#today2yearsago
Two Year-mark of #NationalSecurityLaw and 25th Anniversary of the #TransferOfSovereignty: 126 People Charged, 83 in Detention and 63 Involved in Literary Inquisition
Two years ago on July 1, 2020, the National Security Law imposed by Beijing without passing through Hong Kong's legislature was enforced in the city. Authorties in Hong Kong and China claimed that the criminalisation of speech would not happen and the law would "only affect a small number of people". They also claimed that the rights and freedom of Hong Kong people will not be affected.
As of June 29, 2022, however, at least 198 people have been arrested for "violating national security" in the past two years. Among them 126 people and 5 companies — including #AppleDaily, #StandNews and the #Alliance — were prosecuted. 83 of them have been taken into custody and more than half have been detained for more than one year. The longest period of detention is 660 days and is still counting.
Among these cases, almost the entire pro-democracy camp has been "locked up" due to the primary election. Pro-democracy and independent news outlet like Apple Daily and Stand News were shut down; meanwhile, court procedures are progressing very slowly.
This marks the 25 years since the #1997TransferOfSovereignty of Hong Kong to China.
Source: InMedia #Jun30
https://bit.ly/3HZ9Vk9
[Editor’s Note: Compared to the commonly used term “handover”, the term “Transfer of Sovereignty of Hong Kong to China” conveys aptly the complexity of multi-sided perspectives that is the “handover”, and shows as much neutrality regarding the issue at the whole. Feel free to check out BBC Chinese’s article:
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-40441492 ]
#WhiteTerror #SpeechCrime #NSL #Authoritarianism #PoliceState
Two Year-mark of #NationalSecurityLaw and 25th Anniversary of the #TransferOfSovereignty: 126 People Charged, 83 in Detention and 63 Involved in Literary Inquisition
Two years ago on July 1, 2020, the National Security Law imposed by Beijing without passing through Hong Kong's legislature was enforced in the city. Authorties in Hong Kong and China claimed that the criminalisation of speech would not happen and the law would "only affect a small number of people". They also claimed that the rights and freedom of Hong Kong people will not be affected.
As of June 29, 2022, however, at least 198 people have been arrested for "violating national security" in the past two years. Among them 126 people and 5 companies — including #AppleDaily, #StandNews and the #Alliance — were prosecuted. 83 of them have been taken into custody and more than half have been detained for more than one year. The longest period of detention is 660 days and is still counting.
Among these cases, almost the entire pro-democracy camp has been "locked up" due to the primary election. Pro-democracy and independent news outlet like Apple Daily and Stand News were shut down; meanwhile, court procedures are progressing very slowly.
This marks the 25 years since the #1997TransferOfSovereignty of Hong Kong to China.
Source: InMedia #Jun30
https://bit.ly/3HZ9Vk9
[Editor’s Note: Compared to the commonly used term “handover”, the term “Transfer of Sovereignty of Hong Kong to China” conveys aptly the complexity of multi-sided perspectives that is the “handover”, and shows as much neutrality regarding the issue at the whole. Feel free to check out BBC Chinese’s article:
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-40441492 ]
#WhiteTerror #SpeechCrime #NSL #Authoritarianism #PoliceState
BBC News 中文
香港主權移交20週年：為什麼BBC中文網不說「回歸」？
香港特區成立源於主權移交，那為何不說「香港回歸」？澳門又為什麼不是「主權移交」？
#SurveillanceState
HK Authorities Propose Real Name Registration and #HealthCode System like China's
Hong Kong's Secretary for Heath #LoChungMau said on July 11, 2022 that the government had plans to introduce a three-colour ‘health code’ system in the city, bringing the app in line with China's system.
It would be an additional function to #LeaveHomeSafe, the government's COVID contact-tracing app. Lo mentioned that reference was sought from the health code systems used China. He also claimed that it was important to implement real name registration.
[Editor's note: Since the LeaveHomeSafe app has been made compulsory by the authorities in Hong Kong, many citizens expressed concerns over its privacy issues. The health code system in China has been long regarded as a #MassSurveillance campaign of the #ChineseCommunistParty government.]
