HONG KONG (SE): The International Women’s Day turned out be a protest day for foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, who trooped to Immigration Tower in Wanchai, on March 8, objecting to policies they believe keep them down as modern slaves in the city.
 
Sringatin, spokesperson of the members of the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body said foreign domestic workers are women entitled to labour rights, but many policies in Hong Kong bind them to slave-like conditions. 
 

Rejoice and Trust in the Risen Lord!


Pray in Solidarity with Pope Francis
for All and especially for the Church in China
 
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 

HONG KONG (SE): St. Peter’s Church, which serves seafarers at the Mariners’ Club, Tsim Sha Tsui, is temporarily relocating to 3/F, Chi Wo Commercial Building, 20 Saigon Street, Jordan. Mass will be celebrated at the temporary address until the completion of redevelopment of the club, which is scheduled for 2023. 
 

HONG KONG (SE): With the launching of Columban Missionaries in Hong Kong, a new book authored by Father Joseph Houston, the Missionary Society of Saint Columban kick-started its centenary celebrations during a special reception held at the Irish Consulate in Central on March 15.
 

In the preparation for the pre-synodal meeting that is taking place in Rome from March 19 to 24, the Diocesan Youth Commission organised a small (extremely small) youth forum to meet with young people to listen to their thoughts and hopes in order to have a clear idea of the situation in which they are living.
 

HONG KONG (SE): A survey conducted by the Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Workers (Kowloon) shows that it is hard for the families of ethnic minorities to apply for the low-income working family allowance. The centre called on the government to simplify application procedures to make it easier for families to avail of it.
 
The pastoral centre interviewed 145 people from ethnic minorities through questionnaires from December 2017 to January 2018. 
 

HONG KONG (SE): Migrant rights groups, and a spokesperson of the Justice and Peace Commission, expressed disappointment over the February 14 High Court ruling to uphold the mandatory live-in policy for foreign domestic workers, as it showed a lack of understanding of their plight.
 
Nancy Almorin Lubiano, a Filipino domestic worker in Hong Kong, lost the judicial review when the court ruled that the live-in arrangement is one of the requirements of working in Hong Kong and there is no direct relationship between abuses and the live-in arrangement.