#Perseverence
Arrested Pro-democracy Activist #ChowHangTung opposes Hong Kong Alliance’s disbandment: "I would choose not to lose, not to forget, not to give up, and to persevere until the last moment.”
Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho Chun-yan, chairman and former vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, who are currently detained, issued a joint open letter on September 17, 2021, stating that the best solution for the pro-democracy Alliance is to disband.
[Editor's note: After a special meeting on September 25, 2021, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China passed a motion to dissolve.
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31135]
The Alliance had been the organizer of the annual June 4 Tiananmen Massacre Candlelight Vigil in Hong Kong's #VictoriaPark since 1990.
On September 23, 2021, an "Open Letter from Chow Hang-Tung to Hong Kong Alliance (before and after)" was published on Chow's personal Facebook page, stating that she cannot see the act of disbanding any help in continuing the Alliance's philosophy.
"Please oppose the dissolution motion and give the Alliance a chance to continue," Chow expressed despite being arrested and detained.
Chow, a barrister by profession, also pointed out, "The regime has chosen to annihilate us all, so we have to choose whether to persist until the end or to bail out before it’s too late. On this choice, I would choose not to lose, not to forget, not to give up, and to persevere until the last moment.”
Source: Stand News #Sept23
https://thestandnews.page.link/bEjeeCGyLUq7i5Zt8
#TonyeeChow #Disband #HKASPDMC #Alliance #NationalSecurityLaw #Unafraid #OpenLetter #Courage
Arrested Pro-democracy Activist #ChowHangTung opposes Hong Kong Alliance’s disbandment: "I would choose not to lose, not to forget, not to give up, and to persevere until the last moment.”
Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho Chun-yan, chairman and former vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, who are currently detained, issued a joint open letter on September 17, 2021, stating that the best solution for the pro-democracy Alliance is to disband.
[Editor's note: After a special meeting on September 25, 2021, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China passed a motion to dissolve.
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31135]
The Alliance had been the organizer of the annual June 4 Tiananmen Massacre Candlelight Vigil in Hong Kong's #VictoriaPark since 1990.
On September 23, 2021, an "Open Letter from Chow Hang-Tung to Hong Kong Alliance (before and after)" was published on Chow's personal Facebook page, stating that she cannot see the act of disbanding any help in continuing the Alliance's philosophy.
"Please oppose the dissolution motion and give the Alliance a chance to continue," Chow expressed despite being arrested and detained.
Chow, a barrister by profession, also pointed out, "The regime has chosen to annihilate us all, so we have to choose whether to persist until the end or to bail out before it’s too late. On this choice, I would choose not to lose, not to forget, not to give up, and to persevere until the last moment.”
Source: Stand News #Sept23
https://thestandnews.page.link/bEjeeCGyLUq7i5Zt8
#TonyeeChow #Disband #HKASPDMC #Alliance #NationalSecurityLaw #Unafraid #OpenLetter #Courage
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📡Guardians of Hong Kong
June 4th Vigil Organizer Disbanded after 32 Years
After a special meeting on September 25, 2021, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China passed a motion to dissolve. The voting took place at the now-shut-down June 4th…
After a special meeting on September 25, 2021, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China passed a motion to dissolve. The voting took place at the now-shut-down June 4th…
#TonyeeChow #Court
Hong Kong Judge Questions Arrested Pro-democracy Barrister: Can You Access Internet in Jail?
Barrister Tonyee Chow Hang-tung is a pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong and the former Vice Chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The now-disbanded Alliance was known for organizing the annual June 4 vigil in Hong Kong to commemorate the victims of the Tianamen Square Massacre in Beijing in 1989.
She was arrested for state subversion by the Hong Kong authority.
The authority accused her of calling on citizens to participate in June 4th commemorative event in 2020, which was banned by the government. Chow was charged with "inciting others to participate in an unauthorised assembly".
