#FailedState #UniversalTesting #Covid19Test
HK Gov't Extends COVID 19 Universal Testing Scheme Despite Less-than-stellar Reception and Refuses to Disclose Expenses
The participation and the effectiveness of the Hong Kong government's universal Covid-19 testing scheme, which has started since Sept 1, were below expectations.
However, the Secretary of Civil Service Bureau, Patrick Nip Tak-Kuen, announced on Sept 4 plans the extension of the scheme for 4 more days and the closure of 19 Centers with lower turnouts.
Journalists have questioned the reason behind the extension of the program, since there were less than 1 million participants, and the results yielded were far behind the government’s estimation. The government expected to find 1 confirmed case in every 5,000 samples; however, the actual result was only 1 case in 60,000 samples.
The media have also requested for the government to disclose the overall expense of this program.
Sophia Chan Siu-chee, the Secretary for Food and Health, stood in defense of the government's decisions, saying that the numbers of tests and confirmed cases are constantly changing, so she will not comment on its effectiveness. Nip rejected the media's request for the disclosure of the expense, and said that it was irrelevant for such a question to be in discussion at this juncture.
Source: InMedia #Sept4
https://bit.ly/3h15Jky
#Covid19 #WuhanPneumonia #PatrickNip #SophiaChan #TaxPayersMoney
HK Gov't Extends COVID 19 Universal Testing Scheme Despite Less-than-stellar Reception and Refuses to Disclose Expenses
The participation and the effectiveness of the Hong Kong government's universal Covid-19 testing scheme, which has started since Sept 1, were below expectations.
However, the Secretary of Civil Service Bureau, Patrick Nip Tak-Kuen, announced on Sept 4 plans the extension of the scheme for 4 more days and the closure of 19 Centers with lower turnouts.
Journalists have questioned the reason behind the extension of the program, since there were less than 1 million participants, and the results yielded were far behind the government’s estimation. The government expected to find 1 confirmed case in every 5,000 samples; however, the actual result was only 1 case in 60,000 samples.
The media have also requested for the government to disclose the overall expense of this program.
Sophia Chan Siu-chee, the Secretary for Food and Health, stood in defense of the government's decisions, saying that the numbers of tests and confirmed cases are constantly changing, so she will not comment on its effectiveness. Nip rejected the media's request for the disclosure of the expense, and said that it was irrelevant for such a question to be in discussion at this juncture.
Source: InMedia #Sept4
https://bit.ly/3h15Jky
#Covid19 #WuhanPneumonia #PatrickNip #SophiaChan #TaxPayersMoney
#LegCo #FailedState
After The Democrats' Mass Resignation: Beijing Loyalists Suddenly Turn LegCo Meeting into a Presser, But Without Inviting the Media
Source: Stand News #Nov13
Read more
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26713
#TaxPayersMoney
After The Democrats' Mass Resignation: Beijing Loyalists Suddenly Turn LegCo Meeting into a Presser, But Without Inviting the Media
Source: Stand News #Nov13
Read more
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/26713
#TaxPayersMoney
#AsiasFinest #TaxpayersMoney
Hong Kong Police Force Purchase 4k Camcorders to Improve the Quality of "Evidence"
Source: InMedia HK #Dec17
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Hong Kong Police Force Purchase 4k Camcorders to Improve the Quality of "Evidence"
Source: InMedia HK #Dec17
Read more
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#AsiasFinest #TaxpayersMoney
Hong Kong Police Force Purchase 4k Camcorders to Improve the Quality of "Evidence"
At a meeting held by the Independent Police Complaints Council (#IPCC) on Dec 15, 2020, the Hong Kong Police Force indicated that since Oct 1, 2020 uniformed officers have been carrying high definition camcorders when they are on duty. The aim is to "prevent malicious and inaccurate accusations" and to "enhance the quality of evidence when required by the court".
Multiple members of the Council supported the Police’s idea, and requested them to make recordings at all times when on duty.
Stephen Yu, Senior Superintendent of the Support Branch, said the Hong Kong Police Force now own 10,000 camcorders. The second generation camcorders they purchased after 2018 are 1080p cameras that do not require the installation of an external memory card and support low light shooting.
Yu said, unless being requested to keep as evidence in court, videos are otherwise deleted after 31 days. “We don’t just keep them in a server, we have another system to maintain the records”.
After being questioned by a committee member whether the “other system” stood for an independent cloud service managed by the police, Yu added “The videos are copied to CDs”.
