#Censorship #Education
Authorities Remove Teaching Materials on Human Rights and Protesting in Hong Kong
Source: Mingpao #June4
Read more
⬇️⬇️
Authorities Remove Teaching Materials on Human Rights and Protesting in Hong Kong
Source: Mingpao #June4
Read more
⬇️⬇️
#Censorship #Education
Authorities Remove Teaching Materials on Human Rights and Protesting in Hong Kong
The Education Bureau (#EDB) in Hong Kong has been promoting values education in recent years, and it is rating the "National identity" and "law-abiding" as one of the most important values.
It is also found that some learning and teaching resources under the "Human Rights Education" category have been chopped with the latest website update, including group projects to collect press clippings for demonstrations, studying "why protesters have their demands", etc.
As the 33rd anniversary of the June Fourth Incident approaches, the timing of this update becomes sensitive, though the Education Bureau said yesterday that the recent update "has nothing to do with the June Fourth Incident, so there's no need to make unnecessary speculations".
In the Education Bureau's original framework, students are expected to "respect human rights". These wordings were removed in the pilot version of the "Values Education Curriculum Framework" launched last year.
In addition, the recommendation to students to "cherish freedom and respect the freedom of others" through the #RTHK programme "City Forum" was also removed.
A primary school principal, who did not wish to be named, said she felt helpless about the change in the teaching resources. She said that despite the clear new content, some of the removed items should be available for teaching, but becoming a grey area after the #NationalSecurityLaw came into effect. She worried that teaching such materials might touch on sensitive topics and lead to "consequences".
"For example, teachers should have taught the June 4 incident on June 4, but now they feel that they could no longer teach it under the National Security Law. There's a lot of pressure on the schools and the teachers, that we don't know if anyone would complain about what we teach to the authority," she said.
Source: Mingpao #Jun04
#NSL #Education #June4
https://bit.ly/3yiZ0yo
Authorities Remove Teaching Materials on Human Rights and Protesting in Hong Kong
The Education Bureau (#EDB) in Hong Kong has been promoting values education in recent years, and it is rating the "National identity" and "law-abiding" as one of the most important values.
It is also found that some learning and teaching resources under the "Human Rights Education" category have been chopped with the latest website update, including group projects to collect press clippings for demonstrations, studying "why protesters have their demands", etc.
As the 33rd anniversary of the June Fourth Incident approaches, the timing of this update becomes sensitive, though the Education Bureau said yesterday that the recent update "has nothing to do with the June Fourth Incident, so there's no need to make unnecessary speculations".
In the Education Bureau's original framework, students are expected to "respect human rights". These wordings were removed in the pilot version of the "Values Education Curriculum Framework" launched last year.
In addition, the recommendation to students to "cherish freedom and respect the freedom of others" through the #RTHK programme "City Forum" was also removed.
A primary school principal, who did not wish to be named, said she felt helpless about the change in the teaching resources. She said that despite the clear new content, some of the removed items should be available for teaching, but becoming a grey area after the #NationalSecurityLaw came into effect. She worried that teaching such materials might touch on sensitive topics and lead to "consequences".
"For example, teachers should have taught the June 4 incident on June 4, but now they feel that they could no longer teach it under the National Security Law. There's a lot of pressure on the schools and the teachers, that we don't know if anyone would complain about what we teach to the authority," she said.
Source: Mingpao #Jun04
#NSL #Education #June4
https://bit.ly/3yiZ0yo
明報新聞網 - 每日明報 daily news
教局人權教材刪「為何示威」研習題 指刪過時資料屬恒常工作 校長憂變敏感難再教 - 20220604 - 港聞
【明報專訊】教育局近年力推價值觀教育，「國民身分認同」、「守法」均納入十大價值觀。本報發現，載列於教育局價值觀教育網頁下的「人權教育」學與教資源，本月完成更新，部分內容遭刪走，包括請學生分組蒐集請願示威新聞剪報的活動建議、研習「為何集會人士有訴求」等多條題目。臨近六四事件33周年，局方昨表示近日更新「與『六四事件』毫無關係，毋須作不必要的臆測」。
Today's Hong Kong, Tomorrow's Taiwan? #Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council: Refuse "One Country Two Systems"
[Editor note: July 1st is the Establishment Day of the Hong Kong SAR, noting the change in Hong Kong's sovereignty from a British colony to a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the PRC since the 1997 handover.]
