Alarm as home violence reports surge

(The Standard  9 Dec 2013) The Council of Social Service has underscored (強調) a worrying trend (趨勢) in domestic violence, which spiked over 40 percent to more than 2,800 cases in the first nine months of the year.

Business director Cliff Choi Kim-wah believes the figures represent only the tip of a wider (眾多的)social problem.

"The situation is worrying. Although the rise may be down to more people choosing to report violence, most prefer to stay silent or they lack the awareness to go to the police," Choi said.

About 85 percent are women, who were abused by their husbands or partners.

"Of these 2,800 cases, they are mainly from low-income districts including Yuen Long, Kwai Tsing, and Wong Tai Sin. Cases of violence may be related to the low social and economic status," he said.

Women from these districts may be low skilled or jobless.

"They were reluctant (不甘心情願做) to report cases of violence because they were afraid of losing the only breadwinner (掙錢養家的人)," Choi said.

Many of the cases involved couples aged 30 to 40.

"This may be due to the change in lifestyle after getting married, and spouses have different expectations of each other."

Angela Ho Man-kay, a former president of the Hong Kong Federation of Women Lawyers (香港女律師協會), urged law enforcement officials to adopt (採取) a friendlier (友善的) policy toward victims so that more will be willing to speak up.

"More female police should be trained to help record statements of victims of domestic violence. If there are inadequate (不足的) resources to train them, there should be designated (指派) police stations with this service helping victims," Ho said.

Teoh Lin Wai-hing, a former president of women's group the Zonta Club (崇德社) in Kowloon, said education should be reinforced (被加強) at schools.

The club will cooperate with the Tung Wah Group, Home Care for Girls and others in order to help more women.

"Some cases of domestic violence will be examined in a film for schools to be used as teaching material. Talks will be held in schools as well," she added.

Choi agreed that gender education should be enhanced (被提高).

"Many people regard taking care of children as women's duty but it's absolutely (當然) not," he said.

Many people in society, such as the police, media workers and teachers, should also bear in mind (記住) the importance of avoiding gender stereotypes(性別刻板上的區分)."

 HILARY WONG

Student poll gives sub-degrees a fail

(The Standard 9 Dec 2013) Most sub-degree (副學士)students believe their courses are not cost-effective (符合經濟效益), a survey shows.

The poll of 382 students enrolled (入讀) in sub-degree programs found 75 percent believe studies are not only cost-ineffective, but also 80 percent say they are overburdened (負擔過多) by tuition fees (學費).

The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, which conducted (調查) the survey, wants the government to review the positioning of the programs and to further improve quality.

Forty-five percent of respondents receive loans from the Student Financial Assistance Agency and 33 percent are able to benefit from bursaries (獎學金).

About 66 percent believe the best way to relieve (緩解) them of the tuition burden (學費負擔) is to reduce the fees they have to pay.

Although 74 percent want to pursue a bachelor's degree, only 31 percent plan to.

Another 36 percent said it depends on (取決於) their grades (成績) while 16 percent would rather work.

About 54 percent said they will make HK$8,001 to HK$10,000 a month after graduation, while 24 percent estimate (估計) they will only make HK$6,001 to HK$8,000.

QI LUO

New meaning of life revealed on the road

(The Standard P.12  2 Dec 2013) A University of Hong Kong student has changed his outlook on life  (人生觀) after a fund-raising cycling trip.

 

The epic (勇敢的) journey from June to October by Issac Cheng Pui-hei and his friend, Jan Choi Ming-fai, took them to Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Tibet, Nepal and India.

 

Cheng, 23, a business administration student, said they raised funds for children under the InspiringHK Sports Foundation.



 

The campaign aims to realize HK$40,000, which will enable (賦予) 40 underprivileged teenagers to receive dancing and running classes for a year.
 

Cheng said if they manage to raise HK$80,000, they will form (組織)  a women's soccer (足球) team.

 

He said he was impressed (感動) by the warm hospitality (殷勤招待) of villagers in Tibet and India - contrary to public perception (公眾的看法) of the two places. "People in Hong Kong are all living for benefits and money, but they have forgotten the true meaning in life - that is simple happiness and peace of mind. I found them from people in Tibet (西藏) and India," said Cheng, adding that life is so different where there are strong religious beliefs.

 

He recalled a Tibetan who made a wish, hoping everyone could return home one day.
 

Coming from a grassroots family in Sheung Shui, Cheng is now determined (下定決心的) to take a different life path.

  

 "When people are looking at making more money, I realized it is not the way I want to go. The trip enabled me to feel again the simplicity (簡樸) of childhood," Cheng said. He wants to open a cafe where people may share their experiences in life.

BEATRICE SIU

Rubbish Charge of $30 Seems Okay

( Kar) How much is a reasonable for people to pay a month for handing household waste? A recent survey by World Green Organization shows that 59.1 percent of 1,005 people are willing to pay HK$30 a month while 24.6 percent incline to pay HK$50. It is clean that charging for waste is an effective scheme for the government to launch, which can make the public reduce waste and recycling.

