Your Voice: Mapping Hong Kong’s WWII history; WikiLeaks is a double-edged sword (Letters) – YP

There is a need to educate Hong Kong residents about the often overlooked relics of the city’s wartime history. We have launched an initiative to comprehensively map and document World War II defence structures. The secondary aim is to provide a teaching resource for schools.

The Ramparts project aims to shed light on these silent ruins that have been silently weathering for decades since the end of the conflict. This project was part of our MYP community project to benefit the community and expose students to service-based learning.

We have worked very carefully on this project, combining historical research, aerial photography and ground surveys to comprehensively catalogue and digitally map these World War II defences.

These include the Pinewood Battery near The Peak, the Gough Battery at Lei Yue Mun, the Cape Collinson Battery on the east side of the island, the Mount Davis Battery on Mount Davis and other lesser-known structures that played a crucial role in the city’s security in times of war.

Digital records are essential for preservation. It’s hard to say how some of these structures will hold up over the years, but they are an essential part of our history that deserve to be recognized and preserved so future generations understand their significance.

The resulting database and mapping not only highlights the historical significance of these structures, but also serves as a basis for conservation measures and suggests possible recreational or educational uses for selected sites, demonstrating the practical value of our project.

The project has received support and interest from the English Schools Foundation, who will integrate our project into existing teaching materials on the Battle of Hong Kong. We intend to continue to research and map these fascinating sites as part of our mission to preserve and educate. Interactive maps and information on these batteries are available on our website: www.projectramparts.org.

A 3D model of the Pinewood battery. Photo: Handout

The impact of WikiLeaks

Aaryav Khaderia, Hong Kong International School

Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks has published information that increases state and corporate accountability and transparency for over a decade, and last month he struck a deal with the U.S. Justice Department to secure his release after a 14-year legal battle with U.S. authorities.

In 2010, WikiLeaks published footage from a US military helicopter in Baghdad, Iran, killing civilians and also highlighted other possible war crimes.

Another leak revealed documents that, according to Carne Ross, a former British diplomat and author of The leaderless revolutionshow America’s “close and interdependent relations with unpleasant and repressive regimes in Riyadh, Cairo and Rabat.”

This information allows citizens to investigate governments and promotes better political discourse and greater accountability, while reducing the possibility that governments can hide important information about harming innocents. The same accountability also applies to companies, such as WikiLeaks, which has published many documents and emails from Sony Pictures and Stratfor.

However, it is extremely important to note that WikiLeaks hardly takes responsibility for the information it publishes. The data is usually obtained illegally, for example by hacking confidential files.

In addition, according to Professor Christian Christensen of Stockholm University, who studies media and communication, WikiLeaks believes in “radical transparency.” That is, they value releasing information and increasing transparency more than the danger it may pose to individuals. All of this, coupled with a huge amount of documents released and the pressure to publish them immediately, has resulted in sensitive and dangerous information becoming public.

WikiLeaks employee Assange pleads guilty to espionage charges against the US

An Associated Press report found that WikiLeaks had published names of teenage rape victims, people’s medical records, and many other dangerous privacy violations. In addition, WikiLeaks had also published information that could easily be exploited by criminals, including over two dozen Social Security and credit card numbers. Two of the numbers were even targeted by identity thieves shortly afterward.

The release of such sensitive information can devastate people’s lives by affecting their safety and well-being. Furthermore, this information can cause trauma and ostracism to those whose private information is leaked.

WikiLeaks has also been accused of tarnishing political candidates, particularly Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in the United States.

In 2016, days before Hillary Clinton was announced as the Democratic nominee for the presidential election, WikiLeaks released over 60,000 emails and documents from the Democratic National Committee. In October of that year, when an incriminating video of Trump surfaced, it took less than an hour for WikiLeaks to begin releasing over 20,000 pages of emails from the account of John Podesta, the manager of the Clinton campaign.

At the same time, Assange declared his opposition to Clinton, demonstrating how the platform can be used to smear and distort a campaign through illegal means.

Overall, the information released by WikiLeaks has created transparency and exposed the actions of powerful institutions like the US government, giving us a more accurate view and allowing us to hold them accountable.

However, we must be careful not to allow WikiLeaks to continue publishing dangerous information that could put ordinary people at risk.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (centre) hugs his wife Stella Assange (centre left) as he returns to Australia after admitting to leaking US defence secrets in a deal that opened the door to his London prison cell. Photo: AFP

It is not selfish to strive for happiness

Ansley Au Tsz-ying, King Ling College

I am writing in response to the article “’Selfish’? South Korean woman promoting life without marriage and children becomes YouTube star,” published on July 8.

The article mainly focuses on the low birth rate in South Korea and how gender inequality directly contributes to this phenomenon.

It features Korean YouTuber Seen Aromi, who lives a carefree life in a rural part of the country without the responsibilities of marriage and children.

Despite societal prejudices, Seen has found happiness, which is rare in today’s society. She enjoys freedom and ignores societal criticism while enjoying activities such as yoga, farming and outdoor activities.

Aromi appears happy and carefree, but her message sparked strong reactions in South Korea, which has the lowest birth rate in the world. Photo: AFP

The ultimate goal in life is to be happy, and that is exactly what Seen has achieved. Today, happiness is no longer defined only by starting a family. Phrases like “alone but not lonely” have gained popularity among young people, who are increasingly choosing a life without marriage and shaping their future rather than conforming to traditional conventions.

In addition, the article sheds light on broader cultural issues such as gender inequality and low birth rates. According to the World Bank, South Korea’s current birth rate is a shockingly low average of 0.6, a worrying statistic for such a cosmopolitan country.

In South Korea, there is still a belief that women are inferior to men. These conservative traditions limit the workplace and force women to accept unrealistic standards.

Compared to Iceland, South Korea lags far behind in terms of gender equality laws and policies. Icelandic law requires that at least 40 percent of corporate boards be made up of women, and equal pay for equal work is strictly enforced, with fines for non-compliance. Iceland can therefore boast a truly gender-balanced workforce.

Ultimately, the true meaning of life is to discover our true passions and live life to the fullest. The privilege and blessing of being able to do what we want, when we want, should not be taken for granted. Seen Aromi is a compelling example of this.