Kira is back with 2 new photos!

Source

Just when everything seems to be getting back to normal, two more photos of a female starlet apparently linked to Edison Chen sex photos scandal was leaked onto the internet early yesterday morning.

The photos are believed to be of the same girl where she appears naked in one and performing a sexual act on a guy in the other. The quality of both pictures are pretty low resolution from a video camera. The photos matched the set of photos released of the girl earlier on. The girl is believed to be Rachel Ngan.

A simple check of the photo showed that it was taken using a Sony DCR-PC100 on 30th July 2001. The date matches with what Rachel said in an earlier interview about intimate photos she had taken with Edison in the past.

The photos was posted on 香港高登 early yesterday morning. A poster by the name of 牛腩3号 posted the photo asking the laptop model in the background of one of the photos. Netizens were shocked to find out that the photo was not seen before and the post was swiftly deleted. The forum admins have notified the police and believed that 牛腩3号 might lead them to “Kira”.

Filming Martial Arts Lover with Gillian - Wu Zun's Fans Against It

Source: UDN
Translated by Cmiley

Because of the scandal of Hong Kong female star Gillian Chung (Ah Jiao) and Edison Chen, her good girl image is ruined, protecting their idol this caused a stir with Wu Zun's fans, these few days China, Hong Kong and Taiwan's region websites have connected together, expressing to Wu Zun's management company for propaganda, requesting the company to not have Wu Zun and Gillian perform together in the film "Martial Arts Lovers". The fans have said, "We don't want Wu Zun's first film to be tarnished, Ah Gil is already not good enough for Wu Zun, this is filming the "Butterfly Lovers", not filming "Jin Ping Mei!"

Wu Zun is suppose to enter the big screen this year, it's scheduled to start filming Ma Chu Cheng's "Martial Arts Lover" after he finishes filming the idol drama "Hot Shot", originally the pairing of Wu Zun and Ah Gil would have been the perfect golden boy and girl, but now Ah Gil is involved in the Edison Chen scandal, the collaboration may change.

Ah Gil's management company EEG has denied Ah Gil will be changed the part, but has admitted that Nicholas Tse will not be filming in "Martial Arts Lover"; but the reason is because of the schedule conflicts.

Despite Ah Gil an artist stepping forward courageously, but most Hong Kong media still criticizes her act heavily.

The reason is because Ah Gil's image was a too deifying good girl image, this included her expressing in public of a kissing scene that made her feel gross, and not having pre-marriage sexual relationship, after the picture scandal this shows her contradicting. The Hong Kong media's comments have heavily criticized, "Not despised of her debauchery, but because of her hypocrisy."

Because of Ah Gil's current image Wu Zun's fans thinks she's not good enough to match him, they're also worried that after Wu Zun accepts this film, the focus on the news will be all fuzzy. Wu Zun's manager Chen Hui Ying yesterday says, not only expressing comments online, the company has also received many letters from fans or have called regarding the similar request, as for the criticism of Ah Gil, she says: "Everyone has the right to express their comments, really appreciate the support for Wu Zun, and we also respect all voices of expression."

As for the decision to resign from filming? She says, "We have been talking with this film for a long time, but until today we have still not made a decision, this is because lately the weather hasn't been good, the filming of "Hot Shot" has been delayed, so there could be a possibility of schedule conflict to not able to film."

Hong Kong producer of "Martial Arts Lovers" Xuan Jiazhen yesterday said he respects the suggestions from the fans, but hopes to have the fans to give them some time, so that we can find a solution that will be acceptable for everyone.

Cecilia Cheung & Nic Tse Sign Separation Papers?

Since the online circulation of Cecilia Cheung Pak Chi's nude photos, Cecilia and husband, Nicholas Tse Ting Fung have not made a public appearance. To avoid the paparazzi, the pair recently moved out of their old apartment.

The nature of Cecilia's photos was highly explicit. Also, judging by Cecilia's hairstyle in the photos, it was widely speculated that the pictures were taken around the the same time that Cecilia and Nic Tse got married in 2006. Thus there have been rumors that Cecilia may have been two-timing Nic Tse, while simultaneously engaged in a sexual affair with Edison Cheng Koon Hei.

The reverberations of the Edison Chen sex scandal have been far and wide, implicating many artists and their family members. Over the last few days, it was rumored that Nic Tse lost his temper over the release of Cecilia's nude photos. Allegedly, Nic removed his wedding ring and wanted to get a divorce.

According to a legal source, there were online rumors that Cecilia and Nic have already signed separation papers! Allegedly, Nic's reason in requesting a divorce was that Cecilia did not treasure their relationship and love.

When reporters asked Nic's father, Patrick Tse about the divorce rumors, he refused to comment. "I will not answer."

Attempts to contact Nic's mother, Deborah Dik Bo Lai, failed. Her voice mail picked up with Lunar New Year greetings. Apparently Cecilia's recent scandal has not dampened Deborah's spirits.

Source: Mingpao
Credits: Jayne

Kira received 7 million HK dollars, disappears forever

Source
Translated by Labyrinth

Kira received 7 million HK dollars, disappears forever.
Beijing, Feb 12, 2008

The curtain has dropped: According to friends in HK, all the photos we have seen thus so far were screen captures from videos. Gillian’s photos were the first 10 minutes of the video, why? Because it was a used as a bargaining chip for extortion. Secondly, the audio of the video involves the reputation of many other big-name celebrities.