The case was heard in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts by Judge Chan Wai-mun on October 5, 2021.
Chow, who has been detained since her arrest, stated that she would defend herself and make her own statement. She will argue whether it is constitutional to restrict the dispute to freedom and whether the related article she disseminsted can ce considered as an "incitement".
Due to the limited resources she has when on remand, Chow asked for one to two weeks' time for preparation.
The Judge then questioned her, “Where did you find the law books in jail? Can you access Internet?” The query made citizens attending the session laughed.
Chow responded that she would rely on her professional knowledge of law and seek help from friends.
Source: Stand News #Oct5
https://bit.ly/2ZXtBCZ
#June4 #HKASPDMC #Vigil #TiananmenSquareMassacre #Internet #ChowHangTung #CivilSociety #Law #Alliance
Hong Kong Judge Questions Arrested Pro-democracy Barrister: Can You Access Internet in Jail?
Barrister Tonyee Chow Hang-tung is a pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong and the former Vice Chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The now-disbanded Alliance was known for organizing the annual June 4 vigil in Hong Kong to commemorate the victims of the Tianamen Square Massacre in Beijing in 1989.
She was arrested for state subversion by the Hong Kong authority.
The authority accused her of calling on citizens to participate in June 4th commemorative event in 2020, which was banned by the government. Chow was charged with "inciting others to participate in an unauthorised assembly".
The case was heard in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts by Judge Chan Wai-mun on October 5, 2021.
Chow, who has been detained since her arrest, stated that she would defend herself and make her own statement. She will argue whether it is constitutional to restrict the dispute to freedom and whether the related article she disseminsted can ce considered as an "incitement".
Due to the limited resources she has when on remand, Chow asked for one to two weeks' time for preparation.
The Judge then questioned her, “Where did you find the law books in jail? Can you access Internet?” The query made citizens attending the session laughed.
Chow responded that she would rely on her professional knowledge of law and seek help from friends.
Source: Stand News #Oct5
https://bit.ly/2ZXtBCZ
#June4 #HKASPDMC #Vigil #TiananmenSquareMassacre #Internet #ChowHangTung #CivilSociety #Law #Alliance
#Censorship #PoliticalSuppression
"Barbarious", "Mafia Tactic": #PillarofShame Creator Shocked as the University of Hong Kong Demands Removal
Part 1/2
On October 7, 2021, the University of Hong Kong (#HKU) called for the removal of a statue commemorating the pro-democracy protesters killed during the 1989 Tiananmen massacre in Beijing, with a 6-day deadline.
The "Pillar of Shame" had been placed on long-term display inside the HKU campus since 1998 with support from the HKU Student Union.
Representing the university, US law firm Mayer Brown issued a letter demanding the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance (#HKASPDMC) – the organiser of Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen vigil – to “immediately … make arrangements for the sculpture (the 8-meter-tall Pillar of Shame) to be removed from the university’s premises”.
“If you fail to remove the sculpture … it will be deemed abandoned,” the letter said, “if the Alliance fails to take it away, and the university will deal with the sculpture at such time and in such manner as it thinks fit without further notice.”
Danish artist #JensGalschiot, the statue's creator, was shocked at the demand, calling it “barbarous” and a “mafia” tactic. He told reporters that he remains the owner of the sculpture, and he has hired a lawyer to protect his property, which was only on loan to the Alliance.
“I hope that my ownership of the sculpture will be respected and that I will be able to transport the sculpture out of Hong Kong under orderly conditions and without it having suffered from any damage,” he said, adding that any damage would be the university’s responsibility.
Galschiot described the act as an attempt to erase China's collective historical memory. In a statement, he wrote in contempt, “China has made the Pillar of Shame ever taller and bigger in the eyes of the world.”
