LawrenceChee

The reality is 100,000 have spoken and this has been the rights given to the HK people in the transition back to the China

100,000 has acted on their opinions and beliefs and while China has allowed that to happen, we should also understand 6.9 didn't participate and we should respect their wishes too that protests should not hinder way of life or business. Ignoring that goes against the tenants of freedom and democracy right ?

The fact that there is no roaring tanks etc has disappointed many of the fanatics but it shows the maturity in the CCP in adapting to modern day social media and much of this is influenced by the youth wings giving their advice and their perception on the ground. Yeap it's CCP and of course they had their youth among the ranks of Joshua listening to the comments and trying to understand what do they really want ?

Another poster mentions the ineffectiveness of the youth wings, I disagree as a participant of it in the past that much of it has changed and opinions matter now to the leadership

The recent changes to climate policies, adopting slower growth and recent changes in police management are all examples of how the youth wing influenced those

The old cultural aspects remains where the old dispenses advice whether they are wanted or not, this happens to me now that I am officially out of the youth wing by default of age and still asked for my opinions by the youths there

It's clear to me however the newer generation of CCP members want change but not what the west perceives it to be ....again it will happen at a pace they are comfortable with

Joshua should have joined them and if he is able to work through the politics of it and manage to influence policies that affect the pearl delta region , he would have made a bigger impact

This solo acts of defiance against government is silly a youthful waste of energy.

The world doesn't universally want democracy as the west believes it to be.

If it was that effective , the middle eastern states liberated would have embraced that instead of the various states of anarchy now that depicts the lack of understanding by the west of local cultural nuances

The ability to cast a vote is not taken in the same context in the east .

Most Asians shudder at the thought of wasting time of the day at the polls voting for either idiot Hiliary or Trump ; it's an irony where the current news state is what "shit" Trump can come up with daily vs "HC" is really not that bad.

If this is the poster child of democracy and what it represents , you can see why the east mocks at it silently and thinks it's garbage

The recent voting % in USA also suggest that there is huge percentage that doesn't care about politics and doesn't bother to vote and this is similar to China.

"Liberating" them from CCP is not going to change anything ...the Chinese won't vote or really bother because they see the government as a service provider and as long as the taxes remain Low , garbage is picked up and passports are issued etc most citizens don't bother to understand the governance or what goes behind it

I suspect most Americans would struggle to explain what the Senate or congress does daily for them

Most who have no working understanding of governments will disagree but if you have seen my recent postings on Philippines, you can see those mocking my earlier views that Duarte would do trade with the Chinese / Russians are eating their hats now because it is happening ; those of us in close door discussions already know that was going to happen

I can even predict with a certain amount of certainty during mid term at the height of any Low ratings for Duerte, the Chinese have assured him he can go ahead with his ski stun and they will offer protection for him a a safe passage so that he can plant his flag on whatever rocks he wants


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Wow, I  hope you're wrong about your closing sentence, "protest is the least effective way of getting your views heard."
 
For an establishmentarianist, yes, joining the largest or the only political party is seen as the right way to get heard.  Though, in Asia, that would entail being a good boy, always saying 'yes' to party elders, not rocking the boat for about half a century (join at 20, have a voice at 70, ....maybe).  That's assuming you won't be banned or ostracized during the 50 years you're waiting to be heard.   
 
Perhaps Chee has been able to learn some history of people who have made big positive changes without taking the establishment route.  Some names that come to mind:  Ghandi, M.L.King, Mother Jones, Harriet Tubman, or the hundreds of other activists who aren't household names, yet (through their far-sightedness, yearning for freedom, and tenaciousness) were able to push through women suffrage, freeing slaves, kicking out royal despots, kicking out dictators, allowing regular people to own land, and many other improvements. 
 
 

The boy is 19 and naive enough to believe the facts doesn't exist

Hong Kong belongs to China ; the fact it got a century under a British rule does not make it British or anything else . It belonged to the Chinese and is returned to the Chinese

Joshua if he truly believed in his aspirations for HK should understand governing 7 million in HK and wanting to make a real change in today's world doesn't involve hunger strikes etc

HK is an extremely practical society and while they have being identified as Chinese , they are Chinese with southern roots and you can see in the last protest while they clearly won some supporters , most HK were annoyed the Main Streets were blocked and transport diverted and if it spanned longer , the locals will be really annoyed as presenting your ideas is vastly different from obstructing way of life

He's 19, he has time to turn and join the CCP youth wing and try to influence things ...what people are forgetting is his party won a small % of the votes and can do little now

If he is strategic and climb up the ranks of the CCP he can influence policies that impacts millions in a province but he is clearly diverted in his views that protests is the way to go

In any Asian country , protest is the least effective way of getting your views heard.


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I firmly believed even with an extended Thai family that Indochina has untapped potential and Thailand is at a rut because they won't change

I have lived inmost Indochina countries and their spoken English is better , their work ethics in general better , their honesty index better ...the thing that Thailand has going for it is its infrastructure is relatively ahead for now

The keyword is now only ...if Vietnam and Laos and Cambodia get it all going , their internal resources are far more valuable than rice :)


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Aid Fiber works well in most areas


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What we have seen here what happens when 2 world powers collide and neither would want to back down

We can see here that in the perseverance of self interest , Russia is getting the troops war ready and USA is actually willing to support terrorist groups and arm them and start another cycle of violence

The easiest thing here was to leave it alone and allow them to work it out like tribal Arabs ....after some killings etc it will slow down

By systematically removing Saddam, Gaddafi and now trying to get rid of Assad , it's clear the western agenda is lunacy ...these places thrive on strong men to dictate and rule so that in the biggest scope of things with "dictators" all being crazy ...

