📡Guardians of Hong Kong
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We provide translation of news in English from local media and other sources, for academic use.
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#FirstHand #June3
Hongkongers Insist on Remembering #June4th

In the past, #CandleVigil was held annually in Hong Kong on June 4 to commemorate the victims of 1989 #TiananmenMassacre in Beijing.

Starting from 11pm on June 3, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (#LCSD) of the Hong Kong SAR Government ordered to close the football pitches and the lawn area in #VictoriaPark, to "curb unauthorised assembly".

Over 100 police officers patrolled at all the entrances of the Park since 10:30pm. Some areas in the park were blocked by crowd control barriers.

Mr Sung, an artist who wore a black face mask, arrived at Victoria Park at 9:30pm. He sat on the ground with an umbrella and two e-candles, reading "The History of Modern Mime". The police stopped and searched him and asked him his purpose at the venue. He only answered "no comment".

Despite the heavy rain , Mr Sung didn't back down. He held up his umbrella and continued to sit-in until 11pm, the deadline given by the LCSD.

#Remembrance #PoliceState
#FirstHand #June3
Hong Kong Police Blocks #VictoriaPark to Suppress Commemorative Events on #June4

The Hong Kong Police Force claimed on the afternoon of June 3 2022 that there were "people inciting others to conduct unauthorised activities" at Victoria Park on June 4th. As a result, the Leisure and Culture Service Department (#LCSD) announced the closure of the football pitches and some other areas in the Park from 11 pm on June 3 to 12:30 am on June 5, to prevent "unauthorised public assembly" which will "endanger public safety and public order", as well as to "reduce the risk of virus outbreak".

33 years ago on June 4, 1989, the Chinese Communist Party (#CCP) government sent troops to the Tiananmen Square in Beijing, wounding and killing pro-democracy protesters. An annual candlelight vigil had been held in Hong Kong until the enforcement of the #NationalSecurityLaw in 2020.

#PoliceState #Oppression #PublicAssembly
#FirstHand #Jun30
Hong Kong Authorities Seal Off Wanchai North to 'welcome' Xi Jinping


Since June 29, 2022, Hong Kong police sealed off a large area completely including car ways and pavements in Wanchai North, to prepare for the arrival of the Chinese Communist Party (#CCP) leader #XiJinPing. From the midnight of June 30, the Exhibition and Convention Center station will also be closed.

On July 1, Xi will be present at the Exhibition and Convention Center to observe the ceremony celebrating the establishment day of the Hong Kong SAR and the officiation of the new Chief Executive.

On the eve of July 1, Hong Kong police sent in the anti-terrorism squad to patrol the area in their new uniform. Police dogs were also deployed. Reporters on the flyover were stopped and searched for 4 times.

During Xi's visit to Hong Kong, the metro will not stop at the
Exhibition and Convention Center station until 2pm on July 1. Buses will also be rerouted.

It was reported that some pro-democracy groups like the League of Social Democrats were warned by the authorities of the consequence of carrying out protests on the day.

#PoliceState #FailedState #Authoritarianism #Suppression #Handover
#NationalSecurityPolice in Hong Kong Demands Pro-democracy Groups to Cancel Protest on #HandoverAnniversary

On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the handover, chairperson Chan Po-ying, of the pro-democracy group League of Social Democrats (#LSD), released a statement. She said some volunteers working for thr group were visited by the national security police. The friends of these volunteers have also become the target of the police. After evaluating the situation, the group decide not to pursue any protest on the day.

Meanwhile, #AveryNg, a core member of the grouo who was recently released from the prison, was reportedly under the police surveilance. Ng posted the sentence "I'm in prison, if you know what I mean" on his social media page. Many associated the incident to how the Chinese police surveyed and monitored dissidents like Lu Xia before important days.

This time in Hong Konh Ng commented on his own post by saying, "I'm not being detained" and "I will be happy in the 'prison'."

Source: Mingpao; whatsapp news #Jube29

https://link.mingpao.com/74403.htm

https://www.whatsnewsmedia.com/9685/22/50/22/

#PoliceState #FailedState #Authoritarianism #Suppression #Handover
#today2yearsago
Two Year-mark of #NationalSecurityLaw and 25th Anniversary of the #TransferOfSovereignty: 126 People Charged, 83 in Detention and 63 Involved in Literary Inquisition

Two years ago on July 1, 2020, the National Security Law imposed by Beijing without passing through Hong Kong's legislature was enforced in the city. Authorties in Hong Kong and China claimed that the criminalisation of speech would not happen and the law would "only affect a small number of people". They also claimed that the rights and freedom of Hong Kong people will not be affected.

As of June 29, 2022, however, at least 198 people have been arrested for "violating national security" in the past two years. Among them 126 people and 5 companies — including #AppleDaily, #StandNews and the #Alliance — were prosecuted. 83 of them have been taken into custody and more than half have been detained for more than one year. The longest period of detention is 660 days and is still counting.

Among these cases, almost the entire pro-democracy camp has been "locked up" due to the primary election. Pro-democracy and independent news outlet like Apple Daily and Stand News were shut down; meanwhile, court procedures are progressing very slowly.

This marks the 25 years since the #1997TransferOfSovereignty of Hong Kong to China.

