Global Voices Online » Macau (China)

Macau: An unpopular Chief Executive coming to town

Oiwan Lam — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:59:58 +0000

Yesterday Fernando Chui Sai On, Macau's former secretary for social and cultural affairs, announced that he had obtained 286 nominations from the territory's 300-member election committee which implies that he will automatically become the next chief executive of Macau.

Different from Hong Kong, Macau has been a very apolitical city and its citizens are not very critical of the government even though they are aware of the corruption among top ranked government officials. The most notorious case is the Ao Man Long's billion dollars corruption scandal. However, this time some citizens have decided to speak up and self-organize against Fernando Chui.

In a major forum in Macau, cyberctm, a poll (dated June 17) shows that around 80% netizens have voted against Fernando Chui for being the next chief executive. Here are some of the comments explaining why:

LST0011 (2009-5-12)

無用架!你老豆有無水呀?你老豆有無佢老豆咁有面呀?你有無佢咁無齒呀?你有無佢咁中意帶住屋企人去行街同做人呀? 無呀嘛,咁咪抵佢做咯…就係咁簡單!

This is meaningless. Is your father wealthy? If so is your father as well-connected as his (Fernando)? And are you as shameless as him? Do you enjoy taking your family trademark wherever you go? I don't think anyone can do that but him… this is all too simple.

2014 (2009-5-12)

應該係研究某人係唔係要坐牢, 而非係唔係做特首

We should study whether that person should go to jail rather than be the Chief Executive.

亞嬸 (2009-5-13)

上世紀勁大貪官和珅係皇帝面前都係一隻討皇帝歡心的狗奴才…..只有狗奴才先會懂得主子的喜惡……..競選澳門的特狗的致勝之道—首要都係要取得亞爺歡心…

In last century (Ching Dynasty), the most corrupted government official is He Xin and he was a dog to the emperor. Only a dog can tell what its master like. The road to success in the CE election is to please the grand father (Beijing).

icezero1001 (2009-5-14)

明知自己冇民望都出來參選,睇來佢背後勢力都幾大

Knowing that he doesn't have public support and he still dares to be a candidate. He has really strong back up.

ohmybuddy (2009-5-15)

反對貪官奸商做特首!!澳門前途一片黑暗!!!

Against corrupted businessman to become CE!!! The future of Macau would be darken!!!

愛瞞停轉日 (2009-6-11)

中央已放棄澳門

The central government has given up on Macau.

A majority of the netizens who voted against Fernando Chui believed that he is another corrupted businessman who had given and will continue to give favor to his family business with his political power. For example, this forum post (zh) pointed out that he had given a health reform consultant contract to his own circle.

Moreover, when he acted as the secretary for social and cultural affairs, he was responsible for the East Asian Game, and it turned out that the government had exceed the budget for more than 2 billions. The following youtube video challenges Fernando Chui's integrity and ability to be Macau's CE:

The video also pointed out that as the secretary for social and cultural affair, he approved the construction of Macau-China Liaison Office building which destroyed Macau's historical and cultural heritage.

Last month (around mid May), some citizens wanted to publish an advertisement in major newspapers to voice out against Chui but their bank account was suspended by the Macau Commercial Bank. Mainstream media had censored away all the negative public opinions and Internet forum becomes the only channel for the public to discuss the CE election.

In spite of all the public discontent, Chui gained more than 90% vote in the small circle CE election committee. It is likely that the latent political tension within the community will probably increase in coming years.

China: Labour net launched

Oiwan Lam — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 04:44:13 +0000

A news website, China Labour net has been launched. According to the launching statement: the aim of this website is to facilitate sharing of information, experiences and opinion of the labour movement between China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the rest of the world. We will regularly upload articles on the workers’ movement, political economy, cultural thinking and monitoring of corporations from this region and from other areas.

Northeast Asia: 2008 Review

Oiwan Lam — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:55:06 +0000

The northeast Asia region is becoming more integrated politically, economically and socially. State leaders from China, Japan and South Korea recently signed a Joint Statement for Tripartite Partnership to address the serious challenges in the global economy and the financial markets. Peace talk between North and South Korea continues, while China and Taiwan have begun cross-strait direct flight. In 2008, issues related with the Beijing Olympics, food security, natural hazards and human rights, etc. are common concerns among people in the region.

China: Natural hazards, clashes, Made-in-China, Olympics and human rights

A week-long snowstorm that ravaged south China marked the beginning of 2008 in which the country suffers from abnormal natural hazards. Trains got trapped on halfway stations were crowded with tens of thousands migrant workers anxiously waiting to go home.

Natural hazards

Yet nature did not intend to let China go with only a blizzard.

May 12, Wen-chuan, 8.0Ms Earthquake claimed over 69,000 people, and many of them, unfortunately, are children. The country soon united for rescue and relief after the disaster, and besides the mass army force mobilized, a great many NGOs were born much like bamboo shoots to help millions of refugees. Citizens took actions to spread updated information, depending largely on the internet. International aid, such as that from Japan joined in since the value of human life transcended the state barriers. Though the earthquake will be a trauma of the nation forever, it will also be memorized as a monument for the courage with which people struggled for the survival and relief for both themselves and people around.

Food security

Of the global food crisis in 2008, perhaps nothing gained as much publicity as China's poisonous milk scandal. The scandal raised many questions surrounding the lacking role of the media in exposing corruption, what is considered adequate government regulation of food standards, and global interdependence.

