#BookFair #HKTDC #Coronavirus
Government Postpones Book Fair Amidst Covid-19 Spike in Hong Kong

On July 13, another 52 COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Hong Kong, of which 41 were local infectetions.
The sources of 20 among the 41 cases remains unknown.

This resulted in the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) finally calling off the annual Book Fair, two days before its opening.

Several exhibitors have already made a joint petition demanding the postponement of the fair since last week.

In addition to the Book Fair, three simultaneous public events, namely the sports and leisure expo, the education and career expo and kickstarter expo, will all be postponed.

Nevertheless, from the photos taken on July 13 by an exhibitor to Stand News, construction workers were still decorating the exhibition hall.

Source: Stand News #Jul13

#TikTok #US #Australia #NationalSecurity
US and Australia Considering a Ban on TikTok; US Lawmakers Raise Concerns over the App’s Impact on US National Security
 
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23465

#TikTok #US #Australia #NationalSecurity
US and Australia Considering a Ban on TikTok; US Lawmakers Raise Concerns over the App’s Impact on US National Security
 
Following India’s ban on TikTok, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has expressed that the US is also "looking at" a potential ban on TikTok.  Some Australian officials have also called for the ban over suspicions that the platform is collecting excessive user data, and have requested TikTok's representatives to face the committee to respond to the concerns.
 
According to Reuters, Pompeo said his administration is "certainly looking at" banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok.  TikTok has emphasised independence from its parent company, China-based ByteDance, yet US lawmakers still worry that Chinese legislation may force corporations to support and cooperate with the government's intelligence collection, giving rise to concerns that TikTok's handling of user information may threaten US national security.
 
Meanwhile, Australian media has reported that some Australian legislators are also advocating a ban on TikTok, which has approximately 1.4 million users in Australia.  The legislators have requested TikTok representatives to face the Select Committee on Foreign Interference Through Social Media.  The chair of the committee, Senator Jenny McAllister has noted, "There have been credible reports that TikTok takes more data than its users would expect, and moderates content for reasons that its users may not be comfortable with."  She has further stated, "I think Australians would expect that TikTok and other platforms will appear before the Senate committee to answer questions.”  However, TikTok Australia's general manager Lee Hunter has insisted that Australia's user data is stored in Singapore, and that it "does not share information of [its] users in Australia with any foreign government, including the Chinese government".
 
Source:  Stand News  #Jul7
 

#Huawei UK Chairman John Browne Warns Banning Huawei from UK’s 5G Networks Risks Damaging China-UK Relationship; German Telecom Giant Deutsche Telekom Scaling Down Reliance on Huawei Technology
 
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23467

#Huawei UK Chairman John Browne Warns Banning Huawei from UK’s 5G Networks Risks Damaging China-UK Relationship;  German Telecom Giant Deutsche Telekom Scaling Down Reliance on Huawei Technology.
 
Under escalating trade tension between the US and China, Huawei UK Chairman John Browne has expressed that Huawei has now become a "political football" between countries and “there is no diplomacy here”.  He has also stated that if UK were to stick its foot in, it would only bring damage onto itself.  “The UK has had a very long relationship with China and I hope it’s not one that they simply throw away.”
 
Browne says further that Huawei has vast businesses in UK, and if Huawei were banned from participating in UK's 5G infrastructure, the technology firm will withdraw from the UK market.
 
Meanwhile, claims about German telecom giant Deutsche Telekom stepping up its partnership with Huawei is being denied.
 
Earlier reports by German newspaper, Handelsblatt, have alleged that Deutsche Telekom’s 5G network and cloud services rely heavily on Huawei as a service provider.  However, the spokesperson of Deutsche Telekom has stated that the allegations in the reports could not be more of an opposite, citing that the company has instead been scaling down its reliance on Huawei in the past three years.  Deutsche Telekom has also declared many times that it will not use Huawei’s technology on any issues concerning network security.
 
