When Hong Kong journalist Chip Tsao’s tacky style rubbed Filipino sensitivity in the wrong way, Filipinos started calling the Chinese terrible names. Just check the comment thread in the linked article. Narrow-minded, isn’t it, considering that Chip Tsao was one person and his writing was not necessarily a reflection of the way all Chinese nationals thought. Still, the racist remarks persisted.
Now, the tables have been turned. A lone gunman took hostages, many of them tourists from Hong Kong, and, in the aftermath, angry Hong Kong residents are calling us names. Filipinos working in Hong Kong are worried.
But not every Hong Kong Chinese is acting from irrational anger. From South China Morning Post’s August 24 editorial, as posted by Raissa Robles:
But what is not comprehensible is why people have vented their frustrations on Filipinos. They’ve done nothing wrong, after all. The actions of a unit of police commandos was not their doing. Tarring them with the same brush of incompetence isn’t right.
Such behaviour towards them smacks of racism. A tinge of that is on show in the government’s response to the tragedy. It has issued its highest travel alert for those thinking of going to the Philippines. Based on a single isolated incident, it has determined that a severe threat exists and that all travel should be avoided….
Yes, sobriety should be the order of the day. No Filipino, after all, wants to be blamed for the crime of one man. But when Filipinos themselves publicly display — FLAUNT is a more accurate description — their insensitivity to the grief of the victims’ families and the outrage that is now widespread in Hong Kong, the call for sobriety becomes a dicey issue. Reader Twin-Skies posted a link where I found these photos.
The photos are from ravenrepublic.net, a public forum. It appears however, that they were originally taken from Facebook pages and a Chinese online news potal, on.cc. The exact URLs were not provided.
I claim no ownership over these photos. They appear here for context — to illustrate what I mean when I say that the insensitivity of some — civilians and policemen alike — is making it even harder for the enraged people of Hong Kong to find a sense of sobriety.
How callous can some people be? I can almost forgive the immaturity of the teenagers — almost, but not quite (if I were their parent, they would be grounded until they understand and acknowledge their tactlessness) — but policemen smiling and posing as though they were visiting a tourist attraction? Just look at them. Some are Crime Scene operatives but they don’t look like they’re taking photos of the crime scene, do they?
These photos, in larger sizes where the faces of the policemen — and woman — are plain so that they can be identified, are all over the internet. I hope that they somehow land in the email of someone in Malacañang and the offices of those in the higher echelons of the police force. And I hope that all the policemen and women in the photos are, at the very least, suspended for this insolence.
Is it not enough that the police force is in such deep shit with the way the hostage incident was handled? Do these shameless men and women in uniform have to drive the dagger deeper?
UPDATE @ 3.52 p.m.
I think this was the source of the photos: Hong Kong Mourning.
I personally don’t care what people of the world think about us.
What bothers me is: what do these people think about themselves? Did they see this as just another movie, just another TV show?
It thoroughly convinces you that this country really IS going nowhere with these kind of people.
Neither do I care what the world thinks of us — BUT I commiserate with Filipinos in Hong Kong, especially domestic helpers, on whom angry Chinese might retaliate. We shouldn’t make it harder for them.
Then somebody tell the prick who made this flash game
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/546322
What. The. Hell.
Oh, yeah, I’ve seen that. A UK site with UK admins.
Sass, your comment -
“Neither do I care what the world thinks of us — BUT I commiserate with Filipinos in Hong Kong, especially domestic helpers, on whom angry Chinese might retaliate. We shouldn’t make it harder for them.”
I’m in the opinion it will not happen. Honkies need the Filipino maids rather going political with the issue.
As usual, just in case, it will be the street bullies who can influence it.
Suspended lang? DAPAT EXPELLED.
Suspended, at the very least. Dismissal with permanent disqualification from holding public office (like in Mendoza’s case) does sound more apt.
I’d rather they stay in school – our educational system is bad enough that I’d rather see these idiots actually finish. On the other hand I’d like them to do several hundred hours worth of community service as compensation; Take the opportunity to teach them a lesson – don’t give them an opportunity to become even bigger idiots.
Who knows – they might grow out of this as better people
Oh wait, you mean the police.
In their case, a suspension should be about right.
Plus several lectures on sensitivity training.
“Plus several pictures on sensitivity training.”
-I don’t believe that the lack of sensitivity or the callousness of the people mentioned can be solved only by several lectures. It should have started in the home, by proper guidance and example from parents and elders. It should be practiced, practiced, practiced… daily.
Internet backlash in 3.. 2.. 1..
Maybe some of us common folks are just as callous and insensitive as the media.
Did we learn this from the media or been desensitized by the media? Or is the media simply reflecting this “pa-kodak” side of our pinoy culture?
