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Crew describe climate of fear at Cathay Pacific after Hong Kong sackings

29 Comments
By Felix Tam and Jamie Freed

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29 Comments
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zones2surf, if 90,594,000 membership CCP doesn't speak for 1.4 billion people, then who does

Shall I start speaking for you Akie? I'll say what I think you think, and tell everyone that. You don't even have to think.

Because that's how accurately the Chinese government represents it's people. I.E., it doesn't.

The government does not speak for the people. The government speaks for the government. The people have no voice at all, as it's been suppressed by the government.

It's a dictatorship, pure and simple. The CCP dictates, they do not govern.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Don't count on people within china to rebel, just look at those china nationals living in the western world bending the knee on twitter. You think people within china would risk it all without having the knowledge of history, freedom of speech, or a just and lawful system. The ones in the west can't and won't do anything even with the knowledge and safe house.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

papigiulioToday 08:42 am JSTTime to boycott Cathay. Phone searches? Is that even legal?

Time to boycott anything that the CCP would use against the HKers. They're trying to isolate HK before crushing them.

Personally, I am sick of people and business supporting despotic regimes like China and Dubai. We should support democracies and starve the dictators.

Yes, starve the dictators of NK, Saudi Arabia, Russia, even USA. The UN needs to slap sanctions on all these governments and China too.

30 years ago Communism was falling in Eastern Europe, ushering a promise of hope - and freedom. Remember?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

President Xi and the other elites near the top of the CCP power tower all live in fear of any free thinking mainland Chinese learning anything about democracy.

Cathay is just the tip.

Wait until 5M people march in Beijing.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Chinese government doesn't even need to hack into people's phones - they just search people's phones outright with no search warrants

Why hack when ya can just search? Who needs Snowden!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I hope the calls for democracy spread into the mainland.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

papigiulioToday 08:42 am JST

Time to boycott Cathay. Phone searches? Is that even legal?

In China it is.

Once they landed in China they had no choice but to hand over their phones.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

One of the pilot has said:'Bravo HongKongers' during his message to the passengers in his flight !  That was the remarks he got fired!  This message is a kind of confrontation to China!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The people of Hong Kong have the power to decide who there leaders are. Lam just doesn't realize it yet.

The same applies to mainland China. The people have the power, but they don't realize it yet because the CCP have been blocking their discussion and voices.

Only govts afraid of their own people need to silence dissent and the sharing of ideas.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

AkieToday 11:57 am JST

zones2surf, if 90,594,000 membership CCP doesn't speak for 1.4 billion people, then who does ?

Maybe those 1.4 billion people ?

9 ( +9 / -0 )

zones2surf, if 90,594,000 membership CCP doesn't speak for 1.4 billion people, then who does ? Thugs on HK treat ? or losers in Taiwan ?

-15 ( +0 / -15 )

@Akie,

zones2surf, govt is govt, ignorance is ignorance, they are two different things. The HK govt is supported by 1.4 billion people, you just to have to bear with it. THAT IS THE ORDER.

The ignorance is on the PRC CCP side. They do not speak for 1.4 billion people.

They speak for themselves, who wish to retain power at all costs.

Glad to see that you have proven that you do not favor democratic rule, only the dictatorial rule of the "party leaders" who cling to power and will do anything to do so!!

11 ( +11 / -0 )

zones2surf, govt is govt, ignorance is ignorance, they are two different things. The HK govt is supported by 1.4 billion people, you just to have to bear with it. THAT IS THE ORDER.

-14 ( +0 / -14 )

@Akie,

100% zero tolerance, as simple as that. Any patience toward violence means insensitivity toward peace.

When a government does not allow the people to choose its government and then tries to shut down anyone who tries to protest peacefully, those opposed have no choice but to resort to "revolutionary violence".

You know....

Like when Mao & Co used terrorism and violence to establish the PRC!!

9 ( +9 / -0 )

AkieToday 11:31 am JST

100% zero tolerance, as simple as that. Any patience toward violence means insensitivity toward peace.

