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We provide translation of news in English from local media and other sources, for academic use.
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Translated: National Security Law Drafted by China for Hong Kong

With regard to the National Security Law prepared by China for Hong Kong, pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong and team had the draft translated from Chinese to English.

At a glance, the law can be explained in 7 points for the time being (See the images attached for details):

1. “Prevent, frustrate and punish” behaviours and activities which "harm" national security

2. Arbitrarily defined “foreign forces” that would be "prevented, curbed and punished"

3. Article 23 legislation by the joint cooperation of the administrative organs, legislative organs and judicial organs of the HKSAR

4. A new secret police branch to be set up by the Chinese Communist Government in HK

5. Prohibit behaviors claimingly harmful to national security

6. Directly implementing the law in HK without legislative scrutiny

7. Implementation upon announcement

Source: Joshua Wong's Facebook #May23
#NationalSecurityLaw #NationalEducation #CCP
#Censorship #Economy #CCP
The Financial Sector are Already Feeling the Impact of the National Security Law

Following Beijing's forceful imposition if the "National Security Law" in Hong Kong, the financial sector has already silenced itself.

Local and foreign analysts and traders received instructions that they are not allowed to explain to the media in any capacity that the discussion of the national security laws is the cause of the recent dip.

After the market closed on 21 May, rumors about the "Hong Kong National Security Law" began to spread. After 5pm, the exchange rate of the Hong Kong dollar dropped from 7.7500 to 7.7539 within an hour. At the same time, the forward exchange rate, which expires one year later, also fell from 7.7746 to 7.7977, down 231 pips, which is 440 pips less than the spot price.

In time, the media reports that the "Hong Kong version of the National Security Law" is about to be released, but it is strange that many Chinese, foreign, and Hong Kong-funded stock market analysts, and even traders have been demanded by "higher-ups" tp stay silent. The have been ordered not to claim the fluctuation of the stock market and the weakening of the Hong Kong exchange rate to be related to the "Hong Kong version of the National Security Law". They were asked to say that the "return of violent protests, the United States intent to withdraw from the Chinese stock market, and the increasing risk of aversion" are the cause to the stock market fluctuations.

Considering foreign exchange reports in the past two days regarding the sharp decline in the Hong Kong dollar and the stock market, the analysts did cite different reasons to explain rather than the national security laws.

Under the united front of the Chinese Communist Party, even the freedom of expression and basic human rights were censored and restricted. Apparently, Chinese and Hong Kong investors are afraid of the Chinese Communist Party and some analysts have become mouthpieces.

Some unnamed fund brokers described the "Hong Kong version of the National Security Act" to be more dangerous than Article 23. The stock market panic-sold on May 22, and the foreign investment sell-off were the most intense. Under China's "Stability first" policy, the role of analysts will be reduced to mouthpieces, and the financial markets that Hong Kong is proud of will become a thing of the past.

Source: Apple Daily #May23

Hang Seng Index plummets after Beijing made bold moves
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/21071

American Chamber: Security Law may jeopardize future prospects for international business in Hong Kong
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/21072

#SecretPolice #EvilLaw
#StateTerrorism #OneCountryOneSystem #NationalSecurityLaw
#Censorship
Secondary School Students Organised Platform to initiate judicial review on the government's decision to cancel DSE history question

Many organisations within the education sector petition against the government's order to cancel one of the questions in the public DSE History Exam.

The petition critisized the decision to prioritize politics over the students' benefit and claimed the legitimacy of the exam question should be decided by the education sector rather than public comments.

The petitioning group believed that canceling the exam question without thorough explanation will leave a negative image in the international community and harm the legitimacy of the DSE exam overseas. Therefore, they urge the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) to protect the legitimacy of the DSE exam and request the Secretary for Education, Kevin Yeung to withdraw his comment to remove the questions and apologise to the students.

Source: Now News #May23
#DSE #Education
#HumanitarianCrisis #Regime
Authoritarian government in #Belarus uses bomb threat to divert a plane and arrest an opposition blogger in exile

Source: The Guardian #May23

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29766
#HumanitarianCrisis #Regime
Authoritarian government in #Belarus uses bomb threat to divert a plane and arrest an opposition blogger in exile

On 23 May 2021, a #Ryanair flight from Athens, Greece to Vilnius, Lithuani was forced to perform an emergency landing in Minsk, located in Belarus, after the #Belarus ATC claomed that there was a 'bomb threat' on board.

By doing so, the Belarus police arrested a pro-democracy activist-in-exile #RomanProtasevich, who was a former editor of the Telegram channels #Nexta and Nexta Live.

Protasevich was wanted in Belarus for being critical of and having organized a protest in 2020 against the authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko.

The Lukashenko’s authoritarian government has launched a broad crackdown on opposition leaders and independent media. All editors at Nexta who mostly live in exile have said they have been threatened with extraordinary rendition in the past.

The Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said the plane had been “hijacked” and accused Lukashenko of a “reprehensible act of #StateTerrorism”.

In a joint statement, the US, Ireland, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and the Czech Republic condemn Lukashenko's action as “an act of piracy”: “This act of state terror and kidnapping is a threat to all those who travel in Europe and beyond. It cannot be allowed to stand."

