#FirstHand #AsiasFinest
Police Shine Torches at Citizens While Banning Laser Pens; "Asia's Finest" Lost Control and Screamed at Civilians

0019 | #MongKok

Riot police kept shining high-power torches towards, stirring up citizens' indignation. A woman said that the torches could damage human eyes, and even led to blindness. She questioned the police as to why they had the right to shone light directly at citizens, while citizens possessing laser pens is deemed illegal in Hong Kong.

While another man was asking the police to explain why they could obstruct reporters' work, one officer apparently lost his temper and screamed back, "You blocked the road! I told you to step aside!" But when the man answered he had done so, the police, still incensed, yelled, "You're standing at the middle! How are you not not blocking the road!"

Other police tried to usher back the crowd of citizens. Yet, the officer had not calmed down.

#Jun12 #PoliceState #FailedState #remember612 #OneCountryOneSystem #HongKongProtest

#FirstHand #PoliceState
"Unapologetic and Unrepentant": District Councillors Blast Police for Agitation Tactics

Read Full Article Below
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/22421

#Jun12 #FailedState #remember612 #OneCountryOneSystem #HongKongProtest #StandWithHK

#FirstHand #PoliceState
"Unapologetic and Unrepentant": District Councillors Blast Police for Agitation Tactics

View full video above:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/22420
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Yau Tsim Mong District Councillors Douglas Tsang and Owan Lee met with reporters after encounters with police in Mong Kok last night, and spoke against their questionable tactics and attitudes.

Blinding Lights and Agitation Tactics: "They Try to Make You Retaliate"

The councillors said that police officers were aiming their high-powered flashlights at reporters as well as councillors observing nearby; the lights were so strong that it was impossible to see anything in its direction, Tsang said. Li added that the police helmets are already equipped with a flashlight; however, the light they shone at the crowd was at least 5 times as bright, as there were 5 emitters visible in the device.

Even more deplorable is how they have used the light, Li continued. While police allowed reporters to come closer, they shone the intense lights at the cameras to blind the cameras. While the police had received new resources and equipment, Li noted that they were being used against the press, to trample upon what little freedom Hong Kong has left - including the freedom of press and the journalists' right to provide coverage. "The abuse of power is completely unchecked; there seemed to be no disciplinary measures handed out against officers violating their general orders. This had directly caused the disintegration of Hong Kong."

Tsang observed that the police was actively trying to agitate everyone at the scene - civilians, journalists, and councillors alike: "they try to make you retaliate, and if you do, they would arrest you." He was glad that the crowd tonight restrained themselves well. but also noted that the police was becoming more and more aggressive in their tactics of agitation, including blinding lights and rude actions and language. Tsang said these issues must not be ignored, and they will continue to be discussed at the district council, including in the meeting this coming Thursday.

Callsigns Unreadable, Accountability Questionable

The councillors also found the police's attitude towards accountability questionable. After having been hit by their blinding lights, Tsang complained to a media liaison officer; the officer promised to pass it on, but came back only to tell Tsang that they had now turned off the lights. Tsang further asked for the callsigns of the officers in the squad involved; however, the liaison officer simply turned and left. Tsang criticized that, while the liaison officer's role is to communicate, they simply abandoned their job halfway through.

Although the officers technically did wear their callsign cards on their jackets, Li observed that they wrapped it in plastic so reflective that he could not make out the text. Had the callsigns been readable, Tsang said, they would have demanded an explanation from the officers in charge on the scene, as well as filing written complaints. As it is, however, the public had no way to identify these officers and hold them accountable.

Protected by such anonymity, the police spoke rudely to councillors, shoved them with shields, and shone intense lights at them, despite repeated requests to stop doing so. "They were unapologetic and unrepentant; how can such a so-called disciplinary force be expected to protect the citizens of Hong Kong?" Li said.

#Jun12 #FailedState #remember612 #OneCountryOneSystem #HongKongProtest #StandWithHK

#OneCountryOneSystem
National Security Law to Deviate from Hong Kong's Common Law System

//On June 14, Hong Kong's Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng says it is impractical for people to expect the upcoming national security law to be completely in line with Hong Kong’s common law system, despite assurance from an Exco member suggesting otherwise.

“It is impractical and unreasonable to expect that everything in a national law, the National Security Law, will be exactly as what a statute in the HKSAR common law jurisdiction would be like,” Cheng wrote in her blog.//

Source: RTHK #Jun14
#CommonLaw #NationalSecurityLaw
#FailedState #Court

Gigantic #Banner on Devil's Peak: "One Country One System, Hong Kong is Over"

A 3x30m gigantic banner was sighted early in the morning on June 15, 2020 at Devil's Peak in Hong Kong.