2022 marks 25 years since the sovereignty over Hong Kong was trasferred from Britain to the #PRC.
The Taiwan government reiterates their refusal of "#OneCountryTwoSystems". Since the #AntiELAB movement in Hong Kong in 2019, Taiwanese people has become more concerned about the happenings in Hong Kong.
How do Taiwanese people see the current situation in Hong Kong? How would they comment on the so-called "unchanging state" promised by the PRC to Hong Kong for 50 years? Are they worried?
#RFA interviewed a few Taiwanese on the 25th anniversary of the change of Hong Kong's sovereignty.
Many people analogise "Today's Hong Kong, Tomorrow's Taiwan" in recent years. One of the interviewees mentioned the change in Hong Kong in these 25 years -- Hong Kong was very vigorous in the media and the publishing industries. She mentioned that Taiwanese sought Hong Kong publishers to produce their "blacklisted books" during the white terror era, but now it is the opposite. She said the so-called unchsnging state is a lie for the regime to deceive people.
Source: RFA #July01
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/htm/tw-71reax-07012022062344.html
#EstablishmentDay #Taiwan #TransferralofSovereignty #Handover #censorship
[Editor note: July 1st is the Establishment Day of the Hong Kong SAR, noting the change in Hong Kong's sovereignty from a British colony to a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the PRC since the 1997 handover.]
2022 marks 25 years since the sovereignty over Hong Kong was trasferred from Britain to the #PRC.
The Taiwan government reiterates their refusal of "#OneCountryTwoSystems". Since the #AntiELAB movement in Hong Kong in 2019, Taiwanese people has become more concerned about the happenings in Hong Kong.
How do Taiwanese people see the current situation in Hong Kong? How would they comment on the so-called "unchanging state" promised by the PRC to Hong Kong for 50 years? Are they worried?
#RFA interviewed a few Taiwanese on the 25th anniversary of the change of Hong Kong's sovereignty.
Many people analogise "Today's Hong Kong, Tomorrow's Taiwan" in recent years. One of the interviewees mentioned the change in Hong Kong in these 25 years -- Hong Kong was very vigorous in the media and the publishing industries. She mentioned that Taiwanese sought Hong Kong publishers to produce their "blacklisted books" during the white terror era, but now it is the opposite. She said the so-called unchsnging state is a lie for the regime to deceive people.
Source: RFA #July01
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/htm/tw-71reax-07012022062344.html
#EstablishmentDay #Taiwan #TransferralofSovereignty #Handover #censorship
Radio Free Asia
【主權移交25年】今日香港明日台灣？ 陸委會：拒「一國兩制」
香港主權移交25周年，台灣重申拒絕「一國兩制」。在民間，「反送中」後台灣人對香港的關注有所提升。他們是怎樣看待香港今天的情況？如何評價中共保證香港「50年不變」的承諾？會不會擔心台灣迎來同一命運？
#MadeinChina
China's WPS Office Software Accused of #Censorship and Lockup Users' Files
Source: The Liberty Times #Jul12
Read more
⬇️⬇️
China's WPS Office Software Accused of #Censorship and Lockup Users' Files
Source: The Liberty Times #Jul12
Read more
⬇️⬇️
#MadeinChina
China's WPS Office Software Accused of #Censorship and Lockup Users' Files
#WPSOffice, a Microsoft Office-like software released by China's company #Kingsoft, has recently been exposed for allegedly censoring content and locking users' files for sensitive words, prompting criticism.
Users have reported that WPS Office actively detects the contents of documents stored on computer drives and in the cloud. A file will be locked whenever sensitive words are found, which would be released only if the user files official complaints to the developer. The software locked a novel of more than 1 million words in one case. The author said the pieces have never been shared with anyone, questioning whether the WPS official had been peeking it without permission.