Gaoqing (who?) has over 1000 photos alone, and they were partially released last year. The first time Edison’s photo got released was the result of a hacker. This hacker has the most complete data. In order to protect himself from hackers and trojans, he transferred part of his data to his Apple computer. Apple does not run Windows, and most trojan are designed towards windows. The photos that were stolen during his computer repair is only a small part, and that is to the person we come to know as Kira. Photos of Vincy Yeung released on the 9th was unexpected from EEG Music. As we know, Edison’s photo all came in a set, and every women has a complete collection including the sexual parts. Usually they are released in few numbers first, then released in completion. So Vincy has a complete collection too.

Kira’s upload on the 9th, 4:45 is the last upload from Kira. He had an agreement with EEG in the amount of 700 million hk dollars. Why did Gillian’s manager said Gillian would appear on the 11th? its because they have came to an agreement with Kira. After the money is received he needs 24 hours to confirm payment, and also time for him to flee. As a matter of fact, the photos he has have already been uploaded to various free servers in the United States and Europe. If the discussion does not fall into place or if anything were to happen to him, he has set automatic emails that would email the links to his trustworthy friends, so they can spread the files. The reason Gillian appears in front of the media on the 11th, and the fact that she had a big smile on her face, was because she knew the ordeal has came to a rest.

What’s Kira’s gain for showing us the photos? What does he get by destroying the life of these celebrities? He is not a warrior of morals, he’s just a regular Hong Kong citizen. Money is his ultimate choice. So everyone, please stop calling for him, he has disappeared forever. From tomorrow, there’s a lot more entertainers going to entertain us, and the danger is over. It is disappointed for us, but we all know the reason behind Kira’s action.

Gossip
The photos actually were stolen a long time ago. At first Kira talked to Edison, asking for 5 million HK dollars, but was not agreed upon. Edison was afraid he won’t be able to get back all the photos. He looked for Albert Yeung Shou Cheng (EEG’s president) to help him on the matter. Eventually, Kira released some information to the media, the magazines last year briefly mentioned this matter. However because of EEG’s influential power, magazines were afraid to show the photos nor pay Kira. Through the help of magazine’s editor, one of the three members from Kira’s group was found. He knew whether he surrender the photos or not, he was doomed. He did not say anything while being question, and was eventually killed. The other two then fled to Southeast Asia, and again try to distort EEG and Edison. Befor the matter gains public attention Edison already knew, because both parties could not agree on a price, this time Kira was asking more than 10 millions. Edison took a private car to Shenzhen, then to Macau, took a private plane from his dad’s friend to the United States, and look for Vincy Yeung to help his cause. Albert Yeung Shou Cheng thought he could handle the matter, but eventually it was still not solved. Kira has decided to raise the price, and released the photos the night when Edison fled HK. Since that day Kira has been raising his price every day. It is believed Kira is in Thailand and Indonesia, and Kira is a group of two, and the data has been uploaded to the United States.

Do not think you have seen the best of all, why hasn’t C10’s (Jolin Tsai Yi Ling) and Maggie Q’s photo being released? Because Kira hasn’t gotten the right price, or because of safety reason, there isn’t a safe way for him to get paid.

Right now, both parties are fighting. The involvement of HK police has propelled this tension to its maximum. If Kira is sure he couldn’t get his money, there’s gonna be a monster upload, but not all. The reason is because there’s heavy involvement from other celebrities, including HK, China and Taiwan. If Kira wants to live longer than Edison, he would have to have something to protect himself from.

It is obvious what is going to happen to Edison, he’s going to die unnaturally.

Vincy’s 3 photos was a declaration of power to EEG, showing Kira has even better materials. This action forced EEG to come to the table, leaving the police behind. Bobo’s photos that were uploaded today were no longer of importance, since she was only a sacrifice in this whole matter. However, Vincy, C10 (Jolin Tsai) and Maggie Q, definitely will not be released today. Because this is Kira’s ultimate chip. And the most controversial material in Kira’s collection?

Jaycee Chan: Edison will definitely give a public response soon & Nicholas & Cecilia move house

Source

It looks like Maggie Q is yet another victim. The phoenix tattoo she is famous for, seen in Balls Of Fury, certainly matches the recently released saucy picture.
This, even as Edison himself is facing calls to return to Hongkong to face the music.

Although fully clothed, the woman is seen kneeling in a suggestive pose with her skirt lifted up to reveal her white panties and a hint of a tattoo on her left hip.

The real Maggie Q (short for Quigley) sports a tattoo of a rising phoenix on the same spot. It can be seen in her Hollywood film Balls Of Fury. It is not known how the photo got leaked, but its appearance confirms recent speculation online that the next female celebrity to be implicated is one whose name bears the letter Q.
If so, this will make her the eighth victim in the scandal, and by far, the most famous star of the lot.
Others whose raunchy photos have surfaced in the past two weeks include actress Cecilia Cheung, retired actress Bobo Chan and singer Gillian Chung, who admitted on Monday that she was 'naive and silly'.

It was her first public appearance since the news broke.
All of them have been romantically linked to Edison, 28, at one point or another.
Hawaii-born Maggie, 29, who had started out as a teen model, starred in the Hong Kong film Gen-Y Cop with Vancouver-born Edison in 2000.

