Attire appropriate for the cold weather we've been having
in recent days in Hong Kong!
The past few days have been unusually cold in Hong Kong. Yes, it's winter -- but it really is not usual for there to be a frost warning in place, like is currently the case, and for there to be as much frost up Tai Mo Shan as was captured in photos yesterday! So I feel entirely justified in having my thermal underwear as well as the Norwegian sweater I got in Bergen on in recent days; and even more so when checking and finding both last night and tonight that it's colder in Hong Kong than London!
Funnily enough, the last time I felt this cold in Hong Kong was back on... January 24th, 2016: eight years ago today! That's a day many people remember as that which saw scores of "frost tourists" who had gone up to Tai Mo Shan not having been prepared for the slippery surfaces of the roads and such that they encountered up there needing to be rescued by the Fire Department's Emergency Services.
As expected, there's been much talk on social media about the cold conditions; including by expats who one would expect to normally poo-poo local residents' remarks about how cold it is. But there also have been a number of Tweets today about it being Chow Hang-tung's 39th birthday -- her third spent in jail -- and today also marking her 938th day behind bars.
Tomorrow will see the barrister-activist learn the outcome of a government appeal against her acquittal for a charge linked to the banned Tiananmen Square Massacre vigil on June 4th, 2021*. Today, I wish to pay tribute once again to this woman of high courage and principle -- who has been badly treated by the Hong Kong government, including her being put in solitary confinement several times; with the most recent occasion being last month, as a result of her being deemed to have received "too many letters"!
Also, here's noting for the record that last week saw Emily Lau celebrate her 72nd birthday (on January 21st) and Claudia Mo her 67th birthday (on January 18th). Both journalists turned pro-democrat politicians whose names and faces are easily recognisable to many Hong Kongers, their lives have become so very different since February 28th, 2021, when the latter was arrested (for taking part in pro-democracy primaries that the former had not).
Back in June 2022, there was a Financial Times article about Claudia Mo entitled "She was loved for standing up to China. She may die in jail". Something which I hope will not be the case! Though, if truth be told, things really are not looking good; this especially since she's one of the Hong Kong 47 who have lodged guilty pleas, presumably because she hoped for clemency and a shorter jail sentence than if she pleaded innocent, then was found guilty by the three national security judges presiding over the trial (rather than because she actually believes that she has committed any national security law crimes).
Something else I find sad (and yes, I'm guilty of this too): although there were "Happy birthday, Claudia Mo" messages on Twitter last year, there doesn't appear to have been any this year. I'd like to think that it's less a case that people have forgotten about Claudia Mo and more that we "just" forgot when's her birthday. In any case, for my part, here's noting it belatedly -- better late than never, right? :S -- and wishing her, Emily Lau, and Chow Hang-tung well in the coming year and years to come.
*Update: The Court of Final Appeal overturned Chow Hang-tung's acquittal over the over inciting people to take part in an unauthorised assembly in 2021 to remember the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. Not unexpected but sad all the same. :(
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