The poisonous milk scandal raised questions about corporate responsibility; while the initial main culprit was the Sanlu Group, the scandal involved at least one fifth of all diary producers in the country, suggesting that adding melamine to diary products was an industry wide practice. It also got people wondering how many government officials were involved, what the role of the government in monitoring food safety is and setting adequate and acceptable food standards is. The scandal also led to criticism of government control of the media.

On a global level, the poisonous milk scandal showed how interconnected we are in the current age, in particular where even the EU commissioner felt compelled to make a statement by drinking Chinese milk to prove its safety, only to suffer mysteriously from kidney stones a few days later in a strange twist of fate.

Oppression-struggle-oppression, voices against injustice

2008 China witnessed a variety of ways citizens struggle for their rights and have their voices out and heard.

First of all, people strike.
As the economic growth more or less covered up social problems in the past has now faltered, social unrests erupt. Bus drivers, cabbies, and teachers have one after another launched strikes throughout the year and the country to argue for not only better pay but also a fairer rule of game. It's notable that because the government has stretched so far into nearly every corner of the economic department with its dominant power, the labor-employer conflicts have often transferred to be a confrontation between the public and the authority.

People petition and blog.
Even during the relief of the earthquake, our alert of possible corruption has never been swayed. We questioned, also, why so many innocent children were killed by the shoddy-quality, collapsed schools that should have withstood the impact of shaking. When being aware that what we ultimately need is nothing but a democratic political system to really let people's voices have their place, 08 Charters were proposed and signed.

However, even peaceful expressions, more often than not, are unacceptable by the authority. Criticizer of shoddy schools got detained, charter signers were interrogated, and petitioners, unluckily, were penned up in madhouse. Political activist, Hu Jia, won the European Parliaments' Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought were still in jail. Internet speech were closely supervised, speech freedom of paper media were clamped, and bloggers were expelled out of heir blog hosts websites. What's left? Violence seems to be a doomed answer.

That's why in the “push-up incident”, over 10,000 people in Weng'an county directly attacked the party committee and government building when a girl was doubted to be raped and killed by boys with official background who escaped punishment.

Violent protest reached its second climax when Yangjia, a person who was said to be wronged by Shanghai police, killed 6 cops with 1 knife. His brutal deed, however, is debatably called a heroic action. And his sentence of death, on the other hand, is nevertheless thought to be a tragedy.

Olympics and Torch relay

Could Olympics dispel all the unpleasant? The Game itself has indeed reached the goal, but the torch relay, as a crucial part of the sport ceremony, preludes the Game with conflicts.

Spielberg's finger-point on Darfur issue kicked off the debate. It went further as in March 14 riot broke out in Tibet. While the western world sided with the unrest monks, patriotism triggered more Chinese to defend China's sovereignty over the land. Credit of western media bankrupted in Chinese people's mind, anti-CNN formed, and the debate turned white-out as the torch relay was spoiled in France in the name of defending human rights. A special coverage featured the entire story, and the comments after the post are as attractive as the entry itself.

Writers' pick: Citizen reporter killed—by who? and Pollution map of China released.

Hong Kong: Cyberactivism

In Hong Kong, citizens are more active to use social networking tools for campaigning. The Sexy Photogate marked the confrontation between netizen and police at the beginning of 2008. Before the Beijing Olympics, bloggers formed a blogtorch chain and passed the torch around the blogosphere. During the Legislative Council election, facebook network of friends fooled the election poll. Environmental campaigns in Ha Pak Nai and Lung Mei also spread through facebook and internet forum. No wonder the government proposed to introduce mandatory internet censorship at the end of 2008, and probably we can see more bananas flying around in the Legislative council in 2009.

Writers' pick: Save the Ha Pak Nai Wetland.

Japan: Culture, media and technology

Chris has written a Japan blogosphere year-end round up here.

Writers' pick: Missing Pieces in Tainted Rice Scandal and Rikimaru Toho, the first manga narrating cantastoria

Korea: Political crisis, North and South

Soon after conservative Lee Myung Bak became the president in South Korea, his policy, in particular education was under criticism. Students demonstrated against the raise in tuition fees. The discontent among the youth, later developed into a marathon candle night vigil against the importation of American beef, a new political generation is in formation. Apart from the youth, even Buddhist monks were angry at the new president.

The relation between North and South Korea is still tense. A woman crossed the border by accident resulted in death and spy scandal happened now and then. The missing of Kim Jong Il in public function of course would lead to a lot of speculation. However, it is a relief that North Korea is no longer a listed terrorist-sponsoring state and some Korean decided to launch anti-propaganda campaign in the North by spreading propaganda leaflet. Then suddenly North Korea announced closing the land border and cutting non-military phone links with South Korea. Even train service was suspended.

Writers' pick: A New Mobile Network and Chopsticks… Rather Complicated…

Macau: Article 23

In a city where an eyewitness report on bank run would be charged by police for “fabricating dangerous information”, the further introduction of national security law is really threatening.

Writers' pick: Say No to Article 23 and White Terror.

Taiwan: Political Changes and protests

Taiwan changed their President and ruling party in 2008 from Chen Shui Bian (DDP) to Ma Ying Jeou (KMT). The change is not only significant to Taiwan society, it is also a precious lesson for mainland Chinese. Dramatically, with a few months, the former president became the key figure in the country's biggest corruption case, while the new president reminded people of the phantom of police state in dealing with protest during the visit of a mainland China official Chen Yunling. Students demanded to revise the parade and assembly law, but the government decided to harvest wild strawberries, a peaceful student movement for human rights, a few hours after the International Human Rights Day.

Photo courtesy of judie.

