#Justice #HKBarristers
New Chairperson of Hong Kong Bar Association vows to protect the rule of law in Hong Kong
Source: Stand News #Jan21
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New Chairperson of Hong Kong Bar Association vows to protect the rule of law in Hong Kong
Source: Stand News #Jan21
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#Justice #HKBarristers
New Chairperson of Hong Kong Bar Association vows to protect the rule of law in Hong Kong
On Jan 21, 2021, Philip Dykes ended his second term as the chairperson of the Hong Kong Bar Association (#HKBA) based on charter rules.
Founder of Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor, senior counsel Paul Harris was elected to be the next chairperson without any opposition.
The two vice-chairpersons were senior counsel Anita Yip, who was re-elected, and Erik Shum, who was a committee member originally.
After being elected, Harris held in his hand a wooden chair figure that represented his status as the new chairperson and spoke with reporters outside of the venue.
Harris said, the Bar Association and the rule of law in Hong Kong are going through a difficult time at the moment. As a senior counsel who is deeply committed to the law, he opposed both violent protests and the government that abuses its power. He promised to enhance the rule of law during his term.
Harris also expressed his concern towards the National Security Law, especially the part which indicated that state power overrides the law.
Moreover, many countries had suspended their extradition agreement with Hong Kong due to concerns over the National Security Law. This means that outlaws such as murderers can easily escape from legal justifications, especially in the future when the pandemic is over and it is easier to travel in and out of Hong Kong.
Harris therefore promised to try his best to negotiate in hopes that the government can amend some parts of the National Security Law to resume extradition agreements. “I don’t know if that would be possible,” said Harris, “but that’s what I’m going to work towards”.
Source: Stand News #Jan21
#PaulHarris #PhilipDykes #HumanRights
New Chairperson of Hong Kong Bar Association vows to protect the rule of law in Hong Kong
On Jan 21, 2021, Philip Dykes ended his second term as the chairperson of the Hong Kong Bar Association (#HKBA) based on charter rules.
Founder of Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor, senior counsel Paul Harris was elected to be the next chairperson without any opposition.
The two vice-chairpersons were senior counsel Anita Yip, who was re-elected, and Erik Shum, who was a committee member originally.
After being elected, Harris held in his hand a wooden chair figure that represented his status as the new chairperson and spoke with reporters outside of the venue.
Harris said, the Bar Association and the rule of law in Hong Kong are going through a difficult time at the moment. As a senior counsel who is deeply committed to the law, he opposed both violent protests and the government that abuses its power. He promised to enhance the rule of law during his term.
Harris also expressed his concern towards the National Security Law, especially the part which indicated that state power overrides the law.
Moreover, many countries had suspended their extradition agreement with Hong Kong due to concerns over the National Security Law. This means that outlaws such as murderers can easily escape from legal justifications, especially in the future when the pandemic is over and it is easier to travel in and out of Hong Kong.
Harris therefore promised to try his best to negotiate in hopes that the government can amend some parts of the National Security Law to resume extradition agreements. “I don’t know if that would be possible,” said Harris, “but that’s what I’m going to work towards”.
Source: Stand News #Jan21
#PaulHarris #PhilipDykes #HumanRights
#Interview #HongkongersVoice
Arrested Pro-democracy Uni Student is Not Pessimistic: People work towards a simple and shared value - the fight for Hongkonger’s Freedom
Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28173
Source: Stand News #Jan21
Read more
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28202
Arrested Pro-democracy Uni Student is Not Pessimistic: People work towards a simple and shared value - the fight for Hongkonger’s Freedom
Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28173
Source: Stand News #Jan21
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28202
#Interview #HongkongersVoice
Arrested Pro-democracy Uni Student is Not Pessimistic: People work towards a simple and shared value - the fight for Hongkonger’s Freedom
Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28173
Part 2:
Ah Ling, a MPhil student in Philosophy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong was sentenced to 16 weeks in jail for "illegal assembly" on the evening of the 1-million-peopled June 9 rally in 2019.
