#PolyUSiege
#PolyU University Managememt Suppresses Students' Union's Commemorative Events, Bans
Screenings and Newspaper Advertisement, Threatens Students with Penalties


On the eve of the one-year mark of the siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Students (PolyU), the Students' Union (#PUSU) planned to hold the screenings of two documentaries, 'Save PolyU ' and 'Inside the Red Brick Wall' on November 17 and 18, 2020, in addition to publishing a statement on the front page of Apple Daily.

However, the university management stated in an email sent to the Students' Union on Nov 11, 2020 that the screenings and the newspaper advertisement were banned. If the students do not comply, the university authorities will impose a series of punishments including terminating their use and management rights of the students' union venues; the university will also stop collecting the students union's fee for them, among other disciplinary penalties.

The Students Union condemned the university's intervention, describing it as an act intending to 'wipe out the bloody scenes in our campus'. Regarding the use of venues and operation in the future, the Union will rearrange the screenings and post the statement via their social media instead.

Source: Stand News #Nov12
#PoliticalSuppression #Censorship #University #NeverForget #NeverForgive

#OpinionArticle #Court #PoliticalSuppression
"I Do Not Plead Guilty": Hong Kong Journalist Facing Legal Challenge for Unveiling Suspected Police-Triad Collusion

[Editor's note: This is an opinion article written by Au Ka-lun, a veteran journalist in Hong Kong.

In this article, Au recounted what happened during a court hearing where Bao Choy, a journslist working for the public broadcaster RTHK, was charged by the Hong Kong authorities for "giving false statement". The case has stirred up the population's outcry for censoring media freedom and infringing free speech.]

On March 24, 2021, in the courtroom of the Western Magistrate’s Courts in Hong Komg, veteran journalist Bao Choy Yuk-ling resonantly said “I do not plead guilty”.

It is noteworthy that Choy said “I do not plead guilty" (我不認罪) instead of “I plead not guilty” (我唔認罪).

Bao Choy is a professional broadcaster who knows well the subtle difference between “do not” (不) and “Not” (唔) in Cantonese.

In Cantonese, the negation word that is pronounced “ng” is hard to sound out loudly, making it more difficult to be heard and message less affirmative.

Comparatively speaking, the sentence “I do not plead guilty” is more resounding and powerful.

Although I cannot see Bao Choy’s eyes and face through the screen, her clear response to the Court--by saying “I do not plead guilty” twice--found resonance outside the wall of the courtroom.

I heard not only her determination and defiance, but also her unyielding spirit with no fear, complaint and regret.

During the court hearing, the entire news documentary program, Hong Kong Connection: The Truth of 721. Perhaps, which was produced by Choy, was shown.

All those inside and outside the courtroom watched the investigative news programme, which is about the triad attack on pro-democracy protesters and passersby in Yuen Long on July 21, 2019, together.

We saw footages where a large group of white-clad gangsters gathered in the early afternoon; we even saw plain-clothes police officers witnessing the gathering of these Triad members.

The documentary recorded the suspected collusions between the police and the gangsters; questioned the police’s leniency towards the Triad; and demonstrated the journalists’ persistence in reporting the truth.

However, the Hong Kong authorities has deliberately tossed these facts aside. They charge a journalist for checking the car plates and owners' information.

It is a simple case, in which both the prosecution and the defendant did not summon a witness.

The case is upright and aboveboard, leaving Bao Choy nothing to defend for herself but holding her head high and said, “I do not plead guilty.”

Source: Stand News; #Mar24

https://www.thestandnews.com/court/%E8%94%A1%E7%8E%89%E7%8E%B2-%E6%88%91%E4%B8%8D%E8%AA%8D%E7%BD%AA/

#BaoChoy #AuKaLun #Journalism #Professionalism #RTHK

#Court #47Democrats #PoliticalSuppression
A Journalist's Account of Witnessing the Trial of 47 Pro-democracy Activists in Hong Kong's Court

Part 1

[Editor's note: The Hong Kong authorities arrested and charged 47 pro-democracy with #NationalSecurityLaw violations for their participation in the primary election of the democratic camp in 2020. The trial began in the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on March 1, 2021.

