6 Apr 2024獨媒#3316
Sai Kung’s Sai Kung Store to Close; Worked with More Than 100 Local Brands — Former District Councillor Chan Ka-lam: It Was Fun and I Have No Regrets
由前西貢區議員陳嘉琳（Debby）開辦的士多「西多」即將結業，本月底交吉，周一（4月1日）為最後賣物日。「西多」去年六四翌日在門外懸掛蠟燭掛畫，被指涉嫌干犯「煽動意圖」罪遭警方移除，亦曾因派發蠟燭引來各政府部門連番「巡查」，但Debby 指結業與政治打壓無關，純粹出於一個「窮」字，不敵開關及移民潮下的生意下滑，兩年間虧損約50萬，積蓄用盡，樂觀不再，便決定結業。
The store Sai Kung Store, opened by former Sai Kung district councillor Chan Ka-lam (Debby), is set to close and vacate its premises by the end of this month, with Monday (April 1) being its final day of sales. The day after June 4 last year, Sai Kung Store displayed a candle-hanging picture outside its premises and was accused of possibly committing the offence of “seditious intention”; it was removed by police. The distribution of candles also led to repeated “inspections” by various government departments. Debby said, however, that the closure was unrelated to political suppression, but was purely due to “poverty”: the business could not withstand the downturn following the reopening and the wave of emigration, incurring losses of about 500,000 over two years. With her savings exhausted and her optimism gone, she decided to close.
24 Mar 2024獨媒#3237
Unable to Become a Social Worker or Study Politics, Wong Yat-chin Launches Clothing Brand After Prison Release
曾被控煽動顛覆國家政權罪、去年出獄的前賢學思政召集人王逸戰宣布，創立自家服裝品牌Ramble，並由王親自落手進行設計、聯絡、拍攝及宣傳等工作。在周六的pop up store，其品牌自家製T-shirt優先發售，不出半日售罄全數現貨。
Wong Yat-chin, the former convener of Student Politicism who was charged with inciting subversion of state power and released from prison last year, announced the creation of their own clothing brand, Ramble. Wong personally handled the design, liaison, photography and publicity work. At the pop-up store on Saturday, the brand’s own T-shirts went on priority sale, with all available stock sold out in less than half a day.
2 Mar 2024獨媒#3083
Hunter Bookstore reopens on Ki Lung Street; Wong Man-yuen hopes only to “survive”
由前區議員黃文萱開設的獵人書店上月結業，但一個月後隨即在深水埗基隆街開設「獵人書店2.0」，與原址相距2分鐘步程。新舖沿用1.0風格，黃文萱指現時只盼書店能繼續「生存」，並養活到自己。近日不少獨立書店被政府各部門頻密巡查，黃指獵人書店1.0曾被消防處、食環署及屋宇署等部門人員巡查了不下數十次；至於會否擔心新舖再被不斷巡查，黃指「唔駛擔心，一定會有」。
Hunter Bookstore, opened by former district councillor Wong Man-yuen, closed last month but reopened a month later as “Hunter Bookstore 2.0” on Ki Lung Street in Sham Shui Po, a two-minute walk from its original location. The new shop retains the style of 1.0. Wong said she now only hopes the bookstore can continue to “survive” and support her. In recent days, many independent bookstores have been frequently inspected by various government departments. Wong said Hunter Bookstore 1.0 had been inspected dozens of times by officials from departments including the Fire Services Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Buildings Department. Asked whether she was worried the new shop would again face repeated inspections, Wong said: “There’s no need to worry; there definitely will be.”
17 Feb 2024獨媒#2990
Glory to Hong Kong Café to close, saying pressure has made it impossible to continue
位處上環半山的願榮光咖啡館，是間由店名、外牆、餐牌到枱凳都有反修例運動文宣痕跡的小店。2020年尾正式開業，最初生意不俗，也成功吸引媒體採訪；但隨著移民潮的出現，熟客逐一離開，加上政府部門頻密到店巡查，願榮光咖啡館每月接收十幾至幾十張告票；阿超和映藍終受不住壓力，宣布在今個月尾結業。
Located in the Mid-Levels above Sheung Wan, Glory to Hong Kong Café is a small shop featuring traces of anti-extradition movement publicity in everything from its name, exterior walls and menu to its tables and chairs. It officially opened at the end of 2020. Business was initially fairly good, and it also successfully attracted media coverage. But as the emigration wave emerged, regular customers left one by one. In addition, government departments carried out frequent inspections of the café, which received between a dozen and several dozen summonses each month. Ah Chiu and Ying Lam eventually succumbed to the pressure and announced that the café would close at the end of this month.
20 Nov 2023光傳媒#8672
Indian-funded banks withdraw from Hong Kong, halving to six in four years; banking industry cites China’s strict regulation and pandemic quarantine measures
外資繼續撤離香港，根據金融管理局數據，香港持牌銀行數目由2018年的164間，跌至上月的151間，5年間減少13間，減幅約為7%。其中，印度資金的銀行成為「撤資大戶」，《星島日報》報道，過去數年印資銀行由12間減半至餘下6間。印度商業英文報章《經濟時報》（ The Economic Times）去年6月曾報道，撤資與更嚴格的監管、融資業務虧損及疫情的隔離措施有關，又認為地緣政治影響下，與中國政府打交道並不容易。
Foreign capital continues to withdraw from Hong Kong. According to Hong Kong Monetary Authority data, the number of licensed banks in Hong Kong fell from 164 in 2018 to 151 last month, a reduction of 13 banks, or about 7%, over five years. Indian-funded banks were among the biggest groups to withdraw: Sing Tao Daily reported that their number had halved from 12 to six over the past several years. The Indian business newspaper The Economic Times reported last June that the withdrawals were related to stricter regulation, losses in financing operations and the pandemic’s quarantine measures. It also said that, amid geopolitical tensions, dealing with the Chinese government was not easy.
