An Alternative Macanese Public Sphere: Discussing Portuguese Macau’s Problems in British Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

The first Macanese diaspora to Hong Kong in the 1840s saw not only the movement of Macau’s Luso-Asians to British territory, but also the unfolding of decades of discussion regarding the repressive rule of the Portuguese colonial administration over Macau. From establishing Portuguese-language newspapers to writing to Hong Kong’s English-language newspapers, the Macanese found a relatively liberal space in British Hong Kong to address Macau’s social and political issues and criticise the Portuguese colonial administration and Portugal away from the Portuguese empire’s strict press censorship. Through exploring the ways Macanese newspaper editors and contributors challenged Portuguese policies and maladministration on British soil, this study aims to first, analyse the experience of Hong Kong within the wider context of British press control in its Asian colonies and second, show how trans-border interaction came to be facilitated between Hong Kong and Macau by the movement and activities of a multiracial diasporic community.

KEYWORDS:

• British Hong Kong
• Macanese
• public sphere
• press censorship

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 See Amaro, Dadi Zhizi, 10; Deng, Aomen tusheng Puren; Dias, Diáspora Macaense, 102–16; De Sá, The Boys from Macau, 47–54.

2 Rothman, Brokering Empire.

3 Murray-Miller, “Empire and Trans-Imperial Subjects,” 958–79.

4 Frost, “Emporium in Imperio,” 29–66.

5 Keo, “Between Empire and Nation(s),” 99–117.

6 Chan, “From Macanese Opium Traders,” 236–61.

7 Chan, “Empire Drifters,” 185.

8 Lewis, Cities in Motion, 149–50.

9 Larkin, “The Self-Conscious Censor,” 66–67, 96. For an earlier example of inconsistent press censorship in Burma, see Womack, “Politics and Press Censorship in British Burma.”

10 Khoo, Sun Yat Sen in Penang, 58–61. See also Yen, The Chinese in Southeast Asia, 167.

11 Lewis, “Print Culture and the New Maritime Frontier.”

12 See, for instance, details regarding the Daily Press in King and Clark, A Research Guide, 66.

13 It should be noted that the British colonial administration monitored, to some extent, such activities in Hong Kong. Indonesian revolutionary Tan Malaka, wanted by Dutch officials, was arrested days after reaching Hong Kong and deported to Amoy. For Prisdang’s example, see Tagliacozzo, Siu, and Perdue, Asia Inside Out, 229. For Tan Malaka’s case, see Jarvis, “Tan Malaka: Revolutionary or Renegade?,” 50–51.

14 See Roque, “The Razor’s Edge,” 105–24; Lobo, “The Languages of the Goan,” 78.

15 Anderson, Imagined Communities. For anti-colonial resistance and nationalism, see Limapichart, “The Emergence of the Siamese,” 361–99; Frost, “Cosmopolitan Fragments,” 59–69.

16 For a discussion of Anglophile Macanese, see Chan, “Cosmopolitan Visions.”

17 Hickey, Memoirs of William Hickey, 196.

18 Yvan, Six Months, 304, 287.

19 Tang, Setting Off from Macau, 178–79; Whitehead, “From Expulsion to Restoration,” 450–51.

20 “Government Notification No. 68,” 196. For Hong Kong’s foreign communities, see Chu, Foreign Communities; Ding and Lu, Feiwo zuyi; Sinn and Munn, Meeting Place.

21 Wong, “Interport Printing Enterprise,” 142.

22 The Hongkong Almanack and Directory for 1850, 18.

23 “Agreement: Made by Mr. Andrew Shortrede,” 13 June 1845; “Contract between H.E. Sir John Francis Davis and, Bart,” 31 Aug. 1846.

24 For a detailed study of press censorship in early British Hong Kong, see Ng, “When Silence Speaks,” 428–30.

25 “Memorial of Andrew Shortrede to The Duke of Newcastle,” 21 July 1853, 264–65.

26 For an example, see Ng, “When Silence Speaks,” 429–30.

27 “Memorandum of Agreement between H.E. Sir Hercules Robinson (originally H.E. Sir Bowring), Governor of Hong Kong, and Delfino,” 10 Dec. 1859; “Memo: of Agreement for Printing, H.E. The Governor and D. Noronha, Printer,” 10 Dec. 1859.

28 “Delfino Noronha to W.H. March, Colonial Secretary,” 9 April 1883.

