#NOWTV
NOW TV chief Cheung Chi-kong will retire in August, former TVB Chinese team head Bill Chan takes his position

NOW TV has been one of the most credible news channels in Hong Kong. Its chief Cheung Chi-kong will retire in August 2020, and retired journalist Bill Chan will take his position. Cheung admitted in his interview with Stand News that he decided to retire before the anti-ELAB movement. He suggested that it is useless to worry if his departure will affect NOW’s credibility.

A NOW TV employee expressed his worry about Cheung’s departure. It still remains a question as to whether Chan’s new position will affect the TV station in any manner.

Another senior journalist from NOW TV suggested that Chan’s arrival was unexpected, because the position should have been given to Annie Cheng, Cheung’s subordinate who has been working with NOW for 15 years. He admitted that he was not confident about the personnel change because it may affect the freedom of press and the journalistic integrity of the NOW TV news team.

Source: Stand News
#Jun18 #TVB #PressFreedom #ChinaInfiltration

#Court #IndiscriminateArrests
Another case of indiscriminate arrests: 17-year-old protester acquitted in trial

On 2 November last year, netizens called a rally against extradition bill in Victoria Park. A 19-year-old male student was arrested and charged for traffic obstruction with a traffic cone. He pleaded not guilty in a trial on Wednesday (June 17). Police officers who were in charged of the case made several amendments to his statement in the court, including allegations that the black-clad protester hurled traffic cones onto westbound line of Leighton Road, causing traffic obstruction. However, after viewing video footages recorded on that day, he admitted that the traffic was not obstructing the traffic.

Not only that the officer failed to recognize the defendant in the court, he also agreed with the defending lawyer’s that his observation on the day was inaccurate. The prosecution subsequently ended up with a decision to not provide further evidences, and the Magistrate ruled the case not substantiated.

Source: Stand News
#Jun17 #FailedState #PoliceState #PoliceBrutality #HKProtest

#WhiteTerror #Education
Chief of Education Tasks City’s Secondary Schools to Develop Personalized Discipline Correction Scheme
Targets Those Arrested for Partaking in Pro-democracy Protests

The Education Bureau dispatched letters to all secondary schools in Hong Kong urging schools to tighten student counseling support, including long-term and personalized disciplinary schemes targeting those who were arrested or prosecuted, with an aim to strengthen their "social values". As for other affected students, schools were asked to provide psychological aids to ease their emotions.

The Bureau asked schools to fill out a set of pre-designed forms to report progress on each disciplinary scheme or assistance granted, including whether a personalized scheme has been developed and strategies deployed, so that the Bureau could be kept abreast with development of the cases and needs of individual schools.

Source: Stand News
#Jun16 #FailedState

#FreedomOfExpression
Statue artist couldn’t believe University-initiated disturbances are oppressing his freedom of expression

Students of Hong Kong Polytechnic University produced and exhibited a series of plaster statues of HK protesters. Without informing the student union, the school took away these plaster statues and some statues were severely damaged.

Statue artist, Ben was furious and is considering of seeking redress through civil claims or small claims tribunal from the school. He said, “I am fully aware of potential disturbances from people with opposing political stances. Similar incidences happened to the Lennon Wall built on campus. However, I couldn’t believe that these troubles actually came from inside the University.”

Source: inmedia.net #Jun16
#FailedState #HKProtests #Censorship #WhiteTerror

#Court

A hard-working university student, aged 23, with a shining educational background was sentenced to 3 months of imprisonment for merely carrying a 90cm long plastic tube that even does not belong to her.

On 21 Sept 2019, hundreds gathered to take part in a “Reclaim Tuen Mun” march to oppose the “Dai Mas” (women who disrupt the peace for residents and park-goers with their suggestive dancing entertaining mainly older men and receiving money in return.)The march was allowed upon the reversed decision handed down by an appeal board.

The university student at the scene did nothing offensive; she has neither blocked the road nor charged against the police cordon line. While she was walking through an estate, someone passed her the plastic tube and she was arrested within the next 10 minutes.

She needs your support to get through these 3 months in prison. Please spare a few minutes and write to her some words of encouragement.

Source: https://m.facebook.com/113737406740068/posts/260689252044882/?d=n

#Taiwan
Taiwan to provide aid to oppressed Hong Kong people who wish to live in Taiwan

Mainland Affairs Council announced today (Jun 18) the details of the plan to help Hong Kong people to stay and live in Taiwan. It is stated that the public and private sector will cooperate to help Hong Kong people settle down in Taiwan.