Direct flight between China and Taiwan has begun in 2008 marking a new era of cross-strait relation. However, it seems that ordinary Taiwan people has less concern about economic interest, but more about food security, mainland China banning of Taiwan movie Cape No.7, human rights in Tibet, and Taiwan Baseball's performance at Beijing Olympics.

Writers' pick: Observations on Yahoo! Taiwan's search filter, The return of local cinema, not just cape no7, The flying saucer houses will be torn down, Racial commercials everywhere and No city for old aborigines

This article is collectively contributed by Bob Chen, David Reid, I-fan Lin, Hyejin Kim, Oiwan Lam, Lokman Tsui and Portnoy.

Macau: Say No to Article 23 and White Terror

Oiwan Lam — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:58:57 +0000

Macau SAR government issued a draft bill enacting Article 23 of the Macau Basic Law in October. The Law is very sensitive and it would affect every citizen's freedom and rights. Now it is supposed to be the public consultation period, but it seems that the government has been giving pressure to independent social groups, organizations and universities to prevent them from having open discussion. However, in spite of all the pressure, activists urge to rally on 23 of Nov (this weekend) against the legislation.

Public forum canceled

Chong from inmediahk.net was supposed to attend a public forum organized by a group of Macau University student this weekend on 22 of November, however he got an email this morning saying that the forum has been canceled because they couldn't find a venue.

According to Chong's report at inmediahk.net:

這個活動原來是由一群熱心同學舉辦的，即『關你廿三事』活動籌備小組，但他們想有學生會的名義，辦起事來比較方便，所以把幾個學生團體找來，包括澳大學生會、澳門科技大學學生會、澳門高等校際學院同學會、澳門理工學院公共行政高等學校學生。可是，現在澳大學生臨時「縮沙」，令活動胎死腹中。

This activity is originally initiated by a group of students, a preparatory committee on “To you Article 23 Concern”. Since they want to organize it with under the student unions' umbrellas, they invited several student organizations to co-host, including: The Student Union of Macau University, The Student Union of Macau UST, The Alumni Organization of Macau Higher Education, students from the School of Public Administration at Macau Polytechnic University. Suddenly the SU of Macau University decided to withdraw from the organization team and the forum has to be canceled.

很難令人相信，取消的原因跟場地有任何關係。我後來從小道消息處得知，十一月二十日，澳大校方有人打電話給澳大學生會，要求它取消這個活動，若有不從，後果如何，我未能得知。而澳大學生會中人則害怕會遭受校方處分，昨夜臨時找了籌備小組的人開會，決定不搞了，而且還於當晚即時發公告取消。

It is hard to believe that the venue be the reason for canceling the event. Then sources told me that on 20 of Nov, the university contacted the student union demanding them to cancel it. However, he doesn't know what exactly will be the consequence if they rejected the school's demand. The students were intimidated by the university officials, they called up the preparatory committee last night to discuss about the issue and decided not to host the forum. A notice on the cancellation was put up immediately.

Below is a poster for the forum:

Protect University's autonomous space

Chong makes some suggestions to follow up the issue:

1. 澳大學生及老師應該要去質問澳大學生會，是否受到校方的壓力，才作出如此倉卒決定？亦該質問校方，是否在暗地裡壓制學生及學生團體的言論自由及活動自由！

2. 澳門公民團體也應該加入，向澳門政府質詢，是否政府有向校方施壓，禁止公開討論廿三條，並要求政府保證大學自主，以及澳門的言論自由！

3. 澳門公民身體力行，繼續公開討論廿三條立法的各種問題。

1. Macau university students and teachers should ask the student union if they had been pressured by the university officials for making such a sudden decision. They should also question the university for repressing students and students organizations' free speech and activities.

2. Civic groups from Macau should post questions to the government and check out if the government has been involved in giving pressure to the university for repressing the discussion on article 23. They need to demand the government to ensure the autonomous space in university and freedom of speech in Hong Kong.

3. Macau citizens should continue to discuss the problems of article 23 in the public.

He also points out that what he has encountered is not an isolated incident:

澳門的「國家安全」還未到，白色恐怖已到來！連公開討論的權利也遭壓制，這是個怎樣的社會？在此前，我也收到消息，澳門天主教教友協進會屬下的《澳門觀察報》曾於十五日辦了一個討論會，原來打算邀請香港的天主教正義和平委員會（簡稱正委）代表，大家份屬天主教，是很正常的選擇。可是，在討論會前幾天，正委突然收到訊息「不要來了」。究竟讓正委來澳出席區區一個論壇，有何大不了？實在不得而知，只是據聞，這是來自澳門天主教上層人士的意思，而澳門天主教高層也跟北京政府及特區政府很「要好」。

“National security” hasn't arrived at Macau yet, but we can already see the white terror! What kind of society it is to repress public discussion? Before this happened, I have heard that the publication “Macau Observe” under Catholic Lay Association of Macau planned to organize a discussion in Nov 15 and they had invited representative from the committee of justice and peace from the Catholic Church in Hong Kong. As both organizations belong to the same church, such meeting is considered very ordinary. However, a few days before the meeting, the Hong Kong counterpart received a message to ask them not to go to Macau. What's the big deal for letting JP for attending the Macau Catholic forum? Sources said that the instruction was delivered by the higher rank Catholic Church in Macau and that Macau Catholic Church's relation with Beijing and Macau SAR government has been very close.

What's the rush?

