#DailyUpdate #Mar14 #COVID19

COVID-19 Updates (14/3)

At the time of writing, 150,551 cases of the coronavirus have been reported with 5617 deaths. China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea continue to be the most affected countries of the pandemic.

Mainland China reported only 11 new infections. China has reported 80,824 cases and 3,189 deaths since the outbreak began last December. More than 65,000 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. However, there are still no scheduled dates for the delayed Lianghui (annual Chinese communist party meetings)

4 new cases are reported in Hong Kong, raising the total to 141. A virus contracted individual lives in the same orientation in Fu Heng Estate as a couple who were confirmed earlier. All residents living in flat 13 and 14 in Heng Tai House, Fu Heng Estate are evacuated to quarantine camps.

250 new deaths have been reported in Italy. 4 players from Unione Calcio Sampdoria, a football club in Serie A, have contracted with the virus.

Sources say Spain is issuing lockdown; all residents are grounded in home.

Philippines announced lockdown and curfew in Manila.

American President Donald Trump announced state of emergency. He said he may receive virus test after contacted with several contracted patients.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said he has not contracted the coronavirus. He will be retested next week.

Brazilian Sentor Nelsinho Trad has been tested positive, he visited America along with Bolsonaro.

Brazilian Ambassodor to the United States, Nestor Forster has been tested positive, he attended a banquet with Donald Trump last Saturday.

Germany announced class suspension in 14 states.

First cases have been found in Rwanda, Namibia, Aruba, Cayman, Kosovo, U.S. Virgin Islands, Suriname, Venezuela, Ghana, Gabon, Sudan, Guinea, Guatemala, Uruguay and Puerto Rico.

America called Chinese ambassador and protested against Chinese’s “COVID-19 originates in America” theory.

Vietnam refuses visitors from UK and Schengen countries.

Denmark closes its borders to all tourists.

Several Iranian officials, Mohammad Reza Kala, Hossein Doroudi and Minoo Mohraz have contracted with the coronavirus.

Several Spanish politicians confirmed infected by the coronavirus.

Mayor of Miami, United States, Francis Suarez tested positive for the coronavirus.

The United Kingdom now has more than 1000 cases. Sources said the UK authorities would ban large scale public activities next week.

WHO director Tedros said Europe has become the center of the epidemic.

The International Olympic Committee is following WHO’s suggestion on whether to continue the Olympic Games.

Source: Now News, Reuters, World Meter, CCTV, CNN, Veja, NPR, Caymancompass, ABC, BBN, New York Times, TIME, Alarabiya, Daily Mail

#WuhanPneumonia #Quarantine #Evacuation
Residents from Tai Po's Tai Heng House to Evacuate; Microbiologist Suspects Sewage as a Source

On March 14, residents of at least a dozen apartments decided to evacuate from Tai Heng House in Taipo, after at least 3 people living in the same building had contracted Wuhan pneumonia.

After inspecting the building, microbiologist Professor Yuen Kwok-yung of the University of Hong Kong said it’s possible that the tiny droplets with the virus were carried by the air from the sewage of the family living on the 32nd floor. It may have gone up through venting pipe to the rooftop and led to the infection of the resident living on the topmost floor of the building.

Source: RTHK; Apple Daily #Mar14

According to Financial Times, Hong Kong managed to slow down the spread of the coronavirus due to community response and the closure of school, despite the government's refusal to close the border with China--being the source of the coronavirus.

Source: Financial Times #Mar14
https://on.ft.com/2IJ6oZd

UK must fix modern slavery laws to help protect Uighurs in China, say MPs

The government introduced the Modern Slavery Act in 2015 “The Modern Slavery Act is out of date, has no teeth, and we do not accept that businesses should be excused from doing basic due diligence to guarantee that their supply chains are fully transparent and free from forced labour and slavery,” the report by MPs said.

The UK government must toughen measures to tackle modern slavery, including more penalties to compel businesses to ensure Uighur forced labour is not used in their supply chains.

The report called for more penalties to compel companies to ensure supply chains do not include forced labour.

Source: The Guardian #Mar14

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/17/uk-must-fix-modern-slavery-laws-to-help-protect-uighurs-in-china-say-mps

#ModernSlaveryAct #UK #Uighur #China #CCP

UK declares China in breach of 1984 Hong Kong declaration

Britain has declared that China breached 1984 Sino-British joint declaration, which was supposed to guarantee Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy after the territory returned to Beijing’s control in 1997.

Britain’s intention to increase its presence in the Pacific region was illustrated in January by its application to join 11 countries in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The UK is also sending its new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to East Asia this summer.

“The UK will continue to stand up for the people of Hong Kong. China must act in accordance with its legal obligations and respect fundamental rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.” Dominic Raab, foreign secretary, said.

