Page 28 - bon-dia-aruba-20200722

A28 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 22 July 2020
Hong Kong protesters adapt signs, slogans to skirt new law

By ZEN SOO and PHOEBE us to protest that way, we'll
LAI find another way."
Associated Press The use of blank paper or
HONG KONG (AP) — It was sticky notes to protest is
one of the first protests in a changing form of resis-
Hong Kong after a feared tance, according to Ma
national security law came Ngok, an associate profes-
into effect. sor of politics at the Chinese
Among a dozen or so University of Hong Kong.
lunchtime demonstra- "They put up blank notes
tors at a luxury mall in the so that even if the govern-
Central business district, a ment wants to prosecute
man raised a poster that — them, there is nothing that
when viewed from afar — can be used against them,"
read in Chinese, "Liberate he said.
Hong Kong, revolution of Protesters in Hong Kong
our times." have also come up with
The government had just alternative slogans to cir-
banned the slogan, saying cumvent the ban on "Liber-
it had separatist connota- ate Hong Kong, revolution
tions and so ran afoul of of our times."
the new security law's pro- Some users quote the ini-
hibition of secessionist acts. tials of the romanization of
Shortly after, riot police A Hong Kong Cafe, known as a "yellow shop" because its owners expressed sympathy for protest- the eight Chinese charac-
entered the mall, shoo- ers, has a wall decorated with blank post-it notes in Hong Kong Thursday, July 9, 2020. ters in the banned slogan
ing away onlookers. They Associated Press -– "GFHG, SDGM." Others
detained the man, tell- have changed the words
ing him the slogan was Before the law took effect that support the protest deliver our message to oth- entirely to terms that sound
banned. But when officers June 30, protesters often movement. Many have re- ers," he said. similar but mean very dif-
looked at the poster up held up colorful posters moved protest artwork and Yu Yee Cafe, a Hong Kong- ferent things. One alterna-
close, no words could be plastered with slogans that sticky notes bearing words style diner that serves fast tive slogan now reads "Pa-
made out. It merely had ranged from condemning of encouragement from food, has covered its win- tronize Hong Kong, Times
circular shapes against a the Chinese government customers, out of fear that dows with blank sticky Square," a reference to a
contrasting background. to calling for Hong Kong's they could land them in notes and even displays popular shopping mall in
They snapped a few pho- independence. Since trouble with the authorities. an origami figure of Win- the city.
tographs of the poster and then, they have become Some shop owners, like Tan nie the Pooh, a playful A popular protest anthem,
let him go. creative in obscuring their Wong, have instead put up taunt of Chinese President "Glory to Hong Kong,"
Since the imposition of the messages. blank sticky notes to show Xi Jinping. Chinese censors has had some of its lyrics
security law -– which bans Many of the protesters at solidarity with the move- briefly banned social me- changed, with protesters
secessionist, subversive and the luxury mall held up ment. dia searches for Winnie the replacing the words with
terrorist activities, as well blank pieces of white pa- "We are doing this right Pooh in China after Xi's ap- numbers in Cantonese that
as collusion with foreign per to protest against Chi- now because (the shop) pearance was compared sound approximately like
forces, with penalties of na's "white terror" of politi- is private property. We are to the cartoon bear. the lyrics. "There is a long
up to life imprisonment -– cal repression. Other post- trying to tell Hong Kong "I wonder if there's still rule history of censorship where
anti-government protesters ers are designed to circum- people that this is the only of law if sticking a (blank) we know that people will
in Hong Kong, and those vent bans on slogans. The thing that we 'yellow shops' piece of paper on the wall find ways to circumvent the
supporting the movement, government has not yet can do," said Wong, who is illegal," said Eddie Tsui, system, no matter how you
have adapted their meth- made clear if such forms of runs Kok Kok Chicken, a Ko- one of the diner's custom- regulate," said Fu King-wa,
ods to try to make their expression are illegal. rean fried chicken store. ers. "It's just using a differ- associate professor at the
voices heard without vio- The law has had a chilling "If we do not persist, we ent way to express our de- University of Hong Kong's
lating the legislation. effect on "yellow shops" would no longer be able to mands. If you don't allow journalism school.q

WHO warns new Ebola outbreak in Congo faces funding gap

By LOUIS OKAMBA of how difficult it is to get tackling other urgent health ed when Ebola killed more At least 2,280 people died
Associated Press health teams and supplies threats," said Dr. Matshidiso than 11,000 people in West of Ebola over the nearly
BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of into the densely forested Moeti, the WHO Regional Africa between 2014-2016. two-year span of the epi-
Congo (AP) — The World area. Already there have Director for Africa. After Ebola cases emerged demic in eastern Congo
Health Organization said been 24 deaths since the The funding shortage in eastern Congo in August before it ended on June 25.
Tuesday it is facing a "seri- outbreak was declared on threatens to unravel ear- 2018, health teams eventu- Previous outbreaks in north-
ous funding gap" to battle June 1. The emergence of ly gains in this epidemic. ally were able to combat ern Congo have been
the new outbreak of Ebola Ebola in Congo's northern When Equateur province the disease with two differ- more limited — the 2018
in remote corners of north- Equateur province came last had Ebola cases in ent vaccines. one killed 33 people before
ern Congo amid the global just as the world's second 2018, it took health officials Still, misinformation about it was brought under con-
COVID-19 pandemic. deadliest Ebola outbreak two weeks to start vac- those vaccines flourished trol within months.
The $1.75 million raised so was nearing its end. cinating people. This time in a region long wracked Congolese health officials
far will only last for a few "The response to Ebola in around, vaccination teams by armed militias. Commu- have determined through
more weeks, the WHO the midst of the COVID-19 were mobilized within four nities fearful of outsiders in genetic sequencing that
warned, adding that the pandemic is complex, but days of the outbreak dec- some cases refused to al- the new outbreak in the
response effort is particu- we must not allow CO- laration, Moeti said. low health teams in, allow- north is unrelated to the
larly expensive because VID-19 to distract us from No licensed vaccine exist- ing the virus to spread. epidemic in the east.q