Bobo, also from inmediahk.net, wrote a citizen report in early November with some statistical information about the public knowledge of this bill:

澳門街坊總會日前向一千多名居民調查，只有六成受訪者知道政府推出《維護國家安全法》草案，對草案有所瞭解的受訪者不足五成。而建設澳門聯盟亦發現絕大多數澳門巿民對澳門基本法廿三條認識不足，調查結果顯示，對基本法23條的認識「幾少」、「好少」、「完全唔認識」合共 85.4%；「完全認識」、「好多」、「幾多」合共僅佔9.1%，這說明這草案需要更多民間的討論。

The neigborhood organization in Macau conducted a survey and collected more than 1000 questionnaires. The survey result shows that only 60% of the interviewees actually knows that the government has drafted the “National security” bill. Less than 50% of the interviewees knows about the content of the bill. Macau Union for the construction of Macau pointed out that most of the Macau citizens don't have enough knowledge about article 23. Their survey shows that 85.4% respondents has little to no knowledge of the law. And only 9.1% of the respondents have adequate to full understanding of the law. It shows that a lot more public discussion is needed.

Since Hong Kong government has decided to defer the enacting of Article 23 until there is public consensus, China briefing wondered why Macau has to go ahead of Hong Kong to implement the bill:

Given no signs of an epidemic terrorism or separatism wave sweeping Macau, one is left to wonder the urgency a security bill as intrusive as Article 23 is needed for. Then of course, gamblers are highly suspect people with a record of government overthrow and sabotage…

Rally on 23 of November!

A few independent voices can be found on the internet against the legislation and drafted bill. Funny sister gives a summary of the bill and concluded that:

總括黎講…佢廿三條立法之後就連言論自由都冇!我地就冇曬可以表達ga自由,連去遊行都唔可以亂講野!如果唔係又俾佢話我地呢d星豆市民反政府!!!!

In a nutshell… with the article 23 bill passed, we don't even have freedom of speech! We don't even enjoy freedom of expression, can't demonstrate and our slogans would be monitored! All these can be viewed as anti-government activities!

Tennedy posts two ads on his blog, one is urging Macau citizen to stand up against the legislation, the other one is about the rally on 23 of Nov:

人權、自由是人類生存的基本權利，
共產黨式的封閉主義已經沒落，
請各澳門朋友們發起大遊行，
要求澳門政府停止23條立法，
澳門人也是人，澳門人站起來，
齊來保障自己的人權!!!!!

讓國際傳媒知道，澳門市民是不支持這條惡法!!

Human rights and freedom is the basic rights of people,
The isolation practice of communist party is over,
Please organize rally, my Macau fellows,
Macau people are also human being, Macau people have to stand up,
Let's protect our human rights!

Let the international media knows about this, that Macau people don't support this evil law!

Netizen survey: more than 70% opposes legislation

While the Macau government said that 65% of the citizens supported the legislation, grhvonkqyk from cyberctm forum invites internet users to vote on the bill, and more than 74% (3pm 21 of Nov) has voted against the bill.

In the discussion thread, SIOCF pointed out that

如果這是一個真正開放ge國家我無所謂
但是我們所身處的是一個假開放國家假民主ge社會
事問聲如果我們不反對的話
可想而知,我們沒有未來可言

If this is a real open country, I am ok with it
But we are in a fake open and fake democratic society,
If I don't oppose,
I won't have a future.

Tang Nan zeng said that:

我认为，目前为某条立法的时机未到，实现普选之后再立未迟。

In my opinion, this is not the time for legislation, let's wait until we have universal suffrage.

1 shot 2 kills worried about the execution of the law:

23條立法唔係問題
點樣去執法先係問題…
甚麼煽動、顛覆、國家機密
好似得你講冇我講~你話係就係
分分鐘自己衰乜都唔就話要拉要鎖

係咁o既環境之下~你叫人點會唔憂慮
不過澳門d權貴、擦鞋仔話要立
我o地d小蟻民邊有討價能力~
要立就立~結果都係一樣
o係度扮晒o野假咨詢o米仲核突~

Article 23 is not a problem.
The problem lies with exercise of the law.
What is sedition, subversion and national secret?
It relies on your definition, not mine.
People may get arrested without knowing what exactly they have done.
Under such situation, how can people not worried?
However, the powerful and the ass-wiping guys in Macau keep saying that legislation is necessary.
How can ant-like citizen have a say?
Just do it, the result will be the same.
Now the fake consultation really sucks.

Hong Kong Journalists Association's statement

The Hong Kong Journalists Association has made a public statement on the Macau article 23:

To ensure adequate and continued freedom of expression and freedom of the press as well as continued protection of Macau correspondents of Hong Kong’s news media and Hong Kong reporters who may go to Macau for reporting purposes, it is our view that some revisions are necessary to the draft newly-released for public consultation by the Macau Government. For instance we believe there is a need to be more specific in Article 6 of the draft (theft of state secrets) by adding “national and public interest” as “reasonable excuse” or “reasonable immunity” to ensure a proper balance between the needs of national security and freedom of expression as well as freedom of the press.

Macau: Netizen charged for reporting on Bank Run

Oiwan Lam — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:59:41 +0000

On September 24, there was a bank run in the Wing Hang Bank in Macau as the customers believed that the bank was caught in the sub-prime related financial crisis.

A netizen, city hermit, later known to be a school teacher, passed through a bank branch at Nova Aterro da Areia Preta and wrote down what he witnessed in a local forum, with his personal reflections on the financial crisis, when he was back home. However, according to Macao Daily's report, the netizen was summoned in October 8 and charged with two criminal offenses in “fabricating dangerous information” (濫用虛構危險訊號）and “sedition of collective violation” (煽動集體違令). The Ministerio Publico da Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau (the public ministry of the special regional administration of Macau) found there was lack of evidence in the two charges and handed the case back to the police for future investigation.

