#PoliceState
Mass Arrest and Political Persecution in Hong Kong During Coronavirus Crisis

On April 18, Hong Kong police arrested over ten pro-democracy figures including former legislator and barrister Margaret Ng of the Civic Party.

Ng carried the book "China's National Security: Endangering Hong Kong's Rule of Law?" with her when she entered the Central Police Station.

Published in March 2020, the book was edited by legal scholars Cora Chan of the University of Hong Kong and Fiona de Londras of the Universiry of Birmingham.

Ng contributed a chapter titled "The Legislature as a 'Vetogate'" where she examined the deterioration of rights and the erosion of the legal system in Hong Kong, after the government's attempt to implement the "Article 23" anti-subversion law in 2003. Ng wrote, "What Hong Kong needs to actively explore now, as a matter of urgency, is the survival of the rule of law under the threat of such powerful and fast-moving authritarianism."
　
Source: Stand News #Apr18
#MargaretNg

#Court #RuleofLaw #MassArrest
Barrister Margaret Ng After Arrest: When the Rule of Law is Endangered, Will the Legal Professionals Walk Out or Stand and Fight?

Former legislator and barrister Margaret Ng spoke to the press as she walked out of the Central Police Station in the evening of April 17. She was arrested by the police with more than ten pro-democracy figures.

Ng, aged 72, said it was her first time being arrested and it is important to reflect on whether human rights are respected in the existing public order ordinance.

When asked to comment on the rule of law in Hong Kong, Ng expressed that it has never been easy to safeguard the rule of law, since she practiced law.

Rather than arguing for the death of rule of law or not, Ng believes that what matters the most is whether the legal professionals are willing to "walk out or stand and fight".

Source: Stand News #Apr18

#MargaretNg Brings China's National Security: Endangering Hong Kong's Rule of Law?
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/19598

#Court #Judiciary #MargaretNg
Barrister Margaret Ng worries the criteria to become a judge would be lowered, thus affecting the quality of trials in Hong Kong

"...In early November (2019), the police found a large number of petrol bombs in a flat in Wan Chai. Four men and one woman were arrested and charged with the possession of explosives. However, the prosecution from the Department of Justice agreed that the defendants' names were written incorrectly and the charges stated in Chinese were different from its English version. Eventually, the prosecution dropped all charges. But just as the defendants were leaving the court, they were arrested again and had to go through the judicial process all over again.

Dr. Ng said that these types of judicial errors have been cropping up a lot, 'Now people can see how crude the judicial system is.... It gives a bad impression'...

Read Full Interview:
https://telegra.ph/Dr-Margaret-Ng--Case-overload-at-Courts-04-19-2

Police Arrest Prominent Democracy Figures including Margaret Ng
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/19598

Barrister Margaret Ng After Arrest: When the Rule of Law is Endangered, Will the Legal Professionals Walk Out or Stand and Fight?
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/19613

Loss of Autonomy? Hong Kong Government Follows Beijing to Revise Stance on Basic Law #Article22
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/19607

#Court #MassArrest
"Political Prosecution", "Five demands, not one less": 15 Pro-democracy Figures Arrested and Charged

Image

Police arrested 15 pro-democracy figures in high profile on April 18, 2020. The list included heavyweight Martin Lee and Margaret Ng who are both veteran democrats and barristers. Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, was also on the list.

The 15 were mentioned in court on May 18. They were accused of organising and taking part in illegal assemblies on August 18, August 31, October 1 and October 20, 2019.

When asked in the court, Raphael Wong of the League of Social Democrats (LSD) answered by pointing out the charges as a "political prosecution", while Figo Chan of Civil Human Rights Front replied the court with "Five demands, not one less".

Avery Ng of the League of Social Democrats (LSD) said outside the court, "Compared with many youth and the charges they are facing, ours are miniscule."

