Yes, as Alan says, I was referring to the reported response of a few interested/enraged onlookers. As Bird hinted, it is not just about a little lily pond, but the whole future of the valley/housing projects. As a side order it is about political cronyism, departmental buck-passing and unwillingness of the police to enforce the law. Surely there is a story there to interest the press? Does anyone have personal contacts with reporters from the Enlgish or Chinese press? Meanwhile, let's keep up the pressure by continuing to e-mail or phone governemt departments etc. I got a fairly lengthy reply from the EPD, but they stressed that their brief is only to investigate polluted air or noise, or discharge of effluent.

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I did not have sex with that woman!

The Fongs have run YSW for as long as any can remember. Fong Loi was for the last 20-plus years the only builder (he owns all the VVs), the only real property developer and the chief politician.

Most local locals (born in YSW) hate the Fongs but have to shut up - not so much through fear but through plain old economics: work with them or leave. Many left. Police just scared to hell.

I did used to love that lily pond but really, that ain't even the half of it.

Good luck all...

And yes, I fink me off to fight club pronto.

Obviously we need more background info on all the 'stakeholders'

On another front, 'Bird' has suggested on the Chinese thread about this issue that we ought to start a petition calling for Ledgco to create laws to protect watercourses that flow through 'private land'. Currently, it seems that the only obligation of a 'landowner' engaged in construction works that affect watercourses is that they do not obstruct flow, so burying them in sewer pipes is considered acceptable.

This is absolutely not acceptable when you consider all the important functions of natural watercourses. Current legislation recognises only the drainage function of watercourses. I suggest we begin this immediately so that we can be seen to be active on the issue when the SCMP arrives to cover the story.

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
----- Margaret Mead

check this forum:
http://www.lamma.com.hk/forum/viewtopic ... c&start=20

and here:
http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma-zine/P ... hannel.htm

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
----- Margaret Mead

There is also the question of the taxpayers being royally screwed over that fake "flood control" project, with the government footing the bill for what looks increasingly like infrastructure for a private housing development (as has been observed before in the discussion on that project). Is the ICAC a suitable agent to investigate this deception?

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I did not have sex with that woman!

Big Bad Bill,
let me know if you received the message i sent you

On top of my e-letters to the non-governmental envrionmental organizations, I've also sent the following e-letter to Sing Tao, Ming Pao, SCMP Editors:

quote:
I am writing to appeal for your assistance in bringing justice over such hideous act of the landowner(s) who have allowed dumping of construction waste on their land which lead to suffocating the ecology of a lily pond... the calls of Romer's Tree Frogs, an endangered and protected species have been recently heard in and around that stream by a respected herpetologist from Hong Kong University.

I urge you to read the forum - Yung Shue Long Development on the link below to understand the urgency of this issue and I have also requested assistance of the following non-government environmental organizations to assist in stopping the destruction of the environment!!

Friends of the Earth 地球之友
World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong ( WWF HK) 世界自然(香港)基金會
Earth Care 地球仁協會
Produce Green 綠田園
The Conservancy Association 長春社
Green Power 綠色力量
Green Peace China 綠色和平
Environmental Campaign Committee 環境保護運動委員會

Please kindly refer to these links for background information:

http://www.lamma.com.hk/forum/viewtopic ... sc&start=0

http://www.lamma.com.hk/forum/viewtopic ... 1512#51512

For further understand, please don't hesitate to call me on xxxxxxx.

UNQUOTE

It's a long shot .......

Lily Pond pictures... there are so many over the years in my archives, one of my favourite photo subjects...
Feel free to use these pictures any way you see fit.

Post or email me your best shots and they'll go onto the cover of the Lamma-zine, part of a permanent Lily Pond photo gallery.

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma-zine/Blog/2007-11/!DSC_6188-b.jpg" border=1>

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/Blog/Lily-Pond/!DSC_6197.jpg" border=1>
Nov 14, 2007

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma/Blog/Brain-Drained/!DSC_1591.jpg" border=1>
Aug 18, 2008

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma-zine/PG-YSL-channel/YSL-channel-1921.jpg" border=1>

<img src="http://www.lamma.com.hk/nick/ysl-walk-2750-bb.jpg" border=1>

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Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Joni Mitchell's classic song Big Yellow Taxi that's just perfectly about what's happening here.

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Dont it always seem to go
That you dont know what youve got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They took all the trees
Put em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see em
Dont it always seem to go
That you dont know what youve got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Hey farmer farmer
Put away that d.d.t. now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please!
Dont it always seem to go
That you dont know what youve got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man
Dont it always seem to go
That you dont know what youve got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
----- Margaret Mead

In October 2007 we in Po Wah Yuen had our own battle with the Fungs. they illegally chopped down lots of mature trees to build a monster grave for Fung Loi. they even built the grave partially out of the grave yard (although this is in dispute)! and tried to build an illegal concrete road. We appealed to:

Lamma Donna's Office (no interest),
The Chairman of the Lamma Islands (North) Rural Committee (Mr Chan) who was very interested as it involved indigenous villagers,
The Police,
The Lands Department,
The District Office (Islands),
The Environmental and Hygiene Department
The Department of Ariculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department
and finally the Ombudsman

While our issue is not yet fully resolved we have had a small victory in that we stopped a concrete path from being build illegally and the fung family were made to replant some shrubs to replace the illegally chopped trees. Unbelievably no prosecution is to be made for the tree felling as we had no photographic evidence showing the exact person chopping down the trees.

A rather lame article appeared in the scmp (see attached picture) which quoted Mr Chan as saying it was our fault as our houses were built in a graveyard. this was completely untrue as this graveyard was not designated until after our houses were built - and guess whobuilt them in the first place? Mr Fung Loi himself!

_________________
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
----- Margaret Mead

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My real name isn't Harry.
Slurp my bean juice.

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RED