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Yonden Lhatoo

Some weeks ago, I faced the prospect of hunting for a taxi after a dinner event in a part of town that is off my beaten track, and was rescued by a very kind gentleman who offered me a ride in his official car back to civilisation as I know it.
He was the head of Canberra’s consulate-general in Hong Kong and, like just about every Australian I’ve met over so many years, he came across as a typical product of his country – friendly, helpful and down to earth.
My impression of the people from down under may sound somewhat stereotypical, but I’ve always found them to be warm, honest, hardworking, straight-talking folk, by and large, with a keen sense of fair play and what they call “mateship”. They’re always up for a good laugh, even if it’s at themselves.

Hong Kong is home to some 100,000 of them, one of the world’s largest expatriate Australian communities, and just as they have prospered here, so has this city benefited from their contributions to society as entrepreneurs, academics, medical specialists and legal professionals. Journalists, too – some of the best people I know in the business are Australians and I’m privileged to work shoulder to shoulder in the trenches with them at this paper.
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Keeping all that in mind, their own government appears to have a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock as it resorts to completely unnecessary fearmongering with its asinine warning in place for citizens travelling to or living in Hong Kong.
“You may be at increased risk of detention on vaguely defined national security grounds. You could break the law without intending to. If you’re concerned about the new law, reconsider your need to remain in Hong Kong,” the official advisory reads.

Crikey, really? All Australians in this city are in imminent danger of being rounded up for no rhyme or reason and shipped off to some Chinese gulag under the new national security law?
Any Aussie who’s not a few stubbies short of a six pack can see past this pile of bovine faeces. What’s really happening is that their government has blindly thrown its lot behind the US in the ongoing crusade against China, and Hong Kong is the easy target trapped in between for reckless Australian politicians and leaders to malign and victimise – at the cost of collateral damage to their own citizens.
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It’s one thing for Australia to raise the alarm over the safety of its citizens in an authoritarian state like mainland China. The waters are muddy enough, with a Beijing-based Australian national working for state broadcaster CGTN currently being detained on suspicion of “criminal activity endangering China’s national security”, and both sides levelling accusations at each other about the treatment of their respective journalists.

But this is Hong Kong we’re talking about, with a different system and rule of law. Unless the bloke slipping an extra prawn on the barbie at his Lamma village home is also chucking petrol bombs at police on the side, what’s he got to be worried about?
That ridiculous travel warning was issued in July, on top of an existing advisory against Covid-19 by a country that is far worse off than Hong Kong when it comes to coronavirus containment. Since then, just how many Aussies living here have heeded the call and fled to “safety”? It would be interesting to look at official statistics if the Australian consulate keeps records of the comings and goings of its citizens.
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Judging by the feedback from the many Aussie friends and acquaintances I have in this city, most of them are voting with their feet up on the sofa and staying put. A few, though, are understandably worried by the alarmist talk, which makes this travel warning all the more dodgy and despicable.
Someone needs to tell the panic-spreading swamp dwellers of Canberra: “Put a sock in it, mate. No need to get your budgie smugglers in a twist.”
It would only be fair dinkum.
Yonden Lhatoo is the chief news editor at the Post


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Australia’s travel warning for Hong Kong is dodgy, dishonest and just not fair dinkum

Australia fans at a Rugby Sevens match in Hong Kong. Photo: CNN

Australian citizen and television anchor Cheng Lei, who worked for China's state television CGTN and has been detained by authorities in China, is seen in this still image taken from an undated footage produced by Australia Global Alumni - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Courtesy of Australia Global Alumni - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade/via REUTERS. ATTENTION EDITORS - NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. AUSTRALIA OUT. NO USE AUSTRALIA / .COM.AU INTERNET SITES / ANY INTERNET SITE OF ANY AUSTRALIAN BASED MEDIA ORGANISATIONS OR MOBILE PLATFORMS / AUSTRALIAN NVO CLIENTS / SMH.COM.AU / NEWS.COM.AU. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT: AUSTRALIA GLOBAL ALUMNI - AUSTRALIAN DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE. PLEASE REFER TO GUIDELINES IN https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/about-this-website/Pages/copyright. For Reuters customers only.

A silhouette of a pigeon seen in front of a banner promoting the National Security Law, Central. 22JUN20 SCMP / Sam Tsang

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, attended the Australia Day Reception held by the Australian Consulate-General Hong Kong this evening (January 26). Picture shows Mrs Lam addressing the reception. On the right is Australia's Consul-General to Hong Kong and Macau, Mr Paul Tighe. SCMP Pictures (HANDOUT from ISD)

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Hong Kong

Opinion


Yonden Lhatoo calls out the Australian government for playing fearmongering politics at the cost of hurting its own citizens by telling them they are not safe in this city



Yonden Lhatoo calls out the Australian government for playing fearmongering politics at the cost of hurting its own citizens by telling them they are not safe in this city.


Hong Kong national security law (NSL)

China-Australia relations

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

Australia’s travel warning for Hong Kong is dodgy, dishonest and just not fair dinkum

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Yonden Lhatoo calls out the Australian government for playing fearmongering politics at the cost of hurting its own citizens by telling them they are not safe in this city

Yonden Lhatoo calls out the Australian government for playing fearmongering politics at the cost of hurting its own citizens by telling them they are not safe in this city