#Politicization #MidAutumnFestival #FailedState
Hong Kong Correctional Services Rejects Retired Cardinal's Applications to Distribute Mooncakes to Persons in Custody for "Political" Reason
Retired cardinal of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, Joseph Zen Ze-Kiu, have been sending mooncakes to persons in custody for Mid-Autumn Festival since 2010. He was still able to do so in the midst of the 2019 anti-ELAB movement.
However, the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department (CSD) has rejected his application in 2020 on the grounds of categorizing it as a politicised activity.
In Zen’s blog, he felt upset to be forced to discontinue this tradition of his, because he understood that this year's mid-autumn festival for the persons in custody would be less warm. They have always looked forward to the mooncakes and always asked him during visitations, “Cardinal, any mooncake this year?”
Some of them said, “At least, there are people who still remember us and are willing to care for us during this festive season.”
Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong shared this activity on his Facebook page earlier and said he had received Zen’s mooncakes three years ago for the first time in jail. At that time, he and other inmates longed for the distribution of Zen's mooncakes.
Zen said that the activity this year was planned to be the same as every other year. He speculates that the reason behind why the the government rejected him was due to the mentioning by Joshua Wong,
Secretary-General of the now disbanded Demosisto, and pro-democracy lawmaker Bottle Shiu Ka-Chun, who is also a social worker.
Source: HKC News #Sept2
https://www.hkcnews.com/article/33523/%E9%99%B3%E6%97%A5%E5%90%9B-%E6%87%B2%E6%95%99%E7%BD%B2-%E6%9C%88%E9%A4%85-33523/%E6%9C%88%E9%A4%85h
#CSD #MoonCake #JoshuaWong #ShiuKaChun #JosephZen #CatholicDioceseHongKong #Cardinal
Hong Kong Correctional Services Rejects Retired Cardinal's Applications to Distribute Mooncakes to Persons in Custody for "Political" Reason
Retired cardinal of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, Joseph Zen Ze-Kiu, have been sending mooncakes to persons in custody for Mid-Autumn Festival since 2010. He was still able to do so in the midst of the 2019 anti-ELAB movement.
However, the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department (CSD) has rejected his application in 2020 on the grounds of categorizing it as a politicised activity.
In Zen’s blog, he felt upset to be forced to discontinue this tradition of his, because he understood that this year's mid-autumn festival for the persons in custody would be less warm. They have always looked forward to the mooncakes and always asked him during visitations, “Cardinal, any mooncake this year?”
Some of them said, “At least, there are people who still remember us and are willing to care for us during this festive season.”
Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong shared this activity on his Facebook page earlier and said he had received Zen’s mooncakes three years ago for the first time in jail. At that time, he and other inmates longed for the distribution of Zen's mooncakes.
Zen said that the activity this year was planned to be the same as every other year. He speculates that the reason behind why the the government rejected him was due to the mentioning by Joshua Wong,
Secretary-General of the now disbanded Demosisto, and pro-democracy lawmaker Bottle Shiu Ka-Chun, who is also a social worker.
Source: HKC News #Sept2
https://www.hkcnews.com/article/33523/%E9%99%B3%E6%97%A5%E5%90%9B-%E6%87%B2%E6%95%99%E7%BD%B2-%E6%9C%88%E9%A4%85-33523/%E6%9C%88%E9%A4%85h
#CSD #MoonCake #JoshuaWong #ShiuKaChun #JosephZen #CatholicDioceseHongKong #Cardinal
眾新聞
懲教指帶政治色彩 陳日君月餅贈囚友9年來首被拒：最不開心令囚友失望
香港教區榮休主教陳日君樞機自2010年起，均有在中秋節時送贈月餅予在囚人士，惟今年懲教署以送月餅行動帶有政治色彩為由，拒絕接受他的申請。懲教署回應指不評論個別個案，但表示署方在批核捐贈申請時，會考慮是否牽涉利益衝突、以及會否有人借捐贈活動作政治宣傳或募捐等。
#InformationAccess #Transparency #CoronavirusPandemic
Ombudsman: Practice of Correctional Services Department on Prison-made Surgical Masks Inappropriate and Inconsistent with the Code on Access to Information
When the coronavirus outbreak started earlier this year in Hong Kong, there was a spike in the demand for facemasks in the city. However, the surgical masks (commonly referred to as #CSIMasks) produced by the Correctional Services Department (#CSD), mainly for government departments, were found on the market for sale, calling into question whether CSI masks have been misused or resold without authorisation.