Source: FT #Mar14

https://www.ft.com/content/dc2aaf68-b92e-4c48-8823-e7e4648ccb74

#UK #China #Sino-BritishJointDeclaration #HongKong

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticalSuppression
A Journalist's Account of Witnessing the Trial of 47 Pro-democracy Activists in Hong Kong's Court

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy

Read Part 1
⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticalSuppression
A Journalist's Account of Witnessing the Trial of 47 Pro-democracy Activists in Hong Kong's Court

Part 1

[Editor's note: The Hong Kong authorities arrested and charged 47 pro-democracy with #NationalSecurityLaw violations for their participation in the primary election of the democratic camp in 2020. The trial began in the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on March 1, 2021.

The following is a reflective account written by Hong Kong journalist Cheung Hoi-kit.]

In the court room, the 47 pro-democracy activists took half of the seats, crowding the area behind the defendant fence and the seats outside. It is like the entire dissidents camp has been arrested at once. Regardless of their ages, ranks and the political party, they became a community, facing their fate together.

With the large number of defendants and their lawyers, the main court did not have seats for the families, reporters and the public. Families could not stay close to the defendants, not even to have any eye contact, as they had to watch the hearing through the live broadcast.

The main court accomodated neither family members nor reporters. Even more so, no bail statement discussion was allowed. The marathon-style trial was like an epic, where countless tales were recounted.

The court debated on a wide range of media reports of the 47 pro-democracy activists. Although the chief magistrate Victor So said that those stories were touching, he claimed that those reports did not point to any public benefit.

Linda Wong, a senior counsel representing the defendants, argued that those stories were not a paragraph in a fiction, but the experience and the true background of a person. The defendants were not mere numbers.

The cold legal provisions and heart warming personal stories continued to compete in the court room.

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29387

https://www.hkcnews.com/article/39218/47%E4%BA%BA%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E6%A1%88-%E6%B0%91%E4%B8%BB%E6%B4%BE%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8-%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E5%A4%A7%E8%B5%B7%E8%A8%B4-39218/%E3%80%90%E6%8E%A1%E8%A8%AA%E6%89%8B%E8%A8%98%E3%80%9147%E4%BA%BA%E6%A1%88%E5%9B%9B%E6%97%A5%E5%9B%9B%E5%A4%9C%E3%80%8C%E5%8F%B2%E8%A9%A9%E5%BC%8F%E6%8F%90%E5%A0%82%E3%80%8D%E7%9A%84%E4%B8%80%E4%BA%9B%E5%82%99%E5%BF%98

#Reflection #PoliticalPrisoners

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticalSuppression
A Journalist's Account: Lengthy Court Hearings Bring 47 Pro-democracy Activists to Exhaustion

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy

Previously, Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

Read Part 2
⬇️⬇️

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticalSuppression
A Journalist's Account: Lengthy Court Hearings Bring 47 Pro-democracy Activists to Exhaustion

[Editor's note: The Hong Kong authorities arrested and charged 47 pro-democracy with #NationalSecurityLaw violations for their participation in the primary election of the democratic camp in 2020. The trial began in the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on March 1, 2021.

The following is a reflective account written by Hong Kong journalist Cheung Hoi-kit.]

Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

Continue with Part 2 below:

Among the 47 pro-democracy activists charged, legal scholar Benny Tai has believed in the Hong Kong Basic Law for all his life. He did not say much in court on these consecutive days.

Since the trial could not be done on the first day, he needed to attend two court hearings in the following days. They were an appeal case concerning the Occupy Central with Love and Peace (#OCLP) in 2014 and the bail trial for the primary election. Even the chief magistrate Victor So claimed to see Tai's fatigue.

Laywer Lawrence Lau has helped the pro-democracy protester Tong Ying-Kit, who was the first Hongkongers to be charged with National Security violations. However, this time Lau himself is also one of the defendants being charged with "conspiracy to subvert state powers".

Lau chose to defend himself. He said he had never expected himself to breach the law. The statement was simple and straight-forward.

Former Stand News reporter Gwyneth Ho was cheerful as usual. She was heard humming a Cantonese pop song "So I say I love you" on the first day of the trial.

Former legislator Lam Cheuk-Ting told his wife, "I love you".

However, after days of trial, several defendents started to ger unwell. The atmosphere in the court also changed significantly. For three days and nights, the defendants were even not given a chance to take a shower or change their clothes.