Sharing a similar Westernised background, they reportedly bonded well and even became lovers.
Even though her name came up early in the scandal, Maggie told the Hong Kong media last week through her manager that she would not give any comments because she is currently in the US and has not seen any reports so far.
But, she is slated to return to Asia next month to promote her new film Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon. It opens here on 3 Apr.

Resourceful netizens have been conducting their own investigations though.
From two old photos of Edison wearing a T-shirt and a pair of sports shoes that match those in Maggie's picture, they concluded that it must been taken in Edison's home.
Perhaps Edison can do his own explaining when he returns to Hong Kong by the end of the week.

His manager told reporters on Monday that he will leave Boston on Friday, after spending Valentine's Day with his girlfriend Vincy Yeung. The manager added that Edison will definitely hold a media conference, and it will be different from Gillian's brief session that did not allow any reporters to ask questions.

But details will only be worked out after Edison returns. Also, Edison confided in his actor pal Jaycee Chan recently that he will definitely give a public response soon. Jaycee told reporters on Monday he managed to contact Edison via MSN and he could sense the latter was 'very unhappy'.

Meanwhile, there is talk that Cecilia got down on her knees to beg her actor husband Nicholas Tse not to file for divorce. Apparently, their marriage is on the rocks because Nicholas suspects Cecilia cheated on him with Edison. A clear sign of trouble: His wedding band was conspicuously missing when he was last seen by reporters recently.

But it seems Cecilia has no intention of coming out to face the public yet. When asked, her assistant said on Monday that Cecilia did not want to comment on the saga - she only wanted to enjoy Chinese New Year in Hong Kong.

The Tse's move house
Source: on.cc

After the scandal broke, the media have been waiting outside the home of Nicholas & Cecilia. Reporters found out yesterday that the house was vacant and Mani confirmed that the Tse's had infact moved house two weeks ago. Nicolas Tse's rep Mani Fok said the relationship of Tse and wife Cecilia is still ok and not affected by the scandal.

Edison Saga Finally Over?

Some thoughts to ponder...

Kira, the man or men responsible for leaking the photos, has remained silent for the past couple of days. His inactivity and the fact that Gillian was smiling at her press conference has led people to believe EEG, Gillian’s record company, paid him (Kira) off.

All of what has happened has fostered a few conspiracy theories on a said rumour. Some of which are posted under the cut.

Fun fact: In Gillian’s speech she said she was naive. On her nightstand is a bottle of KY Jelly.

Jackie Chan’s involvement
The pictures that were released were stills taken from video. These were used as bargaining chips for a pay off. The rumor is in the video Edison asks Gillian who’s better in bed. Him, Jackie Chan or Albert, the owner of EEG. Not to tarnish the reputation of one of the most internationally known actors in Hong Kong with the Olympics looming, they decide to pay Kira off.

HK$10 million payout
More than one person was releasing the photos. They were paid 10 million HKD or 1.3 million USD to stop releasing.

Gillian Chung used as bait
Gillian Chung’s public appearance was used to lure Kira out of hiding which it never did.

Kira in hiding
Kira is waiting for Edison to return to Hong Kong to release more pictures to embarrass him.


We can await more interesting news once Edison returns to Hong Kong to face the media.

Edison's Total Damage

Edison Chen has had his advertisements for Manhattan Titanium, a credit card company, pulled, as a result of the ongoing naughty photos scandal, Sing Tao Daily, a Hong Kong newspaper, reported today. The advertising campaign was launched last month.

This is the latest blow for the Hong Kong star, after being cut from an upcoming movie last Tuesday. Columbia Pictures announced that its film Jump, a joint production with Stephen Chow’s company Star Overseas, which was due for release 1 May, had been put back until 1 October. The Hong Kong-made film was to star Edison alongside Kitty Zhang.

Sing Tao Daily estimated that the scandal could cost Edison, who was seen as one of the coolest entertainers in Hong Kong showbiz, HK$10m a year in work and endorsements.

The newspaper reported that Edison earned over HK$2m as an actor last year, including his voiceover work for the Cantonese version of Shrek the Third.

Edison’s reputation has recently been boosted by roles in Hollywood films like The Grudge 2 and the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight.

Sing Tao Daily reported that Edison could demand a HK$400,000 fee for a 20-minute singing performance.

Sponsors of Edison include Pepsi, Levi’s, Jacobs & Co, Samsung and EPS. Sing Tao Daily estimated that the star could demand HK$1m for each endorsement.

A Pepsi spokesperson said that the company would not drop Edison but are constantly monitoring the situation. An EPS spokesperson said the same.

Edison’s company Clot Inc also does a lot of collaborative work with companies like Nike and Coach.

Internet Sex Video Case Stirs Free-Speech Issues in Hong Kong

By KEITH BRADSHER
February 13, 2008

Source: New York Times


HONG KONG — A series of arrests here for posting sexually explicit images of what appear to be some of Asia’s best-known pop stars has led to a division among Internet users over free speech, and questions of selective police enforcement of obscenity laws.

The police have arrested nine people in connection with photographs and videos on the Internet in the last two weeks. Three suspects have been formally charged, including a 24-year-old man in Kowloon who was charged Tuesday with publishing obscene materials after he was said to have posted two files containing 100 photos.

