NBA Trading Card Scam

December 23, 2023

Victims recover losses in NBA trading card scams.

By Sean Pan

NBA trading card collector Henry Kwan has become more cautious and prefers only offline trading after many in the circle, including himself have been scammed.

In September 2023, Kwan spotted an NBA card featuring one of his favourites, Trae Young, when surfing on Xianyu, an online trading platform in China.

“I sent the seller RMB ¥3000(US $420) using Alipay on Xianyu after a few days of bargaining on September 29th. But despite waiting for a couple of weeks, I did not receive the card he had promised to send me by post,” Kwan recalls.

“I found out that I was scammed on October 25th, when the swindler kept holding me up on the deal we agreed on. I asked for help from other card collectors in a chat group. They told me the seller I traded with was a scammer,” Kwan says.

“Some in the NBA trading card chat group told me the scammer made use of an account owned by another collector to sell me the card,” he adds.

Kwan vowed to bring the scammer to justice and reported the case to the police on October 29th. “I think the trading card industry in China should adopt good practices so that we can do trading in a safe environment,” he says.

Kwan filed his case to the police together with four other victims and the losses have been recovered. Meanwhile, they still pursue the case for a formal apology and further compensation.

*Police report receipt of Henry Kwan’s case*.

Kwan shares that the scammers post pictures of NBA cards owned by others to their own Xianyu accounts to target victims, and it was confirmed by the scammer in his confession to the police on November 7th, according to an official transcript from the police.

Another NBA card collector, Anthony Ke, who is also in the same WeChat group with Kwan, was scammed by the same fraudster in July using another Xianyu account.

“I offered to trade five NBA trading cards with a total value of more than RMB ¥5500 (US $800) for one NBA card the scammer displayed on his Xianyu account with similar value,” Ke says.

“The scammer using a different user name agreed. He suggested exchanging our cards directly and that we should avoid paying large amounts of money through Xianyu to maintain cash flow when usually we card traders will pay each other the actual price of the card we agree to trade through Xianyu to ensure security and avoid scams,” says the 30-year-old man.

*The scammer’s post of an NBA trading card that he steals from the internet on Xianyu.*

“I trusted him, so I sent him my cards. He finally showed me a receipt stating the package was sent out after I had waited for a few weeks. But it was sent to Shandong province, but I live in Shanghai,” the card collector says.

“He told me he had sent the package to the wrong address, which is a card shop in Shandong. He even gave me the contact information of a shop staff member. The card store’s staff told me to wait for my cards,” Ke says.

“But It turns out all the contacts are from different WeChat accounts owned by the same person. The scammer uses different chat accounts with different identities,” Ke states.

Ke praises Kwan’s efforts in filing all of the victim’s cases together with the police. “It takes great effort to gather evidence to prepare for the case. I really appreciate the efforts he has made to fight for other victims by filing his own case. It is very time-consuming, and many victims prefer to stay silent,” he adds.

“Without Kwan, we might have lost all our money and cards, and the scammer can achieve its purpose,” he says.

High school student Ben Chan* reported being scammed using the same method stated by Ke.

“I sent the dealer three cards with a total value of RMB ¥2000 (US $300) and gave him an additional RMB ¥200 (US $30) through WeChat Pay for a card autographed by Stephen Curry,” the high school student says.

“The fraudster gave me fake information, such as a fake delivery message, to postpone our deal and treat me like a fool,” Chan says.

*Xianyu receipt of victim and scammer agree to trade the card directly*. *(Screenshot via Xianyu)*

“Dealing with these issues took up a lot of my time and even affected my studies, so I’m glad that Mr.Kwan gathered, including me, the number of five victims and filled all our cases together, reporting it to the police to resolve the problem,” he says.

Lawyer Chan Weijie says according to Article 266 of the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China, if the amount of fraudulent public or private property is relatively large, the person is subject to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention or control and a penalty.

“The scammer in Kwan’s case falls into the category under Article 266 if he is 18 or above. Possession of property of others by concealment reaches a “relatively large” amount – and in this case more than RMB ¥3000 (US $420),” he says.

Chan states the suspect’s criminal record has now been left in the Guangdong public security system network, and the victims can settle the matter privately, such as proposing a claim for compensation for mental disturbance and a formal confession.

“When dealing with scams, no matter how much money is involved, victims should seek help from the police as soon as possible,” Chan urges.

*Name changed at request of the interviewee

Sub-edited by Christine Tang

Residents’ worries over influx of tourists to Sha Tau Kok

December 22, 2023

Residents of Sha Tau Kok are worried about the influx of tourists that might affect the community.

By Charlotte Wu

Enjoying family time at home every weekend, the many staring eyes from tourists onto Athenea Cheung Yuen-lam’s home in Sha Tau Kok Chuen, a vibrant, French country home-style public housing estate, always leaves her feeling embarrassed.

Living on the third floor, the 19-year-old is only a stone’s throw away from the bus terminal where tourists have flooded the area since June last year.

*The view from Athena Cheung Yuen-lam’s room, from which she sees the bus terminal where tourist buses pass by. (Photo Courtesy of Athenea Cheung Yuen-lam)*

“I find it embarrassing when I lock eyes with people on the tour bus,” she says.

Located in the north of Hong Kong, Cheung’s home is in Sha Tau Kok, a Frontier Closed Area along the border between Hong Kong and mainland China. Only holders of closed-area permits issued by the police can enter the area.