Read Part 2:
Law Firm Refuses to Represent Hong Kong's Top University
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31306
#TiananmenMassacre #Memorial #Art #CollectiveMemory
Sources: Stand News; InMediaHK; #Oct18
https://thestandnews.page.link/cWZQyyVUAc2Z255J7
https://thestandnews.page.link/ExESJ1tzktLMiEoR6
https://bit.ly/3vq26O4
"Barbarious", "Mafia Tactic": #PillarofShame Creator Shocked as the University of Hong Kong Demands Removal
Part 1/2
On October 7, 2021, the University of Hong Kong (#HKU) called for the removal of a statue commemorating the pro-democracy protesters killed during the 1989 Tiananmen massacre in Beijing, with a 6-day deadline.
The "Pillar of Shame" had been placed on long-term display inside the HKU campus since 1998 with support from the HKU Student Union.
Representing the university, US law firm Mayer Brown issued a letter demanding the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance (#HKASPDMC) – the organiser of Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen vigil – to “immediately … make arrangements for the sculpture (the 8-meter-tall Pillar of Shame) to be removed from the university’s premises”.
“If you fail to remove the sculpture … it will be deemed abandoned,” the letter said, “if the Alliance fails to take it away, and the university will deal with the sculpture at such time and in such manner as it thinks fit without further notice.”
Danish artist #JensGalschiot, the statue's creator, was shocked at the demand, calling it “barbarous” and a “mafia” tactic. He told reporters that he remains the owner of the sculpture, and he has hired a lawyer to protect his property, which was only on loan to the Alliance.
“I hope that my ownership of the sculpture will be respected and that I will be able to transport the sculpture out of Hong Kong under orderly conditions and without it having suffered from any damage,” he said, adding that any damage would be the university’s responsibility.
Galschiot described the act as an attempt to erase China's collective historical memory. In a statement, he wrote in contempt, “China has made the Pillar of Shame ever taller and bigger in the eyes of the world.”
Read Part 2:
Law Firm Refuses to Represent Hong Kong's Top University
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31306
#TiananmenMassacre #Memorial #Art #CollectiveMemory
Sources: Stand News; InMediaHK; #Oct18
https://thestandnews.page.link/cWZQyyVUAc2Z255J7
https://thestandnews.page.link/ExESJ1tzktLMiEoR6
https://bit.ly/3vq26O4
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📡Guardians of Hong Kong
US Law Firm Withdraws from Representing the University of Hong Kong Amid Outcry from Civic Groups and US Politicians
On behalf of the University of Hong Kong (#HKU), the law firm #MayerBrown issued a letter to Danish artist #JensGalschiot, demanding the…
On behalf of the University of Hong Kong (#HKU), the law firm #MayerBrown issued a letter to Danish artist #JensGalschiot, demanding the…
#Court #RulebyLaw
Catch-22: Authority Rejects Reference Books Sent to Activist Lawyer Detained for Subversion, Due to Content about Subversion
#TonyeeChow #NSL #PrisonerRights #HongKongAlliance #HKASPDMC #June4th #TiananmenMassacre #SzetoWah
Source: Stand News #Oct23
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
Catch-22: Authority Rejects Reference Books Sent to Activist Lawyer Detained for Subversion, Due to Content about Subversion
#TonyeeChow #NSL #PrisonerRights #HongKongAlliance #HKASPDMC #June4th #TiananmenMassacre #SzetoWah
Source: Stand News #Oct23
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
#Court #RulebyLaw
Catch-22: Authority Rejects Reference Books Sent to Activist Lawyer Detained for Subversion, Due to Content about Subversion
Tonyee #ChowHangTung, the former vice-chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (#HKASPDMC), is in detention on charges of inciting subversion of state power. A lawyer by trade, she intends to represent herself in her upcoming trial, and is preparing her own defense while in custody.
In an article on her Patreon published on October 23, she mentioned that her relatives and friends recently tried to send books about the late activist Szeto Wah and the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989, but the Hong Kong Correctional Services (#HKCS) rejected them.