Source:  Stand News  #Jul8

#SocialMedia #Privacy #UserData
Pompeo Praises Google, Facebook and Twitter for Refusing to Surrender User Data to Hong Kong Government
 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has expressed thanks to Google, Facebook and Twitter for refusing to surrender user data to the Hong Kong government.  He has also encouraged other companies to do the same.
 
At a White House press conference, Pompeo criticised Beijing for its inconsistency, "Beijing said that for 50 years they’d give the people of Hong Kong 'a high degree of autonomy.' And you all have seen what’s happened after only 23 years – empty promises made to the people of Hong Kong and to the world."
 
Many mainstream social media platforms, including Google, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and WhatsApp have recently expressed that they will stop processing requests from the Hong Kong government for user information disclosure, after Beijing's forceful implementation of the National Security Law.  
 
Source:  Stand News  #Jul8
 #Twitter #FaceBook #Google #Pompeo

#China Criticizes #Australia over “Safe Haven Plan” as Interfering with Internal Affairs, Prime Minister Morrison Defends Australia’s Decision to Step up and Provide Support to Hong Kong Citizens
 
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23470

#China Criticizes #Australia over “Safe Haven Plan” as Interfering with Internal Affairs, Prime Minister Morrison Defends Australia’s Decision to Step up and Provide Support to Hong Kong Citizens
 
As more countries began to express their willingness to provide support to Hong Kong citizens after China imposed the new national security law on the city, Australian PM Scott Morrison had stated on July 8 that he was actively considering offering safe haven to Hong Kong citizens.
 
In response to Australia’s statement, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Zhao Lijian responded by urging Australia to stop using Hong Kong as means to interfere with China’s internal affairs.
 
On the issue of providing safe haven to Hong Kong citizens, Morrison stated, “These are decisions for Australia about who we provide visas to and on what terms and over what period of time.”
 
Sources say that Morrison had been in active discussion with cabinet and more details would be revealed over the coming
week.
 
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), also on the Australian government’s agenda to consider was the suspending of the country’s extradition treaty with Hong Kong.  Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus had called for the government to urgently re-examine the current extradition treaty in place with Hong Kong, citing concerns over residents of and travellers to the city might now be subject to extradition to Mainland China for various reasons, which meant that extradition from Australia to Hong Kong now posed a real risk of being extradited to Mainland China as a result.
 
Source: Stand News  #Jul8

The Hong Kongers looking to call Australia home

As China enforced its National Security Law on Hong Kong from 1st July, many pro-democracy citizens of Hong Kong from around the world are beginning to question whether their freedoms will be affected. In fact, many professionals and students moved to Australia to secure their freedoms, rights and a bright career path, or to ensure their own safety to avoid prosecution under the National Security Law. Many of them fear that they will be prosecuted once they return Hong Kong as they have supported the protests in Hong Kong.

Some critics stated that the Morrison government's proposal did not go far enough as it protected only a handful of students and it was unclear who would be eligible for the new visa. The new proposal has too many uncertainties. Under the new arrangements, current and future students from Hong Kong will be eligible for a five-year temporary graduate visa upon the conclusion of their studies, with a pathway to permanent residency after that. Former students already on a temporary graduate visa can have their visa extended for five extra years. Yet, the same question remains: What will happen next after five years, when the visa expires?

Since Hong Kongers are well-known as “Hard working” and “creative”, most Hong Kongers would probably be able to contribute to the societies of western countries using their unique characteristics and skills and blend in to their new community easily. What Hong Kongers want is a “safe-haven” that can grant us freedoms, rights and safety guaranteed under the Basic Law.

Source:
https://www.afr.com/world/asia/the-hong-kongers-looking-to-call-australia-home-20200710-p55auy

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-12/hong-kong-visa-acting-minister-for-immigration-alan-tudge/12446754

https://www.pm.gov.au/media/hong-kong

#Hongkongers #Freedom
#Australia #SafeHaven

#LabourUnion
Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Union receives numerous unemployment assistance requests

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#LabourUnion #Economy
Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Union receives numerous unemployment assistance requests

Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Union (HKCTU) chairman, Carol Ng pointed out that HKCTU received numerous requests for assistance in the past few months because the government has failed to assist them through the 81 billion HKD employment subsidy. Some employers used fake identities to get the subsidies, while some even fired their own employees in order to get the subsidy.