To prevent the influx of illegal immigrants from mainland China after the Second World War, Sha Tau Kok was classified as a Frontier Closed Area by the British colonial government in 1951. The government only partially opened up the northernmost town in June 2022 to promote cultural and eco-tourism.

Under a pilot scheme, 500 people are allowed to visit Sha Tau Kok Pier, the outskirts of the area, per day on weekends and public holidays.

An expanded entry scheme will kick start from January 2024, allowing up to 1,000 people to visit the restricted historic town each day. Access to Chung Ying Street, which lies on the border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, will remain restricted.

About 4,000 people are living in Sha Tau Kok, with most of them in Sha Tau Kok Chuen, the northernmost public estate in Hong Kong, which offers 802 flats. Cheung adds that no gates or security guards are installed since residents have lived in a trusted and closed community for a long time.

While the government is about to commence the second stage opening up of the area, Cheung’s family is considering installing privacy window films to prevent visitors from looking inside their flats.

“We feel less safe as we get stared at like animals in a zoo when tourists are curious about our lives,” she says.

Since the opening up, Cheung has witnessed gradual changes in the Housing Society-managed public housing estate.

“Recently, people from the Housing Society are visiting residents door-to-door to ask for our opinion on installing surveillance cameras in our estate,” she says.

“We believe the authorities impose such measures because more visitors are coming in,” she adds.

Like many other kids in town, Cheung spent her childhood wandering around and cycling without her parents’ supervision.

“It was completely fine for children to hang around alone, especially in my generation, as we all trusted the people here and parents felt safe to let their children play alone,” she recalls.

Cheung is worried that the opening of the town will disrupt the quiet life of the children.

*Residents hang their clothes in the open spaces of Sha Tau Kok Chuen, with banners reminding tourists not to enter residents’ living areas.*

“My uncle starts following my cousin when he wants to play downstairs as he is worried about meeting strangers,” she says.

Another resident is also concerned about the opening up.

Haley Lee Man-hei, 19, is scared that restaurants may find it difficult to handle the influx of customers with limited choices in the town.

Most restaurants are clustered in Sha Tau Kok Market with a few more small-scale Hong Kong-style cafes, otherwise called cha chaan tengs, according to Lee.

“Most of them are closed on Sundays as the rent in the market is cheap. There have been very limited dining options for residents on Sunday already, and if tourists decide to dine in, it will increase my waiting time for food,” she says.

To Lee, the town is a tranquil safe place and she hopes tourists would not cause too much disruption to residents.

“I will be proud if tourists come and appreciate the beauty of my home. But I hope they will respect the residents here and stay quiet when visiting as it is a really small place. Silence will be too luxurious for us then,” she adds.

In response to residents’ security concerns, the Housing Society says a few security guards would be stationed in Sha Tau Kok Chuen from mid-December, and CCTVs would be installed at residence entrances from January next year.

“We conducted a questionnaire asking residents about our security measures in mid-October. Most were supportive,” a spokesman from the Society says.

Moving from Kwun Tong, a bustling urban area to the secluded town in 2012, Charles Lee Yee-keung, founder of STK 1 Properties Limited, a real estate company in the area, is confident that the Housing Society’s measures can help protect residents’ privacy.

“Tourists may peek into the flats or take pictures of residents’ homes as they are curious about the lives of residents,” Lee says.

“After security cameras and gates are installed, I believe there will be a deterrent effect,” he adds.

The businessman also runs a private museum, Sha Tau Kok Story House, to promote the fishing culture and history of the Hong Kong northern border.

*Sha Tau Kok Story House is located on San Lau Street.*

He says his museum plans to launch three hiking routes for visitors after the opening up. These routes will help tourists explore the town, including visiting the remains of a section of the Kowloon-Canton railway, which used to connect Hong Kong and mainland China.

In his 2023 Policy Address, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu says the government will collaborate with Shenzhen to develop cultural tourism in the area.

Charles Lee believes it is a must for Hong Kong to jointly develop the area with Shenzhen.

He adds that mainland developers have been revitalizing Zhongying Jie, the mainland side of Chung Ying Street over the past two years.

“As the two sides are connected, there will be a big contrast and imbalance of development between the mainland and Hong Kong sides if the government does not plan to impose any new development,” he adds.

Edited by Leopold Chen

Sub-edited by Tessa Yau, Amelie Yeung and Eve Qiao

Safety Issues in Southeast Asia Stop Chinese Tourists

December 22, 2023

Chinese tourists are reluctant to visit Southeast Asia citing safety concerns.

By Kamun Lai

Yatong Xue will not travel to Southeast Asia in the coming months due to safety concerns triggered by a shooting incident in Thailand and scary movies about Chinese citizens being kidnapped to carry out scams.

In October 2023, a shooting rampage in shopping mall Siam Paragon injured five people and killed two tourists, one of them Chinese. Located in Bangkok, the mall is popular with Chinese tourists.

“I had planned to travel to Thailand after hearing of the visa-free policy for Chinese tourists in October but I changed my mind after the shooting incident. I also found out that about one-tenth of the population in Thailand possess guns. I had thought guns were banned there,” Xue says.

On September 25, Thailand launched a visa-free scheme for Chinese tourists, which will last for five months. On the same day, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, along with several government officials, went to Suvarnabhumi International Airport in the capital city of Bangkok to welcome Chinese tourists.

