#Newspaper
Arrested Japanese photographer returned to Hong Kong as required by the police to report, but refused entry and deported
(14 Sep) Mr. A (pseudonym), a Japanese photographer in his 40s, was arrested on a street in Wan Chai on 31 August last year. At the end of the year, he complied with the regulations and came to Hong Kong to report for the third time. He was refused entry for no reason and was immediately repatriated, with no way of knowing the progress of the case, and even more afraid of being "dispossessed" as a wanted criminal.
The case did not get prosecuted due to insufficient evidence, the police confirmed as they received an inquiry from Apple Daily. The Immigration Department stated that it would not comment on individual cases.
Born in the most influential era of Hong Kong culture in the last century, Mr. A's impression of Hong Kong has always been illusory in Jackie Chan's movies. Until the Umbrella Movement in 2014, when students stayed on the streets around the clock, which made him pay attention to the process of Hongkonger's striving for democracy.
"Everyone is peaceful, not as fierce as shown in the news." When really stepping on the scene of the demonstration, Mr. A believed that the real situation was very different from the news footage. Most of the time the demonstrators just expressed their demands rationally. During police suppression, they didn't know each other but could move forward and retreat together in a tacit understanding. "It is hard to imagine something like this happens in Japan."
Having personally experienced police violence, Mr. A witnessed that the force used by the Hong Kong police was disproportionate to the peaceful behavior of the demonstrators. During his arrest, he also saw many arrested persons beaten up in blood. He felt that the road to democracy in Hong Kong was not simple. He then compiled his own arrest process, together with graffiti photos taken during his visit to Hong Kong, into a book, which was written in English, Japanese, and Cantonese as "Hong Kong political graffiti & buff ~ 2019年夏 香港民主化デモ 逮捕された記録~". It has been published and put on shelves in local bookstores in Tokyo and Shizuoka, hoping to let more Japanese understand how Hongkongers fight for democracy, so as to support every other person on the road to freedom.
When he was asked if the photo collection would be sold in Hong Kong, he said that he was not sure whether the work violated the "Hong Kong version of the National Security Law" or not, so he needed to seek further legal advice. He also said with a bitter smile: "Whether I can enter Hong Kong again or not is still a question."
Source: Apple Daily
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo
#Japan #Japanese #Photographer #PoliceBrutality #PoliceState #NationalSecurityLaw
Arrested Japanese photographer returned to Hong Kong as required by the police to report, but refused entry and deported
(14 Sep) Mr. A (pseudonym), a Japanese photographer in his 40s, was arrested on a street in Wan Chai on 31 August last year. At the end of the year, he complied with the regulations and came to Hong Kong to report for the third time. He was refused entry for no reason and was immediately repatriated, with no way of knowing the progress of the case, and even more afraid of being "dispossessed" as a wanted criminal.
The case did not get prosecuted due to insufficient evidence, the police confirmed as they received an inquiry from Apple Daily. The Immigration Department stated that it would not comment on individual cases.
Born in the most influential era of Hong Kong culture in the last century, Mr. A's impression of Hong Kong has always been illusory in Jackie Chan's movies. Until the Umbrella Movement in 2014, when students stayed on the streets around the clock, which made him pay attention to the process of Hongkonger's striving for democracy.
"Everyone is peaceful, not as fierce as shown in the news." When really stepping on the scene of the demonstration, Mr. A believed that the real situation was very different from the news footage. Most of the time the demonstrators just expressed their demands rationally. During police suppression, they didn't know each other but could move forward and retreat together in a tacit understanding. "It is hard to imagine something like this happens in Japan."
Having personally experienced police violence, Mr. A witnessed that the force used by the Hong Kong police was disproportionate to the peaceful behavior of the demonstrators. During his arrest, he also saw many arrested persons beaten up in blood. He felt that the road to democracy in Hong Kong was not simple. He then compiled his own arrest process, together with graffiti photos taken during his visit to Hong Kong, into a book, which was written in English, Japanese, and Cantonese as "Hong Kong political graffiti & buff ~ 2019年夏 香港民主化デモ 逮捕された記録~". It has been published and put on shelves in local bookstores in Tokyo and Shizuoka, hoping to let more Japanese understand how Hongkongers fight for democracy, so as to support every other person on the road to freedom.
When he was asked if the photo collection would be sold in Hong Kong, he said that he was not sure whether the work violated the "Hong Kong version of the National Security Law" or not, so he needed to seek further legal advice. He also said with a bitter smile: "Whether I can enter Hong Kong again or not is still a question."
Source: Apple Daily
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo
#Japan #Japanese #Photographer #PoliceBrutality #PoliceState #NationalSecurityLaw
#Newspaper
Arrested Japanese photographer denied entry to Hong Kong to report for bail, police claim charges dismissed
(14 Sep) On 31 August last year, 40-year-old Japanese photographer Mr A (alias) was arrested. On his third trip to Hong Kong to report for bail, he was denied entry and was immediately repatriated without express justification. Uninformed about the status of his case, he feared a further charge of "jumping bail".
With his formative years occurring during the height of Hong Kong's culture, Mr A's initial impression of the city came from the false enchantment of Jackie Chan movies. It was not until the Umbrella Movement in 2014 that he started paying attention to the Hongkongers' fight for democracy. He wanted to fly there but had other obligations at the time.