There is actually room for mutual respect and no one wants to Attack each other ...with the removal of all the leaders in Egypt Iraq and Libya it has not created a melting pot of area where terrorists could thrive as there is no general law and order and everyone can set up a group when they feel like it


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It's quite clear that this president has the people's mandate and that is all that matters

By now , the folks who are discerning would know he's not polished on the world stage and makes provocative statements when provoked at a media conference ...i don't think he means any real insults but some folks are thin pansies these days

Inside him, I honestly can see a man who passionately understands and love his country ...I was just there 3 days ago for another business trip and every trip I get there something else has improved for his countryman

For those who like to ridicule him, I say head to the slums and see how much work he has ahead of him ...I don't blame him for putting domestic policy first and ignoring the world who seems hell bent on giving judgement without ever having seen the slums


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Nothing like the "Chinese tourist dollar" to prop up a regime.

They are still great as a product and just increased their luggage allowance


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Frankly I really like this airline ; food is great and attendants are really good on long flights

Their lounge in HK is really great ....love the tea room in the refurbishment Pier Lounge

Lots of private and social areas and the food is great for the transit

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FBI is busy with a divorce instead of terror acts like the one they didn't detect weeks ago

Nice use of resources and priority


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Can't see any ending for this with 2 giants involved and neither has a history of backing down from confrontations

The reality is both stepped back and did nothing the thing will be over much sooner when the tribes complete their shootings with no heavy weaponry and then get tired of fighting and call it a truce and carved out regions like what generations of ME had done

Western interference of any kind except for ME is futile ....none of the ME folks have really played any real interest ; maybe countries should learn from them

It's like school yard kids fighting ...sooner or later it will stop by itself


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North Korea can be expelled from UN membership only if China as a permanent member of the Security Council agrees to the recommendation and explusion.

Thanks will have a look at the AA policies


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The Thais saw what Laos is getting and worried about missing the freight train of success exports to china

Happy to see it happen ....eventually when I retire the network here will improve and will make some interesting train rides


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If you have a smartphone download the radio app TuneIn

It's a great app , free and you can choose by country and fav radio stations

With a decent Bluetooth speaker in your car ...you have endless Whiney English songs


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So the baby is on the way and I heard in Thailand AIA got a good solid hospitalization plan for babies

Anyone used them and believe they are good at settling bills with the 3 major Hospitals in town ?

Thanks !

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We should stop destroying the oceans .... it's nature and beauty to keep for future generations


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The numbnits have no guts to do what is right and hence treated with disdain as it looks like a useless Organization that just exist because it exist




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Hahahahahaha true ! A quiet lunch at Dhara Dhevi now for me is a treat


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I don't think Chiangmaj can ever be described as exciting

It's almost 6 pm and we are already done with dinner

Exciting indeed


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So now they have to start the nice stuff .....that is sick .....

- Lawyer rights
- Cushy Jail Cell
- Medical Treatment
- Checklists to make sure the process is watertight and no avenues for him to sue the government

I wish at times likes this , the guy is in some jail in Asia ....now that's the way to treat a potential terrorist suspect and rough then up to stop the recruitment process for other idiots thinking of doing the grand Islam tour

National Geo should do a graphic documentary for broadcast on all channels with idiotic youths that think they may want to join a cell .....

5 days spent in a Asian jail would make any terrorist candidates give up ....

- rusty cells that will fail any USPH tests and make you not love the Color brown anymore

- rat / ? Unknown rodent meat / whatever insect walking around the kitchen counter for dinner

- Netflix available for one channel only ; aka " sad symphony of people moaning and wanting to die"

- beating from fellow cell mates in frustration of life with no call button for help





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About 25 years ago, in Pattaya, very young children (per-pubescent, not 17 years old) might occasionally be seen on one of the piers near walking street, I spoke to two ( I was writing freelance for the BKP and The Nation amongst other papers at the time), both were girls, one was 12 and one was 14 years old. The twelve year old told me "chan pen garee sam pee laeo" (I have been working as a whore for three years). I asked about the police at the booth at the end of the pier, and she smiled, wandered over, tapped on the glass and began an amiable conversation with the uniformed policeman who clearly knew her and her business.

 

This is the one and only time (and location) I have seen anything like this in Thailand - and certainly never in Chiang Mai where I have lived for more than a quarter of a century.

 

About 20 years ago there was a case in Chiang Mai where an Australian paedophile named Bradley Pendragon was arrested for having taken photographs of a two young Hmong girls in the hills above Chiang Mai which he had developed at a local Fuji lab. They were 7-8 years old. He was reported because he has abused them not just through intercourse, but with a Buddha image. He got a few years in Chiang Mai prison, then Bangkok, then off to Australia where he is now a registered paedophile and vagrant. The Australian embassy asked us to cover the trial so that no bribery could take place, and our reports were printed in the Melbourne Age.

 

Never heard of anything since. That's not to say it doesn't happen.... but in the 'after hour clubs' (where??) of Chiang Mai. I really don't think so.

If you look at Red Cross recently and what they have done for the Haiti collections ..one would almost want them to stop collections !




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I work in the hotel trade business and if you see what they spend on hotels and food and banquet ....it's not really that hard to understand why their programs all flop


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