Pro-Beijing lawmaker’s comments on mentally ill ‘condemned’ by psychiatrists

The Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists has demanded an apology from pro-Beijing lawmaker Ann Chiang after she compared pan-democratic lawmakers to “mental patients” in a LegCo meeting on Wednesday. 

Chiang’s pan-democratic colleagues had been filibustering in an attempt to stop the controversial “Internet Article 23” bill – which could see everything from memes to cover songs being outlawed – being passed in LegCo.

Chiang reportedly told LegCo president Tsang Yok-sing said that she was suffering from hearing too much “rubbish” from the pan-democrats. SCMP quotes her as saying “Psychiatrists sit and listen too much to patients with mental problems. Listen and listen, they themselves become mental too.”

“As a result, psychiatrists are more likely to suffer from mental disorder than others,” Chiang continued, without offering anything in the way of evidence.

Despite saying she regrets her remarks, Chiang hasn’t issued a formal apology. According to Ming Pao Daily (as translated by EJI), Chiang claims that she didn’t mean to single anyone out. 

The pro-Beijing lawmaker’s comments were refuted by the Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists, who say they are unfounded and discriminatory. In addition, Cheung’s comments have been decried by the Hong Kong Medical Association, the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, the Hong Kong Social Workers’ General Union, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and Hong Kong Joint Council for People with Disabilities. 

Fair to say they didn’t go down too well then.

Even though Hong Kong law prohibits discrimination against anyone on the basis of disability, Chiang cannot be found liable under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance because of her legislative privilege.

In the meantime, an online petition by the Hong Kong Social Workers’ General Union has demanded an apology.
 


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