Hong Kong is a small place with a large population. However, some people are lack of the sense of responsibility of source separation of domestic waste and to protect our environment. There is lots of garbage to be disposed of in landfills every day, but those sites will be full. If the public do not change their minds on reducing waste in their daily life, it will be a disaster. On household waste disposal, Hong Kong falls behind other Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. For example, in South Korea 60% of municipal waste is recycled, and 20% of it is still disposed of in landfills and another 20% incinerated.

Charging for waste has been brewing for almost a decade. The government sets the schedule of a four-month consultation on household waste disposal in society. It should seek an opportunity to show concern on handle household waste and to look for ways to successfully implement the policy. In the meantime, people can have a chance to express their views about the waste charge scheme.

The aim of rubbish charge is that the administration hopes the public have a concept of what they should do for saving the Earth, and how to do to prevent from overrun with garbage. It is time for the government educates residents to imitate those Asian countries a little more on Environmental protection, and to support the recycling industry and 2nd hand Furniture. Also, Hongkongers should reflect on the matter of overrun with garbage and to learn how to recycle and reduce waste.

SARS Lessons Must not Be Forgotten

(Kar) Do you remember the deadly SARS outbreak in Hong Kong in early 2003? Do you recall that people were always wearing surgical masks to go out during in SARS? Or do you review the residents of the Estate E of Amoy Gardens Apartment that they were transferred to the quarantined Lei Yue Mun Holiday Camp and Lady MacLehose Holiday Village a decade ago?

I believe many Hongkongers still remember that school closure was around one month during the SARS in 2003. Parents were therefore inconvenient because they needed to arrange someone else to look after their kids. Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised travelers to avoid visiting Hong Kong. It means Hong Kong was isolated. Worse still, people were upset and worried when they learnt the increased figures of the deaths on TV News report. However, we have better doctors, nurses and medical staff as well as workers, who are professional and courageous. They were loyal to their duties faithfully and resolved to combat SARS. In the meantime, the public paid attention to personal hygiene themselves. Housewives cleaned and disinfected contaminated areas and items with 1: 49 diluted household bleach and put it into the drains once a week. The streets and public area were clean swept. Fortunately, the virus disappeared in June, 2003. I think the public still remember that they felt sorrow in those days. The employers of catering do not forget the economic depression during in SARS.

 

Unfortunately, the mainland is now hit by a new strain of the deadly H7N9 bird flu. It has infected 47 people, killing 11. The H7N9 bird flu is spreading in society in Shanghai, Zhejian and Jiangsu, and so on.

 

Saying the new virus may not breakout swiftly and it cannot spread from human to human, but some professionals appealed to the public who must not take the matters lightly because of the high fatality rate.
 

The Government had learnt a painful lesson and should take preventive measures to combat the spread of H7N9 bird flu. It is time to activate the preliminary “Alert Response Level” under a preparedness plan for a flu pandemic.

 

Parents Warned over Children's Deaths

(Kar) A recent report by the Child Fatality Review Panel found 238 deaths of children below 18 in 2008 and 2009. It pointed to 82 unnatural deaths due to their parents who lacked a sense of crisis on parenting, and to expect too much of them. Also, thirteen of the deaths were killed by their parents after the latter made a decision of suicide.

It is shocked for the public to learn about this sad news. Were those parents of the murderesses cruel to their kids? I do not think so. Instead, they loved their children very much and did not want to leave them. Maybe some of them did it for revenging to their mates who had betrayed them. Or some suffered from depression. They handled all of matters with low emotional quotient and often felt hopeless and unhappy. Facing difficulties with negative attitude, they did not have the courage to live. However, I do not think they made a decision of suicide which can solve their problems. If those parents had positive attitude to face hardship, they would not have killed those innocent of their kids. After all, the former did not have the rights to kill them.

 

Parents should protect their kids from home accident. Nevertheless, we occasionally read the news about kids fell from an open window by without installing window bars, or they were burnt by a fire breaking out in their flats. Leaving their kids alone at home for shopping, the careless parents might lose their children in seconds. It is too late for them to be sorry for their children by child negligence.

 

Parents should not put pressure on their children’s homework or to compare their results with others. It makes those kids lack of confidence to their peers as well as losing interest in their schooling. Parents no need to do such as meaningless matters. On the other hand, parents and teachers should work together to lead children to improve their thinking, and help them to develop positive study habits. I hope all children to have a happy childhood

Keep Away, Kids

(Kar) Do you support your children to take part in the Occupy Central movement? Do you worry that students are too young to realize the aim of the civil disobedience movement, they may breach the law? Or do you think it is fair to have a “small-circle election” for the Chief Executive?