On the evening of October 8, city hermit reports in the forum that he was charged by the bank for criminal libel.

So what exactly has city hermit said? Let's look at the post at cyberctm:

永亨銀行擠提
今晚,永亨銀行擠提,黑沙環支行擠滿提款人群,近十名警察在場維持秩序,銀行職員派籌明天取款,約有三百人排隊.
永亨銀行近年風頭很勁,股票從原來的十幾二十元一度升到七十多元.
永亨銀行也是本澳天主教學校發薪水的銀行(鄙人不幸也是其中一員),若該行出事,影響甚巨!
心情很壞!不知如何是好.
估計又是買了太多次按資產所致.
銀行方面說是謠言,希望是吧.
多年來省吃儉用,到頭來一場空,還不如做個月光族,活得瀟灑.
唉,人民是多麼脆弱啊!我們象螞蟻般一點點積蓄的可憐的財產,大鰐們輕易就給剝奪掉!
唉,希望不是真的啦!

Bank Run in Wing Hang Bank
Tonight, there was a bank run in the Wing Hang Bank, in the branch at Nova Aterro da Areia Preta. A crowd of bank customers tried to withdraw money from the bank. Around 10 policemen were on the spot to keep the order. The bank staff gave out appointment tickets for the customers. There were around 300 of them lining up for the tickets.
Wing Hang Bank has had a very high profile in recent year. Their stock rose from 10 - 20 dollars to 70 dollars.
Wing Hang is also handling salaries for all Catholic schools in Macau (unfortunately I am one of the staff members). If something happens to this bank, the impact would be huge.
I feel really bad and don't know what to do.
Probably the bank run is related to the sub-prime crisis.
The bank said it is a rumor, let's hope so.
People save their deposits through hard work and by repressing their consumption, now it is like an empty dream. It is better to spend all the money and live lightly.
Oh, people are so fragile, we store our savings like ants, while the crocodiles grab the money away so easily.
Oh, I hope all these are not real!

City hermit keeps updating his status at cyberctm and receives more than 700 comments, many showing their support.

User 1loveU1314 said

港澳已經越來越CCTV化, 吾好下下用老米個套資訊新聞自由, 呢度吾WORK架,

鋤你就一個莫須有, 已經搞掂你

Both Hong Kong and Macau are becoming more and more CCTV, now the slogan of freedom of press doesn't work any more. They don't even need to give you a reason for “handling” you.

User 八哥仔 said

咁好得人怕喎，其實有物係講得呀???!!!
好多發言都係自己的分析，自己有感而發的……真係無奈

This is really frightening, what can we talk about then??!!!!
When we talk, we tend to add our own analysis and our own feeling… so helpless.

User 666 commented that:

上面要和諧, 要[教訓]一下D刁民, 但又冇野入, 咪的人上去煩下囉..

下面就明知係多鳩餘, 咪例行問下, 放人囉…

情況將會係咁, 冇乜野需要擔心

People from the upper rank want to punish disobedient citizens, but they don't have any concrete charges, so they decide to create trouble and waste your time…
People from the lower ranks need to fulfill their duty, so they just do their job, ask you questions and let you go.
The situation will go on like this, no need to worry about it.

User cheese lobster was worried about user privacy issue:

藉此睇黎澳門已經無曬言論自由，白色恐怖，另外真係無私隱，cXm交個名俾司警，即係網路世界與現實世界掛勾，講左=做左，係網上呻窮話想去打劫，可能會被控告入埋罪坐埋監，依家真係諗野都唔俾，唉……

We don't have anymore freedom of speech in Macau, there is only white terror. We also don't have privacy, cXm gave the user information to the police, which means the virtual world and the real world are directly connected, what has been said = to what has been done. On the internet, if you said you are poor and want to rob a bank, probably you would get charged and put into jail. We have been banned from the mere act of thinking…

User udus:

呢d分明喺屍警濫用公權,
不過澳門d公務員喺為為金權服務嘅,
唔係為巿民服務嘅,
發生d咁嘅事最無辜嘅係d無權勢嘅巿,
又浪費時間又要背負精神壓力,
唔該d有牌爛仔做野有d分寸啦.

It is obvious that the police has abused their power.
In Macau, most civil servants are serving for power and money, not for citizens.
This kind of incident would only affect ordinary people they have to waste their time and take up the pressure. i hope the police gang can be more reasonable in their actions.

Since the mainstream reports failed to report the netizen side of the story, a new website, The Truth is out Here, has been created to criticize mainstream reports and to monitor freedom of speech and expression in Macau:

澳門的真相是一個針對澳門傳媒，揭露他們惡行的檔案式網站；使其所作所為被記錄下來讓世人知道。澳門的真相不是新聞網站亦不是雜誌式或即時報料網站。

但當有相關的重大事件發生時，澳門的真相亦不排除按情況擔當即時資訊平台。

為保持網站的可信性及客觀性，同時亦避免網站捲入爭議，一般情況下，網站不主張登出未經證實的事件或傳聞。如有需要登出未經正實的資料，網站亦會明確註明。

我們的目的，是要抗衡澳門某些傳媒多年來誤導公眾的現象。

The Truth is Out There aims to monitor the mainstream media in Macau. It is not a news website nor a web magazine but an archive for documenting and commenting on biased reports.

If there is major incident, the website can also serve as a platform for information flow.

In order to keep the website's credibility and objectivity, we would try to stay away from debate and will not post un-confirmed information or rumors. If there is un-confirmed information, there will be a footnote.

Our objective is to counter mainstream media's misleading and bias reports.