HKCTU received 47 cases, of which 28% were employees forced to take no-pay leave, 19% reported that their companies fired them after getting the subsidy, 15% were changed from monthly paid to daily paid, 11% had their salaries reduced, and 11% had decreased working hours. 20% of the employees agreed that the employment subsidy cannot help workers at all.

HKCTU committee member Wong Yu-loi pointed out that there were 5 major loopholes in this scheme. First, the government has failed to regulate the allocation of the subsidy, causing the management level to benefit the most, while workers of lower ranks cannot get the help they need.

Retail, Commerce and Clothing Industries General Union director Cheung Lai-ha also said that many corporations asked theur employees to go on no-pay leave or to change their employment terms to an hourly basis after they received the subsidy. She suspected that these companies just want to get more subsidies from the headcount, but these employees are only allowed to work for a few days, causing them to be paid less as a whole.

Source: Stand news
#Jul9 #employmentsubsidy #HKCTU

#Newspaper

Hong Kong Netizens Help China Fight Pornography Addiction! China Remove Game “Dream Girl” From The Steam Library

(01 Jul) There is a game called “Dream Girl” on Steam in China. It is very similar to "Minesweeper": once all the non-mine cells are uncovered, winner will be rewarded with a picture of a pretty woman as a background for the game. The pictures materials underneath the mines can also be replaced to any pictures by the players themselves, which is why a lot of Chinese netizens have uploaded many pornographic pictures and videos for share. Thus, it becomes a hugely popular game for the Chinese netizens who do not know how or do not want to bypass the censorship program (a.k.a. government firewall) in China to receive “obscene content”.

Yet, the game was recently discovered by Hong Kong Netizens, who thought that such obscene content would be harmful to the physical, mental and spiritual health of Chinese netizens. Thus, they reported “Dream Girl” to Steam and even to the Cyberspace Administration of China “to Combat Pornography Addiction in China”. As a result, Steam in China officially announced to remove the game “Dream Girl” from the library, accepting unconditional refunds.

Chinese netizens collapsed and said, “Oh my f**king god, who’s the worthless idiot who reported it? You don’t let others to enjoy it when you can’t enjoy it, are you the reincarnation of Buddha?”

Source: NOWgame News
https://reurl.cc/b5rEZX

Translated by: Hong Kong Echo

#China #Censorship #InternetFreedom #Steam #PornAddiction

#Newspaper

Trends Again After Donnie Yen Celebrates Hong Kong’s Return to ‘Motherland’

//Martial arts star Donnie Yen recently celebrated Hong Kong’s handover to China, sparking heavy criticism from fans and renewed calls to #BoycottMulan.

//Pro-Beijing post: Yen, who plays Commander Tung in Disney’s upcoming live-action Mulan remake, becomes the film’s second cast member along with lead Liu Yifei to spark backlash from fans.

//He also fondly remembered performing for Chinese President and Communist Party Chairman Xi Jinping back in 2017, calling it a “memorable night.”

//Yen is now being criticized in Hong Kong for his opinion of Xi Jinping amid Beijing’s recent imposition of the controversial national security law.

// #BoycottMulan movement: Last year, NextShark reported on the backlash “Mulan” star Liu Yifei received after expressing support for the Hong Kong police amid the then-ongoing protests.

// In a Weibo post, Liu shared a text photo from the Chinese state-run People’s Daily, which reads, “I support the Hong Kong police. You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong.” The Chinese American actress also used the hashtag“#IalsosupportHongKongpolice.”

//At the time, the Hong Kong Police was criticized for the way it handled protesters, journalists, medics and innocent bystanders.

