📡Guardians of Hong Kong
9.58K subscribers
21.6K photos
1.88K videos
27 files
9.99K links
We provide translation of news in English from local media and other sources, for academic use.
Facebook: http://bit.ly/BeWaterHongKong
Instagram: @guardiansofhk
Website: https://guardiansofhk.com/
Download Telegram
Adaptive Measures Show Hongkongers' Wittiness

The MTR Company claimed that they will be closing down exit A of Lam Tin Station due to the barricades installed. Citizens are required to scale a long staircase to reach Kai Tin Road. Out of sympathy for the locals, some citizens have set up “priority seats” along the staircase for the needy to take a break while walking up the stairs.

Source: HKBU Students’ Union Editorial Board #Nov14
Hong Kong SAR Government
accused legislators and political figures of "spreading of untrue claims overseas"

The Hong Kong SAR government issued press release on December 6 to condemn unnamed legislators and political figures for urging "foreign governments or legislatures to interfere with the affairs of the HKSAR".

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong SAR Government is found repeating itself in the press releases issued on November 14 and December 6, both praising the practice of "one country two systems" in Hong Kong while condemning the world's attention to the human rights crisis in Hong Kong.

In addition, it is worrying that the Hong Kong SAR Government has been appying very similar speech pattern as Beijing does: "foreign legislatures should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs of the HKSAR".

Source:
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201912/06/P2019120600908.htm

https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201911/14/P2019111400851.htm

#PressRelease #StateTerrorism #HKSARGov #Dec6 #Nov14
#FirstHand #Nov14
Hongkongers' Concern Over Labour Rights: Pro-democracy
Employees' Unions to Compete in Labour Advisory Board Election

Since the Anti-ELAB movement in 2019, employees' unions were formed in many professions, in a hope of voicing out democratic values and balancing the year-long domination by pro-Establishment bodies.

From November 7 to 20, 2020, these newly formed employees' unions are organizing a referendum in five districts, for members to vote for a representative who will then compete in the Labour Advisory Board election.

The Labour Advisory Board is a consultative organization in Hong Kong which gives advise to the government's Labour Department. Currenly, it is dominated by pro-Establishent representatives.

Voting Booths in 5 Districts:

Date: November 7-20, 2020
Time: 7pm-9pm (Mon - Fri)
2pm-8pm (Sat, Sun)
Location: Mongkok, Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Causeway Bay, Shatin

*Exact location to be announced on the day via: https://fb.me/fight4lab/
#PrideParade #LGBTQRights
Hong Kong Pride Parade 2020 Tells the World "Here and Proud" Despite Police Disapproval

Source: InMedia #Nov14

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26667
#PrideParade #LGBTQ
Hong Kong Pride Parade 2020 Tells the World "Here and Proud" Despite Police's Objection

The Hong Kong Pride Parade was issued a Letter of Objection by the Hong Kong Police Force for the first time in 12 years. The original parade was prohibited, and it will now be held online.

This year’s theme is "Here and Proud". Before the gathering, spokesperson Jimmy Sham told the press that he was disappointed by the objection of the police, making it the first time the parade cannot be held under sunlight. Concerning the difficulty to calculate the number of participants online, Sham suggested that nowadays in Hong Kong, number of participants no longer matters.

Sham thanked 17 District Councils for supporting the parade and promoting it locally. Over 20 district councillors joined the event.

Sham, who is also a member of the Sha Tin District Council, pointed out that he was once told “it is very hard for gay people to become a district councillor”. This term, 3 gay people were elected, marking a new age for LGBTQ+ group. He also gave a special shout-out to the District Council members who promoted LGBTQ+ rights locally.

Singer Siufay, who came out earlier, was appointed the Rainbow Ambassador this year. He shared his experiences of coming out, “it is easier to step up than step back”. He said he had a lot of limitations before coming out, but now he can say whatever he wants.

Another Rainbow Ambassador is Figo Chan, the convener of Civil Human Rights Front. Chan added, Hong Kong is not familiar with gender issues, which creates discrimination. He hoped that one day these misunderstandings can be eliminated.

Source: InMedia #Nov14 https://bit.ly/32LOWxA

#HKPride #HereAndNow #DistrictCouncil #SiuFay #JimmySham #FigoChan
#LastYearToday #Interview
One Year On: PolyU Student Recalls Traumatic Memory of #PolyUSiege

[Editor's note: The Hong Kong Police attacked the Polytechnic University for the first time on Nov 11, 2019 and intensively since Nov 17. On Nov 18, thousands of Hongkongers protested in areas nearby the university, hoping to rescue the civilians entrapped inside the campus.

The violent dispersal operation by the police had caused a stampede, injuring many along Nathan Road.

Having besieged the university for 13 days, the police arrested more than a thousand civilians and injured countless.]

