The Hong Kong Journalists Association hosted the "Journalists Association Cup" football tournament. It was about to start this year, but it was suddenly forced to be cancelled because the government announced that the venue needed two months of repairs. This reminds everyone that it is time to drastically reduce the salaries of the Chief Executive and his leadership team.
Whether the cancellations were due to genuine government maintenance needs or were a deliberate attempt to target the Hong Kong Journalists Association, it demonstrates that the Li Jiachao administration has significantly outperformed the market. In the first month of this year alone, two events were canceled due to temporary terminations of government venues: a concert by Alan Yap, and a performance by the Hong Kong Festival Orchestra, which received a cancellation notice due to maintenance work at the concert hall. These sudden, unplanned decisions reflect poor government management, harming both the public and the private, hindering the development of culture and the arts while also impacting government revenue. It's only natural that these losses are recouped from the leadership team's salaries.
Venues are frequently cancelled, targeting "thorns in the eye" and depriving citizens of their rights.
Many believe the authorities are deliberately targeting individuals and organizations they consider thorns in their side, leading to so many "unexpected" situations. For example, some pro-democracy singers have been unable to find performance venues for years, and even when they do, they're forced to temporarily vacate them. The Hong Kong Journalists Association hosted a fundraising concert last April, but the live performance was ultimately canceled due to "force majeure" and moved online. The civil rights of these "thorns in the side" have been deprived, regardless of whether the authorities are involved. This at least indicates that the authorities have failed to fulfill their obligations. The result is not only the civil rights of performers and organizers, but also the rights of citizens who intend to participate in these activities.
