📡Guardians of Hong Kong
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We provide translation of news in English from local media and other sources, for academic use.
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#FirstHand #Jun24
In a quiet night outside the empty #AppleDaily building lie Hongkongers' words of encouragement

Hong Kong's pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily closed down owing to the authorities pressure and the threat of the #NationalSecutityLaw. The last edition of the 26-year-old top-selling newspaper was released on June 24, 2021.

In the evening, outside the now-empty Apple Daily headquarters in Tseung Kwan O, supporting citizens continued to pay tribute to the truth-seeking newspaper, its founder #JimmyLai and its staff.

Letters, memos and drawings composed under the name of #Hongkongers thanked the newspaper for its courage and commitment to uphold journalistic beliefs and diversity in pursuit of the truth.

Citizens also left messages, promising the Apple Daily owner and staff that their effort would not be gone, as the spirit of the pro-democracy newspaper has been seeded in Hongkongers.

Others also wrote that this is not an end and Hongkongers will fight on.

#SupportAppleDaily
#SelfCensorship #Water
Supermarket in HK Suspected of Self-censorship After Removing Products Praising “Hong Kong is So Beautiful”

Source: Apple News #Jun19

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30258
#SelfCensorship #Water
Supermarket in HK Suspected of Self-censorship After Removing Products Praising “Hong Kong is Beautiful”

Photo: https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30257

Watsons water has rolled out a series of new designs at the beginning of June 2021. The new designs are bases on Hong Kong scenaries including photos of the well-known Lion Rock and the night view of Pearl Harbour that were taken by international award-winning photographer.

The taglines on this design include “Hong Kong is so beautiful”, “This is our root no matter where we are”, “There is something called perseverance”.

Hpwever, on June 18, 2021, #PARKnSHOP, a supermarket chain in Hong Kong, has reportedly removed all products containing the new design from all stores all of a sudden.

It was not clear whether they were removed because of a product recall or due to self-censorship as those slogans were sometimes used during pro-democracy activities.

According to the spokesperson of Watsons, the new designs were one of the themes in the company’s eco-friendly promotion this year to encourage the love of the earth and natural environment. No explanation was provided as to the reason and the exact quantity of the products being removed.

Source: Apple News #Jun19

#LoveHongKong #LionRock #WatsonWater #Photography #Design
#HumanitarianCrisis #Genocide
#AmnestyInternational: #China has "created a dystopian hellscape on a staggering scale" in #Xinjiang

Source: Amnesty International #Jun10

Image by Molly Crabapple

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30262
#HumanitarianCrisis #Genocide
#AmnestyInternational: #China has "created a dystopian hellscape on a staggering scale" in #Xinjiang

//“The Chinese authorities have created a dystopian hellscape on a staggering scale in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

“Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Muslim minorities face crimes against humanity and other serious human rights violations that threaten to erase their religious and cultural identities."

“It should shock the conscience of humanity that massive numbers of people have been subjected to brainwashing, torture and other degrading treatment in internment camps, while millions more live in fear amid a vast surveillance apparatus.”

From the moment they entered the prison-like internment camps, detainees’ lives were extraordinarily regimented. They had no privacy or autonomy, and they faced harsh punishments – sometimes collectively with their cellmates – for trivial disobedience. Internees were forbidden to speak freely to each other, and they were severely punished when they responded to prison guards or other officials in their native tongues instead of Mandarin. Every activity in the detainees’ daily routine was pre-ordained and their behaviour was constantly monitored and evaluated....

Every former detainee Amnesty International interviewed suffered torture or other ill-treatment.

This included the cumulative psychological effect of their daily dehumanization, as well as physical torture in the form of beatings, electric shocks, solitary confinement, deprivation of food, water and sleep, exposure to extreme cold, and the abusive use of restraints, including torture tools like tiger chairs. Some reported being restrained in a tiger chair for 24 hours or more...

The Chinese government has gone to extraordinary lengths to cover up its violations of international human rights law in Xinjiang. Authorities threaten, detain and mistreat anyone who speaks out...//

Read full article:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/06/china-draconian-repression-of-muslims-in-xinjiang-amounts-to-crimes-against-humanity/

Source: Amnesty International #Jun10

Image by Molly Crabapple

#Uyghurs #ConcentrationCamp #CCP #AgainstHumanity #Torture #Rape #MassSurveillance
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#HeartWarming #NeverGiveUp
Hongkongers Wish Pro-democracy Protesters Happy Birthday in #Court

Source: InMedia #Jun8

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30264
#HeartWarming #NeverGiveUp
Hongkongers Wish Pro-democracy Protesters Happy Birthday in #Court

Video: https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30263

In a hearing relating to a pro-democracy protest on December 8, 2019, citizens went to the High Court on June 8, 2021 to voice support for the defendents who were charged by the prosecution with "conspiring to assault with intent".

Among the defendants, #LaiChunPong, the owner of the pro-democracy 'yellow' store 3C, and #CheungMingYu, who was one of the 12 Hongkongers arrested and jailed in China, both have their birthdays in June.

As the hearing came to an end, their families together with some supporting citizens, shouted "Happy Birthday" and "Fight On" to them.

As they were remanded and transported by the vehicle of the Correctional Services Department, their families and supporters unfurled a banner that read "Happy Birthday" on the street.

Lai's family members told the press they wished he could come home soon. They also mentioned that Lai was moved when other detainees made him a birthday cake inside the detention center.

Source: InMedia #Jun8
https://bit.ly/3ckmjfF

#Solidarity #HappyBirthday #YellowStore #3C #Save12 #PoliticalProsecution #PoliticalPrisoner
Apple Daily has no means to receive funds and has decided to shut down on June 24, 2021.

Hongkongers Proudly Hold Onto the City's Last Copy of Apple Daily

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30225

#AppleDaily #NationalSecurity #JimmyLai #MarkSimon #GoHKgraphics
#PoliceState #AsiasFinest
Two more ministers with a police background in Hong Kong; Pro-China lawmaker: "I don’t think there’s any problem with a police state"

Source: InMedia #Jun25

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30267
#PoliceState #AsiasFinest
Two more ministers with a police background in Hong Kong; Pro-China lawmaker: "I don’t think there’s any problem with a police state"

On June 25, 2021, the Hong Kong SAR government announced personnel change in the top adminstration, where at least two more officials with law enforcement backgrounds will take up key senior positions.

The current Secretary for Security #JohnLee has been appointed as the new chief secretary. He is the city's first top minister with a police background.

Police Commissioner #ChrisTang will become the Secretary for Security. One of his deputies, #RaymondSiu, is promoted to the police chief.

The personnel change was announced by Chief Executive Carrie Lam in Hong Kong and officiated by the State Ministry of the PRC in Beijing.

The "promotion" has stirred up discontent among the public. Many deemed it as a blatant manifestation of a "police state" in Hong Kong.

However, pro-Beijing lawmaker Alice Mak, of the Federation of Trade Unions, said, "If it’s a police state, why not? I don’t think there’s any problem with a police state."

The government's announcement came one day after the police and the Security Bureau had cracked down the city's pro-democracy newspaper #AppleDaily, by forcing the newspaper and related magazine under #NextDigital to close down on June 24, 2021. The police arrested and charged several editors, news commentators and executives under the #NationalSecurityLaw, while the Security Bureau froze the assets of the newspaper and three related companies.

Source: InMedia #Jun25
https://bit.ly/3dvEvE3

#FailedState #PoliticalSuppression