The “Hong Kong Connection”, a RTHK investigative programme, used the Code of Public Information and lodged inquiries to both the Correctional Services Department and the Government Logistics Department about manufacturing, distribution, and usage of CSI masks. However, both departments refused to reply, citing protection of third-party information and their privacy.
The Office of the Ombudsman carried out direct investigation in March this year upon receiving complaints from the RTHK team. The Ombudsman report, revealed that only one of the receiving organisations of CSI masks refused to disclose further information initially, claiming that “the society is infused with rioting and a culture to smear.”
In view of CSI masks outflowing into the market, the government once responded in February 2020, saying “CSD has been providing masks to non-governmental organisations well before the pandemic outbreak, so it is not surprising to see citizens wearing these masks.” When responding to RTHK inquiry, CSD insisted not disclosing any information involving a third-party.
In a post on the RTHK-programme “Hong Kong Connection” Facebook on September 17, it quoted the Ombudsman report which found RTHK-complaint well substantiated. The report pointed out omission of information in CSD practices in 2017 and 2018, it also found CSD’s refusal to provide information on non-governmental organizations inconsistent with the Code of Public Information and recommended CSD to re-examine and disclose information as much as possible.
Source: Stand News #Sept18
#FailedState #Obudsman
Ombudsman: Practice of Correctional Services Department on Prison-made Surgical Masks Inappropriate and Inconsistent with the Code on Access to Information
When the coronavirus outbreak started earlier this year in Hong Kong, there was a spike in the demand for facemasks in the city. However, the surgical masks (commonly referred to as #CSIMasks) produced by the Correctional Services Department (#CSD), mainly for government departments, were found on the market for sale, calling into question whether CSI masks have been misused or resold without authorisation.
The “Hong Kong Connection”, a RTHK investigative programme, used the Code of Public Information and lodged inquiries to both the Correctional Services Department and the Government Logistics Department about manufacturing, distribution, and usage of CSI masks. However, both departments refused to reply, citing protection of third-party information and their privacy.
The Office of the Ombudsman carried out direct investigation in March this year upon receiving complaints from the RTHK team. The Ombudsman report, revealed that only one of the receiving organisations of CSI masks refused to disclose further information initially, claiming that “the society is infused with rioting and a culture to smear.”
In view of CSI masks outflowing into the market, the government once responded in February 2020, saying “CSD has been providing masks to non-governmental organisations well before the pandemic outbreak, so it is not surprising to see citizens wearing these masks.” When responding to RTHK inquiry, CSD insisted not disclosing any information involving a third-party.
In a post on the RTHK-programme “Hong Kong Connection” Facebook on September 17, it quoted the Ombudsman report which found RTHK-complaint well substantiated. The report pointed out omission of information in CSD practices in 2017 and 2018, it also found CSD’s refusal to provide information on non-governmental organizations inconsistent with the Code of Public Information and recommended CSD to re-examine and disclose information as much as possible.
Source: Stand News #Sept18
#FailedState #Obudsman
#Regime
Hong Kong Authority Introduces #SmartPrison with 24-hour #HD Surveillance, Detainee: I Live As an Animal
"Here, it is even worse than the CIC [Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre],"
almost every detainee in Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution in Hong Kong said the same thing.
In 2020, around 30 detainees in #CIC went on a hunger strike, protesting against their unlimited detention time, the facility's poor hygiene, and the inappropriate behavior of the correctional department staff.
The CIC Concern Group, a non-profit human rights group, was thereafter created by a group of social workers, pro-demoncracy activists and volunteers in Hong Kong; however, even them could not believe that there exists a detention centre in Hong Kong that is worse than the CIC.
In June 2021, the Hong Kong authority transferred some of the protesting detainees in the CIC to the Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution.