The following is a reflective account written by Hong Kong journalist Cheung Hoi-kit.]

In the court room, the 47 pro-democracy activists took half of the seats, crowding the area behind the defendant fence and the seats outside. It is like the entire dissidents camp has been arrested at once. Regardless of their ages, ranks and the political party, they became a community, facing their fate together.

With the large number of defendants and their lawyers, the main court did not have seats for the families, reporters and the public. Families could not stay close to the defendants, not even to have any eye contact, as they had to watch the hearing through the live broadcast.

The main court accomodated neither family members nor reporters. Even more so, no bail statement discussion was allowed. The marathon-style trial was like an epic, where countless tales were recounted.

The court debated on a wide range of media reports of the 47 pro-democracy activists. Although the chief magistrate Victor So said that those stories were touching, he claimed that those reports did not point to any public benefit.

Linda Wong, a senior counsel representing the defendants, argued that those stories were not a paragraph in a fiction, but the experience and the true background of a person. The defendants were not mere numbers.

The cold legal provisions and heart warming personal stories continued to compete in the court room.

Source: HK Citizens News #Mar14
Image: Sophiekiu.artsy
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/29387

https://www.hkcnews.com/article/39218/47%E4%BA%BA%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E6%A1%88-%E6%B0%91%E4%B8%BB%E6%B4%BE%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8-%E5%88%9D%E9%81%B8%E5%A4%A7%E8%B5%B7%E8%A8%B4-39218/%E3%80%90%E6%8E%A1%E8%A8%AA%E6%89%8B%E8%A8%98%E3%80%9147%E4%BA%BA%E6%A1%88%E5%9B%9B%E6%97%A5%E5%9B%9B%E5%A4%9C%E3%80%8C%E5%8F%B2%E8%A9%A9%E5%BC%8F%E6%8F%90%E5%A0%82%E3%80%8D%E7%9A%84%E4%B8%80%E4%BA%9B%E5%82%99%E5%BF%98

#Reflection #PoliticalPrisoners

#Court #PoliticalSuppression
University Student in HK Charged With National Security Violation for Reportedly Possessing Pepper Ball Gun

A 23-year-old university student in Hong Kong, who was originally accused of possessing a pepper ball gun without a licence, is now charged with "inciting secession" under the #NationalSecurityLaw.

The new charge was added by the prosecution when the case was mentioned in court on April 8, 2021.

In February, the prosecution made the news for grammatical mistakes in the indictment document such as "one piece pepper ball" and "two pieces pepper ball". The judge ordered the prosecution to correct the primary-school level English mistakes before continuing the trial, lest it becomes "the laughingstock of foreign courts.”

Source: Apple Daily #Apr8
https://bit.ly/39Qlkmi

See also: Police Charges Contain Rookie English Mistakes
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/28972

#PoliticalSuppression #Court
“I Plead Guilty, But I Have Done No Wrong”: Former Democratic Party Chairman in Hong Kong on Protest Charges

73-year-old Yeung Sum, former chairman of Hong Kong's Democratic Party, was among the few who plead guilty to participating in an unauthorized protest in the city on August 31, 2019.

The trial began on April 7, 2021 in the District Court in Hong Kong. Below are snippets from Yeung’s guilty plea:

“Your Honor, I plead guilty to the charges related to participating in an unauthorized assembly on Aug 31, 2019, but I have done no wrong, and I will not plead for mercy. The following is my submission."

“I plead guilty to participating in an unauthorized and illegal demonstration, but I will not admit that I did anything wrong.

Although the police did not issue a letter of no objection for the march, I still came forward to participate in the march because I want to uphold the fact that demonstration is a fundamental right of every Hong Kong citizen and should be constitutionally protected.

It was also to protest against the police’s abuse of power, who arbitrarily banned peaceful demonstrations and marches and deprived Hong Kong people of their civil rights.

Therefore, I am willing to put myself on the line and engage in civil disobedience in a peaceful manner, and I am prepared to accept the criminal liability of the law.”

