TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 2017 INTERNATIONAL Best foot forward: HK military-style youth groups HONG KONG: Gruelling foot drills and But as the semi-autonomous city prepares Army (PLA). Its website describes it as a handed, given the army’s crackdown on bers and was set up by former staff of the camouflage uniforms are part of life for to mark 20 years since it was handed back uniform group that provides training in student protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Royal Hong Kong Regiment, also known as some Hong Kongers as military-style youth by Britain to China in 1997, there are con- discipline and Chinese-style foot drills, to Square in 1989. The Volunteers, a local branch of the British groups become increasingly popular, cerns that politics is taking over with the “cultivate strong willpower... unity and vig- Instead they have maintained a very low Army disbanded in 1995. despite the fact there is no army to join. formation of secretive new groups. or”. It was launched in 2015 - a year after profile and are barred from interfering in Tang Chi-shing, 12, admitted he didn’t Some follow the traditions of former British Speculation is rife about the Hong huge student-led pro-democracy rallies in local affairs. But some lawmakers have like it when he joined 18 months ago, but colonial forces, while others are newly Kong Army Cadets Association (HKACA), Hong Kong brought parts of the city to a questioned whether the PLA is providing grew to enjoy the challenging training. invented military-flavored boot camps whose members wear green uniforms standstill in an unprecedented challenge training or financial support for the cadets. “This organization is one of the toughest in designed to keep young people in shape. reminiscent of China’s People’s Liberation to Beijing. The youth group’s chairman, Bunny Chan, Hong Kong,” he told AFP, saying he no Some observers say the cadets could be has denied such links. The HKACA turned longer feared his school teachers as a a way to get a pro-China message across at down multiple interview requests from AFP result. Members wear green camouflage a time when younger generations are and when one youth member was and berets and learn everything from map- pushing back, with some campaigning for approached he said he could not comment. reading to abseiling. “I just wanted to play a split from the mainland. Political analyst the games and go rock climbing,” recent Ma Ngok said the aim was likely “patriotic ‘No ideology’ recruit Hosanna Tse, 14, told AFP, saying education”. “Both local and central authori- Last year, in response to the foundation she enjoyed wearing the uniform. ties would have thought it necessary and of the cadets, anti-China party Civic Director Matthew Wong served in The urgent to start trying to win young hearts Passion launched its own military-flavor Volunteers for 14 years and said that even and minds,” he said. An official attempt to youth group. The dedicated “Passion Teens though the Adventure Corps inherited implement a patriotic curriculum in Squad” has 1,900 Facebook followers and their drills from the British Army, there was schools failed in 2012 after massive says its aim is physical training and learn- no political aim. “Our objective is not to demonstrations by students, parents and ing Hong Kong’s “real history and culture”. train soldiers, but to develop their person- teachers concerned it would amount to The group’s trainer, who identified himself al qualities,” he said. Military historian brainwashing. only as Wan, told AFP that activities includ- Kwong Chi-man said Hong Kong parents The new cadet group’s commander-in- ed hiking, orientation and survival skills. considered the numerous uniform groups chief is the wife of current Beijing-friendly “We are resisting other youth groups that - which also include non-military-style city leader Leung Chun-ying and some of have links with China,” he said. organizations such as the Girl Guides - as a its honorary patrons include members of But members of many more established way to help children become more self- the PLA and China’s liaison office in Hong youth groups say they simply enjoy getting reliant and confident. Kwong, assistant Kong. The PLA has a garrison in central out of the urban sprawl to learn new skills. professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong and is responsible for defend- At a Saturday session with the Hong Kong said any political slant would put them off. HONG KONG: In this picture taken on May 27, 2017, cadets from the ing the city, but only recruits mainland Adventure Corps, young recruits marched, “If they knew their kids were entering Hong Kong Adventure Corps put on safety gear before a climbing exer- Chinese citizens. Hong Kong does not have climbed