Before going to jail, he said:
“When are we going to achieve it? Nobody knows.”
“When are we going to succeed? Nobody knows.”
“Are we going to succeed? Nobody knows it either.”
“But we still have to do it.” Ah Ling uttered this line most sternly.
He made an analogy comparing individuals involved in the pro-democracy movement to the gearwheels of an engine. “A gearwheel doesn’t need a hope to wind, but power. As long as we are gearing towards a desired direction, and when you accept the fact that you might not be able to witness a fruitful result, you will be contented to keep on winding forward. This is not a matter of being optimistic or not.”
Talking about an ideal Hong Kong, Ah Ling suggested a way of reverse thinking on “which core values we have to defend.”
He wanted to say that if citizens in all walks of life in Hong Kong are striving towards the same objective and sharing the same set of values, they will open up many possibilities for the city in the future. Ah Ling stressed that, the critical aspect lies in people’s mentality.
The 2019 anti-ELAB movement has evolved on unprecedented scale. “This is because the movement has drawn together people with different backgrounds and beliefs to work towards a simple and shared value - the fight for Hongkonger’s freedom,” Ah Ling concluded.
Source: Stand News #Jan21
https://bit.ly/3iyYrXF
#ProtestersStory #AhLing #Arrest #PhilosophyStudent #University #Youth #Future #Justice
Arrested Pro-democracy Uni Student is Not Pessimistic: People work towards a simple and shared value - the fight for Hongkonger’s Freedom
Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28173
Part 2:
Ah Ling, a MPhil student in Philosophy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong was sentenced to 16 weeks in jail for "illegal assembly" on the evening of the 1-million-peopled June 9 rally in 2019.
Before going to jail, he said:
“When are we going to achieve it? Nobody knows.”
“When are we going to succeed? Nobody knows.”
“Are we going to succeed? Nobody knows it either.”
“But we still have to do it.” Ah Ling uttered this line most sternly.
He made an analogy comparing individuals involved in the pro-democracy movement to the gearwheels of an engine. “A gearwheel doesn’t need a hope to wind, but power. As long as we are gearing towards a desired direction, and when you accept the fact that you might not be able to witness a fruitful result, you will be contented to keep on winding forward. This is not a matter of being optimistic or not.”
Talking about an ideal Hong Kong, Ah Ling suggested a way of reverse thinking on “which core values we have to defend.”
He wanted to say that if citizens in all walks of life in Hong Kong are striving towards the same objective and sharing the same set of values, they will open up many possibilities for the city in the future. Ah Ling stressed that, the critical aspect lies in people’s mentality.
The 2019 anti-ELAB movement has evolved on unprecedented scale. “This is because the movement has drawn together people with different backgrounds and beliefs to work towards a simple and shared value - the fight for Hongkonger’s freedom,” Ah Ling concluded.
Source: Stand News #Jan21
https://bit.ly/3iyYrXF
#ProtestersStory #AhLing #Arrest #PhilosophyStudent #University #Youth #Future #Justice
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#Interview #HongkongersVoice
Arrested Pro-democracy Uni Student is Not Pessimistic: "The Movement is About Seeking an Ideal, Which Can Only Come True through Practice"
Part 1:
Ah Ling (pseudonym), is a MPhil postgraduate student in Philosophy at Chinese…
Arrested Pro-democracy Uni Student is Not Pessimistic: "The Movement is About Seeking an Ideal, Which Can Only Come True through Practice"
Part 1:
Ah Ling (pseudonym), is a MPhil postgraduate student in Philosophy at Chinese…
#Oppression #Depression #SadCity
¼ HK population shows symptoms of moderate or severe depression
On Jan 21, 2021, the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong and Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences of City University jointly revealed record high Depression Index in 2020 in Hong Kong.
The survey shows that the proportion of depressed people in Hong Kong has shot sharply up in 2020: 25% were mildly depressed and 23% were moderately to severely depressed, a 27% increase compared to 2018.