The banner reading "One Country One System, Hong Kong is Over" shows the concern over the National Security Law forcefully imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong.

Source: Apple Daily #Jun15
#DevilsPeak #OneCountryOneSystem #NationalSecurityLaw

#OneCountryOneSystem
Concerns over the broad coverage of the National Security Law,
Hong Kong Law Professor: The idea that "national security should overrules everything" will only result in tyranny

Read more:

#NationalSecurityLaw #CCP #EvilLaw #Authoritarianism #Tyranny #JohannesChan

#OneCountryOneSystem #NationalSecurityLaw
Hong Kong Government Official considers citizens opposing the national security law as unsuitable to "serve the SAR"

As Beijing continued to push for the promulgation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, several potential democratic candidates of Legislative Council election signed a “protest position statement” on June 18 which sets revoking the Budget Proposal as a means to pursuit the Five Demands in pro-democracy protests as their ultimate objective.

Secretary for the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, Tsang Kwok-wai said in an interview that should a candidate of LegCo election negates or rejects the National Security Law, his intent to defend the Basic Law and loyalty to the SAR government will be questioned. He considered revoking Budget Proposal an action to tarnish LegCo operation and government administration, and hence the candidates’ allegiance to the SAR government should be doubted.

Source: Cupid News #Jun18
#LegCo #DQ #FailedState

#OneCountryOneSystem #Poll
Survey: Half of the HK Population Think Hong Kong Now Runs On 'One Country One System'

Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (#PORI) released on 19 June 2020 a new survey report on the population opinion on 'One Country Two Systems'. It was shown that 78% of pro-democracy respondents agreed “One Country Two Systems has become One Country One System” and 17% disagreed.

As 67% of pro-establishment respondents disagreed with this statement, it made a total of 50% respondents agreeing to it.

Honorary director of 'We Hongkongers' program Wong Wai-Kwok Benson pointed out that the only way for the Hong Kong government to gain support has become “threats and high-handed measures”.

The research was conducted from 16 June to 18 June, with a total of 6,655 respondents.

Source: InMedia

#Authoritarianism #OneCountryOneSystem
Beijing to Forcefully Pass National Security Law in Hong Kong, Not Even Carrie Lam Learn of the Actual Legislation

No draft of the National Security Law has ever been made public by Beijing. Apparently, not even the head of the Hong Kong Government, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, knows about the actual legislation.

In the past few days, grave concerns are raised towards the possibility to have only judges with Chinese citizenship to hear national security cases.

Carrie Lam had said on June 22 that there will not be a nationality restriction on judges.

However, a senior PRC official Zhang Yong published an opinion article in a Hong Kong Chinese-language newspaper, Ming Pao, on June 23, indicating that foreign judges will not be allowed to handle national security trials. Zhang is the deputy head of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.

Worrying news continued to flow in as the chief executive was said to have power to designate current or former judges or magistrates to handle cases concerning national security cases.

The Law Society of Hong zkong released a statement on June 23, expressing concern that the act “would give the Chief Executive the power to oversee and interfere with the Judiciary.”

Meanwhile, Carrie Lam continued to blame the pro-democracy protests for tarnishing Hong Kong's international reputation and competitiveness over the past year. During an online forum organised by Chineese media group Caixin on June 21, Lam insisted that the upcoming national security law will restore stability in the city and strengthen One Country, Two Systems.

Source: RTHK #Jun24
#NationalSecurityLaw #CarrieLam #Judge #Nationality #Court

#OneCountryOneSystem #NationalSecurityLaw
Separation of Powers No More: Hong Kong to Run on Fusion of Powers

Source: CNews #Jun24

#OneCountryOneSystem #NationalSecurityLaw
Separation of Powers No More: Hong Kong to Run on Fusion of Powers

The published draft of the National Security Law has been released to the public on June 20. Ching Cheong, a pundit on Chinese affairs, was interviewed by Hong Kong Citizen News, where he pointed out that Hong Kong may abandon its adherence to the separation of powers and enter a stage of the fusion of powers.

"The police is to establish a special national security department for the enactment of the national security law in Hong Kong; the Department of Justice is to establish a specific prosecutions division for the cases involving national security; the Chief Executive holds power to appoint specific judges to handle the implementation of the national security law."

