Notes » January 2010

Thinly Veiled Racism

In Canada, if a bank refused to open an account because of someone's nationality, the bank in question would be sued to the hilt.

In Hong Kong, however, institutionalized discrimination is not only permitted, it's not even against the law. Were that not the case, then two Pakistani ladies with Hong Kong ID cards would not have been told by a branch of Hang Seng that they couldn't open accounts because they were "from a country involved in terrorist attacks." They also wouldn't have subsequently been told by the Bank of East Asia that they could open accounts, but only if they left the nationality section blank on the form.

Hang Seng's excuse? That the Monetary Authority had advised caution. Other Pakistanis have been similarly discriminated against, with one being informed: "We do not know whether you will do money laundering." The assumption is that all Pakistanis are connected with terrorism. Of course the Monetary Authority denied advising against Pakistanis, as did Hang Seng.

According to the Equal Opportunities Commission, nationality does not fall under the Race Discrimination Ordinance, so the banks have not breached the law. Had they denied accounts on the basis of ethnicity, they would have committed a crime. It's a technicality as nationality can be changed, but I suspect that anyone with brown skin is under suspicion, just as they are when traveling through airports worldwide.

It's thinly veiled racism, and it has no place in Hong Kong. It's up to banks to prevent money laundering, not to summarily judge someone as a launderer based on skin colour or nationality. If I were Pakistani and a bank tried that crap with me they'd never hear the end of it.

Hong Kong is a great city, but it has a lot of growing up to do if it wants to be considered world class.

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