Source: InMedia #Jun30
https://bit.ly/3HZ9Vk9

[Editor’s Note: Compared to the commonly used term “handover”, the term “Transfer of Sovereignty of Hong Kong to China” conveys aptly the complexity of multi-sided perspectives that is the “handover”, and shows as much neutrality regarding the issue at the whole. Feel free to check out BBC Chinese’s article:
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-40441492 ]

#WhiteTerror #SpeechCrime #NSL #Authoritarianism #PoliceState
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Chinese Communist Leader VS British Royal Visits to Hong Kong

On June 30, 2022, Chinese Communist party (#CCP) leader #XiJinping visited Hong Kong on the 25th aaniversary of the transfer of soveignty of Hong Kong. He was received by officials of the Hong Kong SAR and the so-called "citizens representatives". Meanwhile, roads were blocked around "important locations", and a massive number of police were deployed. July 1 also marks two year since Beijing's enforcement of the #NationalSecurityLaw in Hong Kong.

This is very different from even the British royal visits to Hong Kong before 1997, as shown in the RFA video.

Source: #RFA #Jun30

#Handover #PoliceState
Flowers Offered to #LeungKinFai on anniversary of Knife Attack; Offering May Violate National Security Law, Police Warned

On July 1 one year ago, local man Leung Kin-fai stabbed a police officer with a knife outside in Causeway Bay, then took his own life. The attack, which took place on the first anniversary of the #NationalSecurityLaw, was labeled as a "lone wolf-style localist terror attack" by Secretary of Security Chris Tang, who added that the authorities will prosecute any actions that incite and glorify violence.

On July 1 this year, police deployed nearly 20 officers in armored vests to guard the scene of the attack. After finding a small bouquet of white flowers on the ground, the nearby officers quickly went on high alert, cordoning off the area and detaining a nearby young man in black. The man was searched and released after about 10 minutes, and the bouquet was taken away.

The young man told reporters that the flowers were not his; he told the officers that they could verify it by CCTV. One of the officers told him that he could offer flowers on normal days, but that day was a "special day", and the National Security police will follow up on the person making the flower offering.

The act of offering flowers may be a violation of the national security law, the officer said.

Nevertheless, other citizens also laid flowers at the scene despite increased police presence. Their flowers were also quickly cleared away by plainclothes officers.

source: In-Media HK #FirstHand #Jul01

https://bit.ly/3ntDDEk

see also: Mourning activities and police response the day after the attack

Police Cordon Off Sogo Department Store to Prevent Hongkongers from Mourning Fellow Citizen
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30367

Defiant #Hongkongers continue to show respect despite tightened police grip
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30396

Police disrespectfully take away flowers for Deceased Civilian from the altar
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30395

#LeungKinFai #Remembrance #PoliceState
Police Took Down Identities of Journalists who Reported on Mourning for #LeungKinFai

A typhoon 8 warning was declared around 7pm on July 1. Large number of police vehicles and officers had been deployed to the Sogo department store in Causeway Bay, the site of Leung Kin-Fai's knife attack on a policce officer last year. The store itself had closed its doors by 7:30 due to the approaching typhoon.

Around 8:30, a large group of officers suddenly rushed at nearby journalists and surrounded them with cordons. The journalists were warned to stop taking photos and stop all live videos. Even journalists posted across the street were not spared; all who had been reporting and photographing the scene of mourning will be detained and had their identity taken down, an officer said. Any who did not cooperate would be considered to be "obstructing police", he added.

Earlier, a wheelchair-bound citizen who passed by was stopped and searched by more than 10 officers. Police extended their cordon to include the crosswalk outside Sogo.

source: #FirstHand #Jul01

see also:
Flowers Offered to #LeungKinFai on anniversary of Knife Attack; Offering May Violate National Security Law, Police Warned

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/32960

#PoliceState #PressFreedom
British lawyers defending Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai say they have received threats

//Barristers from a British law firm who are representing jailed Hong Kong tycoon and democracy campaigner #JimmyLai said on July 7, 2022 they had received anonymous e-mails warning them against travelling to the city to defend him.

Lai is among the most prominent people in Hong Kong to be charged under a #National SecurityLaw that Beijing imposed in June 2020 to punish terrorism, collusion with foreign forces, subversion and secession with possible life imprisonment.

The barristers - Caoilfhionn Gallagher, Jonathan Price and Jennifer Robinson from Doughty Street Chambers - told Reuters the messages came from a generic Gmail address.

"A person that refuses to abide by the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region could be extradited...from other jurisdictions. Foreign nationals will be charged with the offences of subversion," one of the e-mails said. "You have been warned not to attempt entry or land in Chinese territory."

The barristers declined to say if they would be travelling to Hong Kong for the trial.

"Threatening journalists, campaigners and lawyers within Hong Kong has been happening for some time," the barristers said in an e-mail.

"Now these intimidatory tactics are spreading outside the borders of China and Hong Kong."

Police said in a statement they were concerned about the media reports and "strongly condemn the act of impersonating police officers". They appealed to those concerned to provide further information.

The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the barristers would be allowed to enter Hong Kong.

Baroness Helena Kennedy, Director of the International Bar Association's Institute of Fundamental Rights, condemned what she said was an act of intimidation.

"Intimidating the lawyers who act for citizens pursuing freedom and democracy is the tactic of an authoritarian regime," she said.

"Jimmy Lai's right to instruct international lawyers of his choice is fundamental to a fair trial. The Hong Kong authorities seem to have abandoned the values which underpin the rule of law."//

Source: Reuters #Jul7
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/british-lawyers-defending-hong-kong-tycoon-say-they-receive-threats-2022-07-07/

#PoliceState #CCP #Intimidation #FairTrial #Lawyer #Court #AppleDaily #NextMedia
#Court #PoliceState
66-year-old #GrandmaWong sentenced to 32-week jail after waving Union Jack Flag in Hong Kong

Source: InMedia #Jul13

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