#PolyU
Police Bypass University's Management and Search PolyU to Investigate Riot

1239 | #PolyU, HungHom
Police requested to enter and search the Student Union's facilities with a warrant issued by a Magistrate, for reasons related to rioting.

1240 |
Police requested students to open the door and allow them access. Otherwise, they would enter by force.

1240 |
Students' Union representatives requested to seek legal advice. After an exchange, the police officers on site only allowed the students five minutes to seek legal advice.

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Student union representatives requested to copy the police officers' details by hand, as a valid copy of the search warrant was not presented.

A journalist stated that a female police officer was emotional and flustered, demanding for the students to finish whatever they were doing in two minutes. The police officers eventually gave ample time for the students to finish copying the details.

1304 |
Student union denied access to police, as the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is a private property. If the police need to enter its compounds, they have to bear the responsibility for any loss of personal belongings. The police officers also questioned the students regarding where their computers were stored at, but they did not receive a response from the students. They police eventually entered to carry out their search.

1318 |
According to journalists, two students who are the external vice presidents of the student union left the Student Union office upon warnings issued to them by the police.

The Student union's president continued to stay inside. In the meantime, police continued their search.

1325 |
According to journalists, the search warrant expires on 30 July, and the police have the rights to search the entire area of PolyU.

The search bypassed university's management, and the Student Union members were informed about it directly.

1343 |
A reporter overheard police officers mentioning that they were targeting a list of students who are involved in archery. It is believed that the police were primarily targetting computers and other electronic devices in order to acquire records and data stored in them.

Source: Stand News #17July #PolyU #PoliceState

#BorderConflict #PLA
China-India Conflict:  Unarmed Indian Soldiers Encircled and Throat Slashed According to Indian Government and Families in Reuters Report
 
A bloody clash broke out at the Ladakh region on the border between China and India last month.  Reuters quoted reports from Indian government officials, 2 soldiers deployed to the area and family members of the fallen solders, that the Indian soldiers were unarmed at the point of conflict and encircled by a larger army at a ridge. 
 
The father of a deceased Indian soldier was informed that his son had his throat slashed in the dark with metal nails.  Relatives of other fallen soldiers were also informed by witnesses that Indian soldiers fell into the Galwan River located at the west of the Himalayan valley. 
 
Reuters interviewed the relatives of 13 deceased Indian soldiers, 5 of which presented death certificates listing the horrifying injuries sustained by the casualties in the six-hour conflict.  The death certificates showed 3 soldiers sustained arteries ruptured in the neck while 2 other soldiers suffered fatal head injuries caused by sharp or pointed objects.  5 of them had visible scars on their necks and foreheads. 
 
Reuters contacted the military hospital in Ladakh, India, where the bodies were transported.  However, the hospital declined to comment on the causes of death but mentioned that the bodies and death certificates were already delivered to the families.  2 soldiers from the Bihar Regiment, who were deployed to the area but were not directly involved in the border conflict, accompanied the bodies to their hometown.  The identities of the 2 soldiers accompanying the bodies were undisclosed due to military regulations.  All family members also had requested to remain anonymous in the interviews.
 
Source:  Stand News  #Jul6
 #China #India

#China #US #Sanctions

Counter Sanctions from China on the US.  China Sanctions Rubio, Cruz and Other US Officials Critical of China, Freezing Their Assets in China and Barring Their Entries
 
China’s suppression of the Uyghur ethnic group in Xinjiang has long raised concerns.  Earlier this month, the United States announced sanctions against the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau (XPSB) and four related officials for involvements in serious human rights violations.  The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced counter sanction policies today (July 13th), targeting the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), the US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Samuel Dale Brownback and three US lawmakers critical of China, namely Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz as well as Republican Congressman Chris Smith.
 
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not elaborate on the concrete details of the move, but its spokesperson Hua Chunying stated that “equivalent sanctions” would be imposed on all four persons and the CECC.   Earlier this month, the US had frozen the assets and barred entries of the XPSB and four related Chinese officials.  Equivalent sanctions would, therefore, imply freezing all four US officials’ assets in China and barring them from entering China.
 
Last week, the US announced that building upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, it would impose sanctions on the Chinese Communist Party’s Secretary of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) Chen Quanguo, Director of the XPSB Wang Mingshan, two former XUAR officials and the entire XPSB.  Their assets in the US would be frozen and they would be barred from entering the US.
 
On the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s regular press conference today, spokesperson Hua Chunying announced equivalent sanctions on the CECC, Ambassador Brownback, Senator Rubio, Senator Cruz and Congressman Smith with immediate effect.  The Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the US for actions that interfered in China’s internal affairs, urged the US to withdraw its “wrong decision” and warned of “further response” depending on the development of the situation.
 
