKTDC), has received complaints about suspected violations and has barred some publishers over books related to the 2019 protests – sometimes even asking for specific titles to be pulled from shelves. In response, 14 indie publishers have once again launched their own event at Hunter Bookstore, now in its third year. Among them are Boundary Bookstore and Bbluesky, who say they were asked to remove certain books last year – and banned from this year's Hong Kong Book Fair. The pressure doesn't stop there. HKFP has learned that at least six independent publishers are facing tax investigations (tune in to our report on Sunday). Directors said authorities have requested detailed financial records, including personal transaction reports and bank statements going back to before some of the companies even existed. This year's alternative fair runs from Thursday to Sunday. So far, organisers say there's been no sign of government inspections — unlike last year, when officials showed up the day before opening, citing a complaint over the venue's entertainment licence. Beijing-backed newspaper Wen Wei Po ran full-page attacks targeting policy think tank Liber Research Community for three consecutive days this month. In its first article on July 8, the paper accused Liber of 'soft resistance' and using 'pseudoscience' as a cover. It cited remarks made by a Liber researcher at a forum on ecotourism, which was moved online after the original venue at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was abruptly cancelled due to 'urgent maintenance.' On July 9, Wen Wei Po criticised a Liber-Greenpeace report on Hong Kong's ecotourism policies, accusing the group of 'blind opposition' and a 'narrow' approach to conservation. The final piece on July 10 slammed Liber's study comparing airport retail prices with those in the city and at Taipei airport. The paper said the NGO had 'vilified' Hong Kong tourism and claimed its own checks found the price differences weren't significant. Brian Wong, a researcher at Liber, defended the think tank's research as well-founded, adding that its policy recommendations were 'for the benefit of Hong Kong's people and environment.' 'Our last report was solid, with methodologies, data, and case studies,' Wong told HKFP on July 8, adding that the NGO would continue its work. 'If they think what we're putting out is pseudoscience, more information is needed to substantiate their claim,' he said. Addressing the 'soft resistance' accusation, Wong said: 'We are just conducting research and making suggestions for the benefit of Hong Kong's people and environment.' HKU backlash: A scandal involving AI-generated porn images that broke on social media last weekend has prompted the city's privacy watchdog to launch a criminal probe. The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is facing backlash after a law student allegedly used AI to create pornographic images of women – including some female classmates – without their consent. The incident came to light after three victims took to Instagram with accusations, saying the student had admitted to using social media screenshots to create explicit images using free AI tools. They posted on a page called ' – a name referencing South Korea's infamous 'Nth Room' cybersex trafficking case – which had over 2,470 followers as of Friday. According to the victims, the images were discovered by the student's friends on his computer. They estimated that around 20 to 30 women may have been affected. HKU came under fire for being 'too lenient' after only issuing a warning letter to the student. On Friday, the school said the letter did not mark the end of the matter. Jimmy O: Friend or foe? Also causing a stir, Hong Kong-born American comedian Jimmy O. Yang stirred debate online after his management company shared photos of him with Chief Executive John Lee during his visit to the city last month. Some Reddit users said they were glad they skipped the comedian's sold-out shows, accusing him of using his Hong Kong identity for profit. Others defended him, noting that the meeting and his paid collaboration with the Tourism Board were arranged by the government. Similar chatter popped up on Threads and Instagram, where some said it was 'smart' of O. Yang to post the photos after his shows, adding that being friendly with the city's leader was 'nothing personal, just business.' Hong Kong's biggest national security case saw new developments this week, as both prosecutors and jailed pro-democracy figures challenged the verdicts and sentences tied to the 2020 unofficial legislative primary election. The charge of conspiracy to commit subversion landed 45 democrats in jail, with sentences ranging from just over four years to a decade. The judges said it could take up to nine months before they decide on the appeals.
