UK must fix modern slavery laws to help protect Uighurs in China, say MPs

The government introduced the Modern Slavery Act in 2015 “The Modern Slavery Act is out of date, has no teeth, and we do not accept that businesses should be excused from doing basic due diligence to guarantee that their supply chains are fully transparent and free from forced labour and slavery,” the report by MPs said.

The UK government must toughen measures to tackle modern slavery, including more penalties to compel businesses to ensure Uighur forced labour is not used in their supply chains.

The report called for more penalties to compel companies to ensure supply chains do not include forced labour.

Source: The Guardian #Mar14

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/17/uk-must-fix-modern-slavery-laws-to-help-protect-uighurs-in-china-say-mps

#ModernSlaveryAct #UK #Uighur #China #CCP

UK declares China in breach of 1984 Hong Kong declaration

Britain has declared that China breached 1984 Sino-British joint declaration, which was supposed to guarantee Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy after the territory returned to Beijing’s control in 1997.

Britain’s intention to increase its presence in the Pacific region was illustrated in January by its application to join 11 countries in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The UK is also sending its new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to East Asia this summer.

“The UK will continue to stand up for the people of Hong Kong. China must act in accordance with its legal obligations and respect fundamental rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.” Dominic Raab, foreign secretary, said.

Source: FT #Mar14

https://www.ft.com/content/dc2aaf68-b92e-4c48-8823-e7e4648ccb74

#UK #China #Sino-BritishJointDeclaration #HongKong

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticalSuppression
A Journalist's Account of Witnessing the Trial of 47 Pro-democracy Activists in Hong Kong's Court

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy

Read Part 1
⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticalSuppression
A Journalist's Account of Witnessing the Trial of 47 Pro-democracy Activists in Hong Kong's Court

Part 1

[Editor's note: The Hong Kong authorities arrested and charged 47 pro-democracy with #NationalSecurityLaw violations for their participation in the primary election of the democratic camp in 2020. The trial began in the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on March 1, 2021.

The following is a reflective account written by Hong Kong journalist Cheung Hoi-kit.]

In the court room, the 47 pro-democracy activists took half of the seats, crowding the area behind the defendant fence and the seats outside. It is like the entire dissidents camp has been arrested at once. Regardless of their ages, ranks and the political party, they became a community, facing their fate together.

With the large number of defendants and their lawyers, the main court did not have seats for the families, reporters and the public. Families could not stay close to the defendants, not even to have any eye contact, as they had to watch the hearing through the live broadcast.

The main court accomodated neither family members nor reporters. Even more so, no bail statement discussion was allowed. The marathon-style trial was like an epic, where countless tales were recounted.

The court debated on a wide range of media reports of the 47 pro-democracy activists. Although the chief magistrate Victor So said that those stories were touching, he claimed that those reports did not point to any public benefit.

Linda Wong, a senior counsel representing the defendants, argued that those stories were not a paragraph in a fiction, but the experience and the true background of a person. The defendants were not mere numbers.

The cold legal provisions and heart warming personal stories continued to compete in the court room.

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29387

https://www.hkcnews.com/article/39218/47%E4%BA%BA%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E6%A1%88-%E6%B0%91%E4%B8%BB%E6%B4%BE%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8-%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E5%A4%A7%E8%B5%B7%E8%A8%B4-39218/%E3%80%90%E6%8E%A1%E8%A8%AA%E6%89%8B%E8%A8%98%E3%80%9147%E4%BA%BA%E6%A1%88%E5%9B%9B%E6%97%A5%E5%9B%9B%E5%A4%9C%E3%80%8C%E5%8F%B2%E8%A9%A9%E5%BC%8F%E6%8F%90%E5%A0%82%E3%80%8D%E7%9A%84%E4%B8%80%E4%BA%9B%E5%82%99%E5%BF%98

#Reflection #PoliticalPrisoners

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticalSuppression
A Journalist's Account: Lengthy Court Hearings Bring 47 Pro-democracy Activists to Exhaustion

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy

Previously, Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

Read Part 2
⬇️⬇️

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticalSuppression
A Journalist's Account: Lengthy Court Hearings Bring 47 Pro-democracy Activists to Exhaustion

[Editor's note: The Hong Kong authorities arrested and charged 47 pro-democracy with #NationalSecurityLaw violations for their participation in the primary election of the democratic camp in 2020. The trial began in the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on March 1, 2021.