Full Article: Next shark, (06-Jul)

Further reading:
Why should we #BoycottMulan?
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/4069

#NationalSecurityLaw #Xi #DonnieYen #Disney

#InformationLeak #China #Europe
Cyberattacks from China Targeting European Hospitals to Obtain Patient Records during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, some hospitals in Europe were said to have been targeted by cyberattacks from China, launched by Beijing in an attempt to access hospital records. Following the virtual EU-China summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on 22nd of June, "We have seen cyberattacks on hospitals and dedicated computing centres. Likewise, we’ve seen a rise in online disinformation, and we pointed out clearly that this cannot be tolerated." This was the European Commission President's first serious accusation of Beijing.

This statement from the European Commission President had brought to mind the many cyber incidents that had been happening during the pandemic. French weekly magazine Le Point had revealed that European hospitals had been facing large-scale cyberattacks from Chinese hackers since March. The atmosphere at the time was very tense, with multiple parties accusing China of concealing the severity of the pandemic, hence missing the prime window of opportunity to save tens of thousands of lives. At the same time, US President Trump had termed COVID-19 as the "Chinese virus" and criticised the World Health Organisation for answering to China.

Citing from insiders close to French officials, the report also revealed that the motive of China's large-scale cyberattacks was to obtain patient data, including the ages of hospitalised patients and concrete information regarding treatment, etc. The main purpose was perhaps to draw comparisons with China's own data, as well as to understand the development of the coronavirus beyond its borders.

On 22nd of March, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), manager of 39 hospitals in Paris and its suburbs, was subjected to a denial-of-service (DDos) attack on some of its computer servers. AP-HP was able to resolve the situation in time through various methods such as temporarily halting employees' access to emails and remote working tools. The Czech government had also revealed that its Brno University Hospital network faced a similar cyberattack on 13th of March.

Cyberattacks on healthcare systems are not isolated events. A report by the French Senate on 10th of June exposed the vulnerabilities of the cybersecurity of healthcare providers. The drafter of the report pointed out that the health sector had encountered 18 cyberattacks within a year, which was the result of the perpetual lack of funding in information security.

Earlier in June, NATO had also emphasised the severity of cyberattacks that were specifically targeting coronavirus-related healthcare service providers, hospitals and research centres. In late April, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell revealed as well that since the outbreak of coronavirus, high levels of phishing and malware spreading had been discovered, part of which concerned critical information on the infrastructure of the management of the coronavirus crisis. However, Borrell did not mention whether these incidents were linked to China.

Source: Radio France Internationale #Jun28

Benny Tai Dismisses Beijing's Accusation of Primary Election in Hong Kong as ‘nonsense’ and ‘absurd'

PRC's Liaison Office on July 13 accused Legal scholar Benny Tai, coordinator of the primary election in Hong Kong, of trying to seize power in Hong Kong and launch a ‘colour revolution.’ Pro-Beijing figures and government officials in Hong Kong also claimed that the primary poll and the intent to veto the government's budget plan were a subvertion of state power.

Tai on July 14 dismissed Beijing's accusation as ‘nonsense’ and ‘absurd.’ Tai clearly indicated that the power to veto the government’s budget as a means to pressure the administration is fully authorised under the Basic Law.

“These are arrangements of the relationships between the executive and legislative authorities provided in the Basic Law. In no way that any unlawful means would be involved”, Tai wrote in a social media post.

“It is absurd for alleging this as subverting the state. Also, the allegation ignores the clear wordings of the Basic Law.”

He also rejected separate charges by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office that the primary had limited the right and freedom of people to run in the upcoming election.

“For those who joined the primary elections, they make their decision to run or not run in the official election independently. They are not under any form of coercion”, Tai wrote.

He said if the central government considers the 610,000 voters who cast ballots in the primary to have broken the law, “it will make governance even more difficult in the future and will provoke even more radical protests.”

“If they have not contravened any law, then any person assisting them in voting would also not be unlawful”, he added.

Democratic Party lawmaker James To echoed Tai’s contention that Beijing’s criticism of the primary election is “absurd.”