On the city hermit case, mainstream reports on October 10 took it as a fact that the “city hermit” had posted “invalid speech”. The Truth is Out Here pointed out that:

但文章中完全沒有提及或避開一個核心重點：”城市隱者”在討論區發出有關消息之前，擠提已出現；而不是”城市隱者”發貼後擠提才被引發。

The articles have omitted an essential point: before “city hermit” posted the information on the web, the bank run had already happened. “City hermit”'s post did not trigger the bank run.

On October 11, a Macau Daily article said that a netizen accused “city hermit” for spreading rumors. The Truth is Out Here pointed out that:

真相是，當時網上言論，是一面倒支持”城市隱者”，認為”城市隱者”在網上反映擠提現場的實況不應構成任何罪行。而持相反意見者在眾多網友中只佔三、幾個。而澳門日報就選擇性地引用了”少數意見”來評擊”城市隱者” “散佈別有用心的謠言”。而其他意見隻字不提。

The truth is, on the internet most of the netizens supported “city hermit” and said the report and comment on the bank run should not be regarded as a crime. There are only very few oppositional voices and the Macau Daily has selectively chosen these minority voices to attack “city hermit” for “spreading rumor with hidden intention” while omitting all other opinions.

According to city hermit, he is now consulting a lawyer to defend him in the case and will consider suing the bank in return. Further updates will be posted in the comment.

Macau: The melamine crisis and change in habits

Paula Góes — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 11:14:07 +0000

Leocardo [pt] describes how the melamine crisis has changed some of the consumer habits in Macau. He inquired the owner of the family owned supermarket next to his home if she had noticed any differences. “She told she had, and some Portuguese products had registered a vertiginous rise in sales… Talking about prices, a package of Compal passion fruit juice cost 9.90 patacas before the “crisis”, and now costs 13.50. It is very natural.”

Macau: Olympic winners parade

Paula Góes — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:22:31 +0000

Leocardo [pt] reports that the 63 Chinese medal winners have arrived today in Macau, part of a tour of China that, accorging to the blogger, made they look like “monkeys in a circus”: “Couldn't they have rested a few more days before this enormous embarrassment on the news across regional and foreign press? Is this the right way to demonstrate the unity and love for the SAR?”

Macau: Crime rates on the rise

Paula Góes — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:45:55 +0000

Leocardo [pt] remarks that crime rates in on the rise in Macao: “In general, crime has increased more than 11% this year compared with the same period last year. We are exposed to professional thieves, many of them from mainland China, which makes it difficult to trace the problem. Authorities feel they are powerless, they are more concerned with drugs traffic (a war they are losing), organized crime (increasingly insignificant) or these new “evils”, online crimes (which one?), or human trafficking (mummy why did they take dad?).”

Macau: Wave of solidarity with Sichuan, China

Paula Góes — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:33:58 +0000

Laocardo [pt] reports that 13 tonnes of supplies offered by the Red Cross of Macau were donated today to the relief of Sichuan victims, in China. The blogger reminds readers to be generous but cautious “Make sure that donation collectors are well identified, because - and unfortunately it is normal to happen in these situations - some people take advantage of benefactors for personal profit”.

Macau: Wild cheers as the Olympic Torch is paraded

Paula Góes — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:27:05 +0000

Photo from Tori birdie~'s Flickr photostream

Unlike in other countries on the route, the Olympic Torch met only with smiles today in Macau, its last leg before Mainland China. Runners have already finished carrying the torch through the city with not a single disruption from protesters. On the contrary, it was greatly cheered by flag-waving spectators who could barely contain their excitement as the flame toured the former Portuguese colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1999. Leocardo [pt] fully reports:

Photo from Tori birdie~'s Flickr photostream

Passavam 44 minutos das 15 horas quando o Chefe do Executivo Edmund Ho entregou a tocha olímpica ao primeiro transportador; Leong Hong Man, atleta de Wushu, era o primeiro a transportar a chama olímpica em Macau. Ainda na Doca dos Pescadores entrgou-a ao bilionário Stanley Ho, que apesar de ter dado apenas alguns passos, mostrou-se extremamente bem disposto e cheio de fervor patriótico, e afirmou que pelo seu país transportaria a tocha “até ao fim do mundo”.

It was 44 minutes past 3 pm when the Chief Executive Edmund Ho delivered the Olympic torch to the first runner; Leong Hong Man, a Wushu athlete, was the first to carry the torch in Macau. Still at the Doca dos Pescadores‘ wharf, he passed it to billionaire Stanley Ho, who despite having walked only a few steps, proved to be extremely well prepared and full of patriotic fervor, and said that for his country he would carry the torch “to the end of the world”.

Photo from Tori birdie~'s Flickr photostream

Entre as personalidades convidadas para transportar a tocha destacaram-se Costa Antunes, director dos Serviços de Turismo, Jorge Neto Valente, presidente da Associação dos Advogados de Macau ou Paula Carion, atleta de judo medalhada nos últimos Jogos Asiáticos. A cantora de Hong Kong Miriam Yeung, que esteve na base de uma polémica que levou ao afastamento do deputado José Pereira Coutinho, usou os seus 30 segundos para gritar “yeah! yeah!” enquanto sacudia o punho esquerdo.

Among the celebrities invited to carry the torch, the highlights were Costa Antunes, the Tourist Office's director, Jorge Neto Valente, Association of Macao Lawyers' president, or Paula Carion, prized judo athlete in the last Asian Games. Hong Kong singer Miriam Yeung, who was on the bottom of a controversy that led to the expulsion of Mr Jose Pereira Coutinho, used her 30 seconds to yell “yeah! Yeah!” while shaking her left fist.