I want to bitchslap all these people, smiling, gathering to take images in front of a disaster site like it is a landmark to behold, to be proud of, how easily they forgot (or chose to forget) how many innocent lives were taken that day, they were tourists, they didn’t ask for the tragedy that had befallen them. How would these opportunistic idiots like it if they were murdered for no apparent reason and people gathered to make a mockery of a place that should’ve been left well enough alone for their mourning families? Nagiisip ba itong mga ito? Parang hinde eh.
I want to ask these stupid, insensitive students (and men and women in uniforms) who gather in clumps to take pictures, if they even possess a shred of humanity in them.
This is beyond shameless.
It borderlines stupid.
The thing is, Filipinos, generally, are immature.
They pack their cars with small stuffed animal toys.
Btw, I was going to bring up Chip, but you beat me to it. I remember that incident and how I shared the same sentiments you did at the time. Looks like we proved him right, and then some.
*Sigh*
I find it disheartening that we have young adults (the future of our country) and those with positions of responsibility behaving as if what just happened to our guests was “no big deal”. I mean, you would normally place flowers or candles or any other token of sympathy at the site, wouldn’t you? What do these Filipinos do? They make sure that they have proof that they had been at the ‘historic’ site.
you are right, placing candles and flowers on that site would be a really nice gesture.
OMG that is sickening!
What’s PNoy say on this matter? Did he already made a broadcast apology to HK?
I don’t know. Watching the local news is a sickening experience these days.
If I may make a suggestion, you can always try reading the articles at PCIJ. They’re not updated as regularly as I wish, but when they do come out with a story, it’s ususally spot-on accurate and well-researched.
http://pcij.org/
OMG, they made it like a freaking show.
I was at Pentagon crash site, we took pictures but nobody was smiling.
In contrast, these pictures make one cringe. How insensitive!
You country is 20 years behind the rest of the world.
Filipinos are just scammers so they deserve a government that scams them.
You people are a joke
So you know each and every one of us to justify that sweeping generalization?
John, in the same analogy borrowing your quote -your country is ahead 20 years than the 3rd world. But Americans are just scammers and underwrite the global financial crises with your toxic mortgages. You people are a joke.
At the outset, bad apples in one part of the globe just get to know another bad apples on the other side. Welcome to reality.
Mr John Eastwood, are you just trolling?
Post a similar comment regrading us and I can guarantee you you’re going to regret being born!!!
You Norte Americanos, you even hate the smell of your women…
Parang murang sitaw na binakli…
Mr. John Eastwood, i agree that indeed our country is 20 years behind western nations in term of progress. But we are not lagging behind in the aspect of being human and in decency, and certainly not in intelligence. No doubt that despite your country’s basking in economic progress it seems that you are 50 years behind in intelligence. Please evolve.
I agree that some Filipinos become so insensitive by posing for a souvenir picture at the crime scene. It is somewhat understandable, by looking at it from the psychological perspective. Many a number of people are living with a low level of consciousness, the fast paced of modern life made us to exist and operate on automatic mode — mechanistic at that, lacking in depth and reflection. Also, those Chinese people should need to understand about the phenomenon of culture relativism. It is part of our culture to have some piece of historic event for remembrances and to have something to be boast about with our friends, that is, we were at the ‘scene’ of some big event that happened.
We’re not pissed at people taking pictures per se.
We’re pissed because our fellow countrymen are posing THAT way in front of a tragic event.
They are not insensitive. These kids just want to have a remembrance that they were there.
For those police officers in the photos, it’s a different issue.
They’re certified AH!!!
i guess chip tsao must now be having the last laugh, eh?
those photos above all reek of immaturity and an unwillingness to think beyond the consequences. if we continue with this kind of mentality, paano uunlad ang pilipinas. the road to progress will be a slow, slow journey.
Instead chip tsao must be sad (with dead countrymen) and fuming, definitely not laughing.
The Philippines will find progress if its people will start not to be dependent on government but work on self reliance. It is the business sector that push for progress.
D0d0ng (Next time, it’s just a D),
You’re in the US of America, parang sinasabi mo, against nanny state ka.
Sabi nga ng mga kaibigan natin sa US of America, they’re seeing November at this time.
I want a small government and business oriented since it made America strong (republican) but at the same time security of benefits for the workers (democrat). I like what the recent congress democrats did to cut down military budget and remove wall street bailout. I voted for Hillary in 2008. And I want Meg Whitman (holding top positions in Ebay, Hasbro, Walt Disney, Procter and Gamble) as California governor to manage the world eight largest economy in the world.
Let’s get things straighten out, what are those military budget that democrats has cut down and remove wall street bailout?
@browneyedgirl and TS
I’m more leaning to the side that those kids posing for photos don’t intend to make fun of the situation.
Have you been a kid?
If they intended to make fun of the hostage killings, then they should all be taken to see a psychiatrist.
But this is not a thing that the Philippine government does so we should just remember those faces and watch out – we got psycopaths on the loose.
Hi Miss Connie,
Na shock ako when I saw these pictures, how insensitive!! Gusto kong sabunutan ang mga batang ito! Nakakagalit talaga! I think they should be given disciplinary action of their respective schools.