Source: Citizens News #Nov14
Image: Kelvin Cheng / USP

Read the Interview With Ken Woo of PolyU Student Union:
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26738
#LastYearToday #Interview
One Year On: PolyU Student Recalls Traumatic Memory of #PolyUSiege

Part 1/4

[Editor's note: The Hong Kong Police attacked the Polytechnic University for the first time on Nov 11, 2019 and intensively since Nov 17. On Nov 18, thousands of Hongkongers protested in areas nearby the university, hoping to rescue the civilians entrapped inside the campus.

The violent dispersal operation by the police had caused a stampede, injuring many along Nathan Road.

Having besieged the university for 13 days, the police arrested more than a thousand civilians and injured countless.]

It has been one year into the police's siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (#PolyU).

During the siege in November 2019, Citizens News had conducted an interview with the acting president of the university's student union Ken Woo Kwok-wang. The 22-year-old Ken was wearing a pair of black-framed glasses, slightly showing exhaustion on his face.

He was reserved when talking about the condition of those who stayed behind in defence of the PolyU campus. The reporter of Citizens News did not ask further, so as to not provoke the emotion of the protesters.

One year has passed, the reporter met with Ken again, hoping to learn more about what had happened.

Ken is not wearing his glasses anymore. He cut his hair short and has apparently lost some weight. It is as if he needs to look like a different person, in order to part way with that traumatic memory.

Ken admitted frankly that he is afraid of bringing it up with friends, as his friends think he has experienced a lot. Ken said, "I've seen those who were much worst than me [during the siege]. I don’t think I did anything extraordinarily well. I felt a little bit guilty. My friends and other people have some
expectation for me and think I have done something, but I don't really think so."

Whenever he hears sayings like that, he has a headache. There is something he cannot overcome, still.

Continue Reading Part 2/4:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26748

Source: CNews #Nov14
https://tinyurl.com/y3vspxq7

#KenWoo #PolySU #Trauma #HongKongProtests #ProtestersStory #AntiElab #HongKongChronicles
#Interview
#PolyUSiege #LastYearToday
Student Recalling Police Siege of University: No Place is Always Safe, and There's Nothing the Police Wouldn't Dare to Do

Part 1/4:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26738

Part 2/4

According to the then-acting president of the Student Union Ken Woo, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (#PolyU) was the first university attacked by the police during the Anti-Extradition Bill Protest in 2019.

It happened before the Battle of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK). On the morning of November 11, 2019, it began with the police firing two rounds of tear gas into the PolyU campus at around 6:30am.

As Woo recalled, he dashed from the campus D Core Exit to the bridge connecting to Hung Hom Train Station after he heard some noises from that direction.

When he arrived, the police were already inside the campus, passing by the Democracy Wall. An officer pointed his gun at his head and ordered him to leave.

15 minutes later, police fired tear gas inside the campus. At that point, Wu realized that there was no going back.

PolyU had become a thorn in the eyes of the police. Woo said that it was not new to have police monitoring the campus; after every demonstration on Hong Kong Island, there would always be about 60 to 70 uniformed officers at the Cross Harbour Tunnel bus stop beside PolyU, conducting bag and vehicle inspections.

On October 1st, 2019 [PRC's National Day], police were even guarding each exit of the university, searching the bags of everyone who left or entered the campus. 

Even so, Woo still felt that the university was his safe haven, until tear gas were fired into the campus. That was the moment when he realized that no place is always safe, and that there is nothing the police would not dare to do.

“The bridge was filled with happy memories of my 4 years of university life. I recalled every moment walking on the bridge with my committee members, laughing happily.” Woo said, "Witnessing that moment [the siege by the police] when everything I knew has irreversibly changed, that the campus I used to know has turned into a battle field, it was a shock."

Continue Reading Part 3 / 4
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26777

Source: CNews #Nov14
https://tinyurl.com/y3vspxq7

#KenWoo #PolySU #Interview #HongKongProtests #ProtestersStory #AntiElab
#HongKongChronicles
#Interview
#Sanction #UK
UK's Labour Party Urges Foreign Secretary to take a 'tougher stance' on HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank

Shadow foreign secretary of Labour Party Lisa Nandy urged minister Dominic Raab to take a 'tougher stance' on HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank. She also warned banks of the 'consequences' of failing to uphold human rights.

Nandy hopes to receive "a clear statement from HSBC and Standard Chartered disassociating themselves from that national security law” in Hong Kong.

Source: Telegraph #Nov14; Apple Daily #Nov16
www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/11/14/ministers-must-take-banks-task-hong-kong-warns-labour/

https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20201116/NJVIVLDHUNB4HOZU3O6EYRNTXI/

#LisaNandy #DominicRaab #ForeignSecretary #NationalSecurityLaw #HSBC #StandardChartered
#PolyUSiege #LastYearToday #NeverForget
Frontliners and Supporters: Be Valiant or Be Peaceful? To Stay or to Leave? How Far Can One Go?