He did not enter a plea and was freed on bail of 10,000 Hong Kong dollars ($1,282). His lawyer declined to comment.

Some Web users here see the police action as an infringement on individual freedoms. They held a protest Sunday, arguing that, among other things, Hong Kong’s anti-pornography ordinance was too broad and too vague, and that this was a case of unequal treatment.

“On the Internet there are a lot of nude pictures and sexy photos, but the police don’t bring charges” except in the current case involving the singers, said Oiwan Lam, a local blogger who participated in the demonstration and edits inmediahk.net, a citizen-reporter Web site.

Other users have been wary of casting the case as a free-speech issue, partly because they sense that the police crackdown may have strong public backing and partly because Hong Kong laws allow the police to prosecute people who distribute pornography.

Some say the backlash from the public could be worse than the crackdown by the police if Internet users oppose it too vocally.

“If we listen to radio talk shows and so forth, there are people calling in who say that Internet users are unreasonable and want to pass around dirty pictures,” said Charles Mok, the chairman of the Hong Kong chapter of the Internet Society, an international advisory group on Internet standards.

Mr. Mok took a somewhat sympathetic tone toward authorities, noting that just as the police could not ticket every traffic offender, they could not charge everyone who distributed pornography, but did have an obligation to address cases that caught the community’s attention, like videos and photos that appear to show famous singers engaged in sex acts.

Mr. Mok did not join Sunday’s march, which the police estimated at 230 people and organizers estimated at more than 400.

One of Hong Kong’s most popular singers, Gillian Chung, who has a following of girls in their early teens and younger and who has been prominently featured in ads for Hong Kong Disneyland, seems to appear repeatedly in the photographic material. Ms. Chung is part of a duo known as the Twins.

At a brief news conference on Monday, Ms. Chung neither confirmed nor denied that she appeared in the images, but she said she had been “naïve” in her youth and regretted causing distress to her family and fans. The date of the images is unclear, but they appear to have been taken over the last several years.

When a few photos began to circulate on the Internet in late January, the Emperor Entertainment Group, the promoter of Ms. Chung and several other singers involved, suggested that the photos had been altered to place the stars’ faces on other women’s bodies in the videos and photographs. Spokesmen for Emperor Entertainment declined to comment on the dispute.

Late Tuesday, in an e-mail reply to questions, the Hong Kong police confirmed that they had arrested nine people and said that two had been charged so far with “publishing obscene articles” and one had been charged with “access to a computer with dishonest/criminal intent.”

The police declined to address the question of selective enforcement except to say that “any enforcement action taken by the police is in accordance with the laws in Hong Kong.”

Some observers say they see the current cases as part of a toughening of Hong Kong police policies. The arrests coincide with preparations for six Olympic equestrian events to be held in Hong Kong in August.

Jackie Hung, the vice convener of the Civil Human Rights Front, a broad coalition of nongovernmental groups in Hong Kong, said she knew of 37 protesters arrested last year at nonviolent demonstrations.

The crackdown contrasts starkly with Hong Kong’s recent past. When about 500,000 people protested on July 1, 2003, against a proposal for strict internal security laws, the police arrested no one. Afterward, the government withdrew the proposal.

Hong Kong media reported this week that a video store across the border in mainland China was selling CDs of the singers’ explicit videos and photos for $2.70 each, but was promptly closed by mainland officials. Discussions of the videos and photos have flooded Internet forums in Hong Kong and the mainland.

The photos and videos appear to show a well-known male Hong Kong singer and record producer, Edison Chen, in separate scenes with at least six women, four of whom are also well-known singers. In a video released last week, Mr. Chen apologized “to anyone who has been affected” and asked the public to delete any copies of the photos.

“The lives of many innocent people have been affected by this malicious and criminal conduct, and in this regard I am filled with pain, hurt and frustration,” Mr. Chen said.

According to the police, Mr. Chen took his laptop computer to a local computer repair shop, and the computer’s memory was copied there. An employee at a downtown computer store, eLiTe Multimedia Ltd., who only gave his last name, Yeung, said on Tuesday that a former employee had been arrested, but he declined to elaborate, citing the police investigation.

The current scandal has led Hong Kong tabloids to run reports in the last several days of supposed plans by gangsters to “teach a lesson” to Mr. Chen and perhaps even kill him. Organized crime has long played an important role in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry.

Mr. Chen has left Hong Kong but plans to return this weekend and hold a news conference, said Mavis Leung, his spokeswoman, who declined to elaborate.

Hilda Wang contributed reporting.

Big Sister Liza Wang : ''Edison Chen should not be afraid of difficulties and be courageous''

Strongly Supports God-son Is Not A Coward Anthony Wong Wants To Nab Edison Back To HK To Catch Suspect

One of the sex picture scandal’s lead Gillian Chung made a statement on February 11th. Edison Chen’s godfather Anthony Wong wants to nab Edison. So Edison can come back to Hong Kong to face the crowd and assist the police to catch the suspect.

Anthony is the godfather of Edison. Once he knew that Gillian made a statement at a press conference, he immediately praised Gillian. He said: “It’s good that Gillian is willing to be responsible and admit it. She did what she was supposed to do. It is best that everyone stood up with courage and face their problems. I hope that Gillian and the other victims can overcome this. I hope that my [god-] son (Edison) can come back to Hong Kong. He needs to stand up and admit to it. This incident has gone to the most serious stage. He needs to come back to assist the police’s investigation. Right now, we need to concentrate our fire power to find that crazy guy. We can’t let him use those pictures to kill people without spilling blood.”

