📡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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#Breaking #Mainlandization #1C1S
Public Broadcaster in Hong Kong Follows China's Decision to Lift #BBC

Recently, the British authorities cancelled the licence of the Chinese Communist Party-funded English channel #CGTN in the United Kingdom.

On the early morning of Feb 12, 2021, Beijing responded by accusing BBC of "serious content violations" and banning BBC World News in "Chinese territory".

Two Reuters journalists in China said the channel had gone blank on their screens. Although it was said that BBC would remain available in Hong Kong, the public broadcaster #RTHK in Hong Kong announced on the same day that BBC World News would be lifted from their program from 11pm onwards that day, due to the decision of the broadcasting regulator in Beijing.

Source: RTHK #Feb12
https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1575376-20210212.htm

#UK #CCPControl #Regime #Retaliation #Censorship
#Court #1C1S
The Times: British Judges in Hong Kong should resign together in demand for judicial independence

Source: Stand News; The Times #Mar16

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#Court #1C1S
The Times: British Judges in Hong Kong should resign together in demand for judicial independence

On March 15, 2021, The Times published an editorial titled “British Judges should resign from Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal”.

The editorial states that Beijing is suppressing Hong Kong’s freedom and is demanding that “patriots rule Hong Kong”. The UK has explicitly said that China has violated the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

According to the editorial, the reason why China has not removed the British judges in Hong Kong is only because Beijing wanted to maintain the status quo. They believe that the current judicial system provides a welcome gloss of legitimacy, so that Hong Kong can continue to serve as an international financial centre.

“With the illusion that they can deliver change from within the new system exploded, they should instead adopt a common position and resign together. They should insist, with one voice, that they will no longer lend their authority to a compromised system, and demand that independent justice be restored to Hong Kong.”

In a report published on the same day, The Times mentioned that Lord Neuberger’s agreement to remain a judge in Hong Kong for 3 more years brought controversy over “the role of the ten British judges on Hong Kong's court of final appeal”. The report quoted senior figures saying that the UK can protest against Beijing’s changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system by withdrawing the British judges serving in Hong Kong.

According to the published report, Lord Neuberger previously said that the time would come when it would be right for all foreign judges to quit the Hong Kong bench. In 2017, he spoke at the University of Hong Kong, saying that foreign judges are the “canaries in the mine”, harbinger of a crisis.

“So long as they are happy to serve on the court, then you can safely assume that all is well with the judicial independence and impartiality in Hong Kong.” He said, “but if they start to leave in droves, that would represent a serious alarm call.”

Source: Stand News; The Times #Mar16

#TheTimes #Editorial #BritishJudges
#JudicialIndependence #PoliticalOppression #Beijing
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#PoliticalSuppression #1C1S
China Axes Hong Kong's Electoral System to Boost Influence

Source: Stand News #Mar30

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29262
#PoliticalSuppression #1C1S
China Axes Hong Kong's Electoral System to Boost Influence

Watch video:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/29261

On March 30, 2021, Beijing imposed an overhaul in Hong Kong's electoral system. After a two-day meeting, the PRC's National People’s Congress Standing Committee (#NPCSC) directly amended two annexes in Hong Kong's Basic Law. All these changes will come into immediate effect on March 31, 2021.

In the Election Committee to select the Chief Executive, all 117 district councillor seats are eliminated.

The seats are replaced by “representatives of members of area committees”, including members of the government-appointed District Fight Crime Committees, the District Fire Safety Committee of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories, as well as representatives of associations of Hong Kong residents in the mainland.

A new sector will be added. They are deputies to the PRC's National People’s Congress (#NPC), the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (#CPPCC), as well as representatives of “Hong Kong members of relevant national organisations”.

As for the Legislative Council (#LegCo), the number of directly elected seats in the geographical constituency will be reduced. The District Councillor seats within the LegCo are to be removed.

The changes are likely to increase the influence of the pro-Establishment camp while ridding of the role of the locally elected District Councillors.

The District Council election had been the only direct election in Hong Kong since the Handover in 1997. In the 2019 election, the pro-democracy camp had a landslide victory across the territory, winning 388 seats to the pro-Beijing camp's 59.

Source: Stand News #Mar30

#HongKongElection #ChiefExecutive #DistrictCouncil #CCPRules
#ElectoralOverhaul #Beijing
#CCPRules #PoliceState #Sanction
#China delays implementing Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law in Hong Kong

The 4-day meeting of China's CCP Standing Committee of the National People's Congress was ended on August 20, 2021. It was reported earlier that the Committee will deliberate over adding the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law into the Annex III of the Hong Kong Basic Law in the Congress meeting.

The decision, however, has been delayed.

Alibaba-owned South China Morning Post (#SCMP) cited sources who said the sudden decision to postpone the deliberation was that the Committee "could consider more views".