On December 8, Thai police summoned a Chinese social media influencer over a negative video portraying a popular Bangkok nightlife district as unsafe for women. In her video, the influencer with 2.69 million followers claims 99 per cent of those hanging around the area are not good people.

Xue had been planning to travel to Thailand for four months. But this is not the first time she changed her travel plans. She had planned to go to Thailand in March but changed her mind because of news of Chinese tourists being kidnapped to scam factories located in Southeast Asian countries, mostly in Myanmar.

“After the pandemic, I was thinking about going to Thailand. The kingdom has always been popular among tourists, being well-known for delicious food and affordable sightseeing,” she says.

“But videos about scams in Myanmar and warnings to Chinese tourists not to consume cannabis by accident have gone viral on Chinese social media platforms,” she recalls.

Thailand had legalised the consumption of cannabis in 2022 but the substance is currently outlawed in China.

“If Chinese tourists take cannabis products back to China by accident, they will be in big trouble,” Xue says.

*Posts asking about safety issues in Thailand are common on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu. (Screenshot via Xiaohongshu)*

As Xue’s mom told her not to travel to Thailand due to safety concerns, she dropped the idea of travelling to Thailand and countries around Myanmar.

According to the Thai government, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand this year is predicted to be around five million, significantly lower than nearly 11 million in 2019, when Chinese tourists accounted for one-fourth of its overseas tourists and ranked first among them. But in the first nine months of 2023, the number of Chinese visitors to Thailand was only 2.2 million.

Popular in China, two blockbusters released in 2023, Lost in the Stars and No More Bets, are about Southeast Asian crimes.

Lost in the Stars is adapted from a real murder case in which a Chinese man kills his wife in Thailand. The film grossed US$486.1 million at the box office in China. No More Bets, which depicts fraud factories involved in kidnapping, gambling, and violence in an undisclosed Southeast Asian country, hit US$559 million.

A series of news coverage by China Central Television in August of this year about a postdoctoral researcher of the Chinese Academy of Sciences who was smuggled to Myanmar for scamming caught public attention. The issue is widely reported by media outlets in China.

Tour guide and tourism blogger Sebas Teo finds more people are asking him about safety issues in Thailand.

Chinese tourists and those from Malaysia and Singapore consult him on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media platform, Instagram, and Facebook.

“Most ask about scams in which victims are cheated and kidnapped to be forced labour. Many are worried after reading news and watching movies about these incidents. No More Bets is also popular in Malaysia and Singapore,” says Teo, who is based in Singapore.

“People feel insecure about travelling to other countries after staying home for too long during the pandemic. With the influence of movies and news, they get even more anxious,” he says.

While Teo acknowledges that it is good for travellers to be more aware of safety issues, he points out that lots of fake news is being circulated online.

“If travellers are worried, they should hold their plans and set off only when they feel safe,” he says.

The Beijing office of Tourism Authority of Thailand said on Chinese social media that Thai people are friendly and hospitable, and are loved by Chinese people, and that Thailand is still a preferred destination for Chinese tourists. *(Screenshot via Weibo)*

A month after the news of the shooting, the Tourism Authority of Thailand uploaded a video of Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the authority, greeting Chinese tourists in Chinese.

“I sincerely hope that everyone will feel comfortable travelling to Thailand. In terms of safety measures, Thailand makes great efforts to ensure travellers’ safety,” she says.

Candy Wong, a China equity specialist, thinks travel demand is hit by the weak economy in China.

“The economic recovery has been weaker than expected as consumers cut down expensive overseas visits to more affordable domestic trips,” Wong says.

“The deadly shooting in Siam Paragon in October also reinforced concerns about safety in Thailand. The Chinese media’s recent emphasis on “internal circulation” over going out and the growing appreciation for domestic cultural trends may also play a part,” she says.

Edited by Kossy Chen

Sub-edited by Amelie Yeung

Therapy Dog Spreads Joy and Healing

December 19, 2023

Therapy dogs bring joy and comfort to patients in hospitals and students in educational institutions.

By Molisa Meng

Eleven-year-old poodle Curry has been serving people in need of happiness at hospitals, centres for the disabled, nursing homes and schools by playing with patients to calm their vexing nerves as a therapy dog since 2015.

Having taken care of the therapy dog for 11 years, Jessie Leung recalls a visit she made with her pet to the Society for the Promotion of Hospice Care in Sha Tin recently.

“The patients smiled and laughed once they saw Curry. They petted and cuddled Curry and chatted in a happy mood. Some elderly told me Curry reminded them of their own dogs,” she says.

“Curry enjoys playing with people. I wanted Curry to be a therapy dog because I feel great that I can make others happy. It receives no formal training but it is very considerate and knows how to get along with humans. When playing with the elderly and children, Curry acts like a puppy,” Leung says.

She is proud of the pet’s gentle characteristics which enables it to be a good Doctor Dog.

Marnie Yau, Doctor Dog Programme Manager of Animal Asia, says that Doctor Dogs like Curry are good for inpatients at hospice care centres because patients have serious illnesses and are approaching the end of life.

“During visits, patients feel warm, comforted, happy, and relieved. Their spiritual conditions can be greatly enhanced. Patients have benefited from visits by our four-legged furry doctors,” Yau says.