Anthony admitted that before the scandal happened, Edison would ask him out for dinner. Edison also told Anthony of his plans to go to Canada and the US to meet up with his girlfriend. So he isn’t intentionally hiding. Anthony said: “Edison is not a coward. He already made plans earlier to go away (from Hong Kong). According to sources, Edison will be coming back to Hong Kong in a few days. He will also hold a press conference to clarify issues.”

Yesterday, Liza Wang attended the 八和會館 for CNY greetings. She agrees that Gillian was brave to face the media. Liza said: “I think it is best that she came out because she will have to face them sooner or later. Adults should show responsibility for what they did. (“The other victims should come out also?”) This is their personal choice. I feel that the guy should come out because the effect (of the scandal) is too large. (“Edison should come back to Hong Kong?”) He should not be afraid of difficulties and be courageous. It’s pitiful what happened to the girls. This is a good example of what not to do. A parent needs to properly deal with this matter explaining it to their children. Computers advances are very fast. We can’t control it. A girl needs to know how to protect themselves.”

Source

Gillian Chung’s Statement VS Edison Chen’s Attempt For Sympathy

Credits: Serena @http://asian-gossip.blogspot.com/
Source: Mingpao

Gillian Chung’s Statement VS Edison Chen’s Attempt For Sympathy

Under EEG’s arrangement, Gillian Chung personally made a statement about the suspected nude pictures of artistes. Compared to Edison’s pre-taped statement, Gillian had more sincerity which wins her support from the entertainment ciricle!

Approach

Edison: His lawyers distributed a pre-taped video clip, 1:23 minutes in length.

Gillian: Personally making a statement to +100 reporters. Her statement length was approximately 2 minutes long.

Appearance

Edison: Lame t-shirt. Didn’t really pay attention to his hair. It created a drab and dreary feeling.

Gillian: Long straight hair which is a different hairstyle which appeared in the pictures. It was to prevent association with the pictures.

Emotion

Edison: Black eyes and unshaven. Unsuccessful businessman look.

Gillina: She had makeup on and was smiling to people. She seem to be in high spirits.

Speech

Edison: English script. Emotionless like reading from a book.

Gillian: Used Cantonese and emotionally expressive.

Location

Edison: A dimly lit room. A grey-white background which makes the location mysterious.

Gillian: At the hotel/restaurant where her fans gathering were held. The location was bright and open. The atmosphere was warm and lively.

EEG Members Seals Their Mouth Silently Supporting Gillian

Credits: Serena @http://asian-gossip.blogspot.com/
Thanks to Serena For this long Translation
Source: MingPao

EEG Members Seals Their Mouth Silently Supporting Gillian

The suspected nude pictures of artistes have surface for over two weeks. One of the victims Gillian Chung chooses to stand up and face the crowd to make a statement. Yesterday, Twins and their fans in a CNY greetings function.
It is also the grandest in scale. Only 200 fans were at the function but 300 reporters and other people were present.
Also the EEG family was present at the function. Boss Albert Yeung and Twins’ “younger siblings” were there to silently support them.

Yesterday, Gillian’s press conference was held at 2:15 pm. Actually Gillian and Charlene Choi arrived early at the location. They were at the CNY greeting function with their fans around 1 pm (private, no press allowed in).
All the exits and entrances were bursting with press. Some fans who were a bit late could not gain entrance to the function. Albert Yeung and his wife arrived around 2 o’clock. They were lead by their bodyguards to the function location. Albert did not respond to the endless bombardment of questions about his view on Gillian.

At the function, Twins and their fans played games and sang songs. Gillian was composed and would laugh with Charlene. They were very involved in the game play. Off stage, besides their fans, the entire EEG was there.
Albert Yeung and his wife, Don Li, Deep Ng, Vincy Chan, Yumiko Cheng, Mandy, Ken Hung, Sherman Chung and others.
These supporters appeared intense and serious which was the opposite of the Twins’ ease on stage. At the end of the function, Charlene made a statement representing Twins. She thanked the fans and said: “Thank-you everyone for coming. We hope that everyone will be happy and most importantly healthy this year.” The fans lifted up banners to support Twins. Besides the usual “Support You Forever”, there was a specially made “We Will Always Support You”.

At the press conference, Gillian made a statement which was only two minutes in length. The fans applauded for encouragement. At the end of the press conference, all the EEG artistes were protected because the press was not allowed to be close to them. EEG made a public statement which said the incident has created a lot of torment and hurt for the victims. All the artistes, including Gillian, will not respond to this incident at any press conferences. EEG artistes received their order to keep their mouth shut. The artistes left in groups after the press conference. Some left by cars directly to avoid reporter’s questions. Deep left via the main entrance but he was in between workers so he did not respond to the reporter’s questions.

Film star sex scandal causes internet storm in China

Jonathan Watts
guardian.co.uk,
Tuesday February 12 2008

A Chinese website showing a photo of film star Zhang Bia Zhi,

allegedly taken from Edison Chen's laptop. Photograph: Dan Chung

An unlikely coalition of pop idols, communist censors, Hong Kong police and a Catholic bishop are fighting to stifle the biggest celebrity sex scandal in the history of the Chinese internet.