The following is a reflective account written by Hong Kong journalist Cheung Hoi-kit.]

Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

Continue with Part 2 below:

Among the 47 pro-democracy activists charged, legal scholar Benny Tai has believed in the Hong Kong Basic Law for all his life. He did not say much in court on these consecutive days.

Since the trial could not be done on the first day, he needed to attend two court hearings in the following days. They were an appeal case concerning the Occupy Central with Love and Peace (#OCLP) in 2014 and the bail trial for the primary election. Even the chief magistrate Victor So claimed to see Tai's fatigue.

Laywer Lawrence Lau has helped the pro-democracy protester Tong Ying-Kit, who was the first Hongkongers to be charged with National Security violations. However, this time Lau himself is also one of the defendants being charged with "conspiracy to subvert state powers".

Lau chose to defend himself. He said he had never expected himself to breach the law. The statement was simple and straight-forward.

Former Stand News reporter Gwyneth Ho was cheerful as usual. She was heard humming a Cantonese pop song "So I say I love you" on the first day of the trial.

Former legislator Lam Cheuk-Ting told his wife, "I love you".

However, after days of trial, several defendents started to ger unwell. The atmosphere in the court also changed significantly. For three days and nights, the defendants were even not given a chance to take a shower or change their clothes.

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14

https://www.hkcnews.com/article/39218/47%E4%BA%BA%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E6%A1%88-%E6%B0%91%E4%B8%BB%E6%B4%BE%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8-%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E5%A4%A7%E8%B5%B7%E8%A8%B4-39218/%E3%80%90%E6%8E%A1%E8%A8%AA%E6%89%8B%E8%A8%98%E3%80%9147%E4%BA%BA%E6%A1%88%E5%9B%9B%E6%97%A5%E5%9B%9B%E5%A4%9C%E3%80%8C%E5%8F%B2%E8%A9%A9%E5%BC%8F%E6%8F%90%E5%A0%82%E3%80%8D%E7%9A%84%E4%B8%80%E4%BA%9B%E5%82%99%E5%BF%98

#PoliceState #BemnyTai #LawrenceLau #GwynethHo #LamCheukTing

#Reflection #PoliticalPrisoners

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticslSuppression
The #Heartbreaking Moments: When Pro-democracy Activists in Hong Kong Fight for their Last Chance to Speak Up

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy

Previously, Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

Part 2:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29399

Read Part 3
⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29408

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticslSuppression
The #Heartbreaking Moments: When Pro-democracy Activists in Hong Kong Fight for their Last Chance to Speak Up

[Editor's note: The Hong Kong authorities arrested and charged 47 pro-democracy with #NationalSecurityLaw violations for their participation in the primary election of the democratic camp in 2020. The trial began in the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on March 1, 2021.

The following is a reflective account written by Hong Kong journalist Cheung Hoi-kit.]


Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

Part 2:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29399

Part 3:

The hearing on March 3, 2021 was heartbreaking.

The bail conditions were discussed. These include a series of bans in elections, social media, media interview and others.

The defense stood up and argued that the bail conditions were too strict.

As most of the defendants are former Legislators and current district councillors who represent the electorates, the bail conditions would silence them totally, causing them to lose their functions in the community.

The girlfriend of Ventus Lau, one of the 47 pro-democracy activists, described that the bail conditions were sending the defendants to their "social death". Granting some form of freedom by sacrificing a large part of their rights is simply unreasonable.