The official response from WPS was that the file contained illegal links, which is why it was banned, stressing that the user's privacy always comes first.
However, the WPS statement seems to make matters worse, and the general public is not at all convinced, with some questioning, " How do you know the document has an illegal link? Only if you peek at it!"
Source: The Liberty Times #Jul12
https://3c.ltn.com.tw/news/50087
#China #ChineseSoftware #PrivacyBreach
China's WPS Office Software Accused of #Censorship and Lockup Users' Files
#WPSOffice, a Microsoft Office-like software released by China's company #Kingsoft, has recently been exposed for allegedly censoring content and locking users' files for sensitive words, prompting criticism.
Users have reported that WPS Office actively detects the contents of documents stored on computer drives and in the cloud. A file will be locked whenever sensitive words are found, which would be released only if the user files official complaints to the developer. The software locked a novel of more than 1 million words in one case. The author said the pieces have never been shared with anyone, questioning whether the WPS official had been peeking it without permission.
The official response from WPS was that the file contained illegal links, which is why it was banned, stressing that the user's privacy always comes first.
However, the WPS statement seems to make matters worse, and the general public is not at all convinced, with some questioning, " How do you know the document has an illegal link? Only if you peek at it!"
Source: The Liberty Times #Jul12
https://3c.ltn.com.tw/news/50087
#China #ChineseSoftware #PrivacyBreach
自由時報電子報
中國 WPS Office 遭爆內容審查、鎖死用戶檔案！官方解釋卻「越描越黑」 - 自由電子報 3C科技
由中國金山軟體公司發布的 WPS Office，是一款類似微軟 Office 的辦公軟體，近期糟爆料懷疑進行內容審核，一旦發現敏感字就會鎖死檔案，引發外界撻伐，官方出面澄清卻越描越黑，網友並不買單。
Former Student Union President Arrested for Sharing Post in Social Media
In Hong Kong, former president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong student union Owen Au Cheuk-hei was arrested by officers of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). He was accused for sharing a post on social media urging people to cast a blank vote in the Legislative Council (LegCo) election in 2021.
In response to an inquiry from Hong Kong In-Media, the ICAC confirmed the arrest of a person on July 12, 2022 for sharing a post on social media, allegedly inciting others to cast blank votes or not to vote in the 2021 Legislative Council general election, breaching section 27A of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance.
Source: Hong Kong In-media (#Jul12)
#CUHK #StudentUnion #SocialMedia #ICAC #LegCo #Election #FreedomOfSpeech #PoliticalPrisoner #Censorship
https://bit.ly/3OZ23lm
In Hong Kong, former president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong student union Owen Au Cheuk-hei was arrested by officers of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). He was accused for sharing a post on social media urging people to cast a blank vote in the Legislative Council (LegCo) election in 2021.
In response to an inquiry from Hong Kong In-Media, the ICAC confirmed the arrest of a person on July 12, 2022 for sharing a post on social media, allegedly inciting others to cast blank votes or not to vote in the 2021 Legislative Council general election, breaching section 27A of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance.
Source: Hong Kong In-media (#Jul12)
#CUHK #StudentUnion #SocialMedia #ICAC #LegCo #Election #FreedomOfSpeech #PoliticalPrisoner #Censorship
https://bit.ly/3OZ23lm
#HongKong Bashes #GlobalMedia With Hundreds of Complaint Letters
//From Slovakia to Japan, top Hong Kong officials have fired off at least 500 letters in 2022 blasting critical foreign media coverage, as the city wages a global battle to safeguard its reputation as a liberal financial hub.
At least 174 media outlets in almost 30 countries received missives from city leaders -- including its now chief executive, #JohnLee -- since China announced in May 2020 that it would impose a national security law on the former British colony. The correspondence, often written both in English and the publication’s native language, was uploaded to the “Clarifications” tab of the government’s communications platform known as Brand Hong Kong.