(Editor's note: Szeto Wah was the founder of the Hong Kong Alliance (#HKA) and was one of the most influential activists in Hong Kong who worked for decades to establish, preserve and protect Hong Kong people's democratic institutions, freedom and human rights.)
One of the books, she quoted an HKCS staff, "mentions behaviours of subverting state power". The decision could not be appealed, the staff added.
Chow questions whether the HKCS had assumed the role of the judge, making a fair trial impossible. The books are reference materials for her to prepare for her own defense in the trial, she said.
"If I can't have access to information about the Alliance and the June 4th incident, I would have no chance to find evidence to refute these accusations."
The Correctional Services have set up a perfect catch-22, she said of the arrangement. "This would guarantee the prosecution a win."
Source: Stand News #Oct23
https://thestandnews.page.link/Xwr8mUcpXtD6Q2MGA
#TonyeeChow #NSL #PrisonerRights #HongKongAlliance #HKASPDMC #June4th #TiananmenMassacre #SzetoWah
Catch-22: Authority Rejects Reference Books Sent to Activist Lawyer Detained for Subversion, Due to Content about Subversion
Tonyee #ChowHangTung, the former vice-chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (#HKASPDMC), is in detention on charges of inciting subversion of state power. A lawyer by trade, she intends to represent herself in her upcoming trial, and is preparing her own defense while in custody.
In an article on her Patreon published on October 23, she mentioned that her relatives and friends recently tried to send books about the late activist Szeto Wah and the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989, but the Hong Kong Correctional Services (#HKCS) rejected them.
(Editor's note: Szeto Wah was the founder of the Hong Kong Alliance (#HKA) and was one of the most influential activists in Hong Kong who worked for decades to establish, preserve and protect Hong Kong people's democratic institutions, freedom and human rights.)
One of the books, she quoted an HKCS staff, "mentions behaviours of subverting state power". The decision could not be appealed, the staff added.
Chow questions whether the HKCS had assumed the role of the judge, making a fair trial impossible. The books are reference materials for her to prepare for her own defense in the trial, she said.
"If I can't have access to information about the Alliance and the June 4th incident, I would have no chance to find evidence to refute these accusations."
The Correctional Services have set up a perfect catch-22, she said of the arrangement. "This would guarantee the prosecution a win."
Source: Stand News #Oct23
https://thestandnews.page.link/Xwr8mUcpXtD6Q2MGA
#TonyeeChow #NSL #PrisonerRights #HongKongAlliance #HKASPDMC #June4th #TiananmenMassacre #SzetoWah
#Court #PoliticalOppression
"It was Conscience that Drove Hongkongers for 32 years to Mourn June 4th": Tonyee Chow Defends Herself in Court Against June 4 Unlawful Assembly Charge
Tonyee #ChowHangTung, former Vice-Chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (#HKASPDMC), was accused of promoting and calling on others to participate in the June 4 rally, and had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charge of inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly. The case was resumed in the West Kowloon Magistrates Court on Oct 25th.
Tonyee, who is herself a barrister, represented herself in court. She mentioned that all the cases brought against her are related to the Alliance and June 4th. The authorities are piling on these charges, showing that the regime is attempting to suppress and eliminate the memory of June 4th step by step.
She reiterated that after the police banned the rally this year, the Alliance had publicly announced that it would not hold a candlelight rally in Victoria Park. She has since written articles and taken interviews, in which she had simply appealed to the public to overcome their fears and continue to mourn June 4 through personal actions. She questioned how a call for action with no specified location could incite an unauthorized assembly, saying that the regime "might as well admit directly that what is forbidden is the June 4 memorial itself".
Tonyee stressed that it was not anyone's incitement that drove the people of Hong Kong to mourn June 4th for 32 years; rather, it was every person's conscience. "If the court wants to use the word 'incite', it ought to say that it was the people of Hong Kong who had incited me to do this."
And if she were to be punished for it, she would have no regrets, she said.
