Hong Kong's Secretary Chief Accuses Pro-democracy Groups for "Spreading hatred for HK and Beijing Governments" in Prisons with Chocolate

On September 7, 2021, Hong Kong SAR Government's Secretary for Security, Chris Tang Ping-Keung, accused pro-democracy groups of "threatening national security" in the prisons of Hong Kong.

Tang said, "Somebody creates privilege with prison supplies, including chocolate, and solicits followers in prison, as a result to spread hatred for the Hong Kong and the Central Governments, threatening national security".

Tang also named 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund for sending letters to people in prison, calling them to keep up protesting.

Social worker and former legislator Bottle Shiu Ka-Chun, the founder of a prisoner rights organisation #Wallfare, spoke to InmediaHK. Shiu said that ordinary people can hardly understand Tang's jumpy logic. He emphasised that the so-called "followers" cannot be solicited with those childish method.

"Or you can give 2 packs of chocolate to the prison and ask for an immediate follow. Then, there is no point doing national security education to have a peaceful world," Shiu remarked.

Pro-Beijing newspaper agencies called the prison in Hong Kong as "a place for Anti-China and Anti-HK". Tang also used the exact same phrase. Shiu disagreed and said, "They [pro-democracy protesters] have already lost their freedom and are all arrested. They live according to your will everyday. How are they still messing up Hong Kong?"

[Editor's Notes: Wall-fare, a concern group supporting pro-democracy protesters, announced its disbandment on September 14, 2021 due to the "pressure" faced by the founder and the volunteers.]

Source: InMedia #Sept7
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31046

#BottleShiu #ChrisTang #Prison #NationalSecurity #MandMs #Chocolate #WhiteTerror

National Security Police arrests Pro-democracy Hong Kong Students, Seizing Snacks, Lotion and Books

On September 20, 2021, the National Security Police in Hong Kong arrested three students. One of them belonged to the pro-democracy student group #StudentPoliticism, while the other are former members.

At around 6:40am, the police arrested the group's convenor #WongYatChin, former secretary #ChanChinSum and former spokeperson #ChuWaiYing.

According to the group's published on statement on Facebook, the police also raided the group's storage room in the Wah Sing Industrial Building in Kwai Chung at around 11am.

The police took away around 40 boxes which contain M&M's chocolate, baby powder, hand cream, wipes, snacks and books as "evidence".

All these items are allowed by the Correctional Sevices Department to be passed on to people in prison.

At around 12:40pm, the police took Wong with his hands cuffed at the back to a community space run by Student Politicism in Mongkok. The police violently broke the door to enter the space which hosts book drifting and exchange.

At around 16:40pm, the police admitted in a press briefing that the three students were charged with "conspiring to state subversion". One of the reasons claimed by the police is the group's caling for resistance against the "Communist Regime in Hong Kong."

Source: Stand News #Sept20
https://thestandnews.page.link/YyQBGvXciyaHPcrU7

#PoliticalSuppression #Regime #PoliceState #Arrest #Prison #Supply #M&Ms #NationalSecurityLaw

#PoliticalSuppression
Pro-Democracy Hong Kong Singer #DeniseHo Live-Streams Concert, Vows to Carry On Singing

Pro-democracy Cantopop singer #DeniseHo was scheduled to play in her concert "Becoming the Song" on 8-12 September. However, just 8 days before her concert, the Hong Kong Arts Center abruptly cancelled Ho's venue booking.

Braving many difficulties, Ho went ahead to perform online on September 12, at the original scheduled time.

Ho said that it was like performing in sauna parlour, as the venue she eventually found was without air conditioning; she and her band were soaked in sweat. However, she felt that it was much more memorable experience for everyone than having a concert on a "proper" stage.

Denise Ho was thankful for her supporters. She said, "the best way to thank my supporters is to carry on singing."

