Yesterday, Tomorrow.

On the 2nd of May, which was of course, yesterday the torch relay continued it's leg in Hong Kong (SAR- which i always though was an odd name since SARS came about). Also on the same day, an envoy of the Dalai Lama head to China for talks. The Dalai Lama on the other hand had an interview with student, Lingxi Kong:

http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2008/05/chinese-student-interviewing-the-dalai-lama/

Woeser has also had much to write about the last 2 days. Translated as usual at CDT:

http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2008/05/woeser-tibet-update-may-1-2008/

She is an influential writer about Tibet and has been under self exile in Beijing since 2004. When the Lhasa riots broke out and protests across China, she was barred from leaving the country. She still keeps her blog compiling news from sources around China. The entries of Chinese authorities and arrests tend to be quite detailed.

While a friend of mine in Hong Kong watched the relay just from her apartment in Sha Tin, I had to make do with the TV. Another avenue of information that isn't widely available or offered is Hong Kong's long standing TV station, TVB. It isomewhat like the equivelent of the BBC in the UK. TVB for HK, BBC for UK. Anyway, on the the news, there was 15 minutes of coverage of the torch relay. It was a rainy day but thousands came out to watch. Many were allowed to leave work early (that's a wow for HK). Many of the torch bearers were pop stars and movie stars (celebrities are even a bigger deal there). HK already is one of the most overpopulated places on the planet, to have even more people on the street people would start climbing the walls! Torch bearers's ran, got on a boat, travelled in a wheelchair, got on a horse and a golf cart. They also covered protesters and a lady who fainted due to the crowds.

While the the news regarding China since March has been of the torch relay, pro Tibetan protests and pro China protests, coming late is the worrying news about the 3000 children who are now infected by the Enterovirus 71 (EV71) intestinal virus (in Eastern China). 21 children since March have already died from it. I fear infections will be growing rapidily and more deaths are to come.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSSHA7571020080503?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/30/china

Some TV images: (better quality ones to come soon)�

Tsim Tsa Tsui MTR station

This shop owner didn't mind loosing some business for the day.

- J