The court will resume on June 15 and the trial is expected to take place at the District Court.
The 15 pro-demoncracy figures are:

- Martin Lee
- Margaret Ng
- Jimmy Lai
- 'Long hair' Leung Kwok-hung
- Au Nok-hin
- Figo Chan,
- Raphael Wong
- Avery Ng
- Richard Tsoi
- Leung Yiu-chung
- Cyd Ho
- Albert Ho
- Yeung Sum
- Sin Chung-kai
- Lee Cheuk-yan

Source: InMedia; RTHK #May18
#MartinLee #MargaretNg #AveryNg #RaphaelWong #FigoChan #LongHair #PoliticalProsecution

#Award #GlobalSupport
Hong Kong Barrister and Writer Dr Margaret Ng Receives International Human Rights Award

The International Human Rights Award Committee Chairman pointed out that the current lawmaker of the Functional Constituency - Legal Kwok Wing-hang was the nominator, and he was honoured to do so. He said that many legal experts wrote letters of recommendations. He awarded Former lawmaker from Hong Kong’s Civic Party Dr. Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee with this year’s International Human Rights Award. Kwok praised Ng for being the best choice of this award, and hoped that she will continue to contribute to the society and stand with Hong Kong amid the dark times.

Source: Stand News
#Jul9 #MargaretNg #InternationalHumanRightsAward

#Support
Hong Kong's Pro-democracy Fund Cannot Open an Overseas alAccount due to Operational Limitation, Calls for Nonthly Donation to Avoid Asset Freeze

The Hong Kong Police continues to freeze the assets of the Good Neighbour North District Church and former legislator Ted Hui, with the course of "fighting money laundering".

The 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund issued an announcement on Dec 17, 2020, stressing that the risk of fund blockade was unmeasurable. As their funding sources and expenses are generated locally, they were unable to open an overseas account due to operational limitation.

The 612 Fund believed that the best way to counter the authorities' oppression was receive monthly donations from the publuc through their website, so that their funds would not sum up.

Barrister Dr. Margaret Ng, one of the Funds' trsutees, confirmed it in her interview with Apple Daily, that multiple measures had been taken, including increasing transparency, balancing income and expenses, reducing savings amount and strengthening communication with the public.

She said, "We have taken precautions. We will keep the ledgers properly, and we have kept an good eye on our accounts, so that banks won't have a good reason to freeze us."

Source: Stand News #Dec17

#612Fund #ProtestersFund #MargaretNg #FailedBankSystem #PoliceState

#Court #818Rally #PoliticalPersecution
German Parliament Member: We should not give up on Hong Kong democracy advocates

In Hong Kong, a number of pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong were accused of "organising and participating in the an assembly at Victoria Park on August 18, 2019 during the Anti-ELAB movement.

Among them were Lee Chu-Ming, Founding Chairman of the Democratic Party; Margaret Ng Ngoi-Yee, barrister and ex-Legislative Councillor; and Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, Founder of Apple Daily. They were charged of "oganising and taking part in an unauthorised assembly". The trial began in court on Feb 16, 2021.

In Germany, #GydeJensen, the youngest female member of the #GermanParliament, showed support for the pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. She uploaded photos of her holding up a sign which said “WE STAND WITH HONGKONG”. She also mentioned that she had made motion in the parliament, urging #Germany and the #EU to show more concern on human rights issues.

Jensen stated that the prosecution of the pro-democracy figures was undoubtedly a political one, and was part of Xi Jinping’s plan to silence the democratic movement in Hong Kong, so that Hong Kong people would give up their hope on freedom and democracy.

Jensen warns that the agenda also applied to the international level. She stressed that international figures could not let themselves get numbed by Hong Kong’s current situation, nor give up on Hong Kong’s democratic advocates.

Source: Stand News #Feb17

#GlobalSupport #JimmyLai #MargaretNg #StandWithHongKong #InternationalSociety

#PoliticalPrisoners #PoliceState
Hong Kong #Court Jails Heavyweight Pro-Democracy Figures: 14 months for Jimmy Lai and 18 months for 'Long Hair'

On April 16, 2021, Hong Kong court jailed some heavy-weight pro-democracy figures for "organising and participating in unauthorized assembly" during the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill (#AntiELAB) Movement in 2019.