Source: Stand News; #Oct25
Full account of Tonyee's defense speech (in Chinese) : https://thestandnews.page.link/o3zrFQwM34J6m8ky9
#June4 #HongKong #Democracy #Protest #Court
"It was Conscience that Drove Hongkongers for 32 years to Mourn June 4th": Tonyee Chow Defends Herself in Court Against June 4 Unlawful Assembly Charge
Tonyee #ChowHangTung, former Vice-Chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (#HKASPDMC), was accused of promoting and calling on others to participate in the June 4 rally, and had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charge of inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly. The case was resumed in the West Kowloon Magistrates Court on Oct 25th.
Tonyee, who is herself a barrister, represented herself in court. She mentioned that all the cases brought against her are related to the Alliance and June 4th. The authorities are piling on these charges, showing that the regime is attempting to suppress and eliminate the memory of June 4th step by step.
She reiterated that after the police banned the rally this year, the Alliance had publicly announced that it would not hold a candlelight rally in Victoria Park. She has since written articles and taken interviews, in which she had simply appealed to the public to overcome their fears and continue to mourn June 4 through personal actions. She questioned how a call for action with no specified location could incite an unauthorized assembly, saying that the regime "might as well admit directly that what is forbidden is the June 4 memorial itself".
Tonyee stressed that it was not anyone's incitement that drove the people of Hong Kong to mourn June 4th for 32 years; rather, it was every person's conscience. "If the court wants to use the word 'incite', it ought to say that it was the people of Hong Kong who had incited me to do this."
And if she were to be punished for it, she would have no regrets, she said.
Source: Stand News; #Oct25
Full account of Tonyee's defense speech (in Chinese) : https://thestandnews.page.link/o3zrFQwM34J6m8ky9
#June4 #HongKong #Democracy #Protest #Court
Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movement of China was disbanded in late September. However, the HKU still asked them to remove the Pillar of Shame in October.
#HKASPDMC #FreedomofAcademy #PillarofShame #HKU #GoHKgraphics
#HKASPDMC #FreedomofAcademy #PillarofShame #HKU #GoHKgraphics
Standing Committee Members Imprisoned: The Dilemma of Hong Kong Alliance and the Beginning of the June 4th Debate
By Translated by BeWater HK on May 9, 2022 • 16 May 2022
On September 10, 2021 at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts Division 2, after the court clerk read out the charges, Tonyee Chow Hang-tung, who stood in the defendant's column, responded with a sonorous voice: "Understood, this is a ridiculous charge." Applause from the public gallery filled the court room.
Source: The Stand News #Sep24
#HKASPDMC #HongKongAlliance #NSL #NationalSecurityLaw
#June4 #TiananmenMassacre #DemocracyMovement
#SzetoWah #ChowHangTung #TonyeeChow #TsangKinShing #LeeCheukYan #AlbertHo
Full Story：
https://telegra.ph/Standing-Committee-Members-Imprisoned-The-Dilemma-of-Hong-Kong-Alliance-and-the-Beginning-of-the-June-4th-Debate-05-16
By Translated by BeWater HK on May 9, 2022 • 16 May 2022
On September 10, 2021 at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts Division 2, after the court clerk read out the charges, Tonyee Chow Hang-tung, who stood in the defendant's column, responded with a sonorous voice: "Understood, this is a ridiculous charge." Applause from the public gallery filled the court room.
Source: The Stand News #Sep24
#HKASPDMC #HongKongAlliance #NSL #NationalSecurityLaw
#June4 #TiananmenMassacre #DemocracyMovement
#SzetoWah #ChowHangTung #TonyeeChow #TsangKinShing #LeeCheukYan #AlbertHo
Full Story：
https://telegra.ph/Standing-Committee-Members-Imprisoned-The-Dilemma-of-Hong-Kong-Alliance-and-the-Beginning-of-the-June-4th-Debate-05-16