When Apple Daily founder-owner Jimmy Lai went to Taiwan, after his trip to the U.S. to get his "warm welcome" from Mike Pence and co, and stood there in Taipei, calling for foreign (= U.S.) sanctions on Hong Kong.
I remember at the time — not in hindsight — that we were appalled. Shocked at someone as high profile as the owner of Apple Daily calling for sanctions on our beloved city. How dare he!
Remember that until that time — until Lai decided to go all-in on supporting "resistance fighters" (= rioters) — his paper was an ambulance-chasing tabloid rag. Front page pictures were lurid full-colour intrusions into bloody road accidents. Then came the proposed extradition treaty and Lai took his paper all-in on cranking it all up. Cranking up anti Hong Kong government hate and anti-Beijing hate, and, most disastrous, calling for HK independence. (Taiwan please take note).
Remember, too, that at the time, Hong Kong had all the freedoms of any advanced democracy. Free speech, freedom of conscience, freedom of assembly, free movement of person and capital. A clean and efficient government and sound common law legal system. We had free and clean local council elections with universal suffrage — for one of which I was the campaign chairman. Some of these freedoms have been eroded thanks to the likes of Jimmy Lai and the rioters he and his paper supported.
So, yeah, innocent until proven guilty, and all that, but nah, we remember. Guilty as hell, Jimmy. Of publicly harming our city. Should have known better.
Sent from my iPad
