Report: HK pays tribute to slain tour guide in hostage crisis

Almost 1,000 Hong Kong residents paid tribute on Thursday to the tour group leader, Masa Tse Ting-chunn, slain in the August 23 hostage crisis in Manila, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. On that day, Rolando Mendoza, a dismissed senior police inspector, hijacked a bus carrying 21 Hong Kong tourists and four Filipinos. At the end of an 11-hour standoff, Mendoza and eight Hong Kong tourists were killed. What could have been just another day on the job, turned out to be Tse's last. On Thursday night, hundreds paid tribute to Tse in a two-hour service organized by the Hong Thai Travel Services at the Kwai Sing Theatre in Hong Kong, the SCMP reported. The SCMP said the 903-seat auditorium was filled with a crowd dressed in black, among them Tse's family, friends, travel industry colleagues and government representatives. Among those who attended the rite were Travel Industry Council executive director Joseph Tung Yao-chung, Acting Chief Executive Wong Yan-lung, Commissioner for Tourism Philip Yung Wai-hung and Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan. Tse's parents were present, but did not wish to speak to the media, according to SCMP. Hong Kong hero A few of the bereaved took turns onstage to say a few words about Tse, whose picture was displayed beneath a banner that read "Masa, we shall miss you forever." Hong Thai managing director Jackie Wong See-sum praised Tse for his courage and resourcefulness. He said, "He is Hong Kong's hero." "He was a cheerful man. He was always optimistic. The best way to honour him is for us to live a happy life," said Tse's former colleague, Sammy Fong, who had known him since secondary school. "Tse set an example for other tour leaders," said the agency's former general manager Susanna Lau Mei-sze, who stepped down this week after a 23-year service. Lau was succeeded by Jackie Wong's son, Jason. Those present were given a white rose and a leaflet with Tse's motto: "Never should we lose our fighting will, and never should we lose our confidence." A big screen was set up outside the venue for public viewing. The public was later allowed to enter the auditorium to lay flowers. 'Major tragedy' Tse, unmarried, was the leader of the Hong Thai tour group for a four-day trip to the Philippines. The ill-fated Philippine trip of the Hong Kong tourist was almost over on August 23. They were already on their way to the airport but made it only as far as the Quirino Grandstand, where their bus was hijacked by Mendoza. Tse hid his mobile phone and seized an opportunity to call the Hong Thai office in Hong Kong to sound the alarm. His action broke the news in Hong Kong and enabled the Philippine government to form a task force in the opening minutes of the crisis. Although the Manila police had about 11 hours to prepare for a worst-case scenario, the police sent in to storm the bus appeared untrained, said the SCMP report. The Aquino administration has since drawn intense flak for the way the hostage crisis was handled. Even Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang expressed disappointment over the bloody outcome of the incident, which he called “a major tragedy." Webpage Last week, Hong Thai set up a webpage for the public to send their condolences to Tse's family. As of 8:00 p.m. Thursday, about 12,000 messages had been posted. The agency has also raised about HK$2.7 million for Tse's family in a separate campaign. Tse's funeral will be held on Monday at the Universal Funeral Parlour in Hung Hom. — RSJ/VVP, GMANews.TV