About half of the letters, which responded to a mix of reports and editorials, hit back at criticism of Beijing’s sweeping security law, while roughly a third defended a mandate that only Communist Party loyalists can hold office in the city. Neighboring Asian nations got 42% of the complaints, led by Japan and South Korea, while business publications including the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Economist got the most letters. Bloomberg received seven...
Hong Kong’s crackdown on freedoms has eroded the city’s reputation among many foreign governments...
Hong Kong’s press freedom ranking has plummeted since the security law clamped down on free speech. The city came 148 in the Reporters Without Borders 2022 World Press Freedom Index, representing a fall of 68 places from last year.//
Source: Bloomberg #Jul25
https://t.co/OHZN4fVjye
#Whitewash #Censorship #PressFreedom #NationalSecurityLaw #PoliceState #Authoritarianism
//From Slovakia to Japan, top Hong Kong officials have fired off at least 500 letters in 2022 blasting critical foreign media coverage, as the city wages a global battle to safeguard its reputation as a liberal financial hub.
At least 174 media outlets in almost 30 countries received missives from city leaders -- including its now chief executive, #JohnLee -- since China announced in May 2020 that it would impose a national security law on the former British colony. The correspondence, often written both in English and the publication’s native language, was uploaded to the “Clarifications” tab of the government’s communications platform known as Brand Hong Kong.
About half of the letters, which responded to a mix of reports and editorials, hit back at criticism of Beijing’s sweeping security law, while roughly a third defended a mandate that only Communist Party loyalists can hold office in the city. Neighboring Asian nations got 42% of the complaints, led by Japan and South Korea, while business publications including the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Economist got the most letters. Bloomberg received seven...
Hong Kong’s crackdown on freedoms has eroded the city’s reputation among many foreign governments...
Hong Kong’s press freedom ranking has plummeted since the security law clamped down on free speech. The city came 148 in the Reporters Without Borders 2022 World Press Freedom Index, representing a fall of 68 places from last year.//
Source: Bloomberg #Jul25
https://t.co/OHZN4fVjye
#Whitewash #Censorship #PressFreedom #NationalSecurityLaw #PoliceState #Authoritarianism
Bloomberg.com
Hong Kong Bashes Global Media With Hundreds of Complaint Letters
From Slovakia to Japan, top Hong Kong officials have fired off at least 500 letters blasting critical foreign media coverage, as the city wages a global battle to safeguard its reputation as a liberal financial hub.
#Court
Man who Posted Video of Olympic Gold Ceremony with "Glory to Hong Kong" Now Charged with "Insulting National Anthem of China"
When Hong Kong fencer #CheungKaLong won a #GoldMedal at the #TokyoOlympics in July 2021, many Hongkongers were overjoyed. Among them, a 27-year-old man published a video of the medal ceremony on the Internet, replacing the audio of China's national anthem with "Glory to Hong Kong," an anthem of the 2019 #AntiELAB movement.
One year later, the man was now charged with "insulting the national anthem of China" and "insulting the emblem of the Hong Kong SAR."
The case was heard in the Eastern Magistrates on July 22, 2022. The man was not represented by any counsel. The magistrate accepted the man's request to postpone the hearing to September 2, 2022, so that the man can look for a lawyer.
Source: InMedia #Jul22
https://bit.ly/3aVGjYS
#NationalAnthemOrdinance #PoliceState #Censorship #GlorytoHongKong #Sport #OnlineVideo #HongKongAthlete
Man who Posted Video of Olympic Gold Ceremony with "Glory to Hong Kong" Now Charged with "Insulting National Anthem of China"
When Hong Kong fencer #CheungKaLong won a #GoldMedal at the #TokyoOlympics in July 2021, many Hongkongers were overjoyed. Among them, a 27-year-old man published a video of the medal ceremony on the Internet, replacing the audio of China's national anthem with "Glory to Hong Kong," an anthem of the 2019 #AntiELAB movement.
One year later, the man was now charged with "insulting the national anthem of China" and "insulting the emblem of the Hong Kong SAR."