They are struggling to halt the spread of thousands of lurid digital photographs apparently showing one of Hong Kong's most famous actors, Edison Chen, in bed with eight of the territory's top actresses, singers and businesswomen.

The images were illegally copied from a customised pink Macbook belonging to the star, best known for the Infernal Affairs police films. They have prompted a media frenzy here that has, in terms of scale and interest, utterly eclipsed the fixation about Britney Spears on the English-language web.

As well as crashing internet servers in celebrity-obsessed Hong Kong, the gossip has spread to the mainland, where one online discussion about the subject generated more than 25m page views and 140,000 comments.

Police investigating the cause of the scandal have focused on Chen's pink laptop, which he nicknamed Cotton Candy Mac. According to local newspapers, the photographs were illegally copied from the computer while it was being serviced by technicians.

Since the first images appeared more than two weeks ago, an unknown culprit has uploaded dozens of fresh pictures every day, each time putting more celebrities into more compromising positions.

Emperor Entertainment Group - the management company for Chen and at least one other of the stars pictured in the videos - iinitially claimed the pictures were fabricated. But Chen has since made an apology.

"The lives of many innocent people have been affected by this malicious and criminal conduct. And in this regard, I'm filled with pain, hurt and frustration. I hereby use this opportunity to apologise to anyone who has been affected by this strange, strange ordeal," he said in a short video statement.

The Vancouver-born actor and rap singer called upon anyone in possession of the images not to pass them on.

"I urge you to please destroy them immediately. Let's help the wounded heal their wounds. I urge you to help the victims and not make it any worse."

As the pictures spread like wildfire, a similar appeal was made by the John Tong, the Catholic bishop of Hong Kong.

"It is also biblical teaching that we should speak no evil, see no evil and hear no evil. It is important that we should keep our mind decent and perhaps needless to say, we should not post or circulate pictures," he told the South China Morning Post.

Criticism has been mixed with sympathy for the victims. Bloggers accused pop singer Gillian Chung of hypocrisy because she was making speeches against pre-marital sex at about the same as she was photographed apparently doing the opposite with Chen.

"I admit that I was naive and very silly, but I've grown up now," Chung told a packed press conference yesterday.

Hong Kong police have arrested eight suspects and warned that people may be prosecuted for sharing the images. This has prompted a march by several hundred free speech activists, who believe the crackdown has gone too far.

But the daily leak of new images has continued on servers in the US and Australia, circulated through photo sharing website Flickr, by email and passed on by hand in the form of shared memory devices.

The gossip has spread rapidly to the mainland, where internet sources say it is dominating celebrity news forums even though censors remove the images almost as soon as they are put up.

On the popular Tianya bulletin board, a single discussion string about the veracity of the pictures has attracted 25.8 million page views and 140,000 comments.

Visitors to the Tianya site also share tips on where to download the latest images, criticism about the behaviour of the stars and - in one or two extreme cases - speculation about when the victims might commit suicide.

The condemnatory tone of many postings has prompted some commentators to turn on the gossipers.

"You people are very hypocritical, scolding the female stars at the same time waiting for new photos and links," wrote one poster.

Mindful that similar discussion groups have been closed down, along with links to the forbidden images, Tianya switched its tone today.

A new discussion thread highlights the need for morality and links the "mass voyeurism" of the scandal with democracy.

One commentator said it proved mainland-style politics are better than the intrusive democracy of the Hong Kong and the UK.

"Britain has democracy but the biggest selling newspapers there are tabloids, which report all the private matters of the royal family. The US has democracy, but its internet is filled with the Paris Hilton sex video. We have more democracy than Hong Kong."

Others, however, were dismissive about the significance of the story.
"This is a very big celebrity story, but I don't see any deep meaning except that one should beware of geeks," said another mainland media source, referring to the technicians suspected of taking the images.

Edison Chen's Scandal: 24 year old man charged, 100 new photos found - pictures uploaded to server in Cyprus

Translation by: evodrift @asianfanatics
Source
HK time: 1:00pm

This morning, a 24 year old man was brought to court in the Kwun Tong and charged with possesion and distribution of pornographic materials. The defendant is allowed to be released on bail. His case will be brought up again on the 11th of next month. In order to the police further investigate. The defendant is allowed to be released on bail.

It is reported that the defendent works in the civilian sector and is suspected of uploading 100 obsence photographs to an internet server in Cypus and then released back into a forum in Hong Kong. These 100 new obscene pictures were not in the original 1300 photographs that police had obtained earlier.

Edison Chen's Sex Scandal Case - The Rights and Powers Behind Photographs

Source
Shao Jian at Southern Metropolis Daily

The "Sex Photos Gate" is a farce. At this time, the uploaders have been arrested but the Hong Kong citizens are unhappy. They wanted to march on February 10 to protest the unfairness of the Hong Kong police who only know to go after small citizens while ignoring the source.

They marched yesterday to the Wanchai police headquarters to protest the threatening words from Commissioner of Police Tang King-shing, who said that possession of large numbers of obscene articles may be inferred to be evidence of intent to distribute. The awareness of Hong Kong citizens is high and, under "one country, two systems," they could march to express their will in front of the police station. This was also a fight between rights and powers. In a normal democratic society, the powers have to listen to the sounds of the rights even if they are reluctant to do so.