For the full version in Chinese: https://bit.ly/3cUam0Y

Source: Stand News #April7
https://bit.ly/3cW1CaR

#PoliticalPrisoners #YeungSum #CivilDisobedience #AntiELAB #HongKongProtests

#PoliticalPrisoner #MassArrest
#PolyUSiege: HK Police Arrests 21 Civilians Including Student Standing in Public Exam

The police arrested 21 civilians in Hong Kong on the morning of April 26, 2021. The arrestees have refused bail in the Hong Kpng Polytechnic University (#PolyU) clash during the 2019 Anti-ELAB protest.

The Organised Crime and Triad Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force charged them with “perverting the course of justice” as they were suspected of assisting other civilians trapped in the PolyU campus to avoid from being tracked.

Stand News found that one of the arrestees is a public exam HKDSE candidate who was absent for the subject Liberal Studies - Paper 1 exam due to police detention.

His/ her educational pathway will be obstructed as this paper accounts for 56% of the assessment, which is a core subject and required to obtain at least a level 2 in university admission.

Source: Stand News #Apr23

https://bit.ly/3aCvqb2

#PoliceState #PoliticalSuppression

#Court #PoliticalPrisoner
#JoshuaWong: Don't Let the World Change Us

In almost 2 years since the Anti-ELAB movement broke out in 2019, Hong Kong's representative figures of the pro-democracy "resistance" camp are either in jail or in exile.

Among them, former lawmaker #EddieChu, former journalist #GywnethHo, district councillors #LesterShum and #TiffanyYuen have been detained and denied bail since late February 2021. They are among the 47 pro-democracy activists arrested for joining the primary election in 2020.

Former chair of #Demisisto #NathanLaw and former spokesman for the Hong Kong Higher Institutions International Affairs Delegation (#HKIAD) #SunnyCheung have to sever ties with their family in Hong Kong and live in exile.

On March 30, 2021, district councillor #JannelleLeung and activist Joshua Wong, alongside Shum and Yuen, were trialed for taking part in an "unauthorised assembly" on #June4 in Victoria Park in 2020.

They were among 24 pro-democracy figures who were charged for participating in the annual candlelight vigil to commemorate the victims of the 1989 #TiananmenSquareMassacre in Beijing. The vigil was for the first time banned by the Hong Kong police in 2020. It is still uncertain that whether the annual rally could be held in 2021.

The four pro-democracy activists admitted to joining the rally and were remanded in custody. In the courtroom, Joshua Wong yelled, "Even if we cannot change the world, don't let the world change us."

The 24-year-old Wong is currently serving his sentence for surrounding the police headquarters during the #AntiELAB protest, while being additionally charged with other offences connecting to the primary election and June 4th #vigil.

Source: Stand News #Mar30
https://bit.ly/333JeXD

#PoliticalSuppression #PoliceState #47Democrats

#Censorship #PoliticalSuppression
#RTHK terminates the contract of critically acclaimed reporter #NabelaQoser

In Hong Kong, the public broadcaster RTHK refused to renew the contract of journalist Nabela Qoser, who is known for her professionalism and critical stance.

Since 2019, the pro-Beijing camp and figures have been attacking Qoser after she raised sharp questions during government press conferences.

Although the station has earlier announced that Qoser was wrongly accused by the complaints, RTHK reopened the investigation in October 2020. Citing the ongoing probe as a reason, RTHK terminated Qoser's civil service contract in January 2021, though she was employed in 2017. The public broadcaster further switched her to a 120-day contract, before terminaring it in May 2021.

Qoser has to leave the station by the end of May 2021.

Source: Stand News #May3
https://bit.ly/3vD3Ylr

#Journalism

#Separation #Hongkongers
On #MothersDay, Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists, remanded or exiled, Pay Homage to Their Mothers

Usually on Mother’s Day, many families would go out and celebrate. However, some are less fortunate this year in Hong Kong.

On May 9, 2021, exiled former #Demosisto leader #NathanLaw posted a photo with his mother on Facebook. He said this festival reminds him of the many pro-democracy protestors who became separated from their families. “Only until justice is done can family warmth return.”

Nathan Law recalled, “no matter how busy I am, on Mother's Day, I can always let go of my work and sit before a dinner table with my family.”

He admitted he saw festivals as an excuse to step away from work, but this year he thought of all the protestors who were forced into leaving their own families due to political oppression.