The Pro-Beijing newspaper Sing Tao Daily slso published an "analysis” based on an internal memo of #XinHua news agency, a CCP mouthpiece. It hinted that including the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law into the Annex III of the Hong Kong Basic Law “may not be among motions to be passed.”

Responding to media inquiry, Hong Kong senior delegate Tam Yiu-chun, a pro-Beijing figure, said that the Stand Committee did review the agenda item, but decided not to take a vote on it.

The Hong Kong SAR Government issued a statement stating that the Central People's Congress is "concerned about the well-being of Hong Kong people". The statement continued saying decisions of the Standing Committee on Hong Kong matters are "based on local interests", and the SAR Government is determined to give its full support.

#CCP #1C1S #AntiSanctionsLaw

Source: Stand News; #Aug20
https://www.thestandnews.com/china/%E5%8F%8D%E5%A4%96%E5%9C%8B%E5%88%B6%E8%A3%81%E6%B3%95%E7%B4%8D%E5%85%A5%E9%99%84%E4%BB%B6%E4%B8%89%E7%8F%BE%E8%AE%8A%E6%95%B8-%E8%AD%9A%E8%80%80%E5%AE%97%E6%8C%87%E4%BA%BA%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%B8%E5%A7%94%E6%8A%BC%E5%BE%8C%E8%A1%A8%E6%B1%BA
#FailedState #1C1S
#CarrieLam is unable to confirm whether Beijing has issued a new mandate to “Regularize” Real Estate in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's #ChiefExecutive Carrie Lam met the media before attending the Executive Council meeting on the morning of September 21, 2021 and was asked about a Reuters report published the previous Friday, Septrmber 17, 2021, regarding Beijing’s pressure on Hong Kong property developers.

At first, she said that “I cannot confirm nor comment on this since they are all rumors.” She followed by saying that Beijing is very concerned about the livelihood of Hong Kong people. After they have “improved” the election system, they hope to enhance the effectiveness of the SAR’s governance. “After improving its effectiveness, of course they would want to help solve problems for the public.”

She added that the housing issue has been substantially adjusted by the current government, and now the remaining issue is the land issue.

“The current issue is a land problem. It is true that the developers have some privately own land, but when it is necessary, public powers can be exercised to recover some of these lands to develop public housing. Thus, solving a problem that has been bothering the city for a long time.”

#Beijing #RealEstateMandate
#Economy #Finance #PropertyMarket #HongKongMarket #CCPRules

Source: Stand News #Sept21
https://bit.ly/3m0SV2n
#Sinicization
Hong Kong Government Requires All Schools to Hold Weekly Flag-Raising Ceremonies and Sing Chinese Anthem

The Hong Kong government's #EducationBureau on October 11, 2021 announced that all schools in Hong Kong must hold flag-raising ceremonies every week and on special occasions starting January 1, 2022.

The government's guidelines stated that the Chinese national anthem should be played and sung at the ceremonies.

Moreover, the Chinese national flag should be raised in school every day. If there are enough flagpoles, then the Hong Kong SAR flag should also be raised.

The government also "advised" kindergartens to carry out the instructions if facility allows, while international schools and private schools were "encouraged" to follow the guidelines.

Source: InMedia #Oct11
https://bit.ly/3Auwhob

#ChineseAnthem #ChineseFlag #FlagRaising #1C1S #Education #School #Nationalization #Brainwashing
#CCPRules #1C1S
#ChineseEmblem Spotted on Hong Kong Government's Websites; Spokesman Cites Requirement from Newly-gazetted Ordinance

Source: Stand News #Oct8
https://bit.ly/3DlEhtA
#CCPRules #1C1S
#ChineseEmblem Spotted on Hong Kong Government's Websites; Spokesman Cites Requirement from Newly-gazetted Ordinance

On October 8, 2021, the Chinese emblem has been suddenly added to the websites of four official bodies in Hong Kong, namely the Legislative Council, the Chief Executive's Office, the Judiciary and GovHK. Other government websites, such as the websites of the Financial Secretary's Office and the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, remain unchanged.

The emblem of the #PRC was added to the top left of all four official websites, with the Judiciary website being the largest and clearest.

Of the four websites that have been altered, the emblem on the website of the Chief Executive's Office is the most crude, with blurred lines and fonts, and the emblem appearing pixelized when the page is slightly enlarged. In addition, the new Chinese emblem is slightly larger than the Hong Kong SAR emblem.

Hong Kong government spokesman said the National Flag and Emblem (Amendment) Ordinance was gazetted on 8 October, 2021 and the Chief Executive has amended the requirement to use the emblem on the websites of the Hong Kong SAR Government, the Legislative Council and the Judiciary.

Source: Stand News #Oct8
https://bit.ly/3DlEhtA