Photo from H.L.Tam Flickr photostream

Foi um lugar comum. Todos sorriam para ficar bem na fotografia e mandavam adeuzinhos enquanto seguravam na tocha. O ar mais grave terá sido o de Leong Heng Teng, que levou a tocha de volta à Doca dos Pescadores e terminou a relay de Macau. Devido a uns atrasos “à portuguesa” (herança cultural?) a tocha nunca chegou a passar pelo Leal Senado. Não se sabe se desta vez os comerciantes da Av. Almeida Ribeiro alegaram transtorno para o comércio (sou tão mauzinho, não sou?) para que se dispensasse a passagem pela principal artéria do território.

It was commonplace. Everyone was laughing to look good in the pictures and waving bye-byes while holding the torch. The most serious air was Leong Heng Teng's, who led the torch back to the Doca dos Pescadores‘ wharf and finished Macau's relay. Due to some delays “a la Portuguese” (cultural heritage?), the torch never passed by the Leal Senado (Loyal Senate) building. It is not known whether this time Almeida Ribeiro Avenue traders claiming an inconvenience to business (I'm not that bad, am I?) meant the torch not passing through the main arterial road.

Photo from H.L.Tam Flickr photostream

Milhares de residentes saíram à rua, juntando-se a eles os turistas, muitos deles vindos da China Continental. A generalidade - mesmo os ocidentais - parece concordar com a ideia de que as reivindicações dos manifestantes deviam ser feita em sede própria, e longe, portanto, do evento da passagem da tocha olímpica. Um grupo de cristãos filipinos (Jesus Rocks?) juntou-se à festa para “abençoar os Jogos”, segundo eles.

Thousands of residents took to the streets, joined by tourists, many of them coming from Mainland China. The general public - even the Westerners - seems to agree with the idea that the demonstrators' demands should be made in their own places and, therefore, far away from the Olympic torch event. A group of Filipino Christians (Jesus Rocks?) joined the party to “bless the Games”, according to them.

Photo from H.L.Tam Flickr photostream

A tocha olímpica passou hoje por Macau pela primeira vez na História, e provavelmente a última, pelo menos em muitos anos. A passagem foi pacífica e sem qualquer tipo de incidentes semelhantes aos que aconteceram noutras etapas da passagem do fogo Olímpico, o que leva a questionar o tremendo aparato de segurança que se verificou. Aparentemente Macau não está na agenda dos apoiantes da causa tibetana, e os activistas de sofá ficaram em casa a ver pela TV.

The Olympic torch passed today through Macau for the first time in history, and probably for the last at least in many years. The transition was peaceful and without any incidents similar to those that occurred on the other Olympic torch legs, which leads us to question the tremendous security apparatus that was put in place. Apparently Macau is not on the agenda of the Tibetan cause supporters, and couch activists were at home watching it on television.

Photo from H.L.Tam Flickr photostream

The torch has now returned to Mainland China, where the relay continues on its way to Beijing for the Olympic Games from August 8-24.

Macau: Will the torch fire the country?

Paula Góes — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:09:48 +0000

Nuno Lima Bastos [pt] writes an article about two pieces of news this week: the arrest of an individual suspected of instigating the Olympic torch theft in Macao and the entry refusal for two pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. “The two men complained to the South China Morning Post and, frankly, the image of Macao starts to get “fired” even before the Olympic flame arrives here.”

Lusosphera: Remembering the Carnation Revolution

Paula Góes — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:03:10 +0000

It was a beautiful party
I was very pleased
I've still kept stubbornly
an old carnation for me
They have wilted your party
But they must have forgotten a seed
in some corner of the garden
(Song by Chico Buarque, to whom I beg forgiveness for my translation)

On April 25 1974, 34 years today, Portugal's 40-year fascist dictatorship, the longest in the history of Western Europe, came to an end with the Carnation Revolution, a leftist, military-led coup d'état. On that morning people went out to the streets despite the advice to stay at home, but instead of blood shed, bullets were swapped for flowers. There was a surprisingly peaceful overthrow of the dictatorship of Antônio de Oliveira Salazar and his successor, Marcelo Caetano, in which the population held red carnations and tucked them into the soldiers' rifle barrels. The second aim of the revolution was the cessation of the war in Africa.

With the too rapid independence for its African colonies, a violent civil war shook Angola, Mozambique was made independent the year after but only found peace in 1992 and East Timor was seized by force by Indonesia a year later. Other colonies, like Cape Verde, were left poor to despair. Despite the decolonization process being considered a shambles, the revolution enjoys popular support today and many Portuguese speaking bloggers, from these countries and around the world, dedicated a post to it.

Lusofolia [pt] publishes the video above, ‘Tanto Mar' is a song-homage composed by Brazilian Chico Buarque, which was later censored as Brazil was enduring its own dictatorship. The blogger says:

… tão distante já, é comovente relembrar daqui de longe o dia em que foram as mulheres que ofereceram flores aos homens. Um abraço a todos e a todas.

… it is so distant now, it is moving to remember from here, so far away, the day on which it was the women who offered flowers to men. A hug to all ladies and gentlemen.

CBugarim [pt], who was born under the Portuguese rule in Angola, says:

Festejo a Paz e o Progresso em Angola e o facto de a distância não me ter separado da minha Família e amigos mais queridos. Presto a minha homenagem a todos aqueles que pagaram com as suas vidas a factura da Liberdade e da Paz.

