#FirstHand #Jul31 #PrinceEdward831
Police Take Unarmed Young Man Holding a Camera To Police Station

2216 | MTR Station Exit B1, #PrinceEdward

An unarmed young man in yellow-shirt holding a camera is surrounded by at least three police officers in gear. He was stopped and searched and was later taken to the police station.

In spite of the quiet atmosphere and absence of protest, police have arrested several civilians on the monthly commemorative day of the 8.31 terror attack.

Police Take Away a Man with Take-away and Bicycle on 8.31 Monthly Commemorative Day
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23873

Police Intercept Teenage Girl Holding White Flowers
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23868

Police Arrest At Least 5 Young People inside Prince Edward Station
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23872

Despite Cat. 3 Tropical Depression, Man Alone Insists on Remembering 831 Remembering 8.31 Terror Attack at Prince Edward Station
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23877

#Breaking #NationalSecurityLaw
Sources: Democracy activists in Exile Wanted by Hong Kong Police for Violating National Security Law

Sources revealed that several pro-democracy figures are wanted by the Hong Kong police for violatingNational Security Law.

The list includes Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Wayne Chan Ka-kui, Ray Wong Toi-yeung, Simon Cheng Man-kit, Honcques Laus and Samuel Chu.

This is the first time the police use the National Security Law to issue warrant for Hongkongers who have left Hong Kong.

Source: NOW News; Mingpao #Jul31
Image: Al Jazeera
#WhiteTerror

See also:
Student Organisations Targeted, At Least 3 Former Members Arrested in Raids
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23831

Hong Kong Government Disqualifies At Least 12 Pro-democracy Candidates in LegCo Election
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23841

#LoveHongKong #NathanLaw
Nathan Law: "I hope, too, that all of you can stand strong to resist the white terror rather than succumb to self-censorship"

"I have no idea what is my “crime” and I don’t think that’s even important. These are trumped-up charges. Perhaps, in the end, the answer is that I love Hong Kong too much.

... I really love Hong Kong: its terrain, its culture, its vibe. But what I most love are Hong Kongers’ values and the future of its every inhabitant. What I now face is far greater than my own gains and losses. The price of displacement is what I’m willing to pay..."

Source: Nathan Law's Facebook #Jul31 #NationalSecurityLaw #WantedList

Read Full Version:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23887

#LoveHongKong #NathanLaw
Nathan Law: "I hope, too, that all of you can stand strong to resist the white terror rather than succumb to self-censorship"

This is the full version Nathan Law published on Facebook:

//Like all of you, I found out that I — along with five other Hong Kongers currently overseas — am on the wanted list for having violated the NSL from news reports. I have no idea what is my “crime” and I don’t think that’s even important. These are trumped-up charges. Perhaps, in the end, the answer is that I love Hong Kong too much.

Since 2014 I have experienced a lot of ups and downs: from student leader to a Legislative Council member, and from a prisoner to an international advocate, I have not for a moment betrayed Hong Kongers’ values and democratic aspirations. I’d be dishonest if I said I could’ve imagined six years ago that, by the time of Hong Kong’s complete destruction under Chinese control in 2020, I’d be so far gone, truly not knowing when I could return home.

I was prepared when I left Hong Kong to be in exile; but this becoming a reality still disappoints, incapacitates, and frightens me. Indeed who can enjoy freedom from fear in the face of China’s powerful political machine? What we can choose is how to respond to this fear: For me, it’s with action.

I’ve always advocated for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong, for sanctions by foreign governments against Chinese and Hong Kong officials who stifle human rights, for an active international response to concentration camps in Xinjiang and the collapse of Hong Kong’s autonomy.

The arrests, the disqualifications, the wanted bulletins — these are indications of our need to remain active on the global stage. That Hong Kong has no place for even such moderate views like ours underscores the absurdity of Chinese Communist rule. I really love Hong Kong: its terrain, its culture, its vibe. But what I most love are Hong Kongers’ values and the future of its every inhabitant. What I now face is far greater than my own gains and losses. The price of displacement is what I’m willing to pay.

