📡Guardians of Hong Kong aka BeWater HK
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We provide translation of news in English from local media and other sources, for academic use.
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Human Rights Organisation's Report Shows Hong Kong Ranked 4th Last

Source: The Chaser News #Jun22

#HumanRightsMeasurementInitiative #CivilRights #PoliticalRights #YangXiaoguang #ForeignAffairsMinistry #UnitedNations #UN #HumanRights

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Human Rights Organisation's Report Shows Hong Kong Ranked 4th Last

The Human Rights Measurement Initiative (#HRMI), an international organisation based in #NewZealand, published the 2022 Human Rights Report on June 21, assessing the civil and political rights in 30 districts.

The overall score of Hong Kong's "Empowerment" (which relates to general freedoms for citizens) slightly increased from 2021. Yet, it is still fourth last, while mainland China remains at the bottom of the ranking.

Meanwhile, the Special Representative of the Human Rights Department under China's Foreign Affairs Ministry, Yang Xiaoguang, attended the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday (Jun 21), strongly criticising the UK, Australia and other countries and "anti-China organisations" for slandering China and repeating lies on the issues in #HongKong, #Xinjiang and #Tibet. He even claimed the development of human rights in Xinjiang and Tibet is "in the best period in history".

Source: The Chaser News #Jun22

https://bit.ly/43j1GrS

#HumanRightsMeasurementInitiative #CivilRights #PoliticalRights #YangXiaoguang #ForeignAffairsMinistry #UnitedNations #UN #HumanRights
National Security Department Offers Bounty for 8 Exiled Activists

Source: Inmedia #July03

#Exiled #HKers #LiKwaiWah #NationalSecurityLaw #ExtraterritorialEffect

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National Security Department Offers Bounty for 8 Exiled Activists

Three years into the implementation of the National Security Law (#NSL), the National Security Department (#NSDepartment) announced that they are offering bounty for the arrest of eight exiled Hongkongers.

In a press conference on July 3, Chief Superintendent Li Kwai-wah said he has applied to the courts for an arrest warrant, with an award of up to 1 million dollars for information on the eight wanted Hongkongers. The eight are: lawyer #KevinYam News commentator #ElmerYuen, Director of Hong Kong Democratic Council (#HKDC) #AnnaKwok, #FinnLau, #MungSiuTat, Former LegCo member #DennisKwok, #TedHui, and #NathanLaw.

The police displayed black-and-white photos of the eight in the conference, announcing their offenses one by one, and criticising their threats to the national security.

Li also mentioned that some "Anti-China rioters" are exiled but continue endangering national security. He quoted the 37th and 38th Ordinance under NSL, emphasising the regulation has an extraterritorial effect, regardless of whether the person is a Hong Kong permanent resident.

#Exiled #HKers #LiKwaiWah #NationalSecurityLaw #ExtraterritorialEffect

Source: Inmedia #July03

https://bit.ly/4388usC
US bill that could close Hong Kong’s trade offices advances in Senate; gov’t slams ‘gross interference’

The proposed bill would require the White House to remove the immunities granted to Hong Kong trade offices in the US if it decided that “Hong Kong no longer enjoys a high degree of autonomy” from Beijing.

A draft bill that could shut down Hong Kong’s economic and trade offices in the US was approved by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs last Thursday, bringing it closer to becoming law. The action was strongly condemned by the Hong Kong government and the city’s commerce chief.

Source: HKFP #Jul19

#US #HongKong #Bill #TradeOffices

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https://hongkongfp.com/2023/07/19/us-bill-that-could-close-hong-kongs-trade-offices-advances-in-senate-govt-slams-gross-interference
Hong Kong Police Harasses vulnerable Homeless Voicing Their Concerns

Source: inmediahk; #Jul10

#HKPF #Homelesss #NationalSecurityLaw #NSL

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Hong Kong Police Harasses vulnerable Homeless Voicing Their Concerns

In the last nine years, the number of homeless in Hong Kong has surged by over 2.5 times, according to recent statistics from the Social Welfare Department. Shockingly, the government's provision of subsidized accommodation has failed to keep up with this rapid increase in the homeless population. This pressing issue came under discussion session of the Legislative Council's Welfare Services Panel on 10 July.

Before the meeting, a group of concerned citizens, including homeless individuals, gathered to petition, urging the government to adopt a more compassionate approach towards the homeless. However, the petition saw only seven participants, and the event was closely monitored by nearly ten uniformed and plainclothes police officers, raising concerns among the advocates.

Following the petition, a representative from the advocacy group was approached by the police and subjected to a lengthy reminder about the rules governing public assembly under the National Security Law, lasting almost a minute and a half.