From 1 July 2020, a liaison office will be set up to handle enquiries from Hong Kong people wishing to stay in Taiwan. Those with threats to their lives will be given priority.

"From the anti-ELAB movement in 2019, to the forceful implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong recently, the Taiwanese were able to see the dedication of the Hong Kong people in this fighting for freedom. Beside condemning China for exploiting Hong Kong’s freedom and human rights, we will continue to show our support to Hong Kong at a institutional level."

Source: MAC website #Jun18

Further reading:
Pompeo says U.S. considers welcoming Hong Kong people, entrepreneurs
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-protests-usa-pompeo/pompeo-says-u-s-considering-welcoming-hong-kong-people-entrepreneurs-idUSKBN23837A

Zoom cuts off activist's accounts at the behest of the Chinese government

Suspending meetings that commemorate Tiananmen Square massacre and shutting down host activists’ accounts, Zoom admitted conforming to China’s demands to cut “illegal” activities, despite the meetings were held outside Chinese boarder.

Unlike other Western social media, Zoom is not blocked in China. Zoom's alarming behavior raise the question of it bowing to Chinese pressure, if not being a puppet platform at all. Several activists on Chinese issues based in US and Hong Kong shared their experience with Zoom and expressed their frustration upon being shut down.

In response, Zoom stated that the action was due to their inability to ban users based on their location and they are working on the function to comply with local authorities on their regulations. It continued to clarify that they did not provide any meeting content or user information to the Chinese government.

Zoom’s quibble however failed excusing itself from condemnation from lawmakers and human right groups, and US senators demanded it to pick a side between free-speech and censorship. While the intentions of Zoom are unclear, its deeply entangled relationship with China - through capital and intelligence - should alert the public enough about potential security risks.

#CyberSecurity #Zoom #CCP #censorship #FreedomofSpeech

Source:
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/12/zoom-admits-cutting-off-activists-accounts-in-obedience-to-china?CMP=share_btn_tw&__twitter_impression=true

Further reading:
Zoom promised to be better at censoring global calls at Beijing’s request
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/22601
Zoom closes account of US-based Chinese dissidents after Tiananmen conference
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/22600

#Newspaper

Chinese Students Barred From Using Common Computer Code As US Sanctions Bite

Students at two Harbin educational facilities recently discovered that they no longer have access to MATLAB, a widely used coding language for technical computing.

MathWorks, the company that developed MATLAB, said that they are prohibited from providing technical or customer support to the two institutions due to U.S. government regulations as the two institutions are listed as ones that posed a risk of procuring items for military end-use in China.

This change is believed to have far-reaching implications for scientific research at the two Chinese institutions, with one implication being how students and staff can no longer publish research papers or carry out commercial projects using MATLAB.

Full Article: CX Tech News, (11-Jun)
https://bit.ly/3fopu5c

#USChinarelations #USSanctions #MATLAB

#Newspaper

China, Iran targeting presidential campaigns with hacking attempts, Google announces

//Chinese and Iranian government hackers have targeted the Gmail accounts of staffers working on the presidential campaigns of Joe Biden and President Trump, respectively

//They may do so in search of insights into the thinking of the next American leader, or as the Russians did in 2016, to obtain material that might be disclosed publicly or used to interfere in the election.

//The hackers used a common technique called “phishing,”... enabling the hacker to gain access to the target’s credentials.

//Some analysts say the greater threat is the prospect of hacking, dumping and altering information that can embarrass or disparage a candidate or damage a campaign. The hacking and leaking of Democratic emails in 2016 led to the resignations of party officials and disrupted the party convention.

//Google threat analyst Shane Huntley said on Twitter that the hacker groups involved are APT31, which is linked to the Chinese government, and APT35, which is linked to the Iranian government.

//In 2008, Chinese government hackers compromised the computer networks of then- Sens. and presidential rivals Barack Obama (Ill.) and John McCain (Ariz.). In 2012, foreign and domestic hackers tried to gain access to the campaign networks of Obama and Mitt Romney (R).

