🌊Hong Kongers trafficked across SEA

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Aug 17, 2022

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Good morning,

My newest time wasting procrastination hole is Solid JJ - a YouTube channel where the guy talks over still superhero images. I swear it’s funnier than it sounds. The writing is solid and each vid being only 2 minutes long means it’s very dangerous when you splurg.

So if Tide is late uh….sorry

— Cyril

On Today’s Tide

WARNING | Hong Kongers scammed into human trafficking
COVID | ‘Opening to China & the world not contradictory’: John Lee
Transport | Taxi call for full Uber ban
Events

Behind the paywall:

Greater China |
- President Xi reappears after two week absence
- China holds joint military drills with Russia
- Civil servants asked to buy homes for the greatness of the nation

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Hong Kongers trafficked across SEA

There has been a recent rise of Hong Kongers (and Taiwanese) being tricked into traveling to South East Asian destinations for work and love, only to find that their goals never existed.

The immigration said they received 17 calls from family saying loved ones had gone off the radar around the region; 12 have since safely returned to Hong Kong but 5 are still missing.

Police have noted that many of the scams related to apparently high paying, low skilled jobs and asked the public to be more alert (Reports from Headline Daily specifically mentioned jobs with pay in excess of $30,000 a month in Thailand). They will be working together with local police, Chinese embassies abroad, as well as Interpol to stamp out the trafficking rings.

Hong Kong Police Force @hkpoliceforce

🚨#ScamAlert!Some🇭🇰youngsters desperate to explore🌍+seek jobs fell for ads offering ‘dream jobs’(e.g. croupier)in places inclu🇰🇭,but once they arrived,scammers confiscated their passports+made them their stooges to perpetuate scams ⚠️If it’s #TooGoodToBeTrue,#DontTakeTheBait🪝

Traded for love

One trafficked case which police were only alerted to recently involved a 28 year old man surnamed ‘Tsang’ who traveled to Thailand to meet his online girlfriend, all expenses paid. When he arrived in Thailand, he had his phone and passport taken, then was forced onto a vehicle bound for Myanmar.

There Tsang was often physically abused and forced to carry out illegal labour. He was eventually released when his family paid an unspecified ransom.

DBS - Don’t believe Bull Shit

A recent article by The Standard highlighted a case where “a friend’s son” was going to leave for Cambodia to work at DBS. However, after multiple attempts to contact the bank, and after looking on the bank’s official website, it was found that DBS does not have a Cambodian branch.

Everyone stay safe, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is!

Hong Kong SAR Government News @newsgovhk

The Centre for Health Protection says it is looking into 5,563 additional locally acquired #COVID19 cases, of which 2,167 were directly identified through nucleic acid tests and 3,396 via verified rapid antigen tests news.gov.hk/eng/2022/08/20…

COVID-19 in Hong Kong

New cases: 5757
Total cases: 1,432,837
New deaths: 4
Total deaths: 9,584
Compulsory Testing locations: 65

Fighting COVID while fighting the economy

At the annual Hong Kong Summit for the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, John Lee said that Hong Kong will continue to fight the virus while keeping the economy afloat.

Lee said that “The Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to accord top priority to fighting the pandemic” but that they will “balance the risks of the pandemic against the economic impetus, keeping our economy going.

Allaying fears that reducing quarantine in Hong Kong will make it difficult to line up with Mainland policies, John Lee also said:

“I must stress that, connecting with the world and connecting with the Mainland are, in no way, contradictory to each other […] My preliminary goal is to reduce the degree of inconvenience to travellers, without bringing about additional risks to the Mainland's epidemic situation”

Just say no to Ubers

The Hong Kong Taxi & PLB Association said yesterday that they want a full ban of Uber’s ride hailing services which have always existed within a grey legal area. The associations said that Uber has cost them “millions” a year and that 20% of expected income was taken by the ride sharing app.

Although boasting over 14,000 active drivers, ride hailing without a hire-car permit is illegal in Hong Kong - however, Hong Kong also doesn’t have ride-hailing app specific legislation. The High Court previously ruled clearly that all drivers must have a hire-car permit.

Truth be told, the taxi associations have this debate every year…the government is occasionally doing studies to try and figure out how the rest of the world deals with Uber.

Also, despite all the furor, Uber seems to be doing just fine. They even had this art competition recently which is clearly, uh, pandering(?) to the competition:

Cyril Ma @Cyrildoesthings

After the success of MTR x Dinosaurs, @Uber HK has a similar children's art contest with the Children’s Palliative Care Foundation. And the results are just about as whimsical as you'd expect (don't read too deep into the symbolism of some of them)

I personally take Uber taxi whenever possible - it’s cheaper than a ‘normal’ Uber, supports the existing taxi industry and has the benefit of not having to wait in line for a taxi driver that refuses to take me across the harbour.

Events and deals

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Schol! Belgium Beer Week: 22 - 28 Aug

Belgium Beer Week’s first foray outside of their home country sees them expanding across the world and Hong Kong is leading by example, having a whooping 11 venues to celebrate in - one of the highest number in the world.

Each bar will host their own events during the week.

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A post shared by Harbour Times | Hong Kong News (@harbourtimes)

See our full coverage for details on location, timings and events!

Lifeline Mental Health Livefest at The Wanch

The uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic has made it exceedingly difficult for the music industry, particularly live music. Indefinite restrictions have taken a heavy toll on the mental health of not only the artists, but also the thousands of people who work alongside them.

On 20th August 2022, Musicians Foundation will be conducting an afternoon of TedX-style talks focusing on raising awareness on music and mental health.

When: Sat 20 Aug, 3-5pm
Where: The Wanch
Cost: Free
Sign up here (places limited for COVID regulations)

Official media partner: ReThink HK returns 5-6 Oct

HT is proud to once again be a media partner for ReThink - HK’s biggest and most exciting sustainability conference. This year’s conference invites more than 300 expert speakers to share their visions and insights, covering important topics like economic progression while coexisting with nature harmoniously, efficient use of resources, transformation to a low-carbon society, and circular economy for future generations.

Sign up here using the code HTP22 for 40% off!