The case was heard in the Eastern Magistrates on July 22, 2022. The man was not represented by any counsel. The magistrate accepted the man's request to postpone the hearing to September 2, 2022, so that the man can look for a lawyer.
Source: InMedia #Jul22
https://bit.ly/3aVGjYS
#NationalAnthemOrdinance #PoliceState #Censorship #GlorytoHongKong #Sport #OnlineVideo #HongKongAthlete
#Court
Hong Kong court quashes decision to enforce reporting ban on activist’s national security case in landmark ruling
//Reporting restrictions on proceedings regarding the transfer of criminal cases to the High Court must be lifted if the defendant makes such a request, a Hong Kong court has ruled.
The landmark judgement, which could extend to cases prosecuted under the national security law, came after activist #ChowHangTung challenged a magistrate’s decision to retain reporting restrictions in a national security case.
In a ruling published on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, High Court Judge Alex Lee said that magistrates had no say in whether to lift reporting restrictions on committal proceedings if the accused had applied to do so.
Chow, along with the Alliance, and the group’s former leaders #LeeCheukYan and #AlbertHo, were charged under the Beijing-imposed #NationalSecurityLaw over alleged incitement to subversion.
The Alliance, before it was disbanded in September last year, organised Hong Kong’s annual candlelight vigils commemorating victims of the #TiananmenCrackdown, where it is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died when the People’s Liberation Army cracked down on protesters in #Beijing on June 4, 1989.//
Read the full article:
https://hongkongfp.com/2022/08/02/hong-kong-court-quashes-decision-to-enforce-reporting-ban-on-activists-national-security-case-in-landmark-ruling/
Source: Hong Kong Free Press #Aug2
#Alliance #PoliceState #Censorship #JudicialReview #NSL
Hong Kong court quashes decision to enforce reporting ban on activist’s national security case in landmark ruling
//Reporting restrictions on proceedings regarding the transfer of criminal cases to the High Court must be lifted if the defendant makes such a request, a Hong Kong court has ruled.
The landmark judgement, which could extend to cases prosecuted under the national security law, came after activist #ChowHangTung challenged a magistrate’s decision to retain reporting restrictions in a national security case.
In a ruling published on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, High Court Judge Alex Lee said that magistrates had no say in whether to lift reporting restrictions on committal proceedings if the accused had applied to do so.
Chow, along with the Alliance, and the group’s former leaders #LeeCheukYan and #AlbertHo, were charged under the Beijing-imposed #NationalSecurityLaw over alleged incitement to subversion.
The Alliance, before it was disbanded in September last year, organised Hong Kong’s annual candlelight vigils commemorating victims of the #TiananmenCrackdown, where it is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died when the People’s Liberation Army cracked down on protesters in #Beijing on June 4, 1989.//
Read the full article:
https://hongkongfp.com/2022/08/02/hong-kong-court-quashes-decision-to-enforce-reporting-ban-on-activists-national-security-case-in-landmark-ruling/
Source: Hong Kong Free Press #Aug2
#Alliance #PoliceState #Censorship #JudicialReview #NSL
Hong Kong Free Press HKFP
Hong Kong court quashes decision to enforce reporting ban on activist’s national security case in landmark ruling
Reporting restrictions on proceedings regarding the transfer of criminal cases to the High Court must be lifted if the defendant makes such a request, a Hong Kong court has ruled. The landmark judg…
#Court
Hong Kong's First case charged by #NationalAnthemOrdinance for holding the British Hong Kong flag
In 2021, Hong Kong athlete Cheung Ka-Long won a gold medal on foil fencing at the Tokyo Olympic Games. The livestream of the game gathered people at a shopping mall in Kwun Tong on the day of the finals on July 26, 2021.
Police investigation followed, as the police claimed that some people misbehaved when the Chinese national anthem was played.
The police arrested an online media journalist, for reportedly holding a British Hong Kong flag when the Chinese national anthem was heard.
The man is the first Hong Kong citizen being arrested under #NationalAnthemOrdinance. He was being charged for insulting the national flag after a year of the event.