Expressing dismay, the representative lamented, "As homeless, we are already facing hardships imposed by the government. We simply don't have the time or resources to pose a threat national security."

Source: inmediahk; #Jul10

#HKPF #Homelesss #NationalSecurityLaw #NSL

https://bit.ly/3O4xsnh
HK Authorities continue Exploiting National Security to Erode Media Neutrality

Source: Inmediahk; #Jul17

#OCFA #NationalSecurityLaw #NSL

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HK Authorities continue Exploiting National Security to Erode Media Neutrality

The Hong Kong Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) initiated a public consultation on July 17th to discuss proposed changes to the regulations governing television and radio programs and advertisements. The OFCA presented 11 suggestions, one of which focused on ensuring program neutrality, with an exception for content related to national education, national identity, and a proper understanding of the Hong Kong National Security Law. According to the OFCA, licensed broadcasters might face legal risks if they include anti-National Security Law content in their programs to meet the neutrality requirement.

At present, licensed broadcasters are bound by the OFCA to allocate a minimum of 30 minutes per week for broadcasting content covering subjects such as national education, national identity, and an accurate understanding of the National Security Law.

Under the guise of the Television Program Code and Radio Program Code, the OFCA has expressed concerns that broadcasters may receive complaints if their programs are perceived as one-sided and lacking diverse perspectives.

Paradoxically, in an effort to adhere to neutrality guidelines, should broadcasters include content that is critical of the National Security Law, they may inadvertently expose themselves to legal risks."

To address this, the OFCA proposed to exempt programs concerning national education from the neutrality requirements.

Source: Inmediahk; #Jul17

https://bit.ly/44koJUJ

#OCFA #NationalSecurityLaw #NSL
US bars Hong Kong’s sanction-hit John Lee from APEC meeting in San Francisco – report

Washington will bar Chief Executive John Lee from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum meeting in the US this November, along with ten other Hong Kong officials, the Washington Post reported on Friday citing sources. Lee is still under US sanctions.

The annual APEC CEO Summit 2023 will be held in San Francisco on November 15 and 16. The economic conference involves political leaders from the Asia-Pacific region. However, Lee is one of multiple Chinese officials who were sanctioned by the US in 2020 for their alleged role in cracking down on political freedoms in the city.

The move comes despite recent efforts by the Joe Biden administration to reset relations with Beijing.

Source:HKFP #Jul28

https://hongkongfp.com/2023/07/28/just-in-us-bars-hong-kongs-sanction-hit-john-lee-from-apec-meeting-in-san-francisco-report/

#HongKong #US #JohnLee #APEC #Sanction
"Perfected" District Council Election Will Be Held on 10 December, Same Day as International Human Rights Day

#HumanRights #InternationHumanRightsDay #CivilHumanRightFront #DistrictCouncilElection

Source: Inmedia #Jul24

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"Perfected" District Council Election Will Be Held on 10 December, Same Day as International Human Rights Day

On July 24, the government announced that the first District Council Election since its "perfection" will be held on #Dec10 this year, the same day as the International Human Rights Day. The nomination period for the District Councillor sector and Geographical Constituency Candidates is between Oct 17 and 30.

This election will be the first time since the hangover that the district council election is held in December. According to records, previous district council elections were all scheduled in November. The last one held was on Nov 24, 2019, during the height of the #AntiELAB movement. The International Human Rights Day was on Dec 8 that year, when the Civil Human Rights Front held a demonstration with 800,000 participants.

The number of directly-elected District Council seats has been drastically reduced since the government amended the election ordinance on July 6. Previously, 452 seats were directly elected by voters; the upcoming election will have only 88, less than 20% of the total 470 seats. 355 of the remaining seats will be either directly appointed by the Chief Executive, or chosen by government-established committees. Pro-Beijing officials often lauded this rule change as "perfecting" the city's electoral system.

#HumanRights #InternationHumanRightsDay #CivilHumanRightFront #DistrictCouncilElection

Source: Inmedia #Jul24

https://bit.ly/44Z5yj6
France is investigating suspected smuggling to China and Russia of advanced chip technology

Source: AP News #Jul28

#China #IndustrialEspionage #TechnologyTheft

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France is investigating suspected smuggling to China and Russia of advanced chip technology

French magistrates have filed preliminary charges against two Chinese citizens and two other people from France in an investigation of a leading chip supplier whose advanced technology with possible military uses was reportedly smuggled to China and Russia, allegedly skirting sanctions and export controls.

The probe of #Ommic, a Paris-region semiconductor manufacturer now in American hands, was launched by France’s national prosecution service that specializes in cases involving arms proliferation.