“The more the Beijing government or the related agencies attack us the better chance that we [will get more] support from the community, and the better chance that we may really have the opportunity to get a majority in the coming Legco.”

Source: RTHK #Jul14
#BennyTai

#PrimaryElection
Helena Wong not signing up for Legislative Council Election after loss

The pro-democracy primary election was held last weekend. More than 610,000 people participated and voted. The organizer, Power for Democracy, announced the preliminary electronic voting result. Helena Wong from the Democratic Party had less than four thousand votes, and was ranked seventh in a list which had eight people.

At a press conference today, Wong announced that she was not going to sign up for the Legislative council election this September. Even though the "protestor camp" ran the risk of being disqualified, she made the decision not to participate. At the press conference, Wong asked the public to treasure the experience of the members of the Democratic Party, and also asked for them to continue supporting the members of the Democratic Party.

Source: Stand News
#Jul14 #HelenaWong #DemocraticParty

#NobelPrize #LiuXiaobo
3rd Death Anniversary of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo: "Were He to Know that Hong Kong Has Now Been Devastated to Its Present State, He Would be Utterly Heartbroken"
 
July 13th was the 3rd death anniversary of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo.

Xiaowaves, founded by good friends of the late Liu, issued a statement on the day, writing that Liu’s lifelong vision was for the people of China to be free from fear and to enjoy freedom of expression without fear, just like Hongkongers.  Were he to know that Hong Kong has now been devastated to its present state, he would be “utterly heartbroken”.  The statement pointed out that totalitarianism and nefarious laws simply could not suppress the people’s resistance.  “Be it inciting subversion of state power, or the Hong Kong National Security Law, all shall ultimately degenerate into unlawful laws and glorious offences.”
 
Titled “Fulfilling Xiaobo’s Unfinished Ambition Is Our Only Pathway Forward”, the statement remarked that Hong Kong was China’s only window to the free world and a trailblazer in liberalism’s defiance against communist totalitarianism.  During his lifetime, Liu had many times expressed his love for Hong Kong, the Hong Kong that was China’s only “citadel for free speech”, the only city where June 4th could be commemorated publicly.  But it was on the very night of June 4th this year that the fear of communism descended upon the city.  “The people of Hong Kong began to howl for their freedom and future.  Xiaobo had said that China needed another 300 years to become like Hong Kong.  Who would have known that the Hong Kong after Xiaobo had passed would hasten its speed to ‘Mainlandise’ and communise.”  Liu also could not have imagined Hong Kong losing its guarantee of free speech.
 
The statement mentioned that the vision Liu kept in his heart for his entire life was for the people of China to be free from fear, to enjoy freedom of expression without fear and to live truly free lives like Hongkongers.  Were he to know that Hong Kong has now been devastated to its present state, “although separated by heaven and earth, Xiaobo would most certainly be just like us, he would be utterly heartbroken.”
 
Xiaowaves pointed out that Liu’s unfulfilled mission has now fallen upon this generation.  Civil resistance has never ceased - “Xie Wenfei, who fought resolutely; Terminus2049, which protected memories; the Xiamen assembly, which was concerned with China’s future.”  Hunan activist Xie Wenfei was arrested for his vocal support for Hong Kong’s anti-extradition law amendment bill movement.  Terminus2049, a Beijing-based volunteer organisation that archives information and contents published on mainstream platforms and WeChat, has had many of its volunteers arrested and charged for collecting and updating news about the COVID-19 outbreak.  A group of human rights lawyers and dissidents were arrested for attending a civil assembly in Xiamen.  The statement also noted that these were all people and events that were labelled “illegal” in the past year, but totalitarianism and nefarious laws simply could not suppress the people’s resistance, “Be it inciting subversion of state power, or the Hong Kong National Security Law, all shall ultimately degenerate into unlawful laws and glorious offences.”
 
The statement wrote that Liu’s lifelong work of endurance will pass on and will require the perseverance of this generation and many more of Chinese people working altogether.  “This is not only to ensure we won’t fail the expectations of Xiaobo, but also to confront and resolve the foremost issue of contemporary China.  The path ahead is long and winding, but it is our only pathway forward.”
 