Another heartbreaking moment came as several defendants changed to self-defence. Whether it was a planned strategy or a suddent change of mind, they were fighting for the last chance to speak for themselves. As they spoke, some of them hoarsed while others choked with tears.

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy

https://www.hkcnews.com/article/39218/47%E4%BA%BA%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E6%A1%88-%E6%B0%91%E4%B8%BB%E6%B4%BE%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8-%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E5%A4%A7%E8%B5%B7%E8%A8%B4-39218/%E3%80%90%E6%8E%A1%E8%A8%AA%E6%89%8B%E8%A8%98%E3%80%9147%E4%BA%BA%E6%A1%88%E5%9B%9B%E6%97%A5%E5%9B%9B%E5%A4%9C%E3%80%8C%E5%8F%B2%E8%A9%A9%E5%BC%8F%E6%8F%90%E5%A0%82%E3%80%8D%E7%9A%84%E4%B8%80%E4%BA%9B%E5%82%99%E5%BF%98

#Reflection #PoliticalPrisoners

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticalSuppression
A Journalist's Account: What has the political situation in Hong Kong become?

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy

Previously, Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

Part 2:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29399

Part 3:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29408

Read Part 4
⬇️⬇️

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticalSuppression
A Journalist's Account: What has the political situation in Hong Kong become?

[Editor's note: The Hong Kong authorities arrested and charged 47 pro-democracy with #NationalSecurityLaw violations for their participation in the primary election of the democratic camp in 2020. The trial began in the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on March 1, 2021.

The following is a reflective account written by Hong Kong journalist Cheung Hoi-kit.]

Part 1:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29388

Part 2:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29399

Part 3:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29408


Part 4:

As a journalist, I really regretted not being able to record all 47 personal stories of the 47 pro-democracy activists in details.

In 2021 Hong Kong, our freedom of speech as well as publication could disappear in no time.

On the fourth day of trial on April 4, 2021, I felt loss ans had a fuzzy memory inside the court.

I can only remember just before the court decision was made, the atmosphere in the court was heated up. The chanting if the pro-democracy supporters broke through the concrete wall of the court, reaching the the press room and the lobby.

This moment is similar to the first day of trial, when thousands of Hongkongers gathered outside the court to show support for the 47 pro-democracy activists.

However, in the end, only 15 out of the 47 dedendants can bail out. Even with that, the Department of Justice immediately asked for an appeal, so in the end, no one can step out of the court.

Afterwards, the families of the defendants screamed and howled. Their sound filled the area outside the court and continued to echo in my mind.

What has the political situation in Hong Kong become? It is a time when almost all the top bar counsels cannot change the situation, nor bring any defendant out of the court with bail.

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy

https://www.hkcnews.com/article/39218/47%E4%BA%BA%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E6%A1%88-%E6%B0%91%E4%B8%BB%E6%B4%BE%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8-%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E5%A4%A7%E8%B5%B7%E8%A8%B4-39218/%E3%80%90%E6%8E%A1%E8%A8%AA%E6%89%8B%E8%A8%98%E3%80%9147%E4%BA%BA%E6%A1%88%E5%9B%9B%E6%97%A5%E5%9B%9B%E5%A4%9C%E3%80%8C%E5%8F%B2%E8%A9%A9%E5%BC%8F%E6%8F%90%E5%A0%82%E3%80%8D%E7%9A%84%E4%B8%80%E4%BA%9B%E5%82%99%E5%BF%98

#Reflection #PoliticalPrisoners

#NationalSecurityLaw #PoliceState
Hong Kong Watch, the first overseas organisation accused of National Security Violations

Sources: The Chaser News, HKFP; #Mar14

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/32405

#NationalSecurityLaw #PoliceState
Hong Kong Watch, the first overseas organisation accused of National Security Violations

The National Security unit of Hong Kong Police issued letters to the UK-based human rights watchdog, Hong Kong Watch, accusing the organisation's Chief Executive, #BenedictRogers of “collusion with foreign forces”.