*Doctor dogs and their guardians visited the Society for the Promotion of Hospice Care to bring care and comfort to patients in November. (Photo Courtesy of Marnie Yau)*

Founded in 1991, the animal welfare non-governmental organisation Animals Asia has been running Doctor Dog programmes for 32 years, currently with over 100 dogs and their guardians volunteering in Hong Kong. Curry is one of them.

To qualify as a Doctor Dog, all dogs are required to take the Doctor Dog Behaviour Assessment Examination to check on their personalities and responses to certain situations including touch, noise and receiving food, and reaction to people.

Doctor Dogs with excellent performance in visits will become Professor Paws which are qualified to visit schools and interact with students. This year, Curry has been crowned as Professor Paw.

Karina O’Carroll, the education manager of Animal Asia Foundation, says the dogs join the service for one hour during each visit. Their visits cover different age groups and different people with different needs.

“We are inclusive to everyone who wants to spend time with dogs. Dogs bring joy, love, and affection. Most importantly, dogs do not judge. A lot of times, people experience judgement about their looks and jobs but dogs do not care. If you give them love, affection, and kindness, they will do the same,” Carroll says.

“Many of the therapy dogs have their own stories of adversity. Some are adopted from local shelters by their guardians and now they can give back to society as therapy dogs,” she adds.

*Curry is crowned as Professor Paws for its outstanding performance. (Photo Courtesy of Jessie Leung)*

Professor Paul Wong Wai-ching of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong points out that playing with animals helps people feel relaxed.

“When we play with animals, oxytocin, a chemical in our brain that makes us feel happy and relaxed, will be released,” he explains.

According to Wong, dogs are the most commonly used animal in therapies because they can be well-trained and are good at reading humans’ emotions and behaviours.

“So far, animal-assisted therapy has been applied to several psychological diseases including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder,” he says.

But Wong warns dogs should not work too frequently or for too long as that makes them feel stressed and tired.

“I hope animal therapy will be more widely used in Hong Kong, but the lack of professionals in the field must first be addressed,” he says.

Theme picture provided by Marnie Yau to Varsity

Edited by Christine Tang
Sub-edited by Leopold Chen

Southeast Asia Phobia – Editor’s Note

December 19, 2023

Southeast Asia, once popular among Chinese visitors, has lost its charm to tourists due to safety concerns. Videos and news stories about kidnapping, scam and murder cases have gone viral on Chinese social media, fuelling Chinese fear about travelling to countries like Thailand and Myanmar.

The Thai government tries to lure more Chinese tourists to the kingdom by relaxing its visa policy, but the effectiveness is in question. In the Periscope section, Varsity reporters speak to restaurant and resort operators to learn how the tourism industry in Thailand is being affected by the declining number of Chinese tourists.

Following a visit by the director and two scriptwriters of a Hong Kong movie, In Broad Daylight, to a Varsity class on November 30, 2023, reporters have turned sharings and exchanges during the sharing session into two stories.

The People section features challenges and difficulties a Hong Kong female footballer and the fifth generation of the “Leung So Kee”, a 138-year-old Hong Kong umbrella brand.

Other topics covered are mental health of the younger generation and suicide rates in Hong Kong. In China, more fresh graduates study abroad due to the weak economy and high jobless rate, while those who take over family businesses also face difficulties making the handover work.

Varsity reporters also examine how the opening of the closed area in Sha Tau Kok will affect residents there, and how traumatised children of prisoners cope with challenges in life.

On a positive note, this issue has stories about an elderly-run NGO, therapy dogs that offer solace, and the heart-warming tale of parrots returning home with the help of Hong Kong Parrot Rescue (HKPR).

If this unsettling world is a desert, I hope Varsity can be a shared spiritual oasis helping readers get through it with a cool mind and a warm heart.

Enjoy your read!

Kossy Chen

Managing editor

‘In Broad Daylight’ director wants to be the voice of the voiceless

December 16, 2023

The movie director of In Broad Daylight vows to be the voice of the voiceless with his latest production.

By James Cheang

Movie director Lawrence Kan Kwan-chun vows to be the voice of the voiceless with his latest production In Broad Daylight.

“We movie producers, like journalists, may not have the power to change the world. But we can at least arouse public awareness with our works so that more and more people are aware of social issues featured in the film,” Kan says.

Based on true events, the movie is about an investigative journalist who reveals the dark side of a residential care home for the elderly and the mentally disabled.

Speaking at a sharing session hosted by Varsity, the director says that the reason why he and two script writers produced the film is their care for social justice.

“In Broad Daylight”’s director Kan Kwan-chun Lawrence (middle) and the two scriptwriters Li Cheuk-fung (left), Tong Chui-ping (right) had a sharing session hosted by Varsity, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, on November 30, 2023

Kan thanks the journalists who exposed the abuses in care homes on the residents from 2014 to 2016.

“We only made a movie. Journalists did all the hard work: conducting investigation of abuses in care homes and made great effort to report the truth. We want to remind the public of what happened in Hong Kong, and that is still happening everyday,” the 36-year-old says.

In May 2015, local newspaper Ming Pao Daily ran a front page story disclosing that residents of Tai Po Cambridge Nursing Home were left naked or half-dressed on a roof for up to half an hour before they were taken to shower by care workers.

The Social Welfare Department refused to renew the care home’s licence on May 29, 2015.