//Iran has a history of weaponizing information... after seeing the political divisions Russia exploited in 2016 through both hacking and social media operations, it might be tempted to try something similar

Full article: Washington Post, (05-Jun)

#China #Iran #PresidentialCampaign #Election #Hacking #Google #Gmail #Biden #Trump

#Newspaper

China convicts Uighurs in sham trials at Xinjiang camps

//Detainees were forced to endure countless hours of indoctrination and language classes, perched on small stools.

//In some facilities, they had to watch TV propaganda broadcasts praising President Xi Jinping for hours on end.The slightest infraction, such as a whispered conversation, was met with swift and harsh punishment.

//After picking a crime from the list came a sham trial, in which the detainees had no legal representation and were convicted without evidence or due process of any kind.

//they were handed a piece of paper detailing more than 70 acts and forced to choose one or several of them. Most of them were religious acts, such as praying or wearing a headscarf.

//the Chinese government has released those with Kazakh residency permits, passports and family members living in Kazakhstan, which is home to a sizable Uighur community.

//For those without outside links and citizenship, however, it is virtually impossible to escape China's vast network of repression and constant surveillance.

//"They threatened us: 'if you don't pick anything, that means you did not confess your crime. If you don't confess, you will stay here forever.' That's why we picked one crime,"

//one man managed to refuse, a rare show of individual bravery in a camp surrounded by high walls and watchtowers and guarded by armed officials.Over the course of three days, officials — some high-ranking — berated him endlessly, trying to force him to sign a confession... he was released into months of strictly monitored house arrest. At the time, he says, he was the only one who was freed, while all the other detainees remained in the camp.

//most acts deemed illegal were of a religious nature is a further indication that the Chinese authorities are targeting the religion and cultural practices of its Muslim minorities in an attempt to eradicate them

//Since 2016, the Chinese government has been arresting ethnic Uighurs and Kazakhs and imprisoning them in what... have been referred to in the West as "re-education" camps.

//According to estimates, at least 1 million of the roughly 10 million Uighurs and Kazakhs living in Xinjiang have disappeared into the vast network of prisons and camps.

//There are legitimate reasons for Chinese authorities to be concerned about Uighur extremism... decades of cultural and political discrimination... state-sponsored migration of the majority ethnic Han Chinese to Xinjiang, widespread discontent has... turned violent.

//in the majority of cases, China is imprisoning Uighurs based on their religious practices and culture, rather than extremist behavior.

//there are three categories of re-education camps: Those with minimum security, which seem to have been built with the goal of reintegrating detainees back into society and have a strong vocational training element. Secondly, there are medium-security facilities, where detainees spend three to five years but are eventually released. Finally, Ruser says, there are the maximum-security facilities, where detainees are locked up indefinitely, "with no intention of ever letting them back into society again" — an extrajudicial form of detention

//imams and those deemed religious are more likely to be sent to prison, sometimes for decades, most likely as they are considered "irreformable."

//Others were sent to labor camps, like one detainee who told DW she was forced to work in a glove factory.

//Their experience has left deep emotional and physical scars. All of the former inmates DW spoke to suffered from obvious post-traumatic stress disorder, including memory loss and insomnia. During the interviews, they alternated between rage and tears, as they recalled their ordeals, which included interrogations and sexual abuse.

Full Article: DW EXCLUSIVE (08-June)

Further reading:
Trump Signs Sanctions Law Over China Crackdown of Uyghurs
https://international.thenewslens.com/amparticle/136604

#China #reeducationcamp #Detention #Xinjiang #Uighurs #Kazakhs #Muslim #Prison

#DailyUpdate #Jun19 #COVID19

COVID-19 Updates (Jun 19)

At the time of writing, 8,519,543 cases of the coronavirus had been confirmed with 454,582 deaths.

US - Mayor in Florida county signs executive order requiring face coverings.

Researchers propose MMR booster vaccine to combat COVID-19.

Venezuela's Maduro tightens grip on power, helped by coronavirus lockdown.

Germany's coronavirus app downloaded nearly 10 million times in 4 days.

UK coronavirus alert level decreased.

Coronavirus spikes bring US states and cities back to the table to discuss protection measures.

Millions of Yemenis could be infected with coronavirus and up to 85,000 people could die, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said in a report today.

The UK ditches its coronavirus app for Google and Apple version.

India sees surge in new coronavirus cases with more than 13,500 infections in 24 hours.

China reports 28 new coronavirus cases, 25 were reported in Beijing.