The newly established facility is the first "Smart Prison" in Hong Kong. This institution is full of HD surveillance cameras. All the detainees are required to wear an electronic bracelet for the authority to monitor their heartbeats and locations.
Those who are detained in the centre are thereoretically not prisoners, as they have only violated the immigration regulation; however, they are being detained in a prison.
To make it worse, the Correctional Service Department (#CSD) has already dispatched twice the Regional Response Team, Panther, within 4 months, to "combat illegal activities". It was found that some detainees have been placed in individual detention for 2 months.
Meanwhile, it was discovered that some correctional department staff have been watching the surveillance canera footage like a voyeur , followed by acts like masturbation and ridiculing the detainees.
A detainee said, "I live as an animal."
The CIC concerned group criticised that the authority has abused the detainees by means of violence, individual detention and privacy infringement.
The group's worst fear is that using the most disadvantaged detainees as guinea pigs is only the first step of the government and that the same operation systen would be appled to all prisons in Hong Kong next.
"The government labelled the CIC detainees as very dangerous to justify the need for an upgrade in military equipment. They can do thr sane thing in any prisons in Hong Kong."
Source: InMediaHK #Sep25
https://bit.ly/3o5PSbS
#Prison #Xinjiang #Surveillance #Dystopia #Panthers #Chinazi #TaiTamGapCorrectionalInstitution
Hong Kong Authority Introduces #SmartPrison with 24-hour #HD Surveillance, Detainee: I Live As an Animal
"Here, it is even worse than the CIC [Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre],"
almost every detainee in Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution in Hong Kong said the same thing.
In 2020, around 30 detainees in #CIC went on a hunger strike, protesting against their unlimited detention time, the facility's poor hygiene, and the inappropriate behavior of the correctional department staff.
The CIC Concern Group, a non-profit human rights group, was thereafter created by a group of social workers, pro-demoncracy activists and volunteers in Hong Kong; however, even them could not believe that there exists a detention centre in Hong Kong that is worse than the CIC.
In June 2021, the Hong Kong authority transferred some of the protesting detainees in the CIC to the Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution.
The newly established facility is the first "Smart Prison" in Hong Kong. This institution is full of HD surveillance cameras. All the detainees are required to wear an electronic bracelet for the authority to monitor their heartbeats and locations.
Those who are detained in the centre are thereoretically not prisoners, as they have only violated the immigration regulation; however, they are being detained in a prison.
To make it worse, the Correctional Service Department (#CSD) has already dispatched twice the Regional Response Team, Panther, within 4 months, to "combat illegal activities". It was found that some detainees have been placed in individual detention for 2 months.
Meanwhile, it was discovered that some correctional department staff have been watching the surveillance canera footage like a voyeur , followed by acts like masturbation and ridiculing the detainees.
A detainee said, "I live as an animal."
The CIC concerned group criticised that the authority has abused the detainees by means of violence, individual detention and privacy infringement.
The group's worst fear is that using the most disadvantaged detainees as guinea pigs is only the first step of the government and that the same operation systen would be appled to all prisons in Hong Kong next.
"The government labelled the CIC detainees as very dangerous to justify the need for an upgrade in military equipment. They can do thr sane thing in any prisons in Hong Kong."
Source: InMediaHK #Sep25
https://bit.ly/3o5PSbS
#Prison #Xinjiang #Surveillance #Dystopia #Panthers #Chinazi #TaiTamGapCorrectionalInstitution
獨立媒體
大潭峽智慧監獄高清全天候監控 羈留者：我的生活就像動物 | 獨媒報導 | 獨立媒體
（獨媒報導）「呢度仲慘過CIC（青山灣入境事務中心）。」這是每個困在大潭峽懲教所的羈留者都幾乎會說的話。 去年，為抗議無限期羈留、惡劣的衞生環境和職員不當的對待，近30名CIC羈留者發起絕食。但因事件而成立的CIC關注組萬萬也想不到，「原來有個比CIC更差嘅地方」。 今年6月，部分CIC羈留者被陸續移送到全新啟用、香港首間「智慧監獄」大潭峽懲教所。