Equality in Asia-Pacific: Reality or a Contradiction in Terms? – An Introduction

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Acknowledgements

Its planning, preparation and production spanning more than two years, this Special Double Issue would not have materialised but for the insightful contributions by the leading scholars in the fields, and I am honoured to be responsible for their general well-being. I am grateful to Frank Barnaby, Editor of the Journal, for engaging me in such an invaluable undertaking and to Taylor & Francis, in particular Caroline Broughton, Amber Bulkley, Sarah Elvins, and especially Josephine Oakley, for their enthusiastic support of the project. I thank consultancy firm Yenji Limited for its generous financial assistance to my ongoing research and editorial work. I also thank the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, the Gender, Sexuality and Law Research Group at Keele University School of Law, the Lauterpacht Research Centre for International Law at the University of Cambridge, and the Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy at the Australian National University for welcoming me, respectively, as Visiting Fellow during which this Special Double Issue was substantially prepared. Special thanks also extend to the ANU College of Law and the Centre for International and Public Law at the Australian National University for welcoming me as their unofficial visitor during the final stage of preparation, from which it benefited greatly. Last but not least, I thank all the anonymous reviewers who so kindly volunteered their valuable time to enable this Special Double Issue to be an authoritative source of analyses on issues of equality and inequalities as they pertain to the Asia-Pacific Region.

In the course of the years, I have had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of many amazing individuals who have helped me one way or the other in my transition through adolescence as a person and as an academic, and I must selfishly take this opportunity to express my gratitude to these individuals without whom I would not have been able to have a life and academic career with its share of joy and despair: Jon Austin, principal of Imperial College Toronto, for completely changing my life as he guided me with indescribable kindness and patience through from a Form 4 secondary school student from Hong Kong with a gloomy academic future to someone offered law school admissions in an amazing five months (under circumstances and with memories I would not wish to relive but which I will forever cherish); Sylvia Acevedo, Professor Andrew Byrnes, Professor Johannes Chan, Robin Corcos, John Harris, and Robert Morgan for their kindness and patience in helping me survive law school and Professor Andrew Byrnes, Jill Cottrell, and Donald Lewis for introducing me to legal research and writing with which I am since ever preoccupied; Dapo Akande for his model of academic qualities and his continuing support to my academic endeavours and Alisoun Roberts for helping me withstand the Durham winter and other matters of concern; and Jon Austin, Anita and Terry in Hamilton, Sylvia Acevedo, Robin Corcos, Jill Cottrell, Michelle Chong, Sarah Gardiner, Monica Hall, Juyon Kim, Julie Wong, Detlev Pusch, Tamara McKen, Marianne in Berlin, Alisoun Roberts, Linn Edvartsen, Felizmina Lutucuta, Aisling O'Sullivan, Sarah Wennberg, Richard Gardiner, Philip Ridgway, Linda Christie, Annalisa Meloni, Nicky Priaulx, and Mark Nolan for tolerating my many flaws and extending to me their warmest company and friendships and the many wonderful and cherished memories. I wish also to thank the staff and students at St. Stephen's College (Stanley), Hong Kong, for showing me the need and fostering in me the resolve and resiliency to strive to be a kind and truthful person in spite and because of ignorance, prejudice, oppression, and, above all, self-enforced silence, and Au Tak-ming at my primary school (which was not so long ago) for giving me opportunities for responsibility and a sense of purpose. Above all, I am grateful to my mother and my grandmother, who gave me as best they could the opportunities that had been denied them, and Paul Serfaty, with his years of unquestioning confidence, unreasonable dedication, wonderful company, intelligent conversations, and love.