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CHINA MUST HONOR GAMES PLEDGE ON RIGHTSBy Emily Lau The motion urged the central government to honor its commitment of 2001 when bidding to host the Olympic Games that it would enhance human rights and develop democracy. China’s appalling human-rights record has caused concern in the international community. A small breakthrough came on October 5, 1998, when China signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Now, 10 years later, the National People’s Congress still hasn’t ratified it. |
Editorial |
Letters to the Editor |
Unnoticed Nearby, |
Follow the Underpants |
Editor’s Note: A devastating cyclone has struck Burma. Allegedly, 22,000 people have died with another 40,000 missing. International aid efforts immediately hit roadblocks because the military junta dislikes busybody foreigners in the country. How did so many people die in a storm that neighboring nations hardly noticed? As usual with Burma, mistrust prevails. Guest Editorial by a Burma-Watcher THAILAND – “Did you manage to avoid the storm?” asked an overseas friend who emailed me after hearing news reports about the devastation in Burma. That’s the most amazing thing. Although Burma took a pounding, here in neighboring Thailand, we had no hint of a serious storm. The weather in my home town was overcast, a bit rainy and pleasantly cool. That’s it. The most hard-hit part of Burma is near Thailand so it’s strange that we hardly felt a thing. Maybe the gods had a precision guidance system on the cyclone, one aimed directly at the Burmese junta. |
Together with HK Magazine, we’ll present a literary dinner on May 14 starring the witty writer and columnist Joe Bennett, the author of Where Underpants Come From, a new book about the manufacturing process in China. The HK$400 dinner price includes a three-course meal, glass of wine and coffee or tea. The literary event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at SoHo SoHo, 1/F, 4-8 Arbuthnot Road, Central, Hong Kong. Dymocks Booksellers, Hong Kong |
Fiction |
Book Review |
YO' DIRTY RATS |
With Bare Hands |
“Talk about hardship! I used to live in a place so small and dirty even the rats had hunchbacks....” Standup comedian By Jay Scott Kanes JERRY Wong remembered the exact moment when he decided to leave Hong Kong for Canada. Three weeks out of accounting school, he’d landed a job. The boss, a loud, sneering Cambodian spinster, had lectured him on how her business struggled. “We publish the world’s top snippets-industry magazine,” this dragon lady told him from behind her massive desk on the 25th floor of the Modern Dynasty Building. “But my clients don’t advertise much. You’ll see from the accounts. The best starting salary I can offer is HK$8,500 per month.” “Agreed,” Jerry said. Any income beat none. |
A true-life adventure story unlike others, this book (edited and adapted by John Chan) tells why and how Robert climbs the outside of the world’s tallest buildings and rarely uses ropes, hooks or safety gear. “Without fear, danger is intangible, thus impossible to appreciate and respond to…. I grapple with buildings and cliffs…, and I do it for the pure joy of it. The proximity of my mortal watershed offers an almost sexual excitement.” |