When the Anti-ELAB (Extradition law amendment bill) movement erupted in June last year, he saw scenes of bloody clashes, resounding slogans and creative graffiti on the news. Unable to bear [the idea] that the blood, sweat and tears of the youth could just vanish, he finally arranged to visit Hong Kong in August and document the historical event through photography. The lack of violence and the solidarity amongst protestors who did not know one another impressed Mr A. "It was nothing like the news portrayed." The kindness he experienced from them warmed his heart.
As the conflict escalated on the evening of 31 August, Mr A made his way back to the hotel to avoid getting caught in the crossfires. That was when the police accosted him at the Wan Chai MTR station. They hit his back and legs with batons and shields. Charged with "unlawful assembly", he was detained for 28 hours before being released on a bail of 100 HKD. All his photography and recording equipment was confiscated as evidence. On 2 September, he flew home to Japan, shaken.
In compliance with his bail conditions, he returned to Hong Kong on 1 and 16 November. He successfully retrieved his camera on his second visit, which enabled him to work on publishing his book. On his third trip on 16 December, he was turned away upon arrival. Neither he nor his lawyer received any updates on the progress of his case up to that point. When Apple Daily inquired, the Hong Kong police claimed that the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence and that they would contact Mr A to retrieve the rest of his belongings. The Immigration Department refused to comment.
As a survivor of police brutality, Mr A realised the immense challenges Hong Kong's fight for democracy that lay ahead. Published in English, Japanese and Cantonese, his book - Hong Kong political graffiti & buff ~ 2019年夏 香港民主化デモ 逮捕された記録~ - compiled photos of graffiti and the experience of his arrest. Mr A remains uncertain if his book had violated the National Security Law and thus be unavailable for sale in Hong Kong. He also wonders about the possibility of visiting Hong Kong again.
#antiELAB #Japanese #Photographer #DeniedEntry
Source: Apple Daily
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo
Arrested Japanese photographer denied entry to Hong Kong to report for bail, police claim charges dismissed
(14 Sep) On 31 August last year, 40-year-old Japanese photographer Mr A (alias) was arrested. On his third trip to Hong Kong to report for bail, he was denied entry and was immediately repatriated without express justification. Uninformed about the status of his case, he feared a further charge of "jumping bail".
With his formative years occurring during the height of Hong Kong's culture, Mr A's initial impression of the city came from the false enchantment of Jackie Chan movies. It was not until the Umbrella Movement in 2014 that he started paying attention to the Hongkongers' fight for democracy. He wanted to fly there but had other obligations at the time.
When the Anti-ELAB (Extradition law amendment bill) movement erupted in June last year, he saw scenes of bloody clashes, resounding slogans and creative graffiti on the news. Unable to bear [the idea] that the blood, sweat and tears of the youth could just vanish, he finally arranged to visit Hong Kong in August and document the historical event through photography. The lack of violence and the solidarity amongst protestors who did not know one another impressed Mr A. "It was nothing like the news portrayed." The kindness he experienced from them warmed his heart.
As the conflict escalated on the evening of 31 August, Mr A made his way back to the hotel to avoid getting caught in the crossfires. That was when the police accosted him at the Wan Chai MTR station. They hit his back and legs with batons and shields. Charged with "unlawful assembly", he was detained for 28 hours before being released on a bail of 100 HKD. All his photography and recording equipment was confiscated as evidence. On 2 September, he flew home to Japan, shaken.
In compliance with his bail conditions, he returned to Hong Kong on 1 and 16 November. He successfully retrieved his camera on his second visit, which enabled him to work on publishing his book. On his third trip on 16 December, he was turned away upon arrival. Neither he nor his lawyer received any updates on the progress of his case up to that point. When Apple Daily inquired, the Hong Kong police claimed that the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence and that they would contact Mr A to retrieve the rest of his belongings. The Immigration Department refused to comment.
As a survivor of police brutality, Mr A realised the immense challenges Hong Kong's fight for democracy that lay ahead. Published in English, Japanese and Cantonese, his book - Hong Kong political graffiti & buff ~ 2019年夏 香港民主化デモ 逮捕された記録~ - compiled photos of graffiti and the experience of his arrest. Mr A remains uncertain if his book had violated the National Security Law and thus be unavailable for sale in Hong Kong. He also wonders about the possibility of visiting Hong Kong again.
#antiELAB #Japanese #Photographer #DeniedEntry
Source: Apple Daily
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo
Kodak Deletes Post by Photographer Who Called Xinjiang an ‘Orwellian Dystopia’
The American company Eastman Kodak has deleted an Instagram post featuring images of Xinjiang, a western Chinese region where the government is accused of grave human rights violations, after an online backlash from Beijing’s supporters.
The post was promoting the work of the French photographer Patrick Wack, who made several trips to Xinjiang in recent years and has collected his images into a book. The project received a lift last week when Kodak shared 10 of his images — all shot on Kodak film — with its 839,000 Instagram followers.
Source: NY Times #Jul21
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/21/world/asia/kodak-instagram-china.html
#Kodak #Photographer #Xinjiang #Beijing
The American company Eastman Kodak has deleted an Instagram post featuring images of Xinjiang, a western Chinese region where the government is accused of grave human rights violations, after an online backlash from Beijing’s supporters.
The post was promoting the work of the French photographer Patrick Wack, who made several trips to Xinjiang in recent years and has collected his images into a book. The project received a lift last week when Kodak shared 10 of his images — all shot on Kodak film — with its 839,000 Instagram followers.
Source: NY Times #Jul21
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/21/world/asia/kodak-instagram-china.html
#Kodak #Photographer #Xinjiang #Beijing