The case was first trialed on the afternoon of July 22, 2022. Since the counsel of the defendent requested more time to obtain the documents from prosecutor, Judge #LauSukHan approved the request and schedule the trial to September 9, 2022.
The defendant was allowed to go on bail with $5000. He has to hand in his travel documents and report at the police station once a week.
Source: Inmedia #July22
https://bit.ly/3OmHyO9
#Olympics2020 #TokyoOlympics #CheungKaLong #BritishHongKongFlag #HongKongFlag #DragonandLionFlag
#Censorship #Whitewash
Hong Kong's First case charged by #NationalAnthemOrdinance for holding the British Hong Kong flag
In 2021, Hong Kong athlete Cheung Ka-Long won a gold medal on foil fencing at the Tokyo Olympic Games. The livestream of the game gathered people at a shopping mall in Kwun Tong on the day of the finals on July 26, 2021.
Police investigation followed, as the police claimed that some people misbehaved when the Chinese national anthem was played.
The police arrested an online media journalist, for reportedly holding a British Hong Kong flag when the Chinese national anthem was heard.
The man is the first Hong Kong citizen being arrested under #NationalAnthemOrdinance. He was being charged for insulting the national flag after a year of the event.
The case was first trialed on the afternoon of July 22, 2022. Since the counsel of the defendent requested more time to obtain the documents from prosecutor, Judge #LauSukHan approved the request and schedule the trial to September 9, 2022.
The defendant was allowed to go on bail with $5000. He has to hand in his travel documents and report at the police station once a week.
Source: Inmedia #July22
https://bit.ly/3OmHyO9
#Olympics2020 #TokyoOlympics #CheungKaLong #BritishHongKongFlag #HongKongFlag #DragonandLionFlag
#Censorship #Whitewash
"Will of the People": Hong Kong Woman Describes Large Turnout of Mourners at British Consulate, but NowTV Quickly Deletes Interview
The British Consulate in Hong Kong had seen long queues of Hongkongers coming to pay tribute and sign the book of condolence for the late Queen Elizabeth II. On Sept 12, #NowTV News interviewed citizens waiting in the line; one of them, Ms. Chung, said, "I'm here to remember this great leader. Look how many people came; this is the will of the people."
The news clip was aired on the station's TV channel as well as its Facebook page. The post quickly received hundreds of likes.
Merely half an hour later, however, the post was taken down, and the station had also cut Ms. Chung's interview from the TV news segment.
The edit was reportedly ordered by NowTV News director Chan Tit-biu, who had the day off. Chan was a former news director at the pro-Beijing TVB News.
However, screenshots and video clips of the interview spread quickly, and the phrase "will of the people" (民心所向) soon became viral on social media. Netizens sarcastically commended Chan for making Ms. Chung's words of praise for the late Queen even more widely heard. "Receive our gift, Your Majesty!" one comment reads.
source: ReNews #Sep12
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=129455019839797&set=a.128212953297337
#PressFreedom #Censorship #WillOfThePeople #RIP #QueenElizabethII
The British Consulate in Hong Kong had seen long queues of Hongkongers coming to pay tribute and sign the book of condolence for the late Queen Elizabeth II. On Sept 12, #NowTV News interviewed citizens waiting in the line; one of them, Ms. Chung, said, "I'm here to remember this great leader. Look how many people came; this is the will of the people."
The news clip was aired on the station's TV channel as well as its Facebook page. The post quickly received hundreds of likes.
Merely half an hour later, however, the post was taken down, and the station had also cut Ms. Chung's interview from the TV news segment.
The edit was reportedly ordered by NowTV News director Chan Tit-biu, who had the day off. Chan was a former news director at the pro-Beijing TVB News.
However, screenshots and video clips of the interview spread quickly, and the phrase "will of the people" (民心所向) soon became viral on social media. Netizens sarcastically commended Chan for making Ms. Chung's words of praise for the late Queen even more widely heard. "Receive our gift, Your Majesty!" one comment reads.
source: ReNews #Sep12
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=129455019839797&set=a.128212953297337
#PressFreedom #Censorship #WillOfThePeople #RIP #QueenElizabethII