South China Morning Post
02-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Groups warn poorly planned Hong Kong tourism projects will damage eco sites
More than 22 hectares of ecologically valuable land have been damaged in Hong Kong's South Lantau and northwestern New Territories, local groups have found, warning that poorly planned tourism development in these areas will worsen the harm. Advertisement Greenpeace and Liber Research Community, an NGO focusing on development issues, released findings of a survey on Monday that identified 37 cases of land filling, fly-tipping and removal of vegetation, among other man-made causes, that threatened the environment in South Lantau, and Pak Nai and Tsim Bei Tsui in the New Territories. They warned that future tourism development in these areas could worsen the situation, as the government in April invited submissions from the private sector for projects, including two places envisioned to become eco-recreational and ecotourism destinations. 'Although the government has laid out development blueprints, we worry that the ecological damage will become more severe without effective government supervision and ecotourism policies, especially when Hong Kong's ecology is set to become tourism spots,' Greenpeace campaigner Ha Shun-kuen said. 'We worry that ecotourism development will turn into ecological disasters.' Advertisement With the latest focus on island and coastal tourism, the government envisions eco-recreational development in South Lantau, such as a water sports centre and adventure activities.
South China Morning Post
03-03-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
In visuals: Hong Kong's illegal land grab, 1 year on
The Post's exposé sparked an investigation by authorities, which told homeowners to take action, cease their occupation of government land and remove the unauthorised structures. Read the epilogue to see what changes – if any – have been made. Yet the high-profile case is anything but rare, according to a Post investigation that uncovered suspected unauthorised land encroachment and structures at three other upmarket estates, following a wider study by an NGO. But in 2023, landslides triggered by a record-breaking downpour exposed how some of the city's wealthiest living at Redhill Peninsula had expanded their homes with grand but unauthorised add-ons – from swimming pools to basements – on government land at essentially no cost. Home to 7.5 million people and short on space, Hong Kong has long been the world's least affordable housing market. Hundreds of thousands of residents still live in cramped subdivided flats, many of them enduring lengthy waits for public housing. After a Post inquiry, the government notes it will continue to take enforcement actions against suspected unauthorised structures, but stops short of saying whether it has issued any removal orders. Authorities also confirm they have not granted any short-term tenancies for additional land, promising further action if needed. Four houses are suspected of having private pools that are not listed on the government's online records. Among the 12 houses that appear to go beyond their boundaries, 11 are suspected of having structures or extensions on government land, but foundation depths, structure heights and lengths cannot be ascertained. Most are suspected of having unauthorised structures, including swimming pools and separate sheds or rooms, with some of them on a government-owned slope outside their original boundaries. Nestled on the lower rises of Kowloon Peak, the 16 houses in Block B of Flamingo Garden enjoy unobstructed views of Kwun Tong. Each pricey property costs as much as HK$71.8 million (US$9.18 million), with floor areas of about 2,496 sq ft. * NON-BUILT-UP AREA: Nature, agriculture and barren land, as well as water bodies. URBAN or BUILT-UP LAND: Land for residential (7.2%), transport (6.4%), institutional (5%), other (4.3%), industrial (2.2%) and commercial (0.4%) use. The Post took a deep dive into three of the estates to study the extent of non-compliance by comparing live drone footage with original construction plans, the government's lot boundary records and past satellite images to understand the citywide situation. Flamingo Garden is one example among many. The Liber Research Community, an NGO, conducted research soon after the Redhill Peninsula scandal broke and found at least 173 houses suspected of illegally occupying land at luxury estates across the city. The massive scale of the extension is in sharp contrast with the conditions endured by the more than 215,000 people living in Hong Kong's subdivided homes. The quiet, low-density neighbourhood in the hills of Tai Po enjoys a high level of privacy, keeping any potentially illegal add-ons far from prying eyes. After a Post inquiry, the government has confirmed issuing