4 Nov 2023明報#8601
“Aoki Chinese Medicine” Camel Paint branch closes, says it was forced to do so; Lands Department: lease breach rectified
視為「黃店」的「青木堂中醫」周三於facebook宣布，位於觀塘駱駝漆大廈3座的分店被迫停業，已遷往同區港貿中心繼續應診。地政總署昨稱，曾向青木堂等9個駱駝漆大廈單位就違反地契用途限制發警告信。「青木堂中醫」負責人稱，駱駝漆大廈內仍有不少中西醫診所營運，不明白為何只有他們需要停業。
“Aoki Chinese Medicine”, regarded as a “yellow shop”, announced on Facebook on Wednesday that its branch in Tower 3 of Camel Paint Building in Kwun Tong had been forced to cease operations and had moved to Hong Kong Trade Centre in the same district to continue seeing patients. The Lands Department said yesterday that it had issued warning letters to nine units in Camel Paint Building, including Aoki Chinese Medicine, over breaches of land-lease use restrictions. The person in charge of Aoki Chinese Medicine said that many Chinese and Western medicine clinics were still operating in Camel Paint Building and that they did not understand why only they had to cease operations.
21 Sept 2023東周網#8395
Eastweek.com says district councillors are selling insurance; industry urges “national security” and the insurance regulator to follow up
自從《2021年公職（參選及任職）（雜項修訂）條例》生效後，規定區議員須宣誓擁護《基本法》及效忠特區後，當年大批攬炒派區議員拒絕宣誓或辭職各散東西，有政壇人士一直留意這班亂港分子，發現部分已轉戰保險界。
深水埗區議會前主席楊彧辭職數月後率先投身宏利保險，聲稱不少街坊在相關範疇遇上困難，希望繼續為街坊服務。其後沙田博康邨前區議員趙柱幫及沙田下城門前區議員黃浩鋒，在楊彧邀請下相繼加入組成「社區理財團隊」，不時擺街站推銷保單，當時該政壇人士已質疑他們密謀建立「黃色保險圈」。
After the District Councils (Amendment) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance 2021 came into force, requiring district councillors to swear allegiance to the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, many councillors from the opposition camp at the time who refused to take the oath or resigned went their separate ways. A political figure has continued to monitor these individuals, whom the figure described as having disrupted Hong Kong, and found that some had moved into the insurance industry.
Several months after resigning, former chairperson of the Sham Shui Po District Council Yuk (1985) Yeung was the first to join Manulife, saying that many residents had encountered difficulties in the relevant area and that Yuk (1985) Yeung hoped to continue serving them. Subsequently, former Pok Hong Estate district councillor in Sha Tin Sunny Chu Pong Chiu and former Lower Shing Mun district councillor in Sha Tin Ken Ho Fung Wong joined at Yuk (1985) Yeung’s invitation to form a “community financial planning team”. They occasionally set up street counters to promote insurance policies. The political figure had already questioned at the time whether they were plotting to establish a “yellow insurance circle”.
30 Aug 2023獨媒#8292
“Ultimate Yellow-Blue Map” Announces Its Removal, Citing Changing Social Climate and Increased Risks
提供黃店資訊的「終極黃藍地圖」昨晚在社交網站宣布，隨著社會氣候轉變及風險增加，已將Google map 黃藍地圖、檸檬地圖下架，並在Facebook 專頁的帖文附上寫有「遠行是為了回家，家是最終要前往的方向」。
The “Ultimate Yellow-Blue Map”, which provided information about “yellow” shops, announced on social media last night that, amid changes in the social climate and increased risks, it had removed the Google Map Yellow-Blue Map and Lemon Map. A Facebook page post included the words: “The purpose of travelling far is to return home; home is the ultimate destination.”
23 Aug 2023獨媒#8240
Thai supermarket group acquires AbouThai, to be renamed Big C next month
有報道指泰國連鎖超市集團Big C 已收購本港雜貨連鎖店「阿布泰」，其24間分店將會易命為「Big C」，並擬在未來三年開設分店。另外，阿布泰網站已未能正常顯示，稱「系統正進行升級，請大家耐心等候。不便之處，敬請原諒。」
It was reported that Thai supermarket chain Big C had acquired Hong Kong grocery chain AbouThai. Its 24 branches will be renamed Big C next month, and the company plans to open branches over the next three years. Meanwhile, the AbouThai website could no longer be displayed normally and stated: “The system is undergoing an upgrade. Please wait patiently. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
10 Aug 2023Renews#8179
Online shopping platform founded by released prisoners closes; co-founder launches another platform
由三名釋囚創立的網購平台「荔記」，上月在「懲罰 MEE」多人被捕後隨即宣布結業，未有解釋原因；「荔記」其中一名創辦人尚木，日前自行另創網購平台，代購生果、海鮮等，取名「厲記」，「同自己講再接再厲繼續做。」
The online shopping platform Lai Kee (荔記), founded by three released prisoners, announced its closure last month shortly after multiple people were arrested in “Punishment MEE”, without explaining why. One of Lai Kee’s founders, Sheung Muk, recently launched another online shopping platform independently, offering to purchase fruit, seafood and other goods on behalf of customers. He named it Lai Kee (厲記), saying: “I told myself to keep going and continue.”
Translations are supplied by the source workbook. Consult the original reporting for context.