August 18, 2019 marks one of the largest protests during the movement where pro-democracy Hongkongers walked peacefully in the heavy rain from Victoria Park to Central to express their voice.

The following are the jail terms announced by the distrct judge Amanda Woodcock :

#Longhair #Leung KwokHung: 18 months (the longest term)

#AppleDaily founder #JimmyLai: 14 months (*combinig with another case involving a protest on August 31, 2019)

Former lawmaker #LeeCheukYan: 14 months
(*combinig with another case involving a protest on August 31, 2019)

Former lawmaker #AuNokHin: 10 months

Former lawmaker #CydHo: 8 months.

Former lawmakers #MartinLee,
#MargaretNg, #AlbertHo and #YeungSum: suspended jail terms

Source: Stand News #Apr16
Photo: Nasha Chan

https://bit.ly/3tuIDKs

https://bit.ly/3dnoxMn

https://bit.ly/3e9lgiS

#HKProtests #PoliticalSuppression #JailTerm

[Special] Inside the court room of ‘8.18’ case: a group of defendants with grey hair, a startlingly severe sentence

It was 16 April 2021 afternoon in Court number one of West Kowloon Magistracy. Judge Amanda WOODCOCK pronounced that the nine defendants’ acts to lead the procession on ‘8.18’ (18 August 2019) were an obvious challenge to police power, law and discipline. Imprisonment was the only appropriate choice. She sentenced Jimmy LAI Chee Ying, Martin LEE Chu Ming, Margaret NG Oi Yee, LEUNG Kwok Hung, LEE Cheuk Yan, Cyd HO Sau Lan, Albert HO Chun Yan, AU Nok Hin and LEUNG Yiu Chung to be imprisoned for periods varying from 8 to 18 months. Among the group only 4 were granted suspensions while the other 5 had to be sent to jail immediately.

Source: Stand News #Apr16

#MargaretNg #MartinLee #JimmyLai #AlbertHo #Assembly #Courtnews #AmandaWoodcock

https://telegra.ph/Special-Inside-the-court-room-of-818-case-a-group-of-defendants-with-grey-hair-a-startlingly-severe-sentence-06-21

#PoliticalSuppression #WhiteTerror
Protesters' Fund In Support of Hong Kong Pro-democracy Movement Will Cease Operation

The 612 Humanities Relief Fund was established on June 15, 2019 during the Anti-ELAB movement in Hong Kong, with the aim to provide relief, from medicak help, legal service to psychological support, to the civilians involved in the city's territory-wide pro-democracy movement.

'612' was named after the day June 12, 2019 where the first police-civilian clash took place. The day had propelled even more civilians to join the pro-democracy cause.

The trustees of the foundation includes legal expert #MargaretNg, cultural studies scholar #HeungPoKeung, Cantopop singer #DeniseHo, and cardinal of the Catholic Church #JosephZen Ze-kiun.

The dissolution of the foundation is caused by the disbandment of a pro-democracy group under which the foundation was registered.

Source: InMedia #Aug18

#June12 #612HumanitiesFund

Hong Kong lawyers create court database of protest-related cases in bid to safeguard #RuleofLaw

A group of young Hong Kong lawyers have created a database of magistrates’ rulings in protest-related cases in a bid to safeguard the rule of law, amid unprecedented public interest in court hearings after thousands were prosecuted over the 2019 unrest.

The #CompendiumProject – launched in June – has compiled information on more than 500 protest-related cases that were handled by all seven magistrates’ courts. From the name of the magistrate to the reasons for the verdict and sentence, the platform seeks to provide written records of lower court hearings that are rarely made public by the authorities.

The Legal Reference System managed by Hong Kong’s judiciary seldom publishes written judgements by magistrates.

One of the project consultants, barrister Chris Ng, said such a practice had made it difficult for lawyers to check the legal principles and sentencing guidelines adopted by different magistrates, and whether their rulings in cases of a similar nature were consistent.