In August 2016, another care home, Home of Treasure was found to have tied up some of their residents for a long period.

Snack food, siu mai (a traditional Chinese dumpling deemed poorly nutrient), with rice and vegetables were also said to be the residents’ regular meals.

Also in 2016, the Bridge of Rehabilitation care home was reported to have six cases of unreported deaths in eight months, including the death of a 14-year-old child with autism spectrum disorder, and the deceased was suspected to suffer from abuse.

Separately, the former director of the care home was charged with assaulting a woman with moderate intellectual disability in 2014.

But the Department of Justice withdrew the prosecution because the alleged victim was unsuitable for testimony due to her mental illness after an evaluation by doctors.

“I owe my thanks to the journalists and all the people working on the frontline such as social workers and district councillors. They are the source of my courage when making this movie,” Kan says.

Kan shares that he wants to have more footage about journalists conducting investigations. “But journalists just keep making phone calls and typing on computers when they work most of the time. So there is not much to shoot,” he says.

Kan says that he dramatised the true events a bit in his movie to keep the audience’s attention.

*A promotional banner of “In Broad Daylight”*

“There is a scene about journalists running to a spot to take photos of a group of elderly in wheelchairs naked and being showered in an open area. But in fact, the journalists knew where and when to go for photo-taking and they did not run,” he explains.

“I think the most difficult part of making this film is that I need to think about how to turn those real stories into a movie. Just like journalists have to think about what information should be put in a news story,” he says.

He stresses that he does not want to appeal to sensation and sufferings of the victims as the selling point of the movie.

“Since my decisions on what to be shown and how to portray the story would affect the public perception of those events, I want to provide the viewers with a better understanding of what actually happened and the feelings of characters as humans,” he adds.

Graduated from the Vancouver Film School in 2009, Kan returned to Hong Kong and made his first film “When C goes with G7” in 2013 and a television drama “In Geek We Trust”, Both talk about the life of information technology employees in 2022.

“I just want to give a pat on the shoulders of those who work in IT industry and journalism and tell them I understand their feelings and comfort them with my work,” he says.

The movie production team began to write the script for In Broad Daylight five years ago.

“During these years, many things happened and there were many changes. We also put all the emotions and feelings in the film,” the director says.

“I was once asked whether it was too late to make the film. My answer was, ‘It is never too late to do so as social issues explored in the film still remain unsolved,’ ” he recalls.

Kan reveals the movie production team had difficulties in finding financial support as investors thought the movie had little commercial value.

“Luckily, Louis Koo Tin-lok and his company One Cool Film Production Limited is willing to support the movie financially,” he adds.

The film has been on screen since November 2, 2023 in Hong Kong. According to the movie production team, the ticket sales of ”In Broad Daylight“ have already exceeded HK $20 million (USD $2,561,706) so far.

“I am so happy to see that the film has been well-received with lots of positive feedback,” Kan says.

The team has conducted a range of sharing sessions at cinemas to thank the audience for their support.

*The movie production team conducted a sharing session to thank the audience for their support at the K11 Art House (Cinema), Tsim Sha Tsui, on November 29, 2023.*

The movie was nominated for a total of five awards at the 60th Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, including the best leading actress, the best supporting actor, the best supporting actress, the best art direction, and the best makeup and costume design.

Sub-edited by Leopold Chen

Feathered Friends: Don’t Let Them Fly Away

December 14, 2023

Parrots eventually returned home after being lost.

By Hannah Tang

Bao Bao, a one-year-old male Myiopsitta monachus, also known as monk parrot, went missing for two days after flying away from home in October. The mother of its owner, Kelly Chen, had accidentally let it out from a cage when the windows were open.

Chen, who has been taking care of the parrot for almost a year, often lets it stay out of its cage to play around at home as parrots need time to roam freely at home for better mental health.

“I pay extra attention whenever I let Bao Bao roam around at home. I always make sure all windows and doors are closed,” Chen says.

“Most parrots do not know how to return home safely so it is important to prevent them from flying out and getting lost,” she adds.

Chen rushed out to look for Bao Bao when it went missing. She also sought help from the Hong Kong Parrot Rescue (HKPR) on the same day to look for Bao Bao as she worried it could not survive on its own. Posters were published in HKPR’s Facebook to make a public appeal.

“Fortunately, a neighbour who also owns monk parrots reached out and asked me to pick up Bao Bao when he saw our poster two days later. It had accidentally flown into his home and he took good care of it in those days,” she says.

Once Chen took Bao Bao home, she installed window nets in her flat to prevent the same accident from happening.

“HKPR will first help owners by sharing posters on their page once they receive the call. Posts are also made on the group’s Facebook page to spread the information about missing parrots. This makes the searching process more efficient,” Chen says.

“Bao Bao is my first parrot. I cannot describe how much I love him and how devastating it was when I lost him. If owners do not act after a parrot is lost, they are irresponsible and simply do not love parrots,” she says.

Like Bao Bao, Sai Lo, a one-and-a-half-year-old male Aratinga solstitialis, commonly known as sun parrot, lost its way home recently.

*Sai Lo and Mui Chu stand on Kelly Tang’s shoulder. (Photo Courtesy of Kelly Tang)*

Sai Lo accidentally slipped out from a crack of its cage and flew up to a tree near its home in the rural area of Tsuen Wan in October.