Source: CNews #Nov14
Image: Hong Kong Free Press

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26777
#PolyUSiege #LastYearToday #NeverForget
Frontliners and Supporters: Be Valiant or Be Peaceful? To Stay or to Leave? How Far Can One Go?

Part 1/4:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26738

Part 2/4
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26748

Part 3 / 4

"The committee held discussions on whether to stay or to leave the campus," the acting president of #PolyU Student Union Ken Woo said.

“One of our members was a nursing student, and you could not become a nurse if you have a criminal record. We wanted those who had family responsibilities to leave and help from the outside where it's less risky, and those who were willing to shoulder the consequences to stay inside”.

The 18 members of the Students' Union did not spend a lot of time together, as each worked in their own ways towards the same goal in different places.

“I'm not the muscular type”, Ken said, “One might say that it doesn’t make much difference whether I stay at the frontline or not. But I think my participation was more of an emotional support to the frontliners. I had no reason to leave”.

When being asked whether he felt sad when he was the last among the 18 members to stay behind, Ken replied: “I actually wanted them to leave as soon as possible. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, especially my committee members. The longer they stayed, the higher the chance of getting arrested. Moreover, staying in the campus also was a heavy burden on one’s mind.”

Source: CNews #Nov14
https://tinyurl.com/y3vspxq7

#KenWoo #PolyU #StudentsUnion #Valiant #Frontliners #HongKongProtests #ProtestersStory #AntiElab #HongKongChronicles
#Interview
#PolyUSiege #LastYearToday
After the Police Siege, #PolyU Student: There are stories in every corner of this campus

Source: CNews #Nov14
Image: Lam Yik Fei / New York Times

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26802
#PolyUSiege #LastYearToday
After the Police Siege, #PolyU Student: There are stories in every corner of this campus

Part 1/4:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26738

Part 2/4
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26748

Part 3 / 4
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26777

Part 4/4

Ken Woo Kwok-wang was serving as acting president of the PolyU Student Union when he witnessed the anxiety, desolation, and fear inside the besieged campus in 2019. At the time, he was only 22 years old.

On the morning of Nov 11, 2019, the police fired two tear gas shots into the campus. By the dark night of Nov 23, 2019, the campus had become a ghost town.

Ken was born in 1997; he has two sisters. He considered himself fortunate, as his parents supported him and took pride in him.  His father had escaped to Hong Kong after the Cultural Revolution in China, and had deep impressions of how the authoritarian government suppressed its people, as well as the lasting harm caused by their public criticism sessions.

Ken's father told him: "Don't give  up your life; you have to outlive these cops."

After stepping out of the #PolyU campus, he was brought to Hung Hom Police Station. However, he experienced stomach cramps from not having a decent meal for a whole week, so he was soon transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

"After eating white bread for a whole week, prison food actually tastes good," he joked, obviously in dark humor.

While being trapped in the campus, he saw many people who were traumatized and emotionally on edge, including himself. However, he told himself to step up and not fear, because he knew the goal he had set for himself.

"If you want to help others, you cannot be scared. Even if you are, you cannot show it. If you are scared, how can you convince others to stay calm? You can't."

After coming out of the hospital, Ken spent 2 months to let his emotions sink in. He remembered the fear that he buried in his heart during the ordeal, and realized how scared he was. Many doubts and questions had surfaced in his mind, which made him even more depressed.

Ken sought counselling after school had resumed.  He was afraid to revisit certain areas in the campus, such as Core Y; as soon as he approaches the area, the traumatic memories return to him. "I remember that the morning was cold.  Many people were sprayed by the police water cannon the night before. There were about 20 people wrapped in blankets, shaking in the cold, desperate to escape. I'm actually still afraid to face these memories. There is a story like that in every corner of this campus."

Now that the siege of PolyU had passed, he said, agony was the only memory left in his mind.

Image: Lam Yik Fei / New York Times
Source: Cnews #Nov14
https://tinyurl.com/y3vspxq7

#KenWoo #Trauma #PoliceBrutality #HongKongProtests #ProtestersStory #AntiElab
#Agony #HongKongChronicles
#Interview
#Court
Hong Kong Authorities Might Postpone #NationalSecurityLaw Court Case to 2022, Detaining 33 Key Dissidents for 1 Year Before Trial

Source: InmediaHK; #Nov14

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
#Court
Hong Kong Authorities Might Postpone
#NationalSecurityLaw Court Case to 2022, Detaining 33 Key Dissidents for 1 Year Before Trial

On November 14, 2021, Hong Kong's Department of Justice (#DoJ) requested the courts to postpone the National Security Law (#NSL) cases of 47 pro-democracy figures who had participated in the 2020 primary election to February 2022.