Most residents are unsatisfied the Chief Executive CY. Leung’s administration, which some top administration officials not only lack for the experience of political views but also the ability of the performance on duty. For example, the former Development Secretary, Mak Chai-kwong stepped down by the scandal of his integrity. He performed the post as a Development Secretary just 12 days. Moreover, Paul Chan who is the Secretary for Development involves the scandal of interest conflict of the northeastern New Territories development plan as well as the Sub-divided flats scheme. Worse still, Leung Chun-ying also lies on the unauthorized alternations and additions in his house. Furthermore, facing challenges, the government lacks long-term planning for improving people’s livelihood. Some complained that the new administration did not question the public before launching the policies.

A forum of Occupy Central was held by a school, which two speakers expressed their viewpoints about it. The advantage of holding the forum is that the two speechmakers’ opinions are different from each other. It makes students widen their sight on the movement; it makes them know what their rights are; and it makes them to understand they should have a positive attitude and to be open-minded to face the Occupy Central. Besides, parents seized the opportunity to attend the occasion. It may help them to realize what their kids think of the purpose of Occupy Central. Teachers should lead their students to discuss the advantage and disadvantage of democracy and universal suffrage, whether the latter intend to take part in the civil disobedience movement or not. It is time for parents and teachers to discuss the matter of Occupy Central with the youngsters.

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上載日期：2009年09月23日

The UN Secretary said that the one-day climate change summit in New York has given fresh impetus to efforts to tackle global warming, and went on to say that momentum has shifted in favour or reaching a deal at December's crucial climate change meeting in Copenhagen.

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Rubbish charge of $30 seems okay

(The Standard P.16  27 Sep 2013) Three out of five people are willing to pay HK$30 a month for handling household waste, a green group claims.

World Green Organization recently surveyed 1,005 people, aged 18 and above, and found that 59.1percent of them are willing to pay HK$30 a month.

Another 24.6percent are willing to pay HK$50 a month.

Nearly 65percent want households to be charged by volume (數量), saying it is fair, and that it effectively reduces waste and encourages recycling.

The group, whose advisory(顧問) members include Bernard Charnwut Chan, chairman of the Council for Sustainable Development (可持續發展), suggests the government set the waste charge at a reasonable HK$30.

Nevertheless, it believes charging by volume is the most effective way to reduce waste.

A four-month consultation (咨詢) on household waste disposal (家居廢物處理)  was launched on Wednesday.

Speaking on an RTHK program yesterday, Chan admitted the various payment schemes suggested are controversial (爭論的), and each of the options (選擇) has its pros and cons (利弊). For example, if fees are charged on the basis of households, special garbage bags will be needed.

Chan said Hong Kong may consider adopting (採用) a hybrid approach (混合法) in implementing (政策) a quantity-based waste charging mechanism (機制).

He said this after members of the public voiced concern that it is unfair to charge on the basis of a building, because the amount of waste varies according to families.

Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing promised that the government will put more resources into supporting the recycling industry.

"Charging for waste has been brewing (計劃) for almost a decade. We now think we will no longer be able to delay [its implementation]."

Winnie Chong

Maid torture couple caged

(The Standard P. 2   19 Sep 2013) A couple dubbed (被封稱) by protesters as "Mr and Mrs Evil" were jailed yesterday for what a judge described as "cruel" and "inhumane" treatment (不人道的對待) of their Indonesian maid over two years.

The District Court heard the pair beat the maid with clothes hangers, shoes and a bicycle chain from 2010 to 2012.

They also tied her up at night, wounded her with a paper cutter and burned her with a clothes iron.

Hospital care worker Catherine Au Yuk-shan, 41, was sentenced to 5 years on two charges of assault (襲擊) causing actual bodily harm and four counts of wounding, three with intent (意圖).

Her husband, electrical appliance salesman Tai Chi-wai, 42, got 3 years on one count each of assault causing actual bodily harm and wounding.

But deputy judge So Wai-tak found them not guilty of false imprisonment (非法禁錮) over an allegation (指控) that they left the maid without food or water after tying her to a chair and forcing her to wear a diaper (尿片) while they went on a five-day vacation (度假).

The judge ruled (裁決) that many of the 45 injury marks found on the body of Kartika Puspitasari, 30, were unlikely to be self-inflicted (自己造成的). The assaults did not happen occasionally, but were repetitive (重複).

In a courtroom (法庭) packed with rights activists, Indonesian workers' groups, reporters and representatives of the Indonesian consulate, So described Au as "cruel and vicious (兇狠的)."

She took the leading role and used an iron and a cutter to hurt the maid.

So said employers should be patient and tolerant, and not to use violence to solve problems or regard their maids as targets to vent (發洩) their anger.

For everyone working in Hong Kong should be protected by law, regardless ( 無論什麼) of occupation(職業) or nationality.

Rejected, however, were some of the maid's allegations (指控) that the judge said were "unbelievable and exaggerations (誇大)."

The latter included the maid's allegation (申述) that her employers forced her to wear transparent (透明的) plastic bags as clothes as Au was unlikely to allow the maid to appear nearly naked (裸體的) at home.

Protesters outside the court held a placard (標語牌) dubbing the couple "Mr and Mrs Evil" and called on the community to "end the social exclusion (排斥) of foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong."

Winnie Chong