My social media will remain active. I hope, too, that all of you can stand strong to resist the white terror rather than succumb to self-censorship. At the same time, I hereby reiterate: My advocacy work overseas is conducted in my own personal capacity, without any collaboration with others. Since leaving Hong Kong, I have also stopped contacting members of my family. From now on I’ll sever my relationship with them.

I will also try my best to protect my safety. Please don’t worry about me. I still have faith in the future.//

Source: Nathan Law's Facebook #Jul31 #NationalSecurityLaw #WantedList

#PoliceState #NSL #PrinceEdward831
Police Officers Arrest 2 Civilians Aggressively for Writing Slogan

A man and a woman wrote down a slogan outside of Prince Edward Station Exit B. They were followed by around six or seven plainclothed police officers. At Sai Yeung Choi Street South, they were pinned down on the ground and arrested by the police. The man screamed, "I can't breathe".

Source: CLS HK Media #Jul31

Police Take Unarmed Young Man Holding a Camera To Police Station
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23884

Police Take Away a Man with Take-away and Bicycle on 8.31 Monthly Commemorative Day
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23873

Police Intercept Teenage Girl Holding White Flowers
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23868

Police Arrest At Least 5 Young People inside Prince Edward Station
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23872

Despite Typhoon Signal No.3, Man Alone Insists on Remembering 831 Remembering 8.31 Terror Attack at Prince Edward Station
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23877

#DQ #LegCoElection #NationalSecurityLaw
Joshua Wong Questions the Authorities' Larger Plan of Prosecution under the National Security Law In Disguise of Disqualifications

Source: Apple Daily; InMedia #Jul31 #JoshuaWong #BasicLaw

Read more
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23890

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#DQ #LegCoElection #NationalSecurityLaw
Joshua Wong Questions the Authorities' Larger Plan of Prosecution under the National Security Law In Disguise of Disqualifications

In a press conference held on July 31, Joshua Wong said the accusations ruled by returning officer of the Electoral Affairs Commission were “ridiculous”. Wong pointed out that this is not only about barring him from running for the LegCo Election, but also a larger plan to prosecute him under the national security law, after twisting his views.

Regarding the Returning Officer's request that candidates believe in the Basic Law, Joshua Wong questioned whether the Basic Law has risen to the religious level. [1] He also doubted how much Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and his family believe in the Basic Law when they "hold British passports and are British".

In addition, the Returning Officer’s approach is to completely ban international connections, which is tantamount to announcing to the international community that "Hong Kong is shut down."

Wong commented that the Returning Officers treated the work of international connections like a witch hunt, and that the whole process felt more like a correspondence with national security officers than replying to a query from a "low-grade civil servant."

Finally, he stated that he would continue to play his role in the democratic movement, and he also solemnly stated to the Beijing government, the SAR government and the Returning Officer that "You can't kill us all."

[1]: Although the English statement states that nominations should "embrace" the Basic Law, the Chinese statement used the word 「信奉」(worship), which holds a religious tone.

Source: Apple Daily; InMedia #Jul31 #JoshuaWong #BasicLaw

#Extradition #CCP
#Germany to Suspend Extradition Agreement with Hong Kong; #WhiteHouse Condemns Disqualifications and Election Delay

Germany Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said after Carrie Lam postponed a Sept. 6 election to the Chinese-ruled city’s legislature by a year:

“The Hong Kong government’s decision to disqualify a dozen opposition candidates for the election and postpone the elections to the legislature is another infringement on the rights of the citizens of Hong Kong.

We have repeatedly made our expectation clear that China lives up to its legal responsibilities under international law”.

White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany condemns Hong Kong's decision to delay election:

"This action undermines the democratic processes and freedoms that have underpinned Hong Kong’s prosperity.

