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

There is a need to educate Hong Kong residents on the often-overlooked relics of the city’s wartime history. We have undertaken an initiative to map and document World War II defensive structures comprehensively. The secondary goal is to provide a teaching resource to schools.

Named Project Ramparts, the assignment seeks to shed light on these silent ruins that have quietly weathered for decades since the conflict’s end. This project was part of our MYP Community Project, which aims to benefit the community and introduce students to service-based learning.

Our approach to this project was meticulous, utilising a combination of historical research, aerial photography, and on-the-ground surveys to comprehensively catalogue and create a digital map of these Second World War defensive installations.

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

Digital records are essential to preservation. It is difficult to say how some of these structures will hold up over the years, but they are an integral part of our history that deserves to be recognised and kept for future generations to understand their significance.

The resulting database and mapping effort not only highlight the historical significance of these structures but also inform preservation efforts and suggest potential recreational or educational uses for select sites, thereby demonstrating the practical value of our project.

The project has received support and interest from the English Schools Foundation, which will incorporate our project into existing resources for lessons about the Battle of Hong Kong. We intend to continue exploring and mapping these intriguing sites as part of our mission to preserve and educate. Interactive maps and information about these batteries can be accessed through our website: www.projectramparts.org.

Aaryav Khaderia, Hong Kong International School

Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks has released information increasing accountability and transparency for nations and corporations for over a decade. Last month, he made a deal with the US Justice Department to secure his freedom after a 14-year legal battle with US officials.

In 2010, WikiLeaks released footage from a US military helicopter in Baghdad, Iran, which had killed civilians, also highlighting other possible war crimes.

Another leak revealed documents that, according to Carne Ross, a former British diplomat and author of The Leaderless Revolution, showcase American “intimate and codependent relationships with unpleasant and repressive regimes in Riyadh, Cairo, and Rabat.”

This information allows everyday people to investigate governments and encourages better political discourse and accountability while decreasing the possibility that governments can hide crucial information about harming innocents. The same accountability also applies to corporations, like how WikiLeaks has released many documents and emails from Sony Pictures and Stratfor.

However, it is most important to note that WikiLeaks has operated with very little accountability for the information that gets released. The data is usually acquired illegally, such as by hacking classified files.

In addition, according to Professor Christian Christensen from the University of Stockholm, studying media and communications, WikiLeaks believes in “radical transparency”. This means they value releasing information and increasing transparency more than the danger it may have on individuals. All of this, coupled with a massive amount of documents released and pressure to publish promptly, has resulted in sensitive and dangerous information being made public.

WikiLeaks’ Assange pleads guilty to US espionage charge

In a report by Associated Press, WikiLeaks was found to have published names of teenage rape victims, people’s medical files, and many more dangerous violations of privacy. In addition, WikiLeaks had also published information easily exploited by criminals, including over two dozen social security and credit card numbers. Two of the numbers were even targeted by identity thieves shortly after.

The release of such sensitive information can destroy people’s lives by impacting their safety and well-being. Furthermore, this information can lead to trauma and ostracization for those who had private information leaked.

WikiLeaks has also been accused of trying to smear political candidates, specifically Hilary 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 Democratic National Committee emails and documents. In October of the same year, when a damaging video of Trump surfaced, it took less than an hour for WikiLeaks to begin publishing over 20,000 pages of emails from the account of John Podesta, the Clinton campaign chairman.

All the while, Assange declared his opposition to Clinton. This showcases how the platform could be used to smear and skew a campaign through illegal means.

Overall, the information WikiLeaks has been releasing has created transparency and exposed the actions of powerful institutions like the US government. This allows us to have a more accurate perception and hold them accountable.

However, we must be careful not to enable WikiLeaks to continue publishing dangerous information that could put everyday people in danger.

Ansley Au Tsz-ying, King Ling College

I am writing in response to the article “‘Selfish’? South Korean woman who promotes unmarried, childless life becomes YouTube star”, published on July 8.

The article primarily discusses the issue of low birth rates in South Korea and how gender role inequality directly contributes to this phenomenon.

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

Despite societal judgment, Seen has found happiness, which is rare in today’s society. She embraces freedom and disregards societal scrutiny while enjoying activities such as yoga, farming, and outdoor pursuits.

Finding happiness is the ultimate goal in life, and Seen has achieved precisely that. Today, happiness is no longer solely defined by starting a family. Phrases like “alone but not lonely” have gained attention among young people, who increasingly embrace lives without marriage and shape their futures instead of conforming to traditional conventions.

Furthermore, the article sheds light on broader cultural issues, such as gender role 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 concerning statistic for such a cosmopolitan nation.

Some in South Korea still hold beliefs that consider women inferior to men. These conservative traditions restrict the workforce and confine women to unrealistic standards.

Compared to Iceland, South Korea lags far behind in gender equality laws and policies. Icelandic law mandates that company boards include at least 40 per cent of women, and equal pay for equal work is strictly enforced, with fines imposed for non-compliance. Consequently, Iceland boasts a genuinely gender-equal workforce.

Ultimately, the true purpose of life lies in discovering our genuine passions and living life to the fullest. The privilege and blessing of doing what we want, when we want, should not be taken for granted. Seen Aromi serves as a compelling example of this.