walls and spoke into walkie-talkies those organizations to become ideologi- cise at their training ground. —AFP its own separate army. After the handover at their training ground in rural Sai Kung. cal, many of those parents, I would say, some feared the PLA would be heavy- The group has around 4,200 youth mem- would withhold.” —AFP As Philippine battle grinds on, some displaced die in centers Military seizes drugs worth millions in besieged city MARAWI CITY, Philippines: Four were recovered on Sunday along with due to diarrhoea. “The cause of the dled in cloth and her own traditional weeks since fierce fighting broke out in four assault rifles in the kitchen of a increase in diarrhoea cases is sanitation malong, or long skirt, drenched in the southern Philippines, some people two-storey concrete house believed to issues and a lack of sources of potable blood. “We call him Martial Law,” she who fled the battle are dying in over- be occupied by fighters from the Maute water,” Minalang said. In the centers, said, looking at her baby boy Sahir, his crowded and unsanitary evacuation militant group. “This strengthens our families of up to a dozen people sleep head now crowned with fine hair. centers, health officials say. At least 24 findings that these terrorists are using together on concrete floors, and in On the date of Sahir’s birth, May 23, people have died in the centers since illegal drugs,” Major-General Carlito some places hundreds are sharing a Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte fighting between security forces and Galvez, military commander of western single toilet. declared martial law across the south- ern island of Mindanao, vowing to drive out the militants - an alliance of groups that have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. The army says near- ly 350 people have been killed in the fighting, including 257 militants, 62 sol- NAYPYIDAW: Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi distributes cake as diers and 26 civilians. Hundreds of peo- she celebrates her 72nd birthday at the parliament building yesterday. —AFP ple are unaccounted for, believed to be hiding in the basements of a city that has been pummelled by government Myanmar religious tensions air strikes. Residents have said they have seen 100 bodies in the debris of simmer as madrassas closed ruined homes in the battle zone. Want to go Home YANGON: Chit Tin, a 55-year-old Muslim man has the start of the country’s democratic transition in The mostly Muslim evacuees are prayed at the same madrassa in eastern Yangon his 2012 and 2013. “Mosques and madrassas that have eager to return home by the weekend whole adult life, most of it spent under a junta that been forcibly shuttered should be immediately re- for Eid al-Fitr, the biggest festival of crushed opposition, ruined Myanmar’s economy opened, and religious believers should not be the year that marks the end of the holy and turned it into an international pariah state. But threatened or criminally charged simply for exercis- month of Ramadan. But for many, their even as the father-of-four endured poverty and iso- ing their fundamental right to observe and practice homes have been devastated by lation, the Muslim religious school, which doubles their religion,” said Phil Robertson from watchdog weeks of artillery fire and aerial bom- as a mosque, had remained a focal point of his com- Human Rights Watch. Local administrators refused bardment. The army says it is nearing munity - until a month ago, when Buddhist nation- repeated requests for comment. Myanmar’s gov- victory, but hostilities will have to be alists raided it and forced authorities to shut it down ernment spokesman was not available for com- followed by a lengthy cleanup opera- on the grounds it did not have a permit to operate ment, and two other government officials contact- tion - unearthing and disarming unex- as a place of worship. ed by Reuters declined to comment. ploded ordnance, and scouring for When Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, start- possible booby traps - before residents ed some three weeks ago, hundreds of residents No Reply can go home. braved the monsoon rain to join prayers organized The madrassa, opened nearly half a century ago, MARAWI: Philippine army troopers count packets containing 11kg of the illegal drug “shabu”, “I will be the happiest woman in the in the street nearby. Local authorities banned the typically attracted around 1,000 people on Friday world if I am allowed to return,” said event and threatened those attending with jail. “I nights. Around 300 children between the ages of which were recovered along with an IS flag from a militant position, during a press conference feel deeply sad, as if the sky has fallen down,” said five and 12 studied Islam there daily.