removal orders, without disclosing how many houses are affected. It says it also has not granted a short-term tenancy to any houses to lease additional land and will take action as necessary. Most of the homes have undergone suspected unauthorised modification, from having fish ponds to basements. Built on a slope boasting stunning views of Tolo Harbour, Seaview Villas comprises 18 houses, one of which was recently marked for sale at HK$50 million. Most of the homes are seen with their gardens extended on government land and having unauthorised structures. Perched above Redhill Peninsula, Villa Rosa boasts 16 houses of more than 3,300 sq ft each, with the latest sale in 2022 hitting HK$119 million and monthly rents currently reaching HK$300,000. Homes with suspected deviations Homes with suspected deviations Official estate area Official estate area Artificial slopes Artificial slopes Natural slopes Natural slopes Past landslides Some of the houses increased the size of their gardens by at least double, extending beyond their allowed limits. Up to 11 out of 16 houses are suspected of having extended their gardens onto government land without permission. At least 13 appear to have unauthorised building works. Check the video-graphic below Your browser does not support HTML5 video. Your browser does not support HTML5 video. After a Post inquiry, the government has confirmed 13 flats occupy government land and 10 homes have unauthorised structures on their rooftops or in their gardens. HOUSES SUSPECTED OF HAVING ADDITIONAL STRUCTURES OR EXTENDED GARDENS Surveyor Vincent Ho Kui-yip questions the stability of the steel platforms as they are not resting on a stable foundation. Veteran structural engineer Ngai Hok-yan also says the structures are likely to be unauthorised, with developers most probably already having maximised the plot ratio – the development density permitted under planning rules – during the design stage. Two building professionals say any additional load is bound to affect slope stability and the extra concrete structures at both houses may indicate the presence of basements. Centaline Surveyors executive director James Cheung King-tat says some buyers may be willing to pay for a larger living space but with a discount on the unauthorised area, such as half of the price per square foot. For example, if a 3,000 sq ft house is priced at HK$90 million (US$11.5 million), or HK$30,000 (US$3,836) per square foot, a 1,000 sq ft illegal extension can yield an extra HK$15 million (US$1.92 million) if the buyer asks for a 50 per cent discount. Cheung says the additions can also generate extra rental income as tenants may pay more for the extended space, given that they do not bear the legal responsibilities and only have to move out if there is enforcement action. The Redhill Peninsula landslide The start of the exposé Unauthorised building works at the luxury Redhill Peninsula estate, just below Villa Rosa, sparked the latest land grab saga. The day after the record-breaking rains lashed the city on September 7 and 8, 2023, building authorities were notified of the landslide at Redhill Peninsula, which exposed unauthorised works and illegal occupation of government land at four houses. The government moved to issue removal orders to the owners. Since then, authorities found another 70 of the 85 seaside homes had extended beyond their legal limits, had built unauthorised structures, or had undertaken both add-ons. AREA AFFECTED BY THE LANDSLIDE The estate's 256 buildings and houses provide a combined 494 flats. Unauthorised structures add extra load to the government-owned slope and compromise the safety of buildings and the land itself. Check the video-graphic below Your browser does not support HTML5 video. Your browser does not support HTML5 video. SEPTEMBER 7 to 8, 2023 | THE DAYS OF THE GREAT RAIN During the downpour, the city logged its highest hourly rainfall of 158.1mm since records began in 1884. The city recorded 26 landslip warnings between 2014 and 2023, five more than the previous decade, amid rising levels of rainfall. Landslide area in the Redhill Peninsula Experts say the illegal structures at the four seafront houses, three of which were unlawfully occupying government land, may have destabilised the soil, which was then further affected by the rainstorm. Heavy rainfall and the geology of the area are also believed to have contributed to the landslide, but authorities are still investigating the exact causes. The citywide downpour hit on the night of September 7. The Observatory first issued its lowest-tier rainstorm warning at 9.25pm and escalated it to the highest level within 100 minutes, eventually lasting for 19 hours until the next afternoon. Authorities recorded 75 landslide reports – including the one in the Redhill Peninsula – as of midday on September 10.