Three of the sanctioned US officials had been following Hong Kong’s situation closely in recent years and had been vocal in their concerns over the Umbrella Movement and the anti-extradition law amendment bill controversy.  Earlier this month, Rubio proposed the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act, which would provide political asylum for Hongkongers.
 
 
Source: Stand News  #Jul13
https://bit.ly/2OvDn6f

#Newspaper

Media outlet set up in Hong Kong for negative news coverage in China, 3 men imprisoned for picking quarrels and provoking trouble
 
(14 Jul)The website of China's Supreme People's Court recently announced the sentencing of citizens Wang Hongquan, Tang Yunli and Li Hede, from Lianyungang, Jiangsu province. The Gangyu District People's Court in Lianyungang doled out prison terms ranging from 12 to 18 months for running a media outlet in Hong Kong to report negative news on China. Their crime was picking quarrels and provoking trouble*.
 
The verdict stated that, through a third party, Wang founded the Hong Kong-registered China News Agency (中華新聞通訊社) in 2013 but that company is not the China Media Group** (華聞社). Wang's media outlet employed Tang as the chief reporter and Li was in charge of marketing.
 
Wang's website has covered news in various regions and published many negative reports [on China]. Under the name of China News Agency in Hong Kong, Wang recruited journalists and other staff across China. They impersonated Hong Kong journalists to access relevant departments to gather and report fake news, which Li promoted online to garner a large number of views and shares. This had a significantly negative impact on relevant institutions and individuals and led to serious public disorder. The police arrested Wang, Tang and Li in May last year. They were subsequently detained, arrested and charged.
 
Editor's Note:
*Picking quarrels and provoking trouble is a crime under article 293 of the 1997 revision of the People's Republic of China's Penal Code.
**The China Media Group is a publicly listed Chinese holding company. The Chinese name of Wang's company is similar to that of the China Media Group.

Source: On.cc
https://bit.ly/2DSLKXA
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo

#FreedomOfPress #Censorship #ChinaNewsAgency #ChinaInfluence

#Newspaper

Fifth anniversary of 709 Crackdown puts Hong Kong national security law in the spotlight, Chinese and Hong Kong lawyers concerned about future "Hong Kong version 709"

(8 Jul) The fifth anniversary of the "709 Crackdown" in mainland China is approaching. Currently in political asylum in the US, Chinese human rights lawyer, Chen Jiangang, had handled the cases of Xie Yang, Li Heping, Wang Quanzhang and Jiang Tianyong in the 709 incident. Chen was prohibited from leaving China until last year when he was threatened for handling the case of Zhou Yongkang's daughter-in-law, Fiona Huang. He and his family fled to the US that same year in July. Chen pointed out that the Hong Kong national security law should not be viewed from a legal perspective as it is intrinsically not a law. Rather, it represents that "the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can openly push their authority on Hong Kong. This is in their nature."

//the implementation of the Hong Kong national security law was like "sticking a knife" into more than 100 years of Common Law practice and changing it beyond recognition.

//self-censorship is already occurring in Hong Kong. He is concerned that a "'Hong Kong version' of 709 Crackdown may follow."

//under President Xi Jinping, the Administrative Procedure Law and the State Compensation Law were left stranded.

//During the pandemic, the CCP tightly monitored the family members of those deceased from the virus, "If five or more family members of the deceased interacted with each other, they had to be caught."

Full translation:
https://telegra.ph/Fifth-anniversary-of-709-Crackdown-puts-Hong-Kong-national-security-law-in-the-spotlight-Chinese-and-Hong-Kong-lawyers-concerned-07-17

Source: Mingpao
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo

#709MassArrest #Lawyer #RuleOfLaw #NationalSecurityLaw #Coronavirus

CCP members show their "love" for the party

The Google search of 'withdraw from the party' skyrockets after US claimed to consider banning all CCP members from entering the US. Interestingly, most of the search requests are from China; a country in which access to Google is blocked.

Source:
https://twitter.com/SomethinkMore/status/1283703741242204160?s=20

#GoogleSearch #China #WithdrawFromTheParty

#Newspaper

In echo of Mao era, China's schools in book-cleansing drive

//As schools reopened in China after the COVID-19 outbreak, they have thrown themselves into a nationwide exercise to remove books deemed politically incorrect, deepening Chinese President Xi Jinping’s push to instil patriotism and ideological purity in the education system.