However, one must be wary that the improper actions of the police have triggered inappropriate demands -- 70% of netizens voted to de-criminalize uploading and they also wanted the police to arrest Edison Chen for taking the photographs and being the source. But this is demanding the authorities to hurt another victim. Chen may be the photographer, but he is also a victim whose privacy has been invaded. Unless the photographs were taken by force, it is not against the law to take such photographs; the criminals are those who circulated the photographs on the Internet.

No matter how you look at it, this was a major invasion of privacy that caused severe mental distress on the principals. In examining this case, we see that the authorities must not selectively enforce the law. When that happens, there will be a reaction from the citizens whose rights are infringed upon. Once the people are incensed, conflicts among various rights may lead to more injustice and damages.

Disc of Obscene Photographs of HK artistes sold in the streets

Source



Yesterday in Shuiwei (Futian district, Shenzhen city), our reporter observed people selling laser discs containing the obscene photographs of Hong Kong artistes. Previously, people have only read about these photographs in the newspapers. Yesterday, a video store was showing them on television.

A crowd of gawkers were drawn in. According to the salesperson, each disk contains 258 photographs. Priced at HKD 20 apiece, the reporter observed that a stack of 30 discs were quickly sold out in less than an hour. The video store also offered to download the photos onto mobile telephones for HKD 10.

Under Chinese law, it is illegal to manufacture and sell such discs. If found guilty, the offender faces between three to seven years in jail. But it is not a crime to purchase such discs or share them among friends.

Hongkong Star Edison Chen in Suicide Bid Claim

HONG KONG heartthrob Edison Chen has reportedly attempted suicide after partially nude images of him with several starlets started circulating in the Internet.

In a scandal that has dominated Hong Kong headlines last week, at least 10 suggestive photos posted online seemed to show Chen, singer-actress Gillian Chung, former actress-singer Bobo Chan and actress Cecilia Cheung.

The images are believed to have been copied from Chen's computer when it was serviced at Elite Multi Media Shop in the Central district.

China Press said yesterday that the singer-actor became depressed over the issue and avoided food lately.

He had also reportedly confined himself to his home in the United States, where he fled to after the controversy erupted.

The daily said Chen’s image hit rock bottom after the scandal came to light.

Several companies which had sought Chen’s endorsement for their products have also terminated their contracts with the star.

Chen had apologised, calling the postings of the photographs 'intentionally hurtful and malicious'.

In a one-minute video statement released to the media through a law firm, the 27-year old urged all who were still in possession of the images to destroy them immediately.

Police arrested six men and two women over the case last week.

A 23-year old man was charged last Tuesday with acessing a computer with criminal or dishonest intent in 2006, said Sing Tao Daily. But he denied he was the source of the photos.

He was released on bail of HK$50,000 (S$9,000) and will go on trial on Feb 22. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Source: TheStar Online

Public Response to Gillian Chung's Press Conference

Source: MingPao

For the first time since the Edison Chen photographs appeared on the Internet, Gillian Chung made a public appearance before the press. She made a statement but did not take any questions.

Gillian Chung began by saying Happy New Year to those present. She said that this incident has caused great distress and hurt to herself and those around her. She admitted to being very naïve and very stupid before, but she has now grown up. She expressed her gratitude towards the company, her family and her friends for their concern and support. She apologized for the effect of the affair on society at large. In the future, she will continue to work hard and live actively. Finally, she thanked the media for their concern and the fans who never abandoned her.

Did anyone coach her on the script? How can she say that she had been "very naïve, very stupid" (很天真,很傻) before? This phrase is likely to become the second Internet pop phrase of the year. She can use any other words to express the same idea, but not with two "very's." This is because the first Internet pop phrase of the year was the now famous "Very Yellow, Very Violent". How can anyone fail to draw that analogy?

The Internet forum response has been quite negative. Throughout her statement, there was no description of what the affair was about. The netizens did not take kindly towards her description of being "very naïve, very stupid." People pointed to the KY jelly in the background of one of her photographs and asked: "If she had been 'very naïve, very stupid' at the time when she was using KY jelly in a hotel room, then what is she doing now that she has grown up?"

Why is the Internet forum public so hostile towards Gillian Chung this time? When photographs of her changing in the dressing room appeared in EasyFinder magazine in August 2006, the public was overwhelmingly on her side. But the tide appeared to have swung the other way around. One reason was that her company Emperor Entertainment Group had claimed initially that the photographs were computer modifications. When more photographs appeared, EEG went silent and refused to comment on the grounds that there was an ongoing police investigation. Even at today's press conference, EEG stated that the company and all its artistes will decline comment in the future in the interest of not causing more social harm. The Internet forum users consider Gillian Chung and EEG evasive.

The more significant reason is captured in this comment by the Those Were The Days blogger:

The privacy of an artiste is clearly different from that of a public servant. The private life of a public servant may affect his job performance. For example, when a politician cheats on his wife, the public may begin to doubt his character. Therefore, the public and the media have cause to be concerned about the private lives of public figures. Meanwhile, the artistes only have to be concerned about their singing and acting, because their private lives do not affect their job performance. The public and the media should not be exposing and judging the private lives of artistes.