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14

https://www.hkcnews.com/article/39218/47%E4%BA%BA%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E6%A1%88-%E6%B0%91%E4%B8%BB%E6%B4%BE%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8-%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E5%A4%A7%E8%B5%B7%E8%A8%B4-39218/%E3%80%90%E6%8E%A1%E8%A8%AA%E6%89%8B%E8%A8%98%E3%80%9147%E4%BA%BA%E6%A1%88%E5%9B%9B%E6%97%A5%E5%9B%9B%E5%A4%9C%E3%80%8C%E5%8F%B2%E8%A9%A9%E5%BC%8F%E6%8F%90%E5%A0%82%E3%80%8D%E7%9A%84%E4%B8%80%E4%BA%9B%E5%82%99%E5%BF%98

#PoliceState #BemnyTai #LawrenceLau #GwynethHo #LamCheukTing

#Reflection #PoliticalPrisoners

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticslSuppression
The #Heartbreaking Moments: When Pro-democracy Activists in Hong Kong Fight for their Last Chance to Speak Up

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy

Previously, Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

Part 2:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29399

Read Part 3
⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29408

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticslSuppression
The #Heartbreaking Moments: When Pro-democracy Activists in Hong Kong Fight for their Last Chance to Speak Up

[Editor's note: The Hong Kong authorities arrested and charged 47 pro-democracy with #NationalSecurityLaw violations for their participation in the primary election of the democratic camp in 2020. The trial began in the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on March 1, 2021.

The following is a reflective account written by Hong Kong journalist Cheung Hoi-kit.]


Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

Part 2:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29399

Part 3:

The hearing on March 3, 2021 was heartbreaking.

The bail conditions were discussed. These include a series of bans in elections, social media, media interview and others.

The defense stood up and argued that the bail conditions were too strict.

As most of the defendants are former Legislators and current district councillors who represent the electorates, the bail conditions would silence them totally, causing them to lose their functions in the community.

The girlfriend of Ventus Lau, one of the 47 pro-democracy activists, described that the bail conditions were sending the defendants to their "social death". Granting some form of freedom by sacrificing a large part of their rights is simply unreasonable.

Another heartbreaking moment came as several defendants changed to self-defence. Whether it was a planned strategy or a suddent change of mind, they were fighting for the last chance to speak for themselves. As they spoke, some of them hoarsed while others choked with tears.

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy

https://www.hkcnews.com/article/39218/47%E4%BA%BA%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E6%A1%88-%E6%B0%91%E4%B8%BB%E6%B4%BE%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8-%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E5%A4%A7%E8%B5%B7%E8%A8%B4-39218/%E3%80%90%E6%8E%A1%E8%A8%AA%E6%89%8B%E8%A8%98%E3%80%9147%E4%BA%BA%E6%A1%88%E5%9B%9B%E6%97%A5%E5%9B%9B%E5%A4%9C%E3%80%8C%E5%8F%B2%E8%A9%A9%E5%BC%8F%E6%8F%90%E5%A0%82%E3%80%8D%E7%9A%84%E4%B8%80%E4%BA%9B%E5%82%99%E5%BF%98

#Reflection #PoliticalPrisoners

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticalSuppression
A Journalist's Account: What has the political situation in Hong Kong become?

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy

Previously, Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

Part 2:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29399

Part 3:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29408

Read Part 4
⬇️⬇️

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticalSuppression
A Journalist's Account: What has the political situation in Hong Kong become?

[Editor's note: The Hong Kong authorities arrested and charged 47 pro-democracy with #NationalSecurityLaw violations for their participation in the primary election of the democratic camp in 2020. The trial began in the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on March 1, 2021.

The following is a reflective account written by Hong Kong journalist Cheung Hoi-kit.]

Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

Part 2:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29399

Part 3:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29408


Part 4:

As a journalist, I really regretted not being able to record all 47 personal stories of the 47 pro-democracy activists in details.

In 2021 Hong Kong, our freedom of speech as well as publication could disappear in no time.

On the fourth day of trial on April 4, 2021, I felt loss ans had a fuzzy memory inside the court.

I can only remember just before the court decision was made, the atmosphere in the court was heated up. The chanting if the pro-democracy supporters broke through the concrete wall of the court, reaching the the press room and the lobby.

This moment is similar to the first day of trial, when thousands of Hongkongers gathered outside the court to show support for the 47 pro-democracy activists.

However, in the end, only 15 out of the 47 dedendants can bail out. Even with that, the Department of Justice immediately asked for an appeal, so in the end, no one can step out of the court.

Afterwards, the families of the defendants screamed and howled. Their sound filled the area outside the court and continued to echo in my mind.

What has the political situation in Hong Kong become? It is a time when almost all the top bar counsels cannot change the situation, nor bring any defendant out of the court with bail.

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy

https://www.hkcnews.com/article/39218/47%E4%BA%BA%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E6%A1%88-%E6%B0%91%E4%B8%BB%E6%B4%BE%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8-%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E5%A4%A7%E8%B5%B7%E8%A8%B4-39218/%E3%80%90%E6%8E%A1%E8%A8%AA%E6%89%8B%E8%A8%98%E3%80%9147%E4%BA%BA%E6%A1%88%E5%9B%9B%E6%97%A5%E5%9B%9B%E5%A4%9C%E3%80%8C%E5%8F%B2%E8%A9%A9%E5%BC%8F%E6%8F%90%E5%A0%82%E3%80%8D%E7%9A%84%E4%B8%80%E4%BA%9B%E5%82%99%E5%BF%98

#Reflection #PoliticalPrisoners