Source: InMedia HK #Dec17
https://bit.ly/37lGAj3
#MassSurveillance #BigData #HongKongPolice #PoliceState
Hong Kong Police Force Purchase 4k Camcorders to Improve the Quality of "Evidence"
At a meeting held by the Independent Police Complaints Council (#IPCC) on Dec 15, 2020, the Hong Kong Police Force indicated that since Oct 1, 2020 uniformed officers have been carrying high definition camcorders when they are on duty. The aim is to "prevent malicious and inaccurate accusations" and to "enhance the quality of evidence when required by the court".
Multiple members of the Council supported the Police’s idea, and requested them to make recordings at all times when on duty.
Stephen Yu, Senior Superintendent of the Support Branch, said the Hong Kong Police Force now own 10,000 camcorders. The second generation camcorders they purchased after 2018 are 1080p cameras that do not require the installation of an external memory card and support low light shooting.
Yu said, unless being requested to keep as evidence in court, videos are otherwise deleted after 31 days. “We don’t just keep them in a server, we have another system to maintain the records”.
After being questioned by a committee member whether the “other system” stood for an independent cloud service managed by the police, Yu added “The videos are copied to CDs”.
Source: InMedia HK #Dec17
https://bit.ly/37lGAj3
#MassSurveillance #BigData #HongKongPolice #PoliceState
#FirstHand #Feb4
HK Government Deploys Large Number of Staff to Enforce Mandatory Lockdown Despite Decrease in Daily Confirmed Cases
On Feb 4, 2021, the Hong Kong government imposes mandatory lockdowns in Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok again.
Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28424
The residents on Pitt Street and Tung On Street were subjected to a second #Covid19 testing within just 9 days. It is the 7th lockdown of the Yau Tsim Mong district, since the government enforced its first mandatory lockdown in Jordan on Jan 23, 2021.
The photos show the street scene in Mongkok during the lockdown on Feb 4, 2021.
At around 7am on Feb 5, a total of 2,230 people were tested. In the afternoon, the government announced that no positive case was found.
#MongkokLockdown #TaxpayersMoney
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HK Police Break Their Promise; Curry Shop Owner and Employees Trapped in Lockdown Zone
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28439
Residents Ask If Carrie Lam Hates Them So Much
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28437
HK Government Deploys Large Number of Staff to Enforce Mandatory Lockdown Despite Decrease in Daily Confirmed Cases
On Feb 4, 2021, the Hong Kong government imposes mandatory lockdowns in Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok again.
Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28424
The residents on Pitt Street and Tung On Street were subjected to a second #Covid19 testing within just 9 days. It is the 7th lockdown of the Yau Tsim Mong district, since the government enforced its first mandatory lockdown in Jordan on Jan 23, 2021.
The photos show the street scene in Mongkok during the lockdown on Feb 4, 2021.
At around 7am on Feb 5, a total of 2,230 people were tested. In the afternoon, the government announced that no positive case was found.
#MongkokLockdown #TaxpayersMoney
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HK Police Break Their Promise; Curry Shop Owner and Employees Trapped in Lockdown Zone
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28439
Residents Ask If Carrie Lam Hates Them So Much
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28437
The Hong Kong Government deployed over 3,000 civil servants from 16 departments distributing food for the 48-hour lockdown in the Jordon district on Jan 26, 2021.
#COVID19 #Lockdown #TaxPayersMoney #CivilServants #GoHKgraphics
#COVID19 #Lockdown #TaxPayersMoney #CivilServants #GoHKgraphics
#FailedState #StateMachine
Hong Kong Government Set Aside HK$8 billion for National Secutity Expenses
On Feb 24, 2021, Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Paul Chan announced the Financial Budget for 2021/2022. HK$8 billion will be allocated to "safeguarding national security", without giving further details.
What Chan calldd “special fund”
for national security purposes in Hong Kong reaches one-third of China's annual "national security" expenditure in Xinjiang. Meanwhile, the amount currently budgeted in Hong Kong is excluded from the expenses of the National Security Police.
The Financial Secretary in Hong Kong refused to disclose details of how the authorities arrived at the figure. Chan claimed that he had discussed with the national security authorities.
Meanwhile, the police force is set to receive a 7.7 percent budget raise in the coming financial year, following an increase of 25 percent last year.