This is only the most recent in a growing list of broken promises by Beijing, which promised autonomy and freedoms to the Hong Kong people until 2047 in the Sino-British joint declaration.”

Source: Reuters #Jul31

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#HKChronicles

2020 #LegCoElection: Hong Kong's First Election to be Postponed in 132 Years

In 1940, Hong Kong was on the eve of being occupied by the Japanese force. The Urban Council election was still held as planned on Feb 29.

In 1967, bombs and assaults took place frequently during the communist-instigated riots. The British colonial government did not delay the Urban Council election.

In 2003, during the SARS epidemic, the Sham Shui Po District Council By-election took place in April after enforcing hygienic measures.

Despite the menace of the COVID19 pandemic, countries like Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Sinapore had held their elections as planned.

On July 31, 2020, Carrie Lam, however, invoked the power from the Emergency Regulations Ordinance to delay Hong Kong's Legislative Election, held every 4 years by law, for one year.

Source: We Toast, HK #Jul31

#FirstHand #Jul31
Hongkonger Never Forget Prince Edward Station Attack, 23 monthd ago

23 months ago, on August 31 2019, Hong Kong police barged into a subway train arriving at the Prince Edward station and, discriminately, assaulted pro-democracy protesters and passengers in the cabinet on their way home.

It was one of the goriest incidents during the anti-extradition law amendment bill movement in 2019, where civilians covered in blood were seen holding nothing but broken umbrellas to protect each other and some injured ones being left unattended in agony when police officers guarded against first aiders and medics from entering the scene to provide medical care.

The incident has then been remembered as 831 incident and commemorated every month.

This night, amidst growing white terror in the city and National Security threat, some Hongkongers continued to bring white flowers to the scene to show respect for those who have resisted, risked, and even sacrificed in this pro-democracy movement and a small home-made poster was seen hoisted on a nearby handrail.

#PrinceEdward831 #Remembrance #23months

#PoliceState #Censorship
HK Government Cut Ties with Professional Teachers' Union After China Calls it "Cancer"

Source: In-Media HK #Jul31

Read more
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30674

#PoliceState #Censorship
HK Government Cut Ties with Professional Teachers' Union After China Calls it "Cancer"

On the morning of July 31, 2021, China's state media People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency published opinion pieces against the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union (#HKPTU), calling it "a cancer that must be removed".

By the afternoon, the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong government announced it
that it is terminating its working relationship with the local teachers' Union.

The union responded to the opinion pieces by saying it has always promoted professional growth of teachers and advocating for their rights, giving attention to the development of the country and its people, as well as being "against Hong Kong independence".

The Education Bureau sent out a sternly-worded press release a mere half hour later, outlining its policy towards the Union:

-No further collaboration with the Union;

-No more meetings with the Union

-No consulting with the Union regarding education matters

-No processing of referred cases or topics of concern raised by the Union

The Bureau said that it would fully review its consultation groups, and would consider terminating the terms of any HKPTU members that hold committee positions or have other duties, and not recognize their status as committee members.

Furthermore, the government would be refused entry into the Bureau's office building or the Bureau's meetings.

Also, the Education Bureau will no longer recognize professional development courses hosted by HKPTU, and schools are not to count the Union's courses toward their teachers' professional development requirements of 150 hours in 3 years.

The Bureau further criticizes the union for its pro-democracy stance and activities in recent years, claiming that they are not in line with the professionalism of educators, even claiming that the Union is effectively no different from a "political group".

The government's spokesperson also criticized the Union for being actively involved in the matters with the Civil Human Rights Front and the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, as well as for "bringing politics into schools" by organizing teachers' strikes.

[Editor's Note: Founded in 1973, the HKPTU is Hong Kong's largest teacher's union with over 90,000 members. The other major union is the pro-Beijing Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, which claims over 40,000 members, though some member categories are not required to be in the education sector.