I'm cheering for the Peace and Progress in Angola and the fact that the distance has not separated me from my dearest family and friends. I pay my homage to all those who paid the bill of Freedom and Peace with their lives

From Maputo, Mozambique, Marta [pt] has been publishing April 25 inspired posts all day with poems, links to video and images, such as the one above.

From Macau, Leocardo [pt] explains the relationship society has with the historic day:

Em Macau o Dia de Cravos bateu com pouca força. É uma sociedade muito conservadora que se pela pelos santinhos, missas e procissões. Talvez seja por isso que alguma da beatada da metrópole se deu tão bem com os ares de cá. Talvez por isso não compreendam que afinal é o povo quem mais ordenha (ordena, bolas!). As actividades do 25/4 resumem-se ao feriado no Consulado, da Escola Portuguesa, e ao protocolo da praxe. Sempre presentes estão os habituais papa-eventos, que vão lá seja qual for o orador.

In Macau, the Carnations Day hit with little impact. It is a very conservative society which goes after little saint images, masses and processions. Perhaps it is why some of the church-blissful ones from the metropolis did so well with the airs over here. Perhaps that is why they don't understand that it actually is the people who do most milking (I mean who order!). The activities of the 25/4 holiday are held in the consulate, in the Portuguese School, and follow the usual protocol. There will be the usual party-goes, who will be there whoever the speaker is.

[Note: the blogger makes a very difficult to translate wordplay with ordenha/ordena, which sound very similar in Portuguese but the first means to milk an animal, and the second to order, to be in charge. The word Ordena was used in a then banned song by José Afonso, Grândola Vila Morena, broadcast on a radio station as a kind of password on the morning of April 25 to signalize to the troops that the day had come, as Brazilian blogger Elisabete Cunha [pt] quotes in a very elaborated post].

From East Timor, Frederico Duarte Carvalho [pt] suggests a book by Nuno Simas which shows how the US knew exactly what was going on in Portugal, unlike the popular belief:

Podem encontrar aqui os originais dos arquivos norte-americanos. O Nuno Simas, contudo, começa o livro com a defesa da versão oficial de que os EUA estavam a “leste” em relação ao golpe que preparava para o dia 25 de Abril de 1974 e, mais à frente, cita Henry Kissinger a queixar-se de que os EUA não tinham de andar a prever golpes pelo mundo fora. Dito assim, parece mesmo que nada se sabia…

You can find the original US archives here. Nuno Simas, however, starts the book defending the official version that the U.S. were “east” when time came to the coup that was being prepared for April 25, 1974, and later, cites Henry Kissinger complaining that the U.S. did not have to to anticipate coups by the outside world. Putting it like this, it seems that they knew nothing…

From Portugal, Alder Pinoca [pt] publishes the image above, says that he remembers little of the sheer happiness around from the day in his childhood and asks when the promised ‘Freedom Day' will actually come:

E diziam que a liberdade estava a passar por ali e que tinha vindo para ficar porque a defenderiam.
Era o 25 de Abril de 1974. Tantas palavras promissoras eu ouvi, a tantas alegrias eu assisti.
E agora, hoje, neste momento, onde estará a liberdade e a alegria que guardei no cofre das minhas memórias de criança?
É isto a liberdade? É isto a democracia? A justiça?
O 25 de Abril, sempre! É isto?

And they said that freedom was coming through and that it was there to stay because they would defend it.
It was April 25, 1974. So many promising words I heard, I watched so much joy.
And now, today, today, where is the freedom and joy that I kept safe in my childhood memories?
Is this freedom? Is this democracy? Justice?
April 25, always! Is that all?

On the other hand, also from Portugal, Tiago R Cardoso [pt] laments that the young generation of today do not appreciate April 25 and do not know how to protest when they need to do so:

A actual juventude está afastada do 25 de Abril, dá-lhe pouca importância, acha que a liberdade e todos estes direitos que tem caíram do céu, quando são fruto de anos de lutas, de acumular de frustrações e injustiça, que culminou na a revolta contra “o estado a que chegamos” […] “O 25 de Abril não é monopólio de uma geração nem de uma força política”, quem me dera que muitos ouvissem e entendessem..

The youth of today is far away from April 25, they give it little attention, they believe that freedom and all the rights that they have have dropped from the sky, whereas they are the result of years of struggles, accumulated frustration and injustice, which culminated in the revolt against “the state we have reached” […] “April 25 is not the monopoly of a generation or a political force,” I wish many people would hear and understand this.

You can read an article by Mozambican author Mia Couto about the revolution here.

Macau: No More Casino?

Oiwan Lam — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:27:39 +0000

The Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho claimed that the government would suspend the development of gambling industry. Lang qing felt that such claim was just political slogan as most of the Casino projects had been approved and the gambling industry would continue to double or triple its growth in the coming few years [zh].

Macau: 5000 Tips from the Government

Oiwan Lam — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:05:51 +0000

The Macau government decided to give every citizen 5000 dollars for relieving the inflation problem. Long ching noticed that rather than appreciating such move, people are skeptical of the policy [zh].

Macau: Social issues behind death penalty in China

Paula Góes — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:38:25 +0000

Leocardo [pt] comments on this week's Amnesty International's report that ranked China the first in the world in the number of executions in 2007 (470), followed by Iran (317), Saudi Arabia (143), Pakistan (135) and the US (42). He analyzes the social issues behind death penalty in China and is surprised by the “Amnesty International's hipocrisy”. “I would make it clear, first of all, that I am against capital punishment. But we must try to understand the social and cultural causes behind a punishment that seems to be, for most of us free and democratic souls, an act of desperation.”