Source: InMediaHK.net #Jul11
https://bit.ly/3aqHE9C
see also:
LeaveHomeSafe app has built-in facial detection module, Hong Kong government admits
https://t.me/BeWaterHK/478
Down with the live-with-COVID believers (Satire)
https://t.me/BeWaterHK/148
#PrivacyBreach #Freedom #Authoritarianism
HK Authorities Propose Real Name Registration and #HealthCode System like China's
Hong Kong's Secretary for Heath #LoChungMau said on July 11, 2022 that the government had plans to introduce a three-colour ‘health code’ system in the city, bringing the app in line with China's system.
It would be an additional function to #LeaveHomeSafe, the government's COVID contact-tracing app. Lo mentioned that reference was sought from the health code systems used China. He also claimed that it was important to implement real name registration.
[Editor's note: Since the LeaveHomeSafe app has been made compulsory by the authorities in Hong Kong, many citizens expressed concerns over its privacy issues. The health code system in China has been long regarded as a #MassSurveillance campaign of the #ChineseCommunistParty government.]
Source: InMediaHK.net #Jul11
https://bit.ly/3aqHE9C
see also:
LeaveHomeSafe app has built-in facial detection module, Hong Kong government admits
https://t.me/BeWaterHK/478
Down with the live-with-COVID believers (Satire)
https://t.me/BeWaterHK/148
#PrivacyBreach #Freedom #Authoritarianism
#MyanmarJunta executes leading democracy activists
//Myanmar's military junta executed two prominent pro-democracy activists and two other men accused of terrorism, state media reported Monday, following a trial condemned by the #UN and rights groups.
Veteran democracy activist #KyawMinYu, better known as #KoJimmy, and former #NationalLeagueforDemocracy lawmaker #PhyoZayarThaw were executed, along with #HlaMyoAung and #AungThuraZaw, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported, without giving a date.
Their deaths mark the first judicial executions in the country in decades, andhuman rights groups fear more will follow. According to #HumanRightsWatch, 114 people have been sentenced to death in Myanmar since the military seized power in a coup in February 2021.//
Read the full article:
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/24/asia/myanmar-executions-pro-democracy-figures-intl-hnk/index.html
Source: CNN #Jul24
#DeathSentence #Authoritarianism #Tyranny #PoliticalProsecution #StandWithMyanmar
//Myanmar's military junta executed two prominent pro-democracy activists and two other men accused of terrorism, state media reported Monday, following a trial condemned by the #UN and rights groups.
Veteran democracy activist #KyawMinYu, better known as #KoJimmy, and former #NationalLeagueforDemocracy lawmaker #PhyoZayarThaw were executed, along with #HlaMyoAung and #AungThuraZaw, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported, without giving a date.
Their deaths mark the first judicial executions in the country in decades, andhuman rights groups fear more will follow. According to #HumanRightsWatch, 114 people have been sentenced to death in Myanmar since the military seized power in a coup in February 2021.//
Read the full article:
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/24/asia/myanmar-executions-pro-democracy-figures-intl-hnk/index.html
Source: CNN #Jul24
#DeathSentence #Authoritarianism #Tyranny #PoliticalProsecution #StandWithMyanmar
#China uses #coronavirus warning app to stifle #dissent
//China's #COVID19 warning app enables health authorities to move quickly against a virus outbreak. But it seems officials also use the app to stop perfectly healthy people from doing what Beijing doesn't want them to do. And the target is dissidents.//
Watch the video:
https://www.dw.com/en/china-uses-coronavirus-warning-app-to-stifle-dissent/av-62501253
Source: DW #Jul17
#HealthCode #MassSurveillance #Beijing #Authoritarianism
//China's #COVID19 warning app enables health authorities to move quickly against a virus outbreak. But it seems officials also use the app to stop perfectly healthy people from doing what Beijing doesn't want them to do. And the target is dissidents.//
Watch the video:
https://www.dw.com/en/china-uses-coronavirus-warning-app-to-stifle-dissent/av-62501253
Source: DW #Jul17
#HealthCode #MassSurveillance #Beijing #Authoritarianism
#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.