That means, every one in four people in the city has shown symptoms of moderate to severe depression. Among them only 10% claimed willingness to seek professional assistance. The largest number of respondents said pressure came from "political/social environment" (62.5%), followed closely by "pandemic" (61.7%).
Source: InMedia #Jan21
https://bit.ly/2Y0KtEI
#Poll #MentalHealth
¼ HK population shows symptoms of moderate or severe depression
On Jan 21, 2021, the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong and Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences of City University jointly revealed record high Depression Index in 2020 in Hong Kong.
The survey shows that the proportion of depressed people in Hong Kong has shot sharply up in 2020: 25% were mildly depressed and 23% were moderately to severely depressed, a 27% increase compared to 2018.
That means, every one in four people in the city has shown symptoms of moderate to severe depression. Among them only 10% claimed willingness to seek professional assistance. The largest number of respondents said pressure came from "political/social environment" (62.5%), followed closely by "pandemic" (61.7%).
Source: InMedia #Jan21
https://bit.ly/2Y0KtEI
#Poll #MentalHealth
#FailedState
#Taiwan officials denied of #visa renewal in Hong Kong
Several Taiwan officials of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office was reportedly being declined of visa renewal by the HK government owing to their refusal to support the “#OneChinaPrinciple”.
As a result, they have to return to Taiwan, leaving only 12 officials in their office in Hong Kong.
Visa documents of four Taiwan officials were either expired or about to be expired. Concerning officials made applications for visa renewal but they have not heard from the Hong Kong authorities for as long as 6 months. It was suspected that the authorities have been stalling their applications in an attempt to disrupt the office's operation.
It was also reported that there were once 20 officials in the Office. However, since Lou Chang-sui was unable to take his office last year, the Hong Kong authorities have not been heeding to the Office’s subsequent requests for the dispatch of personnel to the city.
Source: Stand News #Jan21
#Taiwan officials denied of #visa renewal in Hong Kong
Several Taiwan officials of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office was reportedly being declined of visa renewal by the HK government owing to their refusal to support the “#OneChinaPrinciple”.
As a result, they have to return to Taiwan, leaving only 12 officials in their office in Hong Kong.
Visa documents of four Taiwan officials were either expired or about to be expired. Concerning officials made applications for visa renewal but they have not heard from the Hong Kong authorities for as long as 6 months. It was suspected that the authorities have been stalling their applications in an attempt to disrupt the office's operation.
It was also reported that there were once 20 officials in the Office. However, since Lou Chang-sui was unable to take his office last year, the Hong Kong authorities have not been heeding to the Office’s subsequent requests for the dispatch of personnel to the city.
Source: Stand News #Jan21
Twitter blocks account of the China Embassy in the U.S., accusing Xinjiang posts of violating user rules.
Source: Stand News #Jan21
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Source: Stand News #Jan21
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Twitter blocks account of the China Embassy in the U.S., accusing Xinjiang posts of violating user rules.
On Thursday (21), Twitter had blocked the Chinese Embassy’s account in the U.S. for a post that it said violated the company’s user code against “dehumanisation” by defending the Xinjiang region.
In a post this month, the Chinese Embassy in the United States said that Uighur women in Xinjiang had been “liberated” and that “gender equality has improved” under the Xinjiang policy, citing a report in China Daily, a newspaper sponsored by the Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department, that women there were no longer reproductive machines and could be more independent. That post was deleted by Twitter and labelled “not existed anymore”. The post has been removed from Twitter and tagged as no longer existing. While Twitter automatically hides posts that violate its policies, it requires account owners to manually delete such posts. No new posts have been posted to the Chinese Embassy’s account since January 9 of this year.
In response to media inquiries on Thursday, a Twitter spokesperson said Twitter took action against the account for violating the user policy, stating, “We prohibit dehumanisation based on religion, caste, age, disability, serious illness, national origin or race.”
#ChineseEmbassy #US #Uighyr #Xinjiang #Twitter
Source: Stand News #Jan21
https://bit.ly/3thtKvk
On Thursday (21), Twitter had blocked the Chinese Embassy’s account in the U.S. for a post that it said violated the company’s user code against “dehumanisation” by defending the Xinjiang region.