Source: RTHK; Stand News #Feb24
www.news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1577245-20210224.htm
https://bit.ly/3aQ7scR
#FinancialBudget #NationalSecurityLaw #TaxpayersMoney #PaulChan
Hong Kong Government Set Aside HK$8 billion for National Secutity Expenses
On Feb 24, 2021, Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Paul Chan announced the Financial Budget for 2021/2022. HK$8 billion will be allocated to "safeguarding national security", without giving further details.
What Chan calldd “special fund”
for national security purposes in Hong Kong reaches one-third of China's annual "national security" expenditure in Xinjiang. Meanwhile, the amount currently budgeted in Hong Kong is excluded from the expenses of the National Security Police.
The Financial Secretary in Hong Kong refused to disclose details of how the authorities arrived at the figure. Chan claimed that he had discussed with the national security authorities.
Meanwhile, the police force is set to receive a 7.7 percent budget raise in the coming financial year, following an increase of 25 percent last year.
Source: RTHK; Stand News #Feb24
www.news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1577245-20210224.htm
https://bit.ly/3aQ7scR
#FinancialBudget #NationalSecurityLaw #TaxpayersMoney #PaulChan
news.rthk.hk
Govt reserves HK$8b 'to safeguard national security'
Financial Secretary Paul Chan has revealed that the government has set aside HK$8 billion for "safeguarding national security in the coming years", without giving further details. A breakdown of the figures provided in Chan’s latest financial blueprint said…
#TaxpayersMoney
Hong Kong Free Press: Hong Kong govt’s spends multi-million dollar in US lobbying operation
Source: HKFP #Apr19
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Hong Kong Free Press: Hong Kong govt’s spends multi-million dollar in US lobbying operation
Source: HKFP #Apr19
Read more
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#TaxpayersMoney
Hong Kong Free Press: Hong Kong govt’s spends multi-million dollar in US lobbying operation
//HKFP has reviewed years worth of disclosure filings submitted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (#HKTDC) and its lobbying firms as part of requirements under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (#FARA), and found that the Hong Kong government lobbied US politicians specifically on the Act in at least six in-person meetings, after massive protests broke out in Hong Kong in 2014, and again in 2019.
The HKTDC paid close to HK$84 million (US$10.8 million) to US lobbying firms from 2014 to 2020, according to data provided by the Centre for Responsive Politics. It also received a total of HK$374 million (US$48.2 million) from its head office to cover expenses that require FARA disclosure during this time.
The HKTDC was just one of the myriad of entities among the China lobby that tried to influence US policies by making a case for mutual economic interests to American legislators, Hong Kong Democracy Council activist Samuel Chu said.
“Instead of them going directly [to say] that ‘we wanted to push back on the human rights and democracy part of the law,’ they send the trade and business people to say that the bill is bad,” said Chu.//
Read full article:
hongkongfp.com/2021/04/19/inside-hong-kong-govts-multi-million-dollar-lobbying-operation-on-capitol-hill/
Source: HKFP #Apr19
#FailedState #Interference #Lobby #Capitol
Hong Kong Free Press: Hong Kong govt’s spends multi-million dollar in US lobbying operation
//HKFP has reviewed years worth of disclosure filings submitted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (#HKTDC) and its lobbying firms as part of requirements under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (#FARA), and found that the Hong Kong government lobbied US politicians specifically on the Act in at least six in-person meetings, after massive protests broke out in Hong Kong in 2014, and again in 2019.
The HKTDC paid close to HK$84 million (US$10.8 million) to US lobbying firms from 2014 to 2020, according to data provided by the Centre for Responsive Politics. It also received a total of HK$374 million (US$48.2 million) from its head office to cover expenses that require FARA disclosure during this time.
The HKTDC was just one of the myriad of entities among the China lobby that tried to influence US policies by making a case for mutual economic interests to American legislators, Hong Kong Democracy Council activist Samuel Chu said.
“Instead of them going directly [to say] that ‘we wanted to push back on the human rights and democracy part of the law,’ they send the trade and business people to say that the bill is bad,” said Chu.//
Read full article:
hongkongfp.com/2021/04/19/inside-hong-kong-govts-multi-million-dollar-lobbying-operation-on-capitol-hill/
Source: HKFP #Apr19
#FailedState #Interference #Lobby #Capitol
Hong Kong Free Press HKFP
Exclusive: Inside the Hong Kong govt’s multi-million dollar US lobbying operation
When celebrity Hong Kong activists Joshua Wong and Denise Ho flew to the United States to testify before Congress about protests in the city and to lobby its members on a law that paved way for US …