Delhi increases beds and ramps up testing as coronavirus cases near 50,000 mark.

China - Beijing says new outbreak is "under control".

Japan reports 68 new coronavirus cases -- more than half are in Tokyo.

India lifts export ban on hydroxychloroquine.

Mexico sees highest single-day increase in new coronavirus cases as the country reports more than 5000 new infections.

Source: CNN, John Hopkins University

#Stalking
Apple Daily Founder stalked by suspicious persons for 3 days

After the NPC passed the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, Lai Chee-ying, founder of Next Digital, was stalked by suspicious persons.

Apple Daily reported that from 16 Jun, Lai has been followed by unknown cars and individuals, and 2 minivans followed him from his home to his office in Tsuen Kwan O. He was also followed by several people in different areas in Hong Kong, armed with professional surveillance equipment.

One of the people stalking Lai was also found to share the same name as a senior police officer.

Source: Stand News
#Jun18 #JimmyLai #NextDigital #NationalSecurityLaw

#HongKongProtests #Students
School Boycott and Strike Referendum: Education Bureau Warns Against Participation

Hong Kong Secondary School Students Strike and the Hong Kong Strike will hold a referendum on school boycott and strike on 20 Jun to collect opinions on this issue.

Demosisto Vice President, Isaac Cheng Ka Long clained that the referendum was supported by most students, due to their concerned over how the National Security Law may affect their future. He was confident that there will be more than 10,000 effective votes.

The Education Bureau issued a letter to secondary and primary school principals that schools should not allow students to participate in the referendum.

If more than 60% of students and 80% unions supports the action, then an official strike will be started to oppose the National Security Law in Hong Kong.

Source: Ming Pao ; Now News
#Jun18 #strike

#Heartwarming
87-year-old Grandma saddened by growing police brutality but persistent to stand-by young protesters and fight on

While citizens passionately chanted, “Liberate Kong Kong, Revolution of our times” and “Hong Kong Independence, the only way out” , 87-year-old Grandma Yung Shui-fong sat quietly at a corner and didn’t join the rest of the crowd.

On her backpack, however, there was a vast collection of ribbons in yellow, white and black symbolizing umbrella movement in 2014, support-the-medic movement, and the last one representing one’s conscience.

Living in the internet age where most of protest information are disseminated online, Grandma Yung, without a smart phone, only can rely on radio and TV news reports to catch up with the latest development of various activities.

Commenting on situation in Hong Kong, Yung expressed, “police nowadays are a lot more malicious than in 2014.”

Although she only could receive information on protest activities at the very last minutes, she continued to partake in demonstrations to show her support to protect the young protesters. She said with a smile, “I am older than Grandpa Chan of the Protect the Child Group, even though I look younger.”

When chatting with Grandma Yung, she appeared to be shy and uneasy. Her compassion and kindness are a distinct contrast to the harsh reality that HongKongers are going through. There is no despair and hatred in her eyes, but sadness and defiance to fight on.

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/22622?single
⬆️⬆️⬆️
View photos in the post above.

Source: PSHK
#Jun16 #PoliceBrutality

#FirstHand #Jun19
Student activist Joshua Wong partakes in primary of LegCo election to quantify public support for pro-democracy work on international front

On June 19, Joshua Wong Chi-fung announced plans to join the pro-democracy camp’s primaries, seeking the camp’s endorsement for a Kowloon East seat in Legislative Council Election in September. He stressed that he could face punishment over his political stance beyond just being barred from elections once the National Security Law is enacted.

Wong hoped that by winning in the primary will render him voter’s empowerment to continue his fight on the international front. In the face of growing suppression from China, he called for more support from the public to back him up. Wong said, “Surrender without fighting is no option. We persist not because we are exceptionally strong, but we have no other choices.”

#joshuawong #legco #nationalsecuritylaw

#FirstHand #Jun19
District Councilor: LegCo election in September could be the last time Hongkongers could choose desired candidates on free will

On June 19, Jannelle Leung, Kwun Tong District Councilor showed her support for Joshua Wong. She pointed out that the National Security Law will further strip away democracy and freedom that Hong Kong people deserve, affecting all walks of life in Hong Kong, from students and teachers to social workers. She stressed that this primary election could very well be the very last election where Hongkongers can choose desired candidates based on free will.

#legco #nationalsecuritylaw #elections