Its owner, Kelly Tang, immediately went into the woods to search for it, while a friend of hers referred her case to the HKPR.

“I successfully brought Sai Lo home the next morning by shaking his favourite food and playing recordings of other parrots’ calls from my phone when looking for him in the woods. I felt so relieved when Sai Lo came home,” Tang recalls.

After Sai Lo’s return, Tang spent more time talking to it in hopes of building a stronger bond.

“Sai Lo kept looking for a way out to explore the outside world after its first escape. This has made me think if I should just let it roam free and train it to go back home for food only when he needs it,” Tang says.

“Even though I have mixed feelings seeing it in the cage, I know that if it is lost, it may not survive,” she continues.

Tang adds that parrots fly well but they may not be able to recognize the way back home even if they are trained. They may also get sick with infectious diseases or food poisoning when they are out.

“I have two parrots, Sai Lo and Mui Chu, which is a female parrot of the same breed. They are so precious to me. They recognize me and soothe me. As an owner, I must try my best to protect them,” Tang says.

Sharon Kwok Pong, the chief and founder of HKPR, says more people have become pet parrot owners since 2020 when the city was hit by the pandemic.

*Sharon Kwok Pong is the chief and founder of the Hong Kong Parrot Rescue. (Photo Courtesy of Sharon Kwok Pong)*

“Being intelligent, approachable and playful, parrots are popular among pet owners and many consider them as ideal companions,” says Pong.

“But many pet owners do not know how to take good care of parrots and many of them have gone missing. We hope our platform can provide support to the lost birds and advice to owners who currently own or are planning to own parrots,” she continues.

The group now has over 13,000 followers on Facebook, sharing knowledge of raising parrots and rescue stories.

As Pong’s father is one of the founders of Ocean Park where many parrots over the years are raised and trained, she grew up surrounded by animals and now owns over a dozen parrots.

*Six-year-old Sharon Kwok Pong with her parrot, Big Boy. (Photo Courtesy of Sharon Kwok Pong)*

She also has taken part in the rescue and preservation work of animals, especially endangered species, making up one-third of the parrot breeds.

“There are over 800 falcons that prey on lost parrots who get lost on Hong Kong Island alone, not to mention many natural enemies in the wild that threaten human-bred birds. I started the rescue group as there were too many in need and I felt an urgency to get this done,” she says.

“Parrots often outlive humans. Many are suffering from the consequences of irresponsible ownership and under-regulated trades. I wish no parrots needed to be rescued from the wild anymore,” Pong says.

She urges pet owners to think twice before owning pets and to use all possible preventive measures to prevent losing their beloved parrots. “Parrots are so brilliant and affectionate, proper care and companionship for the birds are vital to ensure both their physical and mental health,” she adds.

Edited by Eve Qiao

Sub-edited by Amelie Yeung

Chinese Tourists Reluctant to Visit Thailand despite Visa-Free Policy

December 13, 2023

The number of Chinese tourists remains low despite visa-free policy.

By Nutcha Hunsanimitkul

Restaurant owner Thanaporn Tadatonggul is struggling to achieve his business goal despite the relaxation of visa policies for Chinese visitors.

The Thai fusion restaurant, located near the popular tourist spot Wat Phra Kaew Temple in Bangkok, mainly serves travellers from China and Hong Kong. However, it has not benefited significantly from the policy change that encourages Chinese people to visit Thailand.

“Even on the Chinese National Day, we still didn’t see many Chinese visitors,” Tadatonggu says.

Launched on September 25, the visa-free policy allows Chinese visitors to enter Thailand without a visa application and stay up to 30 days. Aiming to boost the number of tourists to over 28 million, the policy will last until February 29 next year.

“The number of tourists has dropped by 30 to 40 per cent after the shooting incident in Siam Paragon. We can still feel the impact on our business now,” he adds.

On October 3, eight days after the visa policy change, a shooting rampage occurred in a busy shopping mall in Bangkok, resulting in the deaths of two tourists, including one Chinese visitor.

A 14-year-old boy was arrested, while another Myanmar national was reported dead from the incident.

To regain the confidence of Chinese visitors, Tadatonggul plans to invite Chinese influencers to visit his cafe and create a one-day vlog in Bangkok to be posted on popular Chinese social media platforms Xiao Hong Shu and Dian Ping.

“My restaurant will be featured in the video. I hope viewers will be inspired to visit,” says Tadatonggul, who started to run the restaurant after COVID-19 and hopes for a revival of the kingdom’s tourism.

*Thai Durian fusion restaurant Durian Papa is still having a hard time finding Chinese customers. (Photo Courtesy of Thanaporn Tadatonggul)*

He believes that the coming Lunar New Year holiday will be a golden time for the tourism industry in Thailand to recover incurred losses during the pandemic.

“I have prepared many special dishes and products for the New Year holiday. An all-you-can-eat promotion will also be launched to attract more customers,” he says.

Lika Prattapon, a resort manager on Lanta Island, is also struggling with her business despite the introduction of the visa-free policy for Chinese tourists.

“I don’t see any difference as we still have a limited number of Chinese travellers. We used to receive many group tours before the COVID-19 pandemic, ” she says.

Prattapon shares that only 25 percent of travellers have come back to the island compared to the pre-pandemic period.