The Federation's vice-chairperson, Nicolas Muk, recently made the news for criticizing Olympic badminton player Angus Ng Ka-long for wearing a black jersey. The ensuing controversy led to Ng switching to a different jersey in the next match, which he lost, drawing further public anger against Muk.]

#WhiteTerror #Education #EducationBureau #CCPRules #FailedState

Source: In-Media HK #Jul31

https://bit.ly/2WHR6yj

#PoliceState #PoliticalSupression
Hong Kong student activist traumatised by national security probe

Source: Daily Record; #Jul31

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#PoliceState #PoliticalSupression
Hong Kong student activist traumatised by national security probe

On July 29, 2020, the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force arrested several members of #StudentLocalism, a pro-democracy student organization in Hong Kong, including the group’s convenor #TonyChung Hon-lam and spokersperson, #YanniHo Yan-nok on suspicion of "inciting secession".

A year later, Chung was still in custody, although Ho was released unconditionally in early 2021 and her passport was returned to her.

Ho left Hong Kong subsequently for the US and expressed her thoughts on social media.

Ho wrote that although a year has passed, she could still recall clearly the moment when she was arrested by the National Security Police. The shock and fear lingered in her mind.

She was only 17 year old and was stunned by the arrest. It has never come across to her that she could be among the first arrestees by National Security Police and she was not mentally prepared. 

Ho said that she is now residing in US, a land of freedom. Despite that, she could not distance herself from the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, especially when knowing that her friends are facing national security charges and unpredictable sentences.

Ho wrote, “I’ve lost too much last year. Many of my friends have been detained, imprisoned and in exile. I, indeed, regret for not spending more time with them when we were still free.”

#HKProtest  #NationalSecurityLaw  #WhiteTerror #Youth

Source: Daily Record; #Jul31
https://www.facebook.com/101298661511772/posts/385050066469962/?d=n

As threats of ‘new Cold War’ between U.S. and China intensify, Canada needs firm strategy to adapt

Back in April, prominent U.S. senator Chuck Schumer tabled a sweeping 1,445-page bill that would lay the groundwork for America’s broad strategy to blunt China’s global rise.

The legislation, called the Innovation and Competition Act, identifies strategic industries like quantum computing, advanced semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, where it recommends the U.S. should ramp up public support. It proposes deeper protections for critical minerals, expands research spending, and aims to strengthen cyber defence capabilities, among other things.

Source: National Post #Jul31

https://nationalpost.com/news/as-threats-of-new-cold-war-between-u-s-and-china-intensify-canada-needs-firm-strategy-to-adapt

#China #US #Canada #ColdWar

#Court #PoliceState
HK Police Forbids Civilians from Seeing Sentenced Pro-democracy Protester Off

Source: InMedia #Jul31

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China at the UN: Choking Civil Society

The Chinese government’s crackdown on freedom of expression, independent thought, and civil society now extends beyond its borders. In the United Nations, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) misuses its seat on the United Nations Economic and Social Council’s Committee on Non-governmental Organizations (NGO Committee) to block applications from civil society organizations seeking UN consultative status. Consultative status enables NGOs to participate in UN activities, including hosting side events, gaining access to sessions, speaking at UN events and delivering statements.

Source: Journal of Democracy #Jul31

https://t.co/IgMB3ovTzV

#China #UN #PRC #NGO

‘It Feels Like We’re Just Waiting to Die’: Hong Kong Targets Student Unions

The police arrived at the University of Hong Kong around 3 p.m., wearing black vests marking them as national security officers. They cordoned off the offices of the student union, combed its interior and seized several bins of material.

A top police official said they were investigating the union over comments from its leaders that the authorities said had glorified violence. But the underlying message of the mid-July raid was clear: The authorities were clamping down on the city’s universities, and in particular its student activists.

Source: NY Times #Jul31

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/31/world/asia/hong-kong-students.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

#HKU #Police #CCP #NationalSecurityLaw #Beijing