By Jessie Pang
Travel with Rivals, a travel reality show featuring two persons with conflicting values and perspectives, has been a highly watched programme of the newly launched ViuTV channel.
Wang Dang, a student leader of the June Fourth Massacre, and Billy Fung Jing-en, the former President of the Hong Kong University Students’ Union, was particularly criticized for his open support of HK independence movement.
They both participated in the second season of the programme in which they travelled to Japan from October 5th to 19th.
ViuTV issued a statement last night claiming that the two had met the media on their own and made inappropriate remarks, deciding to cut all footage filmed with the two “Any remarks on Hong Kong Independence is not only an insult to the dignity of our nation, but a total false hope, a farce that can never happen,” the statement reads. “We reserve all legal rights against anyone who once or will use(d) our channel to promote Hong Kong Independence.”
The two were particularly attacked for their participation in a “self-arranged” press conference in which Billy Fung consolidated his points about HK Independence, and even supported the similar claim of the Uyghur people.
Read More: How Nathan Law Is Representing A New Generation Of Leadership In Hong Kong
Based on the report by Radio Free Asia, Billy Fung called on the international community to support Hong Kong Independence.
“In 1984, Zhao Ziyang openly stated that it was feasible to govern Hong Kong with democracy,” Fung said. “Such democracy in Hong Kong has since, yet, been refused on various occasions.”
Wang Dang, famous for his patriotic stance said that “Hong Kong Independence should be up to the referendum among Hongkongers, which is believed to be the most reasonable way.”
In reply to a question from a member of the World Uyghur Congress, Fung said, “Similar to Hong Kong, Uyghur people are under suppression and persecution by the CCP. Our destiny is alike. Based on the principle that locals shall make decision on their local affairs, we support the choice of the Uyghur people. We can cooperate in this respect.”
The statement and claims made by ViuTV was instantly slammed by netizens, and especially Wang Dan himself, who never knew about such hidden agenda.
Read More: Will Filipino Domestic Workers Soon Be Banned To Clean Windows In Hong Kong?
“The whole schedule was arranged by the Channel only, including the press conference. It now yet claimed it is Billy and I who ‘arranged it on our own’. There is nothing more shameless than such claim!” said Wang on his Facebook page.
He further warned ViuTV for its shameless act of lying while showing his disappointment towards Hong Kong. “Hong Kong has already fallen,” lamented Wang.
This has became the second incident recently which demonstrates the growing suppression on Hong Kong Independent sentiment, following the recent scandal of Legislative Councilors banned from oath-taking with the exhibit of a flag with “Hong Kong is not China”.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.
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The Facebook Privacy Hoax Just Won’t Die
It’s the hoax that just won’t die. Over the past few weeks, Facebook users may have seen a post or two in their newsfeed warning that the social media giant will institute a fee for users to keep their profiles private.
Facebook officially identified the post as a hoax on Monday.
“While there may be water on Mars, don’t believe everything you read on the internet today. Facebook is free and it always will be. And the thing about copying and pasting a legal notice is just a hoax. Stay safe out there Earthlings!” officials posted as a Facebook status.
The hoax has been in circulation in one variation or another since 2009, and still attracts unsuspecting users who fear that their private posts may soon be made public. The last major circulation of the hoax was in January of this year. Before that the fake post received major circulation in 2012, to which Facebook again denied the fake posts as a hoax.
The privacy of posts on Facebook is guaranteed in the Facebook Terms of Service, which state: “You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings.”
Cover Photo Credit: Maria Elena/Flickr (CC by 2.0)
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This Online Platform Is Revolutionizing Hong Kong Sex Education
By Jessie Pang
The Millennial Intel In This Story:
-Sex education in Hong Kong is woefully inadequate.
-Traditional Hong Kong culture looks down on casual sex, even in committed relationships.
-A 24 year old millennial named Julia Sun Wai-han is using tech to help young Hong Kongers learn about sex and it is working really well.