Why are you talking about violence ? The fired crews were protesting, peacefully.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

100% zero tolerance, as simple as that. Any patience toward violence means insensitivity toward peace.

-13 ( +0 / -13 )

Before laws, everyone is equal. Pro-violence doesn't make one special, pro-queen doesn't make one special, pro-demoncrazy doesn't make one special.

-13 ( +0 / -13 )

The Chinese government has started taking out propaganda ads on Facebook, to try to brainwash the (rest of the) world into believing it respects the human rights violations on the the million Uighur's they've imprisoned. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/chinse-media-facebook-ads-xinjiang-uighur-propaganda

5 ( +6 / -1 )

This is the reality of HK today, as the mainland is increasing pressure on the territory and its institutions to bow to their wishes, well in advance of the 2047 end of the "one party / two systems" construct.

And, to be clear, the PRC has already used their power and pressure to force ALL non-Chinese airlines to bend to their will by:

-- Forcing them to seek permission to traverse air space that the PRC has unilaterally decreed as its ADZ.

-- Forcing them to change their websites to reflection "Taiwan" as being part of China.

To the extent that the CP staff wish to fight this, there is only one way to do so. To actually participate in the demonstrations in such numbers, wearing their uniforms, that CP will have to make a choice: kowtow to the murderous dictators in Beijing and damage their operations, or decide to take a stand.

It is a high-stakes gambit and would be wholly dependent on a large percentage of staff participating, risking their jobs in the process.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

People can vote with their feet. I see a large exodus of the richest and brightest fleeing Hong Kong. Many companies will do the same

I think the exodus will only increase, no matter how the Chinese react (short of full capitulation, which is impossible). Those with in-demand skills, those money and others will leave. Unemployment will soar. Hong Kong's day is over, sadly. China may follow, barring a massive change in government. Personally, I am sick of people and business supporting despotic regimes like China and Dubai. We should support democracies and starve the dictators.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Boycott communist-supporting Cathay airlines. Awful company. If you really MUST go to HK, then ANA and JAL are far, far superior airlines anyway.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Cathay has anyway  become less and less a top quality airline.  ANA to HK much better.  With this added taint, my guess they will continue to lose custom.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

How many reasons does the world need to sideline China and refuse to trade with it until the brutal CCP is deposed?

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Time to boycott Cathay. Phone searches? Is that even legal?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Let's be fair. If you work anywhere else in the world and aren't a member of a labor union, then your freedom of speech only protects you from the govt. It doesn't protect you from your employer, your clients, your family, your friends, your neighbors, if they disagree with you.

Where I live, people can be fired for any reason, without cause.

People need to do what they need to do for themselves and their families. If that means tap dancing for your job to make the CCP happy, who am I to say they shouldn't?

It is easy to say you'd not cave in when you aren't actually impacted.

There are many low-level workers at Cathay. Baggage handlers, cleaners, cooks, gate people. I would suggest they should limit any use of electronic devices that can be traced back to their identity. Get a $40 phone, use that only for political things, not personal stuff, and only over wifi. Randomly change the MAC all the time for both the wifi and bluetooth (if you use that). Don't get a phone plan. Only turn it on away from your flat. keep it inside an RF cage when not in use. Never have your personal phone and this political phone on at the same time, in the same place.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

"We feel really scared to talk political stuff, even for chit-chat.

And there are those in the 'west' constantly attacking the media for presenting perspectives different from theirs while pushing for authoritarian systems.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I will never bend to lose my freedom of speech.

Many surely cannot lose family they have in China...

Cathay will lose half its clients by siding with China. At least it lost me.

What you do out of work is personal.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

People can vote with their feet. I see a large exodus of the richest and brightest fleeing Hong Kong. Many companies will do the same - but some cannot, súch as Cathey. However, due to the shortage of pilots worldwide, their pilots can, quite easily. An airline without pilots is not much of an airline.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

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