The newspaper Le Parisien first reported on the case. It said investigators have uncovered nearly 12 million euros (more than $13 million) worth of suspected exports of technology.
It said the company’s French manager is suspected of having personally delivered chips to Russian clients. It said products were also exported to Chinese armament manufacturers with the help of forged paperwork.

The newspaper said a Beijing-based Chinese businessman with ties to China’s defense industry bought a majority stake and took control of Ommic in 2018.

France’s counter-espionage agency suspects the Chinese investor was seeking to transfer French technology to China, notably a semiconductor manufacturing process that Ommic specializes in, the newspaper said.

Source: AP News #Jul28

https://apnews.com/article/france-china-russia-chip-technology-smuggling-66a8a4edcaf7137e109a16d6d300cd94

#China #IndustrialEspionage #TechnologyTheft
TikTok Pushed Chinese Propaganda Ads To Millions Across Europe

Source: Forbes #Jul27

#Tiktok #EuropeanUnion #DigitalServicesAct #CCP #Propaganda #Xinjiang

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TikTok Pushed Chinese Propaganda Ads To Millions Across Europe

TikTok has served up a flood of ads from Chinese state propaganda outlets to millions of Europeans in recent months, according to a new ad library published by the company on July 20. The promotions range in topic from defenses of Chinese Covid-19 lockdowns to adorable cats playing on the Great Wall of China to efforts to recast the country's Xinjiang region — where it has persecuted and detained more than one million mostly Muslim Uyghurs — as a spectacular tourist destination.

An analysis of the ad library conducted by Forbes showed that as of Wednesday, July 26, more than 1,000 ads from Chinese state media outlets like People’s Daily and CGTN have run on the platform since October 2022. They have been served to millions of users across Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom. The ad library does not yet display data on ads presented to users in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries outside of Europe.

Much of the content advertised by China state media on TikTok focused on frequent talking points from its TV, radio and print outlets that tout China’s economy, technology and cultural heritage. References to Xinjiang, where the U.S. government have branded the Chinese government’s campaign of mass repression, imprisonment and “reeducation” as a genocide, appeared in 92 of the 124 adverts promoted by one state media account.

Full article from Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/iainmartin/2023/07/26/tiktok-chinese-propaganda-ads-europe/

#Jul27 #Tiktok #EuropeanUnion #DigitalServicesAct #CCP #Propaganda #Xinjiang
Regina Ip Criticised APEC having "Unfair Condition" that Beijing has to Decide whether to Attend with this Insult

Source: Inmedia #Aug03

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Regina Ip Criticised APEC having "Unfair Condition" that Beijing has to Decide whether to Attend with this Insult

The #WashingtonPost reported earlier that the #US #DepartmentofState denied #JohnLee to enter the US border for the #APEC summit. Yet, the Hong Kong government can still send other senior officials to participate.

The pro-establishment camp criticised the US's practice with statements and journals yesterday. Among them, #ReginaIp, the convenor of the Executive Council, wrote in #ChinaDaily that the APEC summit has an "unknown future" because of John Lee. She also questioned whether it is worthwhile for the government to send another official to attend if the ban is "harmful and unreasonable". She pointed out that the Chinese "highest leader" should decide whether he should accept "the insult".

Besides, #TaKungPao quoted statements from various politicians in a report, including #MargaretChan from #CPPCC, #KingsleyWong from #HKFTU and #BraveChan from #DAB.

Note:
CPPCC refers to Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
HKFTU refers to Hong Kong Federation of Trade Union
DAB refers to Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong

Source: Inmedia #Aug03

https://tinyurl.com/245traxv
Organizations condemning Hong Kong Police at World Police & Fire Games

Grassroots organizations are condemning the decision to allow members of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) to compete at the World Police & Fire Games (WPFG) in Winnipeg.

On Monday, six Hong Kong Canadian advocacy groups from across the country released a joint statement expressing their concern.

"How can we allow the Hong Kong Police Force to represent themselves in Canada when they have committed clear violence against the Hong Kong people?” Henry Chan, co-director of Saskatchewan Stands With Hong Kong, told CTV News.

Chan is referring to allegations of police brutality during public protests that started in 2019.

Source: CTV News #Aug01

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/organizations-condemning-hong-police-at-world-police-fire-games-1.6501640?fbclid=IwAR3_F0CrclDZCTlWYL2RTxYyNAHdhQDcGnobmUf12tgMYgMHQWIwUL329d0

#HKPF #WPFG #Canada
HSBC Senior Executive calls UK's Huawei Ban "Feeble" in Closed-Door Meeting

Source:Points Media, #Aug07

#HSBC #UK #HuaweiBan

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