"In Chinese terms, this is known as 公、檢、法, where the three departments work together. 公 represents the public security bureau, which would be the Police in Hong Kong; 檢 would be the procuratorate, which in Hong Kong would be the Department of Justice; meanwhile 法 represents the judges and the court. These parties could often be seen cooperating in the Mainland."

Cheong described China's attempt of implementing the National Security Law in Hong Kong would be to implement the Chinese judicial system in Hong Kong, which would mark the end of one country, two systems.

He criticized the draft to be wicked and hypocritical, as according to the draft, "If the local laws... are inconsistent with this Law, the provisions of this Law shall apply. The power to interpret this law belongs to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress."

"It says that this law transcends all local laws, which is bad, as this means that laws in Hong Kong, especially laws that protects human rights and freedoms, would be annulled if it conflicts with the National Security Law."

Source: HKCNews #Jun24
#NationalSecurityLaw

#NationalSecurityLaw
Hongkongers Calling for International Support to Oppose National Security Legislation

11 newly formed labour unions marched to the embassies of 20 countries in Hong Kong on June 26, in order to hand in the signatures they collected in opposition to the National Security Law.

As of now, the Beijing authorities have not released any exact details of the law. Despite this, pro-Beijing politicians implied that the law would possibly be passed by Beijing over the weekend.

Source: Stand News #Jun26
#OneCountryOneSystem

#OneCountryOneSystem
Encroachment of Protesting Rights on the Eve of Beijing's Forced National Security Legislation in Hong Kong

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/22853

#OneCountryOneSystem
Encroachment of Protesting Rights on the Eve of Beijing's Forced National Security Legislation in Hong Kong

Earlier on, district Councilor Tsui Tsz-kin and pro-democracy activist Tsang Kin-Shing filed two applications for Anti-National Security Law protests to be scheduled on 28 June and 1 July. The Hong Kong Police Force rejected their application, citing the gathering ban as a reason.

The group then filed an appeal, but was refused again by the police on June 27.

On the same day, the police objected the Annual July 1 March organized by Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF). Jimmy Sham, CHRF's convener, condemned the authorities for using the ever-extending gathering ban as an excuse to suppress civil society and the demonstration of public opinion.

Pro-Beijing politians revealed on June 27 the almost certainty for Beijing to pass the National Security Law for Hong Kong on June 28, despite the absence of the details of the legislation to the public. Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong’s sole member of the PRC's National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), even said that it is “meaningless” to bring up opposition to the law as Beijing will be discussing the legislation.

Principal lecturer Eric Cheung Tat-ming, a legal expert at the Law Department of the University of Hong Kong, condemned Beijing for keeping Hong Kong in the dark by forcefully implementing the National Security Law in Hong Kong.

Source: Stand News; Apple Daily; RTHK #Jun27
#NationalSecurityLaw #ProtestRights #Authoritarianism

#OneCountryOneSystem #NationalSecurityLaw
Pro-Beijing Politician: Waving national flags of other countries is illegal under the National Security Law

The PRC's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress will meet for three consecutive days starting Sunday on June 28. According to pro-Beijing politians, it is expected that the National Security Law will be tabled and endorsed in the meetings.

Beijing loyalist and Hong Kong representative attending the meeting Yip Kwok-him said that the finalised draft remained unknown at the moment. According to existing draft, waving national flags of the United Kingdom, the United States of America or Hong Kong would be deemed illegal under the National Security Law.

Yip stressed that if the Law cannot deal with these circumstances, there is no practical effect, citing the controversial Article 23 as only a "toothless tiger". Yip pointed out that once when the National Security Law is in force, it would be an obvious breach for anyone lobby for foreign country to impose sanctions on Hong Kong.

Source: Commercial Radio; NOW News
#Jun26 #Tyranny #FailedState
#NationalFlag

#OneCountryOneSystem
Promotional Poster for the National Security Act Defaced by the Public

Maria Tam Wai-chu, Deputy Director of the Basic Law Committee once said that the National Security Act had a high chance of being enacted by the end of this month. The Hong Kong Government has also been vigorously promoting it recently. Promotional materials for the bill have been seen in many different formats and mediums, such as physical advertising, video advertisements, social media posts.

In Admiralty, a defaced poster shows the public outcry in opposition to the law.