Source:  Stand News  #Jul13
 

#NatioanlSecurityLaw
HKU Student Union Refuse to Self-Censor under "National Security Law"

The Student Union of the University of Hong Kong reported on 11 July that the Lennon Walls on campus were vandalized by groups in white shirts. Today (14 July), the Student Union will be organizing a reconstruction of the Lennon Walls to encourage the freedom of expression on the campus.

Due to the resurgence of the pandemic, it will be not be a central event. The Student Union Chair, Edy Jeh called for the students to come and post messages at their own pace throughout the day.

She does not wish to see the Lennon Wall vandalized again, and she hopes to defend the students' freedom of speech on campus by not imposing restrictions on what can or cannot be posted.

Source: Stand News
#Jul14 #NSL #HKUStudentUnion #Censorship #LennonWall

#Advertisement
Patriotic Banner Surfaces at Entrance of Cross-Harbour Tunnel

The "National Security Law" in Hong Kong was effective on 30 June. A giant banner appeared at the entrance of Cross-Harbour Tunnel today (6 July), as a joint statement from alumni of Diocesan Boys' School and La Salle College at the entrance of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel. It stated "We all come from the same family and unite as one. Love China & Love Hong Kong".

The banner further remarked in fine print that it does not represent the official opinion of the two schools.

Editor's Note: It must be noted that the slogan is quoted from a poem written in the Three Kingdoms period. the line is followed with "why do we burn each other alive so earnestly?"

Source: Stand News
#Jul6 #NSL #DBS #LaSalle

#Newspaper

Education Bureau informs all schools including kindergartens and special education schools of mandatory National Security Law education

(04 Jul)The Hong Kong National Security Law took effect on 30 June. Last night (3 July), the Education Bureau issued a circular to "inform" all schools including primary, secondary, kindergarten and special education schools to "timely enable [sic]" the school staff and students to "acquire an understanding" and "remind" them to abide by the National Security Law. The notice stated that the schools' "primary responsibilities" were in helping students gain a "correct" understanding of their country and the relationship between their country and Hong Kong, as well as strengthening their sense of national identity. Through "school visits" and "teacher learning circles", the Education Bureau would provide the schools with support and advice for the undertaking. It would also offer more detailed guidelines on promoting national security and law-abiding awareness in students via school management and learning activities as soon as possible.

The Education Bureau's circular insisted that all levels of school personnel including management and all teaching and non-teaching staff "should" consult the provisions within the National Security Law and its relevant information from the government to "correctly" grasp the "key messages" and its scope of application. Schools "are required" to explain the significance of national security as well as the law's meaning and background based on the cognitive development and abilities of their students. This would provide them with the "correct information". They are also responsible for reminding students to abide by the National Security Law as with other "Laws in Hong Kong... and nurture them to become good law-abiding nationals and citizens."

The Bureau also mentioned that, with "ongoing work" occurring in schools, it has been promoting education in the Constitution of China and the Basic Law Education. "To render full support for" the implementation of the National Security Law, it would continue supporting schools with curriculum renewal and the development of learning and teaching examples and resources to reinforce learning elements of national security education. Professional development programmes for principals and teachers would also be organised. The Education Bureau would also offer professional support and advice through "school visits" and teacher learning circles. The circular also stated that school should maintain close communication with parents to help students understand the National Security Law with a "rational and positive" approach "so that students will conscientiously observe the National Security Law and other existing laws of Hong Kong." Schools must also adapt to the students' behavioural and emotional needs when co-operating with parents to "enhance care and guidance" to provide them with "guidance and support".

Original document by Education Bureau:
https://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular/upload/EDBC/EDBC20011E.pdf

Source: Stand News
https://bit.ly/327P37f

Translated by: Hong Kong Echo

#EducationBureau #Brainwashing #NationalSecurityLaw #FreedomOfSpeech #Education