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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 28 July 2023
Leading Hong Kong pollster to stop releasing poll results on some

sensitive topics

By KANIS LEUNG protests. Large numbers of
Associated Press democracy supporters and
HONG KONG (AP) — One a portion of the educated
of Hong Kong’s most rep- middle class have left the
utable sources of public city.
opinion data will stop re- Chung said his team con-
leasing its poll results on a sidered factors such as
series of sensitive questions public demand for its data,
to the public, including on how widely their results
China’s Tiananmen Square have been used and previ-
crackdown in 1989 and Tai- ous government risk assess-
wan independence, in an- ments on their work before
other example of the city’s making the revisions. Their
shrinking freedoms. conclusion was that the in-
The Hong Kong Public stitute needs to conserve its
Opinion Research Institute resources, he said.
said last month it was plan- “In a way some of those
ning to limit its survey scope, questions might have gen-
sparking concerns over the erated some unwarranted
availability of information political disputes, which we
about the opinions of Hong did not intend to do,” he
Kong residents. said.
On Thursday, the institute The veteran pollster said
announced that the survey “the risk factor is important”
results of some 50 ques- Robert Chung, centre, president of the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, speaks during its deliberation. But
tions, or about a quarter of during a press conference in Hong Kong, Thursday, July 27, 2023. Associated Press he denied his team was
its existing questions, will be practicing self-censorship,
limited to internal use, aca- and possibly thousands of the times,” its president, Chinese control in 1997, it insisting that they were
demic research and com- people including many Robert Chung, said at a was promised it could re- not ceasing certain survey
missioned services starting students were killed, and news conference. tain its Western-style civil lib- work due to fear.
this month. if they support Taiwan be- Supporters said the survey erties for 50 years after the The institute, nevertheless,
They included ones asking coming independent. restrictions will cause a handover. But critics say its canceled its planned re-
respondents whether they About a quarter of its exist- great loss for Hong Kong. freedoms eroded with the lease of a survey conduct-
thought Beijing students ing questions will be com- Freedom of expression was enactment of a Beijing- ed on the anniversary of
and the central govern- pletely removed after its once a hallmark of the imposed National Secu- the crackdown on the 1989
ment “did the right thing” operation review, he add- Chinese-ruled former British rity Law and other political pro-democracy protests
during the 1989 crack- ed. colony. restrictions following mas- at the advice of a govern-
down, in which hundreds “We need to ‘dance’ with When the city returned to sive 2019 pro-democracy ment agency in June. q

21 dead and 40 rescued after a wind-tossed boat overturns in the

Philippines

By JIM GOMEZ when it came under fierce nearby island. The boat shore, near the village of the lake.
Associated Press winds shortly after depart- overturned only about 46 Kalinawan and the town Another video showed lo-
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — ing from a wharf for a meters (150 feet) from the of Binangonan, the coast cal fishermen aboard ves-
At least 21 people died and guard said. sels approaching the over-
40 others were rescued af- The Rizal provincial po- turned boat.
ter a Philippine passenger lice said they immediately Typhoon Doksuri moved
boat overturned on Thurs- launched a search and away Thursday after batter-
day when it was lashed rescue operation with the ing the northern Philippines
by strong winds in Laguna help of the coast guard and whipping up seasonal
Lake southeast of Manila, and other local authorities, monsoon rains in a large
police said. and that at least 40 people swath of the archipelago.
Police said rescue op- were saved but that 21 oth- The sinking on Thursday
erations were continuing, ers drowned. brought the death toll from
but did not immediately “The operation is still ongo- a week of stormy weather
provide figures for the to- ing,” police said.They did across the main island of
tal number of people on not provide other details Luzon to at least 30.
board the MBCA Princess like how many passengers At least nine people were
Aya that capsized in Rizal and crewmembers were reported killed earlier,
province. on board. mostly due to landslides,
The incident happened as In this image from video provided by the Philippine Coast A video released by the flooding and toppled trees
the passengers onboard Guard, a man stands on a capsized passenger boat as they coast guard showed rescu- and thousands were dis-
suddenly moved to one undergo rescue operations at Binangonan, Rizal province, east ers on a local government placed, disaster response
of Manila, Philippines on Thursday July 27, 2023.
side of the boat in panic Associated Press boat pulling a body out of officials said.q