Source: Stand News #Jun26

#NationalSecurityLaw #HongKongProtest #FailedState

#NationalSecurityLaw
Understand the Hong Kong National Security Law in Five Minutes

1. The National Security Maintenance Committee will directly report to the Central People’s Government, and is free from interference by any other parties or individuals, and work information shall not be disclosed. Decision made by the National Security Council is also not subjected to judicial review. (Article 12, 13, 14)

2. The National Security Department of the Police Force may hire people outside of HKSAR (i.e. Chinese) to implement tasks related to national security. (Article 16)

3. Prosecutors in charge of national security cases are directly appointed by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. (Article 18)

4. Anyone who supports the independence of Hong Kong, Tibet or Uyghur, or argues that Taiwan, Senkaku Islands, South China Sea Islands, Kashmir etc. do not belong to China (where the CCP has territorial disputes over), are guilty under the National Security Law. (Article 20)

5. Anyone who calls for the resignation of any government officials will be considered as subverting state power, and thus is guilty under the National Security Law. (Article 22)

6. Anyone who causes obstruction in traffic during protests will be considered a terrorist under the law. (Article 24)

7. Any organization which leads a mass protest will be considered a terrorist organization. (Article 25)

8. Any foreign parties which promotes sanctions against Hong Kong or China will be considered criminals—by this law, US President Donald Trump or Nancy Pelosi will be considered guilty as well. (Article 29-4)

9. If you “induce hatred” towards the Chinese Communist Party or the Hong Kong Government, such as criticizing their administration, you will be considered a criminal. (Article 29-5)

10. Anyone who is judged guilty of violating the National Security Law shall be disqualified as a candidate in any election in Hong Kong, which can be used to eliminate opposition parties. (Article 35)

11. Individuals who travel by ships or aircraft registered in Hong Kong are also subjected to this law and may be arrested for their anti-China actions. (Article 36)

12. The National Security Law is also applicable who are not Hongkong/China residents and whom “commits the crime” outside Hong Kong. This means that if you are an American who calls for the resignation of Xi Jinping on another planet, you will still be considered guilty and will be subjected to arrestment and punishment. (Article 37,38)

13. The police are allowed to conduct interception of communications and covert surveillance of anyone who they suspect, and are also able to request any individual’s personal data from foreign political organizations and service provider, such as any social media, should they see fit. (Article 43)

14. The prosecution and trial related to the National Security Law can proceed without a jury and remain secretive to the public, which basically means that they can do anything behind closed doors. (Article 46)

15. The Chinese government can take over the jurisdiction of cases directly, without court ruling, whenever they deem essential. (Article 55)

16. The power of interpretation of the law belongs to the Chinese government, which can be translated as they can explain the law however they see fit. (Article 65)

#NationalSecurityLaw #OneCountryOneSystem #HongKong

#Court
First #NationalSecurityLaw Case in Hong Kong: Prosecution Cites Chinese Law Books to Assist Judge's Sentencing

The sentencing of Hong Kong's first National Security Law case is scheduled on July 30, 2021.

On July 29, the prosecution revealed that they had prepared Chinese law books for judges in Hong Kong court to review, believing that those sources were related to the case, and could provide strong support to the judges.

According to sources, the law books cited were written in simplified Chinese, named "Comprehension and Application of Criminal Law Provisions and Judicial Practice" (刑法条文理解适用与司法实务全书). However, the judges pointed out that those sources were for reference only. The interpretation of NSL would be based on Hong Kong's law principle. In regards to simulataenous sentencing, there is a large dispute among judges.

Tong Ying Kit pleads: I'm not a bad person, just did something very, very stupid

As "Inciting secession" and "Terrorism" are both serious crime, Tong, only 24 years old, is facing the highest sentence of life imprisonment.

On July 29, the Defence, in their plea, cited Tong's upbringing, the death of his parents, and his grandmother's cancer. If he faced a serious sentence, he would not see his grandmother for the last time.

The Defence expressed that Tong "is not a bad person, but did a very, very stupid thing and feels true remorse", and that "he knows he deserves punishment, but hopes the court can be light in sentencing."

The prosecution side, however, emphasized that according to the NSL, only when a suspect surrenders or exposes others can sentences be reduced.

Source: In Media HK #Jul29
https://bit.ly/3i6Myd0

https://bit.ly/3j1RrTQ

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Read more:

Is National Security Law Turning Hong Kong Into a Launchpad for China's #LegalTerrorism?

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/22449

#HongKongProtest #TongYingKit #NationalSecurityLaw #PoliticalOppression #RuleOfLaw #OneCountryOneSystem