“For everyone who is remanded, imprisoned, or exiled, there is always a mother at home waiting for their return, waiting for days, for months, for years.”

He hoped there can be a new meaning for Mother’s Day. “Please remember those behind bars and oceans apart.”

The facebook page of democrat #TakchiTam, who is remanded on National Security charges, also posted a video that was recorded earlier of him singing the song “Mother, I did no wrong.”

In the video, he said the festival also reminded him of all the young men and women exiled or imprisoned due to the movement. However, he believed when people are united in their pursuit of justice and truth, a new family will be forged.

[Editor's note: “Mother, I have done no wrong” is a song written in remembrance of the 1989 June Fourth Massacre in Beijing. The title is a reference to a famous banner raised by the pro-democracy students who went on hunger strike in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

The lyrics sing:

“We want no one to define right or wrong.

We want no one to convict others at will."]

Source: Stand News #May9

https://www.thestandnews.com/society/a-%E4%B8%8D%E4%B8%80%E6%A8%A3%E7%9A%84%E6%AF%8D%E8%A6%AA%E7%AF%80-%E6%B5%81%E4%BA%A1%E7%BE%85%E5%86%A0%E8%81%B0%E4%B8%8A%E8%BC%89%E8%88%87%E6%AF%8D%E8%A6%AA%E5%90%88%E7%85%A7-%E5%85%AC%E7%BE%A9%E5%BD%B0%E9%A1%AF%E6%89%8D%E5%8F%AF%E6%9C%89%E5%AE%B6%E5%BA%AD%E6%BA%AB%E6%9A%96-%E5%BF%AB%E5%BF%85%E8%87%AA%E5%BD%88%E8%87%AA%E5%94%B1-%E5%AA%BD%E5%AA%BD%E6%88%91%E6%B2%92%E6%9C%89%E9%81%8E%E9%8C%AF/

#JuneFourth #Mothers #Exile #PoliticalSuppression #PoliticalPrisoners

#Court
#HongkongersVoice #Letter
Former #StudentsUnion President #OwenAu: "We can still strive for the future we want by our actions from moment to moment"

Part 1 / 3

[Editor's note:

The following is a letter written by Owen Au Cheuk-hei, the former president of the Students' Union of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK). The letter was submitted to the Kowloon City Magistrates' Court in Hong Kong on May18, 2021, where the 22-year-old Au was trialed for "participating in an unauthorized assembly", "possessing weapons" and "obstructing justice" among other charges in a pro-democracy protest on October 20, 2019.

On the same day in court, Au has been convicted and the court will deliver his sentence on June 2, 2021.]

"That year, the feeling of hopelessness led to a wave of student suicides. One youth after another became overwhelmed by the feeling of darkness as they could not see their future, and ended their brief lives.

One of my best friends was among them; he departed suddenly, without leaving a word behind. After that, I spent countless days and nights curled up on my bed, watching countless sunrises and sunsets outside my window, berating myself for being unable to prevent the tragedy from happening.

It was then that I began to doubt the phrase 'determining my own destiny'. No matter how my self-determined spirit struggles, it could not slow down the fall and corruption of this land by even a little bit.

So I began to think that, in this cruel society, self-determination was probably only an absurd joke.

I was caught up in all these depressing emotions when I came to find Buddhism. I reached a relevation one day, and understood that all things came from dependent arising, and are emptiness by nature; whether times are good or bad, nothing is permanent, and nothing lasts forever.

From this, I learned to put aside my own preconceptions, and let go of my own honor and disgrace. I no longer worry whether every effort I paid would be rewarded. I only concern myself with whether what I think and do are improving myself, those around me, and the world I live in. The past cannot be changed; the present is bound by the past; but the future is determined by our choices today.

Even though much of the world is beyond our control, even beyond our knowledge, we can still strive for the future we want by our actions from moment to moment. Perhaps this is what 'determining my own destiny' really meant. This is how, through faith, I found the strength to carry on living, and the courage to meet my own future destiny."

Source: InMedia #May18
https://bit.ly/3tQqQg0

#PoliticalProsecution #PoliticalPrisoner #PoliticalSuppression #PoliceState #HongKongProtests #AntiELAB