Source: Stand News; #Sept13

https://www.facebook.com/710476795704610/posts/4532798896805695/

#FightforFreedom #Cantopop #Music #SingWithYou #jjgmj

#Censorship #PoliticalSuppression
"Barbarious", "Mafia Tactic": #PillarofShame Creator Shocked as the University of Hong Kong Demands Removal

Sources: Stand News; InMediaHK; #Oct18

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31299

#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

#BreakingNews
The pillar of Shame is being destroyed in these minutes : Jen Galschiot calls for public record on Twitter

According to the Undergrad, at around 2200 on #Dec22, the Pillar of Shame located inside HKU grounds were closed off by construction workers, authorised by the school authorities.

White cloth and yellow barriers could be seen barricading the view of the Pillar from the pedestrian bridge above and near it on the ground. School personnel watched over the site, with construction noise emanating nearby.

Sources revealed that the school Council have convened a meeting on #Dec22 and has come to the conclusion of disassembling the Pillar of Shame. People at HKU believed that this decision was spurred on by pressure from the National Security Department, which could be seen as direct pressure from the Chinese Central Government.

At around 0000 on #Dec23, a crane and a truck carrying a container could be seen arriving at HKU.

The Pillar of Shame, sculpted by artist Jens Galschiøt to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre, has stood in HKU grounds for 24 years. The school authorities had initially remained cooperative with its display on school grounds, but had recently called for removal of the sculpture since October. As the University could not determine who the sculpture belonged to, the fate of the sculpture had remained undecided.

Many have regarded the Pillar of Shame as a symbol of freedom in Hong Kong as the creator, Jen Galschiøt, wrote in 1997, "it [the Pillar of Shame] was put on permanent public display to serve, as a test of the authorities’ “guarantees for human rights and freedom of expression in Hong Kong.”

Sources: Stand News; Citizen News; Jen Galschiot's Twitter page; #Dec23

Images: Stand News; Citizen News; Roy Li and Stephanie Wu

#HKU #PillarOfShame

RELATED ARTICLES
"Barbarious", "Mafia Tactic": #PillarofShame Creator Shocked as the University of Hong Kong Demands Removal
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31298

Danish Sculptor seeks immunity from Hong Kong's National Security Law
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31439

MORE ON THE SAME TOPIC
Activists Preserve HK's Tiananmen Memorial Pillar in Digital 3D Model: "They Can't Silence Us All"
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31329?single

#BreakingNews #CUHK
CUHK Removes Goddess of Democracy Statue Without Warning

One day after the University of Hong Kong (#HKU) removed the Pillar of Shame, a memorial of the Tiananmen Square Massacre by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK) also took action to remove a memorial sculpture on its campus, the Goddess of Democracy, without prior announcement.

Sources in CUHK claim that the university had been planning for the statue's removal, but had moved up its schedule once they saw HKU took down the Pillar of Shame. It was also said that the school had considered directly demolishing the statue and sending it to the landfill. The statue is currently placed in temporary storage.

Compared to HKU's actions on the day prior, CUHK was even more subtle in their actions. Before starting to dismantle the pillar, HKU had first enclosed the area with barricades; this gave students and journalists precious time to come to the scene and record the event. CUHK, in comparison, acted in complete secrecy; the statue was not guarded in any way as late as the previous evening. Their dismantling work began around 6am this morning, and by 6:30, the statue was removed without a trace.

The Goddess of Democracy statue was a replica of the one erected on Tiananmen Square during the student protests in 1989, days before the violent crackdown by the Chinese army on June 4. The replica was created by Chinese sculptor Chen Weiming (陳維明) , and was shipped to Hong Kong on June 2, 2010 and received by the Hong Kong Alliance, the organizer of the annual June 4 candlelight vigil. The statue was temporarily confiscated by police, a number of Alliance members were arrested, and Chen himself was denied entry to the city; despite the setbacks, the statue was able to go on display at the candlelight vigil two days later. It was then shipped to CUHK, escorted by over 2000 citizens, students, and faculty members, and was erected on the grass near the University MTR station, where it stood until today.