This means that 33 of them will have been held in prison for an entire year, without any bail, before their trial can begin.

In March 2021, Hong Kong authorities arrested 47 key pro-democracy figures, including around a dozen of elected lawmakers. The defendants were accused of conspiracy to commit subversion in connection with the primary polls the pro-democracy camp held in the summer of 2020 to pick candidates for the Legislative Council (#LegCo) Elections that was cancelled by the government in the end.

While 14 of them have been released on bail ahead of their trial, 33 had been on remand for almost a year.

#PrimaryElection #PoliceState #Regime #Jail #PoliticalProsecution

Source: InmediaHK; #Nov14
https://bit.ly/3wKeNni
#AnimalRights #PoliceState
Hong Kong Govenment Order to "Catch and Kill" Wild Boars, Sparking Outcry from Citizens and Animal Rights Groups

Source: InmediaHK; #Nov14
https://bit.ly/3CbGVAZ

Read more
⬇️⬇️
#AnimalRights #PoliceState
Hong Kong Govenment Order to "Catch and Kill" Wild Boars, Sparking Outcry from Citizens and Animal Rights Groups

On November 9, 2021, an auxiliary police officer in Hong Kong was said being bitten by a wild pig in North Point. The boar was later found fell to its death from a 10-meter high ground.

On November 12, 2021, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (#AFCD) immediately announced a "catch-and-kill" policy to euthanise wild boars that enter urban areas.

Eight animal rights group quickly launched a signature campaign titled "Wild boars are innocent. Do Not vent your hatred and anger at animals," urging the authorities to scrap the "catch-and-kill" policy.

One of the concern groups issued an open to Sophia Chan Siu-chee, Secretary for Food and Health and Leung Siu-fai, Director of AFCD.

In the letter, the group pointed out that boars are wild animals indigenous to Hong Kong. "They are living creatures with conscious and thoughts and should be respected."

The group criticized the authorities for disregarding the wild boars' rights to live in urban areas, calling the "catch-and-kill" policy utterly unreasonable.

In less then one day, the campaign received more than 30,000 signatures.

Source: InmediaHK; #Nov14
https://bit.ly/3CbGVAZ

#AnimalCruelty #FailedState #WildBoars #Death
#RuleByLaw
Hong Kong pro-democracy defendants face much heavier sentences than before 2019 protests

#RuleofLaw #PoliceState #FailedState

Source: Stand News, #Nov14

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
#RuleByLaw
Hong Kong pro-democracy defendants face much heavier sentences than before 2019 protests

Since outbreak of the anti-ELAB movement in Hong Kong in 2019, over 2,000 citizens have been convicted for their involvement in pro-democracy protests.

Stand News, a local newspaper consolidated relevant public data from June 2019 through November 2021, which showed a total of 34 people being charged over "behaving in disorderly manner in public places".

Among them, 8 (24%) were accused of obstructing road; another 8 (24%) being charged over hurling objects, while the remaining 18 (52%) were found guilty for making noises (swearling, chanting protest slogans, or hurling insults at Hong Kong Police).  These cases saw a high conviction rate exceeding 60%.

With regards to sentencing, a large proportion of nearly 60% (12 people) of those being convicted were imprisoned for a period ranging from 3 weeks to 7 months. 

Another 5% of the defendants were sent to the Correctional Services' training centers. The rest faced lighter penalties such as signing bind-over orders for conduct and probation (14%); and community service orders (24%).

In comparison, most convicts in cases of similar nature in the past were not sentenced to jail.

A legal professional group in Hong Kong explained that in the past, only some defendants with criminal records would likely be put behind bars.

However, in recent cases, even first offenders are often imprisoned.

The group added that this showed the court's intention to deploy heavier penalties against defendants from the pro-democracy movement, particularly for cases under Public Order Ordinance, as deterrence.

#RuleofLaw #RuleByLaw #PoliceState #FailedState

Source: Stand News, #Nov14
https://thestandnews.page.link/kZ66FKVG9sBLL9pA6
Size of alleged Chinese interference in Canada ‘astonishing’: experts

Shocking reports of alleged Chinese interference in Canada’s 2019 elections, first reported by Global News, have raised questions about whether Ottawa is doing enough to deal with the national security threat. ‘The West Block’ host Mercedes Stephenson speaks with national security expert Akshay Singh, former Canadian ambassador to China David Mulroney, and Global News investigative reporter Sam Cooper about the bombshell revelations and the Liberal government’s underwhelming response.

Source:GlobalNews #Nov14

https://globalnews.ca/video/9272674/size-of-alleged-chinese-interference-in-canada-astonishing-experts/

#Chinese #Canada