In a post this month, the Chinese Embassy in the United States said that Uighur women in Xinjiang had been “liberated” and that “gender equality has improved” under the Xinjiang policy, citing a report in China Daily, a newspaper sponsored by the Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department, that women there were no longer reproductive machines and could be more independent. That post was deleted by Twitter and labelled “not existed anymore”. The post has been removed from Twitter and tagged as no longer existing. While Twitter automatically hides posts that violate its policies, it requires account owners to manually delete such posts. No new posts have been posted to the Chinese Embassy’s account since January 9 of this year.
In response to media inquiries on Thursday, a Twitter spokesperson said Twitter took action against the account for violating the user policy, stating, “We prohibit dehumanisation based on religion, caste, age, disability, serious illness, national origin or race.”
#ChineseEmbassy #US #Uighyr #Xinjiang #Twitter
Source: Stand News #Jan21
https://bit.ly/3thtKvk
立場新聞 Stand News
Twitter 封鎖中國駐美大使館帳戶 指新疆帖文違反用戶守則 | 立場報道 | 立場新聞
Twitter 周四 ( 21 日) 指，已因一帖文封鎖中國駐美大使館的帳戶。Twitter表示，是帳號其中一...
British Embassy in China Rebuts Beijing’s Allegations Against BNO that the Immigration Policy has Always been Transparent, even Chinese can also Apply for Naturalisation
Source: Stand News #Jan21
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Source: Stand News #Jan21
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British Embassy in China Rebuts Beijing’s Allegations Against BNO that the Immigration Policy has Always been Transparent, even Chinese can also Apply for Naturalisation
The UK announced earlier that Hongkongers who hold BNO passport can apply for a five-year visa from late January this year, then they can apply for British citizenship for staying another year. However, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised that this announcement violated the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The British Embassy in China criticised spokespersons of China Zhao Lijian and Wang Wenbin in a document on Jan 21 that China is the party to violate the promise due to the Minato National Security Law implementation. If China does not recognise BNO, it will directly break the commitment of the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
Regarding a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Sino-British Joint Declaration does not have any words or clauses empowering the United Kingdom to intervene in Hong Kong’s internal affairs after the handover in 1997. It refers to the United Kingdom as “no sovereignty, no governance power, and no supervision power”, describing the British side as “the promise made to Hongkongers is completely dreaming and nonsense”. In an article, British Embassy indicates that the United Kingdom will accept China exercise sovereignty over Hong Kong “without hesitation”, and not support or encourage Hong Kong independence. However, they emphasised that the Sino-British Joint Declaration is still a legally binding international agreement.
The article continued that China signed the agreement in 1984 to ensure the rights and freedom of Hongkongers to the United Kingdom, to continue upholding Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, and to maintain all the lifestyle, social and economies for 50 years from 1997. According to the agreement, the United Kingdom has the rights to claim China fulfil the promise.
Source: Stand News #Jan21
https://bit.ly/3rVJwuj
#China #UnitedKingdom #HongKong #Beijing #Independent #Freedom #HumanRights #JointDeclaration #Autonomy #BNO
The UK announced earlier that Hongkongers who hold BNO passport can apply for a five-year visa from late January this year, then they can apply for British citizenship for staying another year. However, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised that this announcement violated the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The British Embassy in China criticised spokespersons of China Zhao Lijian and Wang Wenbin in a document on Jan 21 that China is the party to violate the promise due to the Minato National Security Law implementation. If China does not recognise BNO, it will directly break the commitment of the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
Regarding a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Sino-British Joint Declaration does not have any words or clauses empowering the United Kingdom to intervene in Hong Kong’s internal affairs after the handover in 1997. It refers to the United Kingdom as “no sovereignty, no governance power, and no supervision power”, describing the British side as “the promise made to Hongkongers is completely dreaming and nonsense”. In an article, British Embassy indicates that the United Kingdom will accept China exercise sovereignty over Hong Kong “without hesitation”, and not support or encourage Hong Kong independence. However, they emphasised that the Sino-British Joint Declaration is still a legally binding international agreement.