The Bureau asked Rogers to remove published contents on #HongKongWatch within 72 hours, threatening him with prison and fines for allegedly breaching the city’s national security law. 

A second letter, dated March 10 and signed by Annette Cheng for the Commissioner of Police, warned Rogers not to disclose details: “You are reminded to keep confidential any information pertaining to the case and not to make any disclosure that may prejudice investigation or other law enforcement action by the Hong Kong Police Force.”

UK Foreign Secretary, #LizTruss said, “The unjustifiable action taken against the UK-based NGO HKW is clearly an attempt to silence those who stand up for human rights in HK.”

She called on the Chinese government and the Hong Kong government to abide by international agreements, to respect and maintain freedom of speech in Hong Kong.

Truss also pointed out that any attempt to silence voices for democracy and freedom around the world is unacceptable and will never succeed.

Read Hong Kong National Security Police's letter to Hong Kong Watch
https://www.hongkongwatch.org/all-posts/2022/3/14/hong-kong-watch-co-founder-and-ceo-benedict-rogers-threatened-under-national-security-law

Sources: The Chaser News, HKFP; #Mar14
https://t.me/the_chaser_news/165

#StandwithUkraine #StopWar
"They Are Lying to You": A Russian Journalist Stormed a Live Broadcast to Protest Against Russian Invasion in Ukraine

During the newscast, Russian TV editor, Marina Ovsyannikova, came out holding a handwritten sign that read: "No war. Stop the war. Don’t believe propaganda. Here they’re lying to you. Russians against war.” She was also chanting, "Stop the war! No to war!"

Ovsyannikova who has been hailed as 'the bravest woman in Russia' for her protest, live on Channel One, has reportedly been arrested.

Her actions are likely to have dire consequences, however, it is not immediately clear if she will face more serious consequences as a result of her demonstration.

Source: Vice; #Mar14
https://www.vice.com/en/article/88gbnx/russian-protester-maria-ovsiannikova-no-war

#Journalist #Media #Ukraine

#Ukranian Sisters in #HongKong: "Humanity wins, even under these circumstances"

Source: InMedia #Mar14

Read more
⬇️⬇️

#Ukranian Sisters in #HongKong: "Humanity wins, even under these circumstances"

Oksana and Olena came to Hong Kong from Ukraine 17 years ago. 7 years ago, they opened Dacha, a restaurant in Central District, specialising in Eastern Euroean cuisine. After Russia launched its invasion in Ukraine, the sisters joined the #CookforUkraine campaign, raising funds with their signature Medovik cake.

Oksana and Olena grew up near the Eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, near the Russian border. The sisters were never confused of their national identity: "We are very clear, we are Ukrainians."

They also believed that most Russians were against the war and were victims of Putin's regime, being isolated by the international community.

"We have to do something together to stop this," Olena said. "This is affecting everyone, not only us, them [Russians] as well."

When they talked about their family and home in Ukraine, 7,600km away form Hong Kong, Oksana and Olena were visibly worried.

As they spoke, their cousin was hiding in a basement with her daughter in Kviv, while her husband was fighting in the frontline. The location of their family was far from the humanitarian corridor. If they tried to escape, it would be gambling with their lives.

Their 92-year-old grandfather, who lived through the Second World War, was now facing a war again.

The sisters were moved when they saw Russians in Hong Kong protesting in front of the Russian consulate. "We’re still human, and I’m so happy to see that humanity wins, even under this circumstance."

The added, "We don’t have to be all the same nationality to sit down together."

Oksana and Olena also expressed hope, despite the difficult circumstances, when they received the support of Hongkongers.

"When there is so much hatred, violence and ignorance in the world, these acts of kindness, courage and love still reminds us that the world is a good place."

Source: InMedia #Mar14
https://bit.ly/3MIKhSJ

#UkraineInHongKong #StandwithUkraine #Dacha #Conscience #Solidarity