“We have an in-house restaurant that used to serve many Chinese diners and make more than ฿100,000 bahts (US $2,778) per day. But it has gone down to less than ฿10,000 bahts (US $278) now. To cut costs, we had to revise our menu and remove dishes that require longer preparation time,” the manager says.

*Resorts in Lanta island. (Photo Courtesy of Lika Prattapon)*

With fewer than 30 visitors per day, the resort manager hopes more Chinese tourists will visit Thailand during the Lunar New Year holiday.

“I have been more active on social media and reached out to our old customers, inviting them to return for the holiday,” she says.

Thailand earned over US$52 billion from tourism in 2019, contributing to 20% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product), compared to just US$1.6 billion in 2020, according to the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Tourism ministry figures also show that over 39 million visitors arrived in Thailand in 2019, with China, Malaysia, and Laos being the top three sources of travellers, but only a total of 30 million visited the kingdom in 2020.

Panita*, who works for Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, believes the tourism industry will take longer to recover. The officer observes an increase in domestic flights in China and a drop in outbound travel from the country.

“The Chinese are less eager to travel overseas after the pandemic, making it difficult for Thailand’s tourism industry to recover,” the officer, who provides air traffic control and aeronautical communication services for airline operations, says.

“The shooting incident in Bangkok does not affect overall flights as it was not an assassination attempt. But unrest across the world does make people think twice about travelling overseas,” she adds.

To attract more overseas passengers, the state company has introduced more red-eye flights, allowing visitors to take late-night trips and come to Thailand at a cheaper price.

“Flight lines were usually empty at night. We want to make the best use of available resources to engage more travellers,” Panita says.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisi assured Chinese tourists that the kingdom was safe for visitors when meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 19 at the third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.

According to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China and Thailand signed a memorandum of cooperation in cross-country transportation development, as well as culture and tourist exchange during the conference.

*Name changed at request of the interviewee

Edited by Kossy Chen
Sub-edited by Amelie Yeung

University O’Camps Went Wrong

December 9, 2023

Sexual assault cases were reported during university orientation camps and two men were arrested in 2023.

By Lilac Ye

On September 6, 2023, a year four student of the Education University of Hong Kong was arrested and charged with two charges of indecent assault and a third allegation of voyeurism when taking part in orientation camps.

The 28-year-old man went to six orientation camps, including a joint orientation camp hosted by the Hong Kong Red Cross. The offences are alleged to have happened over his participation in three out of six orientation activities between July and August.

According to media reports, he was reported to be an office assistant and was taking a top-up degree at the Education University of Hong Kong.

On the night of August 30, Tang Ho-yin, a second-year student at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), was arrested over the alleged sex assaults at the Po Leung Kuk Jockey Club Tai Tong Holiday Camp in Yuen Long.

According to a charge sheet available for press inspection, it was alleged that Tang, the 20-year-old man, assaulted an 18-year-old woman in an activity room on August 20. It was also alleged that he groped her again in a dormitory living room the following day.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu condemned such acts as “intolerable” and pointed out that society had expectations of university students and they should observe proper conduct.

“If there is any behaviour that is illegal or that infringes on the rights of others, schools must cooperate with law enforcement to ensure that we can deal with such conduct,” Lee said before his weekly Executive Council meeting in September 2023.

The city leader said he hoped all educational organizations, especially universities, would improve student conduct on top of providing a good learning environment.

Lawmakers also questioned the effectiveness of universities’ measures to address sexual assault allegations at camps, highlighting that similar incidents had occurred before in the meeting on October 6, 2023.

Orientation camps, also known as O’Camps, are popular among university students in Hong Kong. Senior students organize activities to welcome freshmen every year, starting from the middle of August to the start of September according to different types of O’Camp.

The well-known two O’Camps were separately held by academic departments and colleges at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

Despite a series of sexual assault cases were reported during orientation camps, Sky Xu Zhuohang, who studies at the CUHK, still encourages freshmen to join orientation camp, as he had a good experience when attending one hosted by Hong Kong students in 2018.

“I got my English name from a senior I met during orientation camp because he says ‘I think Sky matches your personality, can I call you Sky,’” the Social Science major student recalls.

Xu thinks mainland students tend to stress on rules when running orientation camps such as “Don’t get drunk”, “Don’t start a romantic relationship during Ocamps”, and “Don’t ask others’ grades or reveal your grades”, which are not common in orientation camps organized by Hong Kong students.

“We also have training for senior students who are responsible for taking care of freshmen in a small group and dealing with emergencies,” he says.

The Social Science student says College Orientation Organising Committees (COOC) supervised orientation camps before 2019. Senior students now are in charge, as the Student Union was folded after 2019.

“We used to follow orientation activity guidelines issued by the MUA(Mainland Undergraduate Association) under the Student Union to organize orientation events, but things have changed in recent years because of many reasons including the pandemic,” Xu adds.

Angel Yu, one of the head organizers of the O’Camp event for S.H.Ho College in CUHK in 2023, also believes that the existence of O’Camp is still necessary.

“O’Camp provides freshmen with an opportunity to make friends and become familiar with university courses. Senior students will guide them in course selection and share their experiences of university life,” the year two student says.

But Yu also mentions that people may have different experiences based on their own personalities and the friendliness of the senior students.

“Different universities also have different rules and different ways of organizing O’Camp,” Yu adds.