Protasevich was reportedly trembling on the plane, telling a fellow passenger that "I’m facing the death penalty here", as the plane was diverted to Belarus. His current whereabouts are unknown after being taken away by the Belarusian police.

It was confirmed that Lukashenko ordered his military to use a Mig-29 fighter to escort the plane.

Image: Twitter @franakviacorka
Source: The Guardian #May23

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/23/belarus-diverts-ryanair-plane-to-arrest-blogger-says-opposition

#Hijack #Kidnap #Military #PoliceState #Crackdown #ICAO #TelegramChannel
China is using vaccines to push its agenda in Latin America, and the U.S. is behind the curve, experts say

China in recent months sent more than 165 million Chinese-made vaccine doses to Latin America and the Caribbean, accompanied by a concerted public relations campaign highlighting Beijing's role.

The United States until recently was focused on getting the coronavirus outbreak under control, and has shipped out few vaccines. President Joe Biden has promised to give away 80 million doses but his administration has yet to announce where it will send vaccines abroad.

Members of Congress and regional experts say the administration needs to catch up with China and start getting vaccines to Latin America, and to make sure the world knows that the vaccines are coming from the U.S.

Source: NBC #May23

https://t.co/GDS9IKgLNp

#China #America #Beijing #JoeBiden #COVID19
#PoliticalPrisoner #Family
Remanded Former Lawmaker #AlbertHo Receives Letter from Grandson: "Come Home Soon and We Love You"

Source: Stand News #May23

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#PoliticalPrisoner #Family
Remanded Former Lawmaker
#AlbertHo Receives Letter from Grandson: "Come Home Soon and We Love You"

Albert Ho, vice-chairman of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, with 9 other members of the Democratic Party were accused of organising and knowingly taking part in an unauthorized assembly and other charges on October 1, 2019.

All 10 pro-democracy figures pleaded guilty before the hearing. They were then remanded and the sentencing was set to be announced on May 28, 2021.

Ho’s former assistant and currently Tuen Mun District Councillor, Beatrice Chu, posted on her Facebook page that Ho was unwell when she visited him.

Ho said that he has been lacking sleep because he was put in an individual cell that was poorly ventilated.

On May 23, 2021, Chu posted an update on her page that Ho had been moved to a cell with better ventilation, but he still had poor appetite and looked depressed.

She mentioned that Ho’s grandchild wrote a letter to cheer up Ho on May 22, 2021. His grandson said he missed Ho much and that he understood Ho’s life in the cell is “bored and hot, but you have to stay strong! We all love you!"

Ho's grandson also told Ho that he would take good care of Grandma and not to worry.

Source: Stand News #May23

#Letter #HeartWarming #Love #BringThemBack #ComeHome #PoliticalSuppression #Jail
#Censorship #PoliticalSupression
Busker arrested for the third time for singing “May glory be to Hong Kong”

#OliverMa, a Filipino Hong Konger, was arrested for the third time while singing “May glory be to Hong Kong” on the street.

On May 21, 2021, the police arrested Ma for “disorderly conduct in a public place” and confiscated his guitar, speaker and mic stand.

A video showed that the police turned off Ma's speaker soon after they warned him when he was singing “May glory be to Hong Kong”.

Ma has mentioned on his personal page previously that the reason he sang “May glory be to Hong Kong” was because of audiences’ requests, but he has never been receiving such requests since the #NationalSecurityLaw has passed and that he has never sung the song himself.

He said he will sing the song in the future as a call for help when he fears for his safety or when he is randomly arrested by the police.

Source: In Media HK #May23
https://bit.ly/3yAmgpy
Has a 'gold rush' mindset blinded Australian businesses pursuing 'mercurial' China market?

It was in the mid-2000s during a regular meeting with a client that Bob Cronin realised he'd grossly underestimated the challenges of doing business in China.

They were heady days in the bilateral relationship between Canberra and Beijing when the sky seemed the limit for enterprising Australians in the Middle Kingdom.

Yet the veteran newspaperman got a harsh reality check not long into his stint editing the Shanghai Daily, the English language Chinese journal then part-owned by Australian billionaire media proprietor Kerry Stokes.

Source: ABC #May23

https://t.co/9ozLkmuVtw

#Australian #China #Canberra #Beijing
#StandwithUkraine
"Warmongering, lies and hatred": Russian diplomat in Geneva resigns over Ukraine invasion

Source: The Guardian; #May23

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#StandwithUkraine
"Warmongering, lies and hatred": Russian diplomat in Geneva resigns over Ukraine invasion

A veteran Russian diplomat in Geneva has resigned over his country’s invasion of Ukraine in a rare political protest from within the Russian foreign policy establishment.

#BorisBondarev, a counsellor at the Russian permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva, wrote in a public statement: “Never have I been so ashamed of my country.”

“Today the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not about diplomacy,” wrote the diplomat, a 20-year veteran of the Russian foreign ministry. “It is all about warmongering, lies and hatred. It serves interests of few, the very few people thus contributing to further isolation and degradation of my country. Russia no longer has allies, and there is no one to blame but its reckless and ill-conceived policy.”

Bondarev is the highest-level diplomat yet to resign publicly from the Russian foreign ministry over the Ukrain war, which began in February 2022.

Source: The Guardian; #May23
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/23/warmongering-lies-and-hatred-russian-diplomat-in-geneva-resigns-over-ukraine-invasion