//A directive from the Ministry of Education last October called on elementary and middle schools to clear out books from their libraries including “illegal” and “inappropriate” works. Now teachers have removed books from schools in at least 30 of mainland China’s 33 provinces and municipalities, according to a Reuters review of social media posts, publicly available school and local government documents, and interviews with teachers.

//Censorship in China has been intensifying under Xi, but analysts say this is the first national campaign aimed at libraries in decades. It comes as government employees in Hong Kong last week removed books by pro-democracy activists from public libraries to see whether they violate a new national security law.

//The ministry directive did not list titles, but said illegal books are those “that damage the unity of the country, sovereignty or its territory; books that upset society’s order and damage societal stability; books that violate the Party’s guidelines and policies, smear or defame the Party, the country’s leaders and heroes.”

Full article: Reuters, (09-Jul)

#Censorship #BookCleansing #China #Xi #patriotism #Nationalism

#NetizensVoice

Premier's Highlights: Inspection Of Flooded Areas.

(9 Jul) Knowing to put mud on the shoes is indeed a professional "method acting", which enhances the credibility of the script and the picture. Method acting is best known from James Dean who made it flourish in the 1950s. By the way, the other officials are just unprofessional extras. 😂

Source: Facebook
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo

#LiKeqiang #Flood #CCP #ChineseCharacteristic

#US #China #SouthChinaSea
US Officially Rejects China's So-Called 'Nine-Dash Line' Territorial Claims in South China Sea

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#US #China #SouthChinaSea
US Officially Rejects China's So-Called 'Nine-Dash Line' Territorial Claims in South China Sea
 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has officially rejected Beijing’s claims on the portion of the South China Sea bounded by the so-called ‘nine-dash line’.  In a statement issued on 13th of July, Pompeo wrote that “Beijing’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them”.  China has since objected strongly to this latest position.
 
In his statement, Pompeo emphasised that America aims to “preserve peace and stability, uphold freedom of the seas in a manner consistent with international law [and] maintain the unimpeded flow of commerce”.  He stressed that the US “oppose[s] any attempt to use coercion or force to settle disputes”, adding that these “deep and abiding interests” are shared by many of those of its allies who support “a rule-based international order”.
 
Pompeo further noted that China “has no legal grounds to unilaterally impose its will on the region”.  Since first making its so-called ‘nine-dash line’ claims in 2009, Beijing has not given any coherent legal justification, according to Pompeo’s statement.
 
On 12th of July 2016, the ‘nine-dash line’ claims were ruled legally unsound in the final decision of the South China Sea Arbitration.
 
Pompeo stated that “the world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire”.  The US, he continued, will stand with its Southeast Asian allies in “protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law”.  Pompeo added that the US will “stand with the international community in defence of freedom of the seas and respect for sovereignty and reject any push to impose ‘might makes right’ in the South China Sea or the wider region”.
 
Source:  Stand News  #Jul14
 

#GlobalSupport #Japan
Protesters Take the Streets of Tokyo in Support for Hong Kong, Holding “Liberate Hong Kong” Flags, Urging Japanese Government to Abort Xi Jinping’s Visit

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#GlobalSupport #Japan
Protesters Take the Streets of Tokyo in Support for Hong Kong, Holding “Liberate Hong Kong” Flags, Urging Japanese Government to Abort Xi Jinping’s Visit
 
With the Hong Kong National Security Law sparking global concerns, demonstrators marched down the streets of Tokyo on July 12th rallying against the political suppression happening in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.  Participants of the rally specifically demanded the Japanese government to abort plans for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit.
 
As suggested by its title “Uyghur x Hong Kong Joint Protest”, the rally was all about expressing concerns over Hong Kong’s current issues and the suppressions faced by Uyghurs in China.  The event began at 11:30 a.m. from Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park.  Under the new Hong Kong National Security Law, people of other nationalities expressing views against China, even from overseas, may constitute as an offence.  As such, the organisers called on participants to wear black clothing as well as put on sunglasses, face coverings and headwear.  Due to the continuing pandemic situation in Tokyo, the organisers also reminded participants to wear face masks, disinfect their hands and maintain social distancing.
 
Supporters of the Hong Kong movements raised black flags written with “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times”.  Under the Hong Kong National Security Law, displaying and possessing the “Liberate Hong Kong” flag may constitute as an offence.  Some of the Uyghur supporters held the blue East Turkestan Republic flags which had become a symbol of the East Turkestan independence movement. Some other marchers waved the American flag.  Participants of the rally demanded the Chinese government to stop sabotaging Hong Kong and stop its genocide on minorities.  Marchers also demanded the Japanese government to abort plans for Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit.
 
Source:  Stand News  #Jul12