#FirstHand #Jun13
Police Shine Strong Light at Civilians in Mongkok

00:14 | Mongkok
Police continue to be on alert in Mongkok. On top of conducting extensive stop and search, police shone strong light at passersby.

#PoliceState

#DailyUpdate #Jun13 #COVID19

COVID-19 Updates (Jun 13)

At the time of writing, 7,682,831 cases of the coronavirus had been confirmed with 426,427 deaths.

French government to lift travel restrictions on internal European borders on Monday.

Experiment suggests coronavirus has evolved to infect human cells more easily.

US Oregon governor pauses reopening statewide due to spikes in COVID-19 cases.

European countries sign vaccine deal with AstraZeneca.

Pakistan turns to 'smart lockdowns' as cases spike.

No death figures from Spain for a week.

Fear of second wave in Beijing China after market outbreak.

Brazil Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro continues to play down the virus, focusing on the economic damage of lockdown.

From today, people living alone in England and Northern Ireland can form a support bubbles with another household.

Hong Kong's iconic Ocean Park theme park reopens after more than four months of temporary closure.

Leaked draft report says that racism, stigma, and social inequality may exacerbate COVID-19 risk to UK minorities.

Source: CNN, BBC, John Hopkins University

#PoliceBrutality
Police Allegedly Kneel on Secondary Schoolgirls During Arrest

At around 19:50 on June 12, 2020 a students' concern group set up a booth in Causeway Bay to explain to the public their plan to go on strike on June 20. The public relations branch of the police promised that the police would not disturb the students.

However, 30 minutes later, the police destroyed the booth and yelled, "arrest all these students", while chasing after civilians nearby including district councillor Tiffanny Yuen.

According to witnesses, the police pushed civilians into the nearby Kimberly Mall and onto the ground, almost causing a stampede. The police arrested 3 members of the student group. They were one university male student and two secondary 5 schoolgirls.

The video recorded that the police subdued two schoolgirls by allegedly kneeling on them.

Source: Eastern Hawk Eye; SSStrike #Jun13
#Remember612 #Students #PoliceState

#PressFreedom Further Endangered: Police Ticket Reporter for Violating Gathering Ban

On June 12, Community U Media was ticketed by the police for the third time for violating gathering ban imposed by the government during the coronavirus outbreak.

At the scene, the reporter pointed out the exemption under the "Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation" (Cap. 599G) that "group gatherings at a place of work for the purposes of work are exempted from the public gathering ban". However, the police ignored the reporter totally.

On the same day, the police demanded citizens to show receipts to prove they were shoppers, not protesters in Causeway Bay. In Mongkok, police even mocked reporter by saying "Black Lives Matter" and "I Can't Breathe".

Source: Community U Media #Jun13

Government uses Anti-Epidemic Laws to Suppress Protests

The Hong Kong SAR Government implemented the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap. 599) on March 29, 2020. Since then, the Police are authorised to issue penalty notice, each with a fine of HK$2,000. From 29 March to 1 May, 338 tickets were issued.

There are reports that police dispersed citizens, even when the 1.5m social distance was kept. The police also tickets passerbys for violating gathering ban. For instance, an online news platform Community U Media received 2 tickets on 1 May in Shatin and 1 on 12 June in Yuen Long, even they had showed the press pass to police and cited the 599G that "group gathering at a place of work for the purposes of work" are exempted.

The looming threat of National Security Law raises further concerns over the encroachment of the freedom of press in Hong Kong, as the authorities have already been reportedly abusing the anti-epidemic regulation to suppress civilians' rights.

Source: CU Media #Jun13

When a redline morphs into a massive sea of redlines

Carrie LAM (Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR) said the legal system in Hong Kong is as stable as a cornerstone. She’s right. Everything is under control: national security judges will be designated to try dissidents; the mouthpiece for law will readily weaponise legal oddities; Secretary for Justice will press to change the sentencing principles resulting in heavier sentences; the cast over joint enterprise in riots is ever expanding without checks; interpretation of the Basic Law by the National People’s Congress overruling any Court of Final Appeal flouting decisions is always a last resort. Judges succumb quicker than expected. Now that the government starts tampering with the qualification criteria of Senior Counsels, the legal system is indeed stable as a mountain.

Source: Stand News #Jun13

#AuKaLun #RedLine
Author: AU Ka-Lun
https://bit.ly/3xX38l3

https://telegra.ph/When-a-redline-morphs-into-a-massive-sea-of-redlines-07-24

Overseas Hongkongers Commemorate the 3rd Anniversary of Anti-ELAB Movement

In view of the political suppression in Hong Kong, overseas Hongkongers showed solidarity and carried on the "be water" spirit in their respective countries.

On June 12, 2022, Hongkongers across the world initiated commemorative events for the 2019 Anti-extradition Protests in over 43 cities in 11 countries across the world. In Australia, activities such as silent protests, demonstrations, seminars, screenings and exhibitions were held in six major cities.

Though oceans away from their homeland, participants chanted familiar slogans as they once did on the streets of Hong Kong: "Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our Times" and "Hongkongers, add oil!"

Source: SBS #Jun13

https://www.sbs.com.au/chinese/cantonese/zh-hant/third-anniversary-of-the-2019-hong-kong-movement-in-australia

#AntiELAB #Remembrance #NeverForget #GlobalSolidarity

Africa Eye: Racism for sale

In February 2020 a shocking video began to circulate on Chinese social media. A group of African children are being instructed, by a voice off-camera, to chant phrases in Chinese. The kids repeat the words with smiles and enthusiasm — but they don't understand that what they're being told to say is " I am a black monster and my IQ is low."

The clip ignited outrage in China and beyond. But no-one ever answered some crucial questions: why was this filmed? Where was it shot? Who made it?

Source: BBC #Jun13

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-61764466

#Racism #Africa #China #Black

"Amendment Bill Crisis" Involved Terrorist Acts, Says New Hong Kong Textbooks

June 2022 marks the third anniversary of the beginning of the 2019 protests against the Extradition Law Amendment Bill (ELAB). In Hong Kong, since the 2021/2022 school year, Liberal Studies has been replaced by the subject Citizenship and Social Development.

It was found out that the secondary school textbooks of Citizenship and Social Development has omitted many important social events, including the protest and police-civilian clashes that took place on June 12, 2019.

Ming Pao reviewed four newly released textbooks from three publishers, and found that they mentioned these protests as background information for the enactment of the #NationalSecurityLaw. The textbooks only said that "severe, violent incidents" took place in 2019, and asserted that the "amendment bill crisis" involved "violent acts of terrorism involving various illegal acts".

Two textbooks further alleged that "the Central Government considered it involved interference by foreign forces", that opposition forces and organizations inciting Hong Kong independence invited foreign interference, and so on.

Leo Chu, Democratic Party spokesperson on education policies, commented that these descriptions ignored the deeper causes that triggered the widespread protests at the time.

All four textbooks extolled the importance and purpose of the National Security Law, and claimed that it ensures that "One Country, Two Systems" is implemented, protects human rights, and ensures Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. Other social issues and controversies were not mentioned.

Source: Ming Pao #Jun13
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/%e6%b8%af%e8%81%9e/article/20220613/s00002/1655058002382/

#Education #Textbook #Brainwashing #AntiELAB #HongKongProtests