That might be correct in general, but things are different in Hong Kong. European and American artistes are selling their singing/acting abilities and not their moral conduct and character. I have not seen any European and American artistes who would leverage positions on pre-marital sex, chastity and multiple sex partners to package their images. European and American artistes, especially those in rock 'n roll music, are notorious for being licentious and involved in drug abuse. But they don't need to disguise that because they are selling their singing and not any saintly image.

In the Hong Kong entertainment industry, some artistes have become upholders of morality. They criticize the media for being very yellow and very violent; they preach morality; they say that this or that magazine should not have published something or the other because corrupts young people; they describe themselves as clean, self-respecting and pure beyond belief. In recent years, the government likes to appoint these artistes as their youth ambassadors on account of their influence among young people. So these artistes are happily shaking hands with Donald Tsang or participating in a national day gala festival in Beijing. Do they realize that they are longer just artistes anymore? If they want to be pure artistes, then they should not be staking out moral positions, or acting as government spokespersons, or engaging in politics. If they do so, they must be prepared to sacrifice their privacy and restrict their own private lives because they are now public figures. For example, if an American movie star supports the Republican Party, then the fact that she once had an abortion cannot be just waved away as a "private matter."

In this affair, the citizens and netizens are reacting strongly because certain artistes have been behaving as more than artistes. They are using every means to criticize any negative information and reports about them. They are setting themselves at the highest moral point in order to criticize everybody else as immoral. Why else would the citizens and netizens call the artistes (藝人) as fake people (偽人)?

A while ago, the former wife of a hairdresser wrote a book that exposed the private affair between her husband and an actress. But the media and the public showed no interest and the story could not even make the local news page. Why? Because the actress was just an artiste! Who cares about her private life? If you don't live in Hong Kong, if you don't understand popular sentiments in Hong Kong and if you don't know what has been happening before this, you cannot understand why people feel this way now about this affair.

In August 2006, EasyFinder published photographs of Gillian Chung changing her clothes in a dressing room. In the ensuing press conference, Gillian Chung spoke of wanting to die and never being able to face young people again. The photographs back then revealed nothing except her armpit. At today's press conference, Gillian Chung was beaming with confidence. The photographs now revealed just about everything of her. It is hard not to notice the incongruence.

New Maggie Q Pictures?

I'm not sure if the picture is for real but it has been circulating thus i posted it up. i will update if there is news on it. meanwhile....

Notice the similiarities....

Kira: 3 Edison Chen Sex Videos Will be Uploaded at 3am?

Mysterious Kira has left a message in traditional Chinese (below is a rough translation) on HKGloden forum at 23:41 pm February 11 (Hong Kong time)

Today February 11 is the day when Gillian Chung met up the fans. I/We originally planned to upload Edison Chen sex video(s) simultaneously along with the event, but couldn't make it due to some reasons.

Now I/we decide again to post three of videos at 3am (Feb 12) which are the original footages that had been made into pictures posted earlier and some new contents that were previously unseen. Please be patient.

Besides, the concerned authorities, please don't detain any scapegoats [RC note: Hong Kong police made the 9th arrest]. Catch me if you can.

Pictures show woman resembling tycoon's niece in shower, netizens ask...

THE Edison Chen scandal has taken on a new twist.

The latest batch of photos, released on Saturday, claimed another victim - a woman resembling tycoon Albert Yeung Sau Shing's niece, Ms Vincy Yeung.

Mr Yeung owns Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG), one of the largest entertainment groups in Hong Kong.

His niece, an undergraduate studying in Boston, is Edison's current girlfriend.

Three pictures show a naked woman resembling her standing in a shower.

But questions are being raised on when the pictures were taken, reported Apple Daily.

In 2006, Edison and Ms Yeung admitted that they were dating. She was 18 then.

Then, last July, during a Taiwanese television interview, Edison revealed that they had been dating for three years. If that is accurate, it means the couple started dating in 2004, when Ms Yeung was 16.

So, say netizens, it is possible that the pictures were taken before her 16th birthday.

They are calling for a police investigation into whether the person who took the photos is guilty of having sex with an underaged girl.

And this could spell more trouble for the beleaguered Edison.

In Hong Kong, anyone caught with child pornographic materials can be fined a maximum of HK$100,000 ($18,000) and jailed up to five years. In addition, the crime does not depend where the pictures were taken.

ANTI-EDISON FERVOUR

Meanwhile, anti-Edison Chen sentiment has swept popular social networking site Facebook. Several anti-Edison Chen groups have sprouted. One, in particular, has unified detractors of Edison's actions.

Called 'We strongly urge Tang King Shing to go to Canada to arrest Edison Chen' in Mandarin, it was formed last month by a netizen named Chris Chan. In two weeks, the group gathered more than 1,700 members.

Mr Tang is the commissioner of the Hong Kong police force.

Explaining why he set up the group, Mr Chan wrote: 'Tang King Shing says that anyone who possesses a large quantity of the pictures will be suspected of distribution, and urges us to keep away from the pictures.

'Edison is the source of the photos. If anyone commits a crime with the photos, he should be the one to blame. Shouldn't the police go to Canada to arrest Edison?'

After the Internet photos scandal surfaced, Edison said that he might travel to Canada. But it is believed he is now in Boston.