“Lawyers have always been kept in the dark,” he said.

As at the end of July, the city’s magistrates’ courts were processing 150 protest-related cases, while 1,101 had been completed.

“Following the social movement, the whole sentencing landscape has changed. To put it simply, the sentences became heavier,” another junior barrister involved in the project added.

The project’s low-profile adviser #MargaretNg,  said in her new book about the rule of law that Hongkongers have developed an “unprecedented” interest in judicial procedures.

“Self-initiated” citizens who record court proceedings, and the compendium project, were both proof that the rule of law would not be “taken away” easily, she said.

#CompendiumProject #Court #Justice #Truth

Source: HKFP; #Oct3
https://hongkongfp.com/2021/10/03/hong-kong-lawyers-create-court-database-of-protest-related-cases-in-bid-to-safeguard-rule-of-law/

Hong Kong Authorities' #Crackdown on #StandNews

On December 29, 2021, over 200 national security police raided the office of Stand News, an independent online news outlet in Hong Kong.

Deputy assignment editor #RonsonChan – who also chairs the Hong Kong Journalists Association (#HKJA) – was reportedly held for investigation. Chan was filmed being taken away from his home by five national security police officers to “assist in investigations.”

In addition, 6 current and former members of the management have been arrested for "publishing seditious materials." The arrestees include singer #DeniseHo, barrister #MargaretNg, and former editor-in-chief #ChungPuiKuen.

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31751

According to InMedia, acting editor-in-chief #LamSiuTung resigned immediately after being arrested.

At 9:30am, tens of police were still taking boxes of documents away from Stand News office in Kwun Tong.

Source: InMedia #Dec29
https://bit.ly/3pxW4JY

#Arrest #PressFreedom #PoliceState #PoliticalProsecution

#WhiteTerror #FreedomofReligion
Cardinal Joseph Zen appears in court in Hong Kong on day of prayer for China

Ninety-year-old retired Catholic cardinal #JosephZen hosted a packed mass in Hong Kong on the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China, just hours after a brief court hearing over charges linked to pro-democracy protests.

In his homily after pleading not guilty to charges of failing to register a pro-democracy association to Hong Kong Police, Zen chose not to speak about his legal case, but to highlight how Catholics in some parts of China cannot attend Mass right now — for they have no freedom now.

Zen dedicated the mass to churches in China where believers are still split between a so-called “underground” church resistant to the government, and a state-sanctioned church belonging to the Chinese Communist Party’s Patriotic Catholic Association.

In his remarks at Mass, Zen again criticised the deal between China and the #Vatican that allows Beijing to nominate bishops for the pope’s approval, calling it “unwise” despite being made with “good intention”.

"There is an urge to unify those above the ground and those underground but it seems that time is not ripe yet,” Zen said.

Implying that there may be more difficult times ahead, Zen said that “we may have to bear some pain and steel ourselves for our loyalty to our faith.”

He also dedicated prayers to churches in Myanmar led by #CardinalBo, his most outspoken supporter in Asia, as well as “brothers and sisters who cannot join tonight because they are not free”.

Zen, one of Asia’s highest-ranking Catholic clerics, was among five prominent democracy advocates — including activist and singer #DeniseHo and veteran human rights barrister #MargaretNg — who were arrested in early May. His arrest is part of a national security police probe into foreign collusion over a legal support fund for pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.

Instead, all five of the fund’s former trustees and its secretary were charged on May 24 with failing to register it as a “society” with police — a non-national security offence. All plead not guilty.

#NationalSecurityLaw #PoliceState #PoliticalProsecution #Oppression

Image source: #FirstHand
Sources: Reuters, HKFP, UCA News; #May25
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/hong-kong-catholic-cardinal-criticises-china-deal-after-national-security-arrest-2022-05-24/

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Hong Kong Catholic group will not hold Tiananmen crackdown masses citing fears over national security law
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/32751
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