#GoHKInterview #30Aug2020
Civilian in Hong Kong: “It is Now a Fascist Society. If the Government Doesn’t Mess With You Today, They Will the Next Day”

The following is a #FirstHand interview conducted by #GoHK  with a civilian in Hong Kong near Prince Edward Station at around 20:30 on 30 August 2020.

In the face of injustice, the encroachment of rights and police brutality, the civilian calls for Hongkongers to stand in unity to fight against the corrupt police and the authoritarian government.

Read the full transcript here:

https://telegra.ph/Civilian-Calls-Hongkongers-to-Stand-in-Unity-to-Fight-Against-Corrupt-Police-and-Authoritarian-Government-08-30-2

#Fascism #Authoritarianism #HongkongersVoices #FailedState #PrinceEdward831

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Further Reading:

One young man arrested by police while 3 others have "gone missing", reporters witnessed
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24700

#GoHKInterview #FirstHand #31Aug2020
#Interview With an American Man Living in Hong Kong : "It's not Hong Kong anymore. We're run by a dictatorship"

J (alias) comes from the United States and has been living in Hong Kong since four years ago.

On the evening of 31 August 2020, J was violently shoved by the Hong Kong police out of the shopping mall Pioneer Centre.

Watch the video: https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24762

In the interview, J recounted the police violence he witnessed and shared his views on living in Hong Kong before and after 2019.

Read the Full Interview Here:

telegra.ph/Interview-With-an-American-Man-Living-in-Hong-Kong--Its-not-Hong-Kong-anymore-Were-run-by-a-dictatorship-09-04

#Expats #US

#FirstHand #Mar1 #GoHKInterview
Pro-democracy Activist #FigoChan: I Am Sure We Won't Give Up

Read our English Transcript here:
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28861

#FirstHand #Mar1 #GoHKInterview
Pro-democracy Activist #FigoChan: I Am Sure We Won't Give Up

Watch Video:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28860

Figo Chan (陳皓桓), activist and convener of the organization Civil Human Rights Front (#CHRF), spoke to our reporter on March 1, 2021 outside West Kowloon magistrates court regarding the hearing of 47 pro-democracy candidates.

The group was charged with "conspiracy to commit subversion" under the #NationalSecurityLaw. The court is currently in session and Figo Chan believes that “it will take a long time since there are quite a number of accused, if each of their lawyers shall speak, it will definitely take until the afternoon.”

Chan said that “I am sure the supporters who are queueing in front of the court right now and those who are not here at the moment will not give up. I hope that we will all continue to persist and speak out."

He added, "Even though the government has restricted us from going on protests and rallies, we still found a way to queue up and vocally support those inside; the government has stopped us from voting, yet we found a way to “vote” with our presence by coming out here.”

“I believe those in court, in jail and those who might be charged and sentenced in the future will persist, so we shouldn’t give up on hope, I am sure it will be okay if we all stand strong on what we believe.”

When asked about his thoughts on whether the accused may be granted bail, Chan replied saying that “I really don’t know how to evaluate the situation right now since Hong Kong has become so absurd. Even organizing an unofficial primary poll can be considered to be a conspiracy to commit subversion, and it seems that the chances of them being granted bail are slim."

"I know that the world can get more and more absurd each day , but as long as we, the people, remain logical and stand strong on what we believe is right, I think it will be okay.”

Chan was also asked whether he has anything he would like to say to Hong Kong supporters overseas. “I know that the Hong Kong citizens who have moved abroad and the overseas supporters must be feeling very powerless and hopeless right now. They must be sad because of how their home has become."

"But I want to emphasize that there are still a lot of people in Hong Kong who are still persisting on, many of us who are still here haven't given up yet. It doesn’t matter where you are, as long as we all continue to speak out for freedom and democracy, we will be able to get the democracy we fight for."

"If we can speak out for the citizens in Myanmar, in turn, those in other countries can definitely support those in Hong Kong. So I believe we must all stand strong, persist, and never give up,” said Figo Chan.

Source: First Hand

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More first-hand interview of the day:

"Jail First, Trial Later": Ex-Lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan in Hong Kong Blasts National Security Trial for Lack of Due Process

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28864


#Interview #Court #PoliticalPersecution #NeverGiveUp #HongkongersVoices #StandWithHongKong #StandwithMyanmar
#FightforFreedom

#FirstHand #Mar1
#FirstHand #GoHKInterview #Mar1
"Jail First, Trial Later": Ex-Lawmaker in Hong Kong Blasts National Security Trial for Lack of Due Process

Read our English Transcript here:
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28864

#FirstHand #GoHKInterview #Mar1
"Jail First, Trial Later": Ex-Lawmaker in Hong Kong Blasts National Security Trial for Lack of Due Process

1800 | West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts

Watch video:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28863

On the early evening of March 1, 2021, former lawmaker #LeeCheukYan talked to reporters outside the court, as he was waiting for the updates on the court hearing of the 47 pro-democracy activists on trial under the #NationalSecurityLaw, along with many supporters at the scene.

It was revealed in the day's court proceedings that the prosecution had not yet finished their investigations, even though the case is already being brought to court.

Lee criticized the lack of due process under the draconian law, and called the government's tactics "dirty and self-contradicting".

"The authorities clumsily arrest all these people before they got their evidence together. Now that they're not ready for the trial, they wouldn't grant them bail. But this is how Hong Kong's law is like now," Lee said.

"The government is even wasting the judge's time," Lee added sympathetically, in reference to the prosecution asking to delay the case for another two months until May 2021.

"Worse yet, after all this charade, they might still not grant us bail. Then our defendants would end up jailed without trial for months," Lee pointed out.

When asked about the eight activists who were arrested together with the 47 but were not charged today, Lee says that the government's choice not to prosecute them seems intended to instigate divisions within the pro-democracy camp.

However, it only made their arrest even more ridiculous: "They don't even have evidence for the 47 they charged today, let alone the eight." Even so, Lee said, the government showed its intent to first keep the 47 pro-democracy activists and politicians behind bars for some time. "You simply don't know when they'll be free. The whole thing is ridiculous."

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More first-hand interviews from the same day:

Pro-democracy Activist #FigoChan: I Am Sure We Won't Give Up
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28861

#Court #PoliticalPrisoners #PoliceState #47Democrats #PoliticalPersecution #Injustice #HumanitarianCrisis #RuleByLaw