鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
IhateformalChinesebanquets.ImusthavehadseveralhundredofthemwhenIwasworkinginChinainthelateeightiesandearlynineties.Wesataroundexchangingforcedpleasantries.Wesmiledandlaughedwitheachotherwithpretenceifwewerelucky.Otherwise,wechewedaroundinsemi-silenceandstaleness.OftenIwouldwanttoscreamoutsomethingoutrageous.
It'salltodowiththeformalworld.Theworldofbureaucracyandtheworldofdiplomacy.It'susuallyapublicfronttowhatisactuallydifferentinprivate.WhenIdealwiththeGovernment,it'sthesame.Thereisalwaysafront.Thereisalwaysanenunciationofpolicy.Thereisalwaysaninsistenceofacomplicateddueprocess.Thereisalwaysanassumptionthatcertainthingsaresacrosanct.Thesamehappensinthediplomaticworld.Ambassadorsputout"official"positions.Theykeeptoabriefandnomatterwhattheyareasked,theyanswerthesame-justlikepoliticians.Indeed,inpolitics,thereisalwaysafrontandaback.Oftentheybearnorelationtoeachother.That'swhenpoliticianslie,whichhappensallthetime.
Thewholeworldofformalitydrivesmemad.Itdoessobecauseitreeksofdisingenuousness.Somuchveneerisusedtohidereality.Somuchfrontisputontoshieldwhatgoesonbehindthescene.ItallremindsmeofTennesseeWilliam's"CatonaHotTinRoof",inwhichthefathercharactermentionsmendacityagainandagain.Soinpoliticsanddiplomacyandbureaucracy,thereismuchmendacity.
RecentlyIchallengedtheGovernmenttoemployjustacoupleofDownSyndromeyoungstersbecauseneverbeforehavetheydoneso.YetitissoimportantfortheDownSyndromecommunitytobeproperlyrecognized.Ifthereisanyoneorganizationwhichshouldtakealead,itistheGovernment.ButtheGovernmenthasneveremployedasingleDownSyndromepersonwithinitsentireworkforce-notevenwithinalltheNGOs(Non-GovernmentalOrganizations).Forme,it'sadisgrace.AndIsaidsodirectly,atameetingtwodaysago,toacoupleofseniorcivilservantsfromtheDepartmentsofCivilServiceandSocialWelfare.ItisadisgracebecausetheGovernmentpontificatesuponapolicyofinclusionforpeoplewithdisabilities,yetitexcludestheDownSyndromegroup.ItisalsoadisgracebecausetheGovernmenteffectivelysetsupfalsehopesforallthosewithintheDownSyndromecommunitybyconstantlyclaimingsupportinpolicy,butneverinpractice.ItisadisgracethatthisDownSyndromegroupisnotbeinggivenhope.Putbluntly,hundredsofDownSyndromepeoplearenotgivenanyrealopportunitiesoflivinganadultlife.Tomakeitworse,DownSyndromepeopletendtoliveshorterlives,andsotheyeffectivelyhavenolifeifweinHongKongdonotasacommunitygooutofourwaytoembracethemintheiradulthood.Justimagineifyouwakeupeverydaywithnothingtodoandnothingtolookforwardto.
Attheendofthisformalmeeting,Isaid,aspolitelyasIcould,thattheGovernmentreallyshouldnottrytoavoidtheissuebyhavingtheSecretaryofCivilServicewritemealetterinwhichhegoesonfor3pagesoftheoryandpolicyandfrontandveneer,butskirtsroundtheissueofjustemployingoneDownSyndromeperson.Indeed,Iwasevenmoredisappointedwhenatthemeeting,thecivilservantsproducedtheargumentthattherewasafreezeonemploymentwithintheCivilService.Whilstthisisgenerallytrue,itisblatantlynotthecaseinreality,asjobsareconstantlyreplaced.Inanyevent,Iwouldn'thavethoughtthatonesinglecitizeninHongKongwouldprotestagainsttheemploymentonthepartoftheGovernmentofjustoneDownSyndromeperson-atacostof,say,$3,000-4,000amonth.It'sallabsolutelynonsense.It'sallfront.It'sallbureaucracy.It'sallfudge.It'sallpolitics.Andit'sunacceptable.
Thesoonerwegetawayfromthismendaciousaspectoftheworld,thebetterwewouldallbe.IhopetheGovernmentwillsendsomebodydowntoourDownSyndromeAssociationtoseeourportfolioofpotentialemployees-all200ofthem.IsimplyrefusetobelievethattheGovernmentcannotemployjustoneoftheminwhatevercapacitybeforeChristmas.Astheysay,"Wherethereisawill,thereisaway"-althoughsadly,inHongKong,moretrueisprobablythejoke"Wherethereisawill,thereisarelative."!