29 For a list of Hong Kong’s Portuguese-language newspapers, see King and Clark, A Research Guide, 74–76.

30 Articles in the magazine included ‘Sociedade das Mulheres’ (The Society of Women), ‘Liçöes d’um pae a seu filho’ (Lesson from a Father to His Son), ‘Refutaçäo do Pantheismo’ (Refutation of Pantheism), ‘Medicine Practica’ (Medical Practice), and ‘Estudo da Rhetorica’ (Study of Rhetorics). See Da Silva e Souza, Impulso ás Letras, no. 1, 10 Oct. 1865; Impulso ás Letras, no. 10, 10 July 1866.

31 For this case, see Chan, “Cosmopolitan Visions,” 358–62.

32 For an example of the clash between these two newspapers, see Chan, The Macanese Diaspora, 165–66.

33 De Sá, The Boys from Macau, 76.

34 Echo Macaense, 13 March 1898, cited in José Simões Morais, “Festejos de 1897 e o consul de Hong Kong.”

35 Braga, The Rights of Aliens, xviii–xix, xxxvi.

36 Odds and Ends 1, no. 1, Nov. 1896.

37 During his stay in Hong Kong, Rizal became acquainted with Braga through Delfino Noronha. He sent his final poem to Braga and was executed shortly thereafter. Odds and Ends 1, no. 4, May 1897, 67–68.

38 King and Clarke, A Research Guide, 72.

39 For Braga’s services to the Hong Kong colony, see Chan, “Cosmopolitan Visions,” 374–75.

40 See Garcia, Media and the Portuguese Empire.

41 Lustosa and Suriani da Silva, “Hipólito da Costa.”

42 Kaul, “Media and the Portuguese,” 31.

43 Mishara, “History of the Press in Goa,” 177–80.

44 Braga, “The Beginnings of Printing,” 48–52; Texeira, “Early Newspapers in Macau.”

45 “European Periodicals beyond the Ganges,” 152.

46 Canton Register 11, no. 32, cited in Houghton, “China 1838–1839.”

47 King and Clarke, A Research Guide, 74–76.

48 “Segunda-feira 6 de Outubro 1845,” 4.

49 Pegado, “Publicações Literarias.”

50 King and Clarke, A Research Guide, 75.

51 For the case, see “The ‘Echo do Povo’,” 2.

52 “Supreme Court: Pereira v. Souza,” 2–3.

53 “The ‘Telegraph’ Libel Case,” 5.

54 “Parte official,” 329.

55 Nolasco da Silva, “Carta aberta,” 94.

56 “Local and General,” 4; “Macao’s Indignation, The Birthday of its King,” 5.

57 See Barmé, Luang Wichit Wathakan; Frost, “Cosmopolitan fragments,” 59–69; Anderson, Imagined Communities, 15.

58 “Historic Macao,” 1253.

59 Montalto de Jesus, Historic Macao, 514.

60 “Macao’s Future,” 1, 12.

61 “Auto de apreensão.”

62 A Patria, 18 June 1929, cited in Braga, “Making Impressions,” 520.

63 “Historic Macao: Mr. Montalto,” 2.

64 Chan, “Macau martyr.”

65 See “Historic Macao.”

66 See Jackson, “A. Montalto de Jesus,” 238; Axe, “Montalto de Jesus,” 4.

67 A Portuguese, “A. Montalto de Jesus,” 281.

68 Machado, “Letter to the Editor,” 238; Machado, “Mr. Montalto de Jesus,” 4.

69 “Correspondence: Historic Macao,” 10.

70 C.J.J., “Correspondence: Historic Macao,” 10.

71 Silva, “‘Historic Macao’: A Reader’s Review,” 12.

72 “Historic Macao: Author Sent to Gaol,” 9.

73 “Parecer.”

74 “Montalto de Jesus returns to Shanghai,” 12.

75 Jackson, “A. Montalto de Jesus,” 238.

76 “Montalto de Jesus Returns to Shanghai,” 12.

77 See Fernandes, “Política Colonial Portuguesa,” 131–48; Melo, “Salazar's Censorship,” 475–96.

78 Central Intelligence Group Intelligence Report, “Political Information: Censorship of News, Macao.”

79 “Despacho no. 3”; U.P.I., “Journalist Arrested in Macao,” 1; “Newspaper Suspended,” 1.

80 Chan, “Cosmopolitan Visions.”

81 For this, see Chan, The Macanese Diaspora, 188–91.

82 Foreign Office, “Case of Regina V. Saint.”