Responding to a series of arrests made over alleged sexual harassment at orientation camps, universities in Hong Kong introduced new measures aimed at enhancing “moral education”.

According to a document submitted to the Legislative Council Panel on Education about the management of student-led activities in universities and moral education, universities have tightened arrangements on O’Camps.

Several universities in Hong Kong, including Polytechnic University of Hong Kong, Lingnan University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), City University of Hong Kong, and Shue Yan University, require approval for student-run orientation camps.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology says student organizations must submit activity plans in advance, attend briefing sessions, and complete online training on preventing sexual harassment.

Some universities introduce more regulations on senior students who organize events, requiring them to attend pre-orientation workshops and conduct evaluation meetings. The University of Hong Kong and HKUST specifically arrange training sessions on university guidelines for student leaders, while four other universities have similar requirements.

All leaders of student organizations at Hong Kong Baptist University are required to declare and sign the Student Leaders’ Charter, which highlights the responsibilities of student leaders.

The Education University of Hong Kong introduced several new measures, including assigning supervisor, leader and observer to monitor and report on the progress of activities, and mandatory submission of event reports and attendance lists.

Sub-edited by Eve Qiao

Trading Cards for Pocket Money

December 8, 2023

Chinese teenagers speculate NBA trading cards with parents’ bank accounts for profits.

By Sean Pan

Alex Lee Kaizhe has invested more than RMB ¥40,000 (US$5,622) since April 2023 running his NBA trading card business on an online trading platform and he receives the payments with his parent’s bank account.

“I mainly use the e-commerce platform Xianyu and do a live stream on Tiktok to promote my business. I also trade cards and sometimes sell lucky grab bags to my Tiktok’s followers,” the high school student says.

Douyin is the Chinese version of TikTok, while lucky grab bags mean packages containing different cards sold at a fixed price and customers do not know what exactly are in the packages when placing the orders.

“For every lucky grab bag I sell, I make a profit of RMB ¥150 (US$21) on average,” Lee says.

Only people over 18 can stream on Douyin, according to the platform’s community rules. Identification documents are needed as supporting documents in the process of verifying the age of the users.

Meanwhile, Xianyu, the second-hand item trading platform owned by Chinese tech giant Alibaba, only allows users over 16 to trade or sell things.

An image of the Xianyu login page for mobile users. (Screenshot via Xianyu)

“I am aware of all the restrictions for online trading and selling cards. So, I registered all the accounts with my mom’s identifications and briefly told her what I am doing. My mom approved it,” the 15-year-old says.

NBA trading cards, featuring one or more players of the United States’ National Basketball Association, are seeing a dramatic market expansion.

The gross sales increased by more than 300 per cent between 2010 and 2021, according to eBay’s State of Trading Cards Report, despite of the sluggish economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I started the business after earning RMB ¥110 (US$15) simply by selling a card at a card fair held in April. I bought the card at a lower cost on an e-commerce platform before the card fair,” Lee says.

“If I am not involved in the card trading business, it’s hard to buy the high-price card I want only using my pocket money,” Lee adds.

Like Lee, primary school pupil Jay Fang Suo, has been selling lucky grab bags on Douyin for a year. He has so far netted a profit of around RMB ¥4000 (US$562).

“I spend most of my pocket money, which is around RMB ¥1500 (US$210), to run my business,” Fang says.

Fang says he does live-stream on Douyin every weekend and has once sold more than 20 lucky grab bags, each pricing RMB ¥99 (US$14) in one night.

“It brings me a sense of achievement when making money by selling NBA trading cards. I really enjoy it,” he says.

Fang says that his father supports him by giving him the father’s identity card and allowing him to use the identity documents to register for Douyin and Xianyu accounts. However, Fang’s mother has no idea of what he is doing.

As the trading card culture catches up in China, firms and individuals are seeking business opportunities from it.

“The low entry barrier of online trading applications can provide an unexpected income for underage people and pose a potential threat,” says Ke Weiguo, founder of a trading card organisation.

Ke held more than five trading card events in China’s southern province of Guangdong this year to promote trading cards to the public and set up a platform for card players to communicate and have a more immersive experience.

A photo of a trading card event held in a shopping mall in Guangzhou in September organized by Pizm.

However, he thinks that teenagers should not conduct online trading.

“Teenagers should not do trading using online platforms since it is technically illegal and can cause problems for both sellers and buyers,” the planning strategist says.

Ke once bought a trading card at RMB¥140 from a 14-year-old on Xianyu, only to find that the card he received, which is deemed valueless, was different from what he ordered.

“I did not report him to his parents or the police. I simply warned him not to do it again and got my money back,” he says.

“I think teenagers should enjoy playing trading cards by purely exchanging cards with others and buying cards featuring players they like as a hobby, but not looking for profit, since teenagers do not have the time and resources like money for their trading card business in the long term,” he adds.

Mainland Chinese lawyer Chan Weijie comments that the policies supporting the safety of underage users online will continue to refine in China, but it is unlikely to stop teenagers from speculating trading cards.

“The government passed a new version of the Cyberspace Protection Regulations for Minors this year to meet the increasing complexity of the online environment,” he says.

“But I don’t think it is going to change the current landscape too much, because neither underage buying and selling on Xianyu nor live streaming on Douyin raises too much public awareness. Therefore, no policy will be directly implemented for these issues,” the lawyer says.

Sub-edited by Tessa Yau