The article continued that China signed the agreement in 1984 to ensure the rights and freedom of Hongkongers to the United Kingdom, to continue upholding Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, and to maintain all the lifestyle, social and economies for 50 years from 1997. According to the agreement, the United Kingdom has the rights to claim China fulfil the promise.
Source: Stand News #Jan21
https://bit.ly/3rVJwuj
#China #UnitedKingdom #HongKong #Beijing #Independent #Freedom #HumanRights #JointDeclaration #Autonomy #BNO
#FailedState
Hong Kong police job vacancies rise for 4th consecutive year
//Vacancies in the Hong Kong Police Force have risen for the fourth straight year, recent government figures showed.
... the Secretary for Security said in a written response that there have been 5,706 openings during the 2021-2022 financial year so far – an 8 per cent increase from the previous year when there were 5,258 vacancies.
The number of vacancies in 2018-2019 and 2019-20 were 1,440 and 2,235, respectively.
The figures – up until December 31 last year – show that most vacancies were for rank and file, or junior police officer, positions. The 2021-2022 recruitment target for junior police officers was 1,350. Just 423 have joined the force.
Months-long protests and unrest in the summer of 2019, initially against a controversial extradition bill, caused the city’s trust in the police force to plummet...//
Source: Hong Kong Free Press #Jan21
#Police #Recruitment
Hong Kong police job vacancies rise for 4th consecutive year
//Vacancies in the Hong Kong Police Force have risen for the fourth straight year, recent government figures showed.
... the Secretary for Security said in a written response that there have been 5,706 openings during the 2021-2022 financial year so far – an 8 per cent increase from the previous year when there were 5,258 vacancies.
The number of vacancies in 2018-2019 and 2019-20 were 1,440 and 2,235, respectively.
The figures – up until December 31 last year – show that most vacancies were for rank and file, or junior police officer, positions. The 2021-2022 recruitment target for junior police officers was 1,350. Just 423 have joined the force.
Months-long protests and unrest in the summer of 2019, initially against a controversial extradition bill, caused the city’s trust in the police force to plummet...//
Source: Hong Kong Free Press #Jan21
#Police #Recruitment
#Economy #FailedState
Recruiters say 'no amount of money' can lure #bankers to #HongKong
//Hong Kong's status as a magnet for international financiers is cratering as firms struggle to coax traders and bankers to move to the once vibrant trading hub.
... The crunch comes as the former British colony is dealing with a growing outflow of expatriates who are frustrated with the city's strict #zeroCovid19 policies. They're abandoning a city where low taxes, ease of travel, top class schools and a vibrant night-life once proved a potent lure.
For some candidates, "no amount of money is going to convince a candidate to go to Hong Kong," said Jason Kennedy, founder of London-based recruiting firm Kennedy Group, which hires traders for hedge funds with offices across Asia.//
Read the full article:
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/banking/recruiters-say-no-amount-of-money-can-lure-bankers-to-hong-kong
Source: Bloomberg #Jan21
Recruiters say 'no amount of money' can lure #bankers to #HongKong
//Hong Kong's status as a magnet for international financiers is cratering as firms struggle to coax traders and bankers to move to the once vibrant trading hub.
... The crunch comes as the former British colony is dealing with a growing outflow of expatriates who are frustrated with the city's strict #zeroCovid19 policies. They're abandoning a city where low taxes, ease of travel, top class schools and a vibrant night-life once proved a potent lure.
For some candidates, "no amount of money is going to convince a candidate to go to Hong Kong," said Jason Kennedy, founder of London-based recruiting firm Kennedy Group, which hires traders for hedge funds with offices across Asia.//
Read the full article:
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/banking/recruiters-say-no-amount-of-money-can-lure-bankers-to-hong-kong
Source: Bloomberg #Jan21