“Talking about sex should be as comfortable as talking about food but the experience can be quite scary to young people even though it’s good for them,” Julia Sun Wai-han the 24 year old founder of Sticky Rice Love said.
Sticky Rice Love is the food name of a Chinese rice ball dessert that literally means “sugar will not come off” from dumplings made of boiled sticky rice.
But in this context, it is also an online sex education platform for young people in Hong Kong.
“It is [our] hope to remind people that food and sex are both basic human needs and avoiding the awkwardness people usually face when they refer to a sex health educational website”, Sun said in an interview with RISE NEWS.
Sticky Rice Ball’s platform publishes articles about sex and hosts an online forum for young people to discuss sex anonymously.
It has filled a gap in sex education for young people across the island.
Everyone can post a question which they don’t feel comfortable to ask about on the forum and will receive a prompt reply or advice from volunteers who have received proper sex health training.
A look at the website of Sticky Rice Love. (Screen grab)
Sun’s idea was inspired by her experience as a teaching assistant in a local high school to start the platform.
“Sex education in Hong Kong is really inadequate and lagging behind. Apart from a lack of school hours, resources and the right people to teach students about sex, most people usually hold a traditional and negative view towards sex,” Sun said. “For instance, the best way to avoid pregnancy is to avoid having sex, which is impossible for people in a relationship. Such education has tremendous consequences on the young people. Some still find it uncomfortable to have sex after marriage. Hence, I decided to do something to change it,” Sun said.
Read More: Hong Kong Slut Walk Draws Many In Effort To Rid City Of Sexual Assault
Seeing there’s no need for people to meet face to face and the set-up cost is low, Sun found that the Internet is a perfect place to realize her dream.
At first, she was frightened that she might faced viral opposition as people were not familiar with her mission: empowering the youth to make their own choice on sex and relationships.
“Our role is neutral. We are not telling them what’s right or wrong but simply offering them comprehensive information they need and want to know about. It can be quite vague and controversial to some people,” says Sun.
To her surprise, there was overwhelming support from the public and the mainstream media interviewed her about the venture.
A couple enjoying the movie “An Autumn’s Tale” in the Clear Water Bay Film Studio.
Photo: Goooood SecretsThe platform also holds some offline activities, such as visits to some local sex toys shops and co-organized screenings of an X-rated movie to several hundreds people at the Clear Water Bay Film Studio, which is rarely open to the public with Goooood Secrets.
“Both online and offline sex education have advantages,” Sun said. “It’s not about online or offline but more about how you do it.”
Despite the success of the platform, Sun still wants to do more but long-term financial resources remain as a problem.
Read More: Hong Kong Is Already More Independent Than Any EU Country
“I really hope to design interactive online courses on sex education for young people to dig into the topics they are interested in, but it’s hard to do fund-raising as people are not confident in a youth- led organization,” Sun said. “They prefer to back adults or experts more.”
Yet, Sun remains optimistic as the society becomes more and more receptive to the idea of promoting sex education.
For instance, sex secret groups are very popular among high schools and universities and everyone changed their Facebook profile picture to rainbow color watermark to show their support to the legalization of same sex marriage in USA.
“It’s hopeful that young people won’t need our platform and can talk about sex as freely as it should be in the coming future,” Sun said.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.
You can also like our RISE NEWS Hong Kong Facebook page to stay engaged with our local coverage.
Cover Photo Credit: Jessie Pang
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This Touching Story Of How A Paralyzed Chimp Learned To Walk Again Teaches Us Something Important About Euthanasia
Lola Gayle, STEAM Register When a 24-year-old chimpanzee named Reo became paralyzed from the neck down in 2006, Kyoto University researchers leapt into action in order to save him from euthanasia. This is Reo sitting up by grasping ropes after lying on his back for 14 months following the onset of acute tetraparesis. Primate Research Institute,… Read More
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