Source: 白影, HKGolden
Photo: 白影, CUHK Student Press

#June4 #GoddessOfDemocracy #TiananmenMassacre #Memorial #Censorship #PoliticalSuppression

Read more:
The pillar of Shame is being destroyed in these minutes : Jen Galschiot calls for public record on Twitter
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31702

Former Teacher Hosts Arts Exhibition to Recall Hongkongers' Memory on Pro-democracy Movement

#Vawongsir, a former secondary school teacher and a cartoonist, has been hosting an art exhibition for 2 months at a cafe called Retold at Tsuen Wan's The Mill in Hong Kong since December 2021.

The exhibition displayed 12 artworks by Vawongsir, including one portraying a boy hiding his face, sobbing bitterly in bed at midnight.

Vawongsir sighs that people reduce their concerns about social movement and he hopes the exhibition can recall people's memory. "Hope people will not forget about me, as well as the past incidents."

Vawongsir was accused by the authorities of "professional misconduct", due to his support of the pro-democracy movement.

Recently, he hoped to return to teach by working as a substitute teacher to support his family; however, no school is willing to employ teachers who had been issued a warning letter by the government . All applicantions he sent out had been rejected.

In midst of his hard time, his laptop, which he used to produce illustrations, have also broke down.

Source: Inmedia #Dec23
https://bit.ly/3J29FAZ

#NSL #AntiELABMovement #Teacher #Education #PoliticalSuppression #PoliceState #ProtestArt

#University in Hong Kong demands #StudentUnion to hand over 17 years of audit reports in 2 weeks

The Students’ Union of the City University of Hong Kong (#CityU) said it is facing “the largest crisis since its establishment,” as the university management demanded 16 years of audit reports within two weeks and warned of possible punishment if the union did not comply.

In a statement, the student organisation said it had received a letter from the Student Development Services saying that the university was “extremely concerned about the union’s inability to provide the audit reports from 2005 to 2020.”

According to the student union the university also said it may take back its premises and stop the organisation from using “City University of Hong Kong” in its name if it failed to handover the related reports on February 5, 2022.

Acting Internal Affairs of the Student Union, Lee Chun-rui stressed that so much the Union is willing to hand over the audit report, they need more time to compile reports in past 17 years.

In distress and frustrated, Lee said he was only 5 years old, 17 years ago.

Source: Inmediahk; #Jan26
https://bit.ly/3o0Tued

#Suppression #HongKongYouth #University #PoliticalSuppression

#Beijing Attempts to Silence Consulates' June 4th Commemoration in Hong Kong

On the eve of June 4th, Beijing's foreign affairs office in Hong Kong sent warning to different consulates, asking them not to "make any gesture" on June 4, 2022.

June 4th 2022 marks the 33 year-mark of the Tiananmen Massacre in Beijing, where the Chinese Communist Party (#CCP) government brutally cracked down pro-democracy civilians in 1989.

Commemorative events such as candlelight vigil had been annually held in Hong Kong until the enforcement of the #NationalSecurityLaw in 2020.

Beijing's office claimed that the commemorative activities in Hong Kong were organized by "a small fraction of anti-China people with hostility towards the Chinese government". According to CCP, there is "no need to remember June 4th".

On June 4, 2022, the US consulate and the Australia consulate in Hong Kong posted the Pillar of Shame and a candlelight image on their social media platform respectively, in commemoration of the victims of the 1989 June 4th Tiananmen Massacre. The Polish Consulate-general fearured candles in their social media post. Both the US consulate-general and the #EuropeanUnion office in Hong Kong lit candles on their windows.

Source: Lady Liberty; Mingpao; InMedia #June4

https://bit.ly/3teumDA

https://www.facebook.com/LadyLibertyHongKong/photos/a.104843870902055/791906062195829/

https://bit.ly/3xlvEiA

#Remembrance #Censorship #PoliticalSuppression