Everyone in Hong Kong and beyond may wish to participate in a special photo event organized by the online publication Cairns Media Magazine (www.cairnsmedia.com). It aims to expose the murky realities behind the 10th anniversary of that dark, soggy day, July 1, 1997, when Chinese sovereignty descended on Hong Kong.

“We’re looking for photographs that convey Hong Kong’s many failures in the past decade, flaws in the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ theory and how Chinese sovereignty has beaten down the spirit of Hong Kong people,” said Cairns Media Magazine (www.cairnsmedia.com) editor John Cairns. “Camera buffs should have no trouble to capture appropriate images.”

Hong Kong’s undemocratic government has organized a series of activities to “celebrate” the past decade spent bowing to Central Government officials. “Those 10 years brought economic calamity, deadly diseases, sickening pollution and deep frustrations to many Hong Kong people,” said Cairns.

“Blocked by Beijing, Hong Kong has made zero progress towards universal suffrage and meaningful democratic reforms. So-called leaders in its government and business affairs strive to please the Central Government while responding to the needs and aspirations of Hong Kong people with mostly empty platitudes. Plus the weath gap between the obscenely rich tycoons and poverty-stricken citizens grows by the day. Resources devoted to celebrating the handover anniversary could better go toward assisting the poor.

“The sovereignty switch probably has as many shortcomings as Hong Kong has residents. Who could be genuinely happy to take directions from the government that perpetrated the Beijing Massacre on June 4, 1989? Probably many more people will boycott the Hong Kong government’s 10th anniversary celebrations than choose to participate.”

Until June 15th, Cairns Media Magazine (www.cairnsmedia.com) will accept photo submissions that reflect negative aspects of the handover, its 10th anniversary and related issues. Photographers should submit their entries by email to: johncairns@cairnsmedia.com or john.johncairns@gmail.com.

On July 1, 2007, Cairns Media Magazine (www.cairnsmedia.com) will publish the best of the ensuing photo collection. As a precaution, the photographers won’t be identified except upon their request.

Unlike a photo contest ballyhooed by the Hong Kong government, this event promises no trophies or cash prizes. “Instead, we offer the satisfaction of helping to nullify the Hong Kong government’s propaganda about the consequences of July 1, 1997,” Cairns said.

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