Education Bureau: According To Current Law, Teachers Involved in Severe Crime Will Be Suspended from Office before Adjudication

Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, the Secretary for Education, issued a letter to all teachers, students and parents of secondary and primary schools, and expressed that the Bureau will closely follow up every case related to teachers’ professional conduct, regardless of whether such behaviours are misconduct or illegal. If the circumstances were severe, disqualification of related tutors would be considered. The Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers hoped that the Bureau could disclose the reasons of disciplinary actions on teachers, and define clearly the levels of severity and standards of punishment, so that education workers could make reference.

There were teachers voicing out their thoughts on social events on social networking sites, saying that it is unfair to define such actions as professional misconduct, and that teachers are only exercising their freedom of speech. The Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers said otherwise, and stressed that teachers could influence pupils not only in the classroom, but also with their actions and words. The Federation pointed out that freedom of speech does not equal freedom from consequences, and that the public must not neglect the effect of teachers’ opinions on social networking platforms on students who are exposed to them. They also considered it unprofessional for teachers to spread inappropriate opinions.

Source: RTHK

#20Dec #EducationBureau #FreedomOfSpeech

Dumbbell-tied Corpse Found Floating On Sea, Police: No Suspicious Circumstances

A male body was found in the sea near To Kwa Wan King Wan Street yesterday (Dec19).

At around 17:00, pedestrians spotted a body floating on the waters. Citizens reported to the police and a fire boat was sent to salvage the body. The man’s face had already turned black, indicating he had been dead for a long time. Apart from wearing dark clothes and trousers with red sneakers, a pair of dumbbells were tied to his legs. Police found the case suspicious at first, but later changed, claiming there was nothing suspicious.

The man, Mr. Lee, was a missing person who was last seen in his residence on Dec 15 and his case was reported on Dec17. According to sources, he was last seen wearing a black jacket and trousers, as well as red sneakers and glasses with black frames.

Source: Oriental News Daily #20Dec
#Death #Suicide

When bodies are often discovered in the city: https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/13496

Four Arrested For Putting Up Promotion Materials

At around 01:00, police arrived at the substation at the junction between Wui Cheng Road and Canton Road in Yau Ma Tei and found an unfinished LIHKG pig on the wall, which is a beloved cartoon character widely used as an emoji. A car was stopped in a parking lot at Man Wui Street. Spray paint, masks, glue, scissors, cutters and saline solution were found in the car. The four passengers and driver were arrested for possessing instruments for illegal uses. The case was followed by the Yau Tsim Police District criminal investigation team 9.

Source: Apple Daily #20Dec #ExcessiveArrestment

Riot Police Only Allow Tai Po Residents To Return Home by Registering their Details

23:04 Tai Po
Riot police required citizens to leave the scene. Citizens who lived in Tai Po were allowed to pass the police checkpoint, after registering their identity with the police.

Source: Heng Sang University SU Editorial Board #20Dec #PoliceState

Tension Rises in Tseung Kwan O and Tai Po

23:45 Tseung Kwan O
Close to Sheung Tak Estate and Beverly Garden, a large amount of riot police arrived. Blue warning flag was raised.

00:05
Police repeatedly accused citizens of unlawful assembly.

Tension also arose in Tai Po simultaneously.

In Tseung Kwan O, Sheung Tak Estate Car Park was where 22-year-old Chow Tsz-lok fell from height during police operation nearby, leading to his death November 8.

Source: Stand News #20Dec

Former Anti-Occupy-Central Organisation with Pro-Beijing Stance Approaching Arrested Protesters, Claiming to Provide Aid in Cash
 
[Editor's note: Spark Alliance, an initiative to help the arrested through fund raised by donation, has been targetted by the police. Not only that its financial asset has been frozen, four of its members were arrested on December 19, causing uproar among the public]

A company called LiveliCare Limited is said to have been approaching defendants of Anti-ELAB Movement cases outside the courts recently, claiming that they could provide financial aid and asking for defendants’ information. 

According to an article previously published in Stand News, LiveliCare Limited used to be called The Trade and Industrial Federation of Anti-Occupy Central Limited.  2 days after the aforementioned article was published, Ho Kam-wah, the director of LiveliCare Limited, responds to the inquiry saying that the former company director is named Yip Kwok-chung, who is Ho’s relative with a pro-Beijing stance, and it was Yip who gave the company its former name, The Trade and Industrial Federation of Anti-Occupy Central Limited.  Ho further clarifies that former director Yip Kwok-chung is not the younger brother of former DAB legislative council member Ip Kwok-him. 

Although the names of both men match exactly in Chinese, the English spellings of their surnames are different.  However, Ho does admit that it is wrong of their volunteers to approach defendants outside the courts.  Ho also states that their charity license has been revoked and they have decided to stop all crowdfunding activities as of today, disassociating themselves from relief schemes.
 
Earlier, a reporter went to LiveliCare’s registered address in Kwai Fong Estate and was roughly treated by a woman at the address.  The woman yanked the reporter’s clothes and tried to snatch the reporter’s phone.  She even called the police and asked the reporter to leave.  Ho explains that it was a misunderstanding as “someone else’s address” was wrongly written in the registry and an innocent person was disturbed.  Ho claims that the organisation’s address is now corrected in the Companies Registry.   

Source: Stand News #20Dec #UmbrellaMovement
 #Livelicare

Warrantless Plainclothes held Young Woman against her will in parking lot

A young woman was held against her will for about 4 minutes in a parking lot in Tai Po, by a group of people who appear to be plainclothed police who wear surgical masks but never present their warrant badge. A passerby took a video of the incident, which has been circulating online.

In the video, the young woman repeatedly asks whether it is a formal arrest and if not, they should let her go. The group never answer her questions. They later tell her they only want to ask her some questions, even as they surround her and physically hold her in place. The woman responds by continuing to ask them to either formally arrest her or let her go.

Finally, after several minutes, the group says that there has been a "misunderstanding", and the young woman is let go.

Source: Internet #20Dec

#Education #StateTerrorism
Secondary School Students Banned from School Party for Wearing Black; Pro-democracy Songs were Censored

Several students from Ning Po College in Ngau Tau Kok reported to the Stand News that Christmas party was scheduled to be held on December 20. However, the school banned students from performing the song “Promise to meet under the Pot”, a song based on anti-ELAB movement, at their band show, with the reason that the song was "political".

While students were allowed to put on their causal wear to attend the party, over ten of them dressing in black were reproved by the discipline teacher. They were told that if they did not go home and change their outfits, they would be prohibited from the entering the school. Students dressed in black who had already entered the campus area were punished by sitting on the playground while being reprimanded.

The Stand News contacted Ning Po College by phone and email around 3pm, but no response was received.

Source: Stand News #20Dec

#Education #WhiteTerror #StateTerrorism #Teacher #FreedomOfSpeech
Lawmaker: Authorities Impose White Terror in Education sector

Education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen criticised that the bureau is forming “White Terror”. He pointed out that teachers enjoy freedom of speech, however, the bureau adds extra regulating conditions such as disallowing hate speech and regulating teachers’ private comments. He described it as “censorship of thoughts” that creates panic among the public. “It is unreasonable for one to sacrifice freedom of speech for being a teacher” Ip said. He pointed out that “White Terror” is caused by unreasonable requests. “How can teachers exchange their ideas freely with their fellow? Even for initiating a conversation with students, all is required to censor their own thoughts in advance”.

Source: Stand News #20Dec