Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#Solidarity #HongKongProtest
Detained Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activist Receives a Marriage Proposal from Activist Boyfriend
The vice-chairwoman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Tonyee Chow Hang-tung, who is a barrister, was refused bail and was remanded.
She was accused of "inciting others to participate in an unapproved assembly" for promoting the June 4th Tiananmen Massacre commemorative event in 2021.
Chow's partner Ye Du, a Chinese human rights activist and writer, sent his marriage proposal in a letter.
He expressed his feelings of longing. He saying the darkest time before the dawn can be more remarkable in their hearts. Hw also mentioned that this big wave of time disrupted their original imagination to the future, bringing an expected development.
The proposal letter by Ye Du was published in MingPao today.
The letter was written on July 13th, the anniversary of the death of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. Ye Du proposed marriage by letter to Tonyee, mentioning, "You said you want to have a romantic proposal. There always has a strange way to propose. But what is compatible with you being in a small jail and me being in a large jail... What is compatible with having a mutual memory on a special date, the anniversary of the death of Liu Xiaobo? What is compatible and more remarkable to the romantic moment under this darkness before the dawn? Tung, would you marry me?"
Ye Du indicated, "For my soul singing songs as a testimony, for those friends sending you this letter as a testimony, for the prison censors of this letter as a testimony, for whoever reading this letter and caring your situation as a testimony", proposing marriage to Tonyee. "Since now, you are the wind and snow, Spring and Summer. You are the world. Only hope to hold your hands for a lifetime".
Source: Stand News #Jul25
https://bit.ly/3zMwOlz
#TonyeeChow #ChowHangTung #YeDu #MarriageProposal #LiuXiaobo #June4th
Detained Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activist Receives a Marriage Proposal from Activist Boyfriend
The vice-chairwoman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Tonyee Chow Hang-tung, who is a barrister, was refused bail and was remanded.
She was accused of "inciting others to participate in an unapproved assembly" for promoting the June 4th Tiananmen Massacre commemorative event in 2021.
Chow's partner Ye Du, a Chinese human rights activist and writer, sent his marriage proposal in a letter.
He expressed his feelings of longing. He saying the darkest time before the dawn can be more remarkable in their hearts. Hw also mentioned that this big wave of time disrupted their original imagination to the future, bringing an expected development.
The proposal letter by Ye Du was published in MingPao today.
The letter was written on July 13th, the anniversary of the death of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. Ye Du proposed marriage by letter to Tonyee, mentioning, "You said you want to have a romantic proposal. There always has a strange way to propose. But what is compatible with you being in a small jail and me being in a large jail... What is compatible with having a mutual memory on a special date, the anniversary of the death of Liu Xiaobo? What is compatible and more remarkable to the romantic moment under this darkness before the dawn? Tung, would you marry me?"
Ye Du indicated, "For my soul singing songs as a testimony, for those friends sending you this letter as a testimony, for the prison censors of this letter as a testimony, for whoever reading this letter and caring your situation as a testimony", proposing marriage to Tonyee. "Since now, you are the wind and snow, Spring and Summer. You are the world. Only hope to hold your hands for a lifetime".
Source: Stand News #Jul25
https://bit.ly/3zMwOlz
#TonyeeChow #ChowHangTung #YeDu #MarriageProposal #LiuXiaobo #June4th
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
September 11, 2021: Blatant Crackdown on Civil Society Continues in Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, the organizer of the annual candlelight virgil commemorating the 1989 June 4 Tiananmen Square Massacre, has been the target of the Hong Kong authorities.
On September 9, 2021, the #NationalSecurityPolice raided the June 4 Museum, formerly operated by the group.
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/31004
One day later, the Department of Justice (#DoJ) charged the chairpersons of the group, including #LeeCheukYan, #AlbertHo and #ChowHangTung, of "state subversion" under the #NationalSecurityLaw.
Read more:
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/31008
On the same day, the Hong Kong government tried to remove the group from the register.
Read more:
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/31012
Image: vawongsir #Sept11
#StateTerrorism #911 #NationalSecurityLaw #Injustice
The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, the organizer of the annual candlelight virgil commemorating the 1989 June 4 Tiananmen Square Massacre, has been the target of the Hong Kong authorities.
On September 9, 2021, the #NationalSecurityPolice raided the June 4 Museum, formerly operated by the group.
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/31004
One day later, the Department of Justice (#DoJ) charged the chairpersons of the group, including #LeeCheukYan, #AlbertHo and #ChowHangTung, of "state subversion" under the #NationalSecurityLaw.
Read more:
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/31008
On the same day, the Hong Kong government tried to remove the group from the register.
Read more:
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/31012
Image: vawongsir #Sept11
#StateTerrorism #911 #NationalSecurityLaw #Injustice
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#PrisonerRights
Solitary Confinement in HK Prison: 10 Days for Hugging, 7 Days for Sharing Books; Maximum Above UN Rule
"You stay in bed all day. For seven days straight. You can only go to the toilet, and it's right next to the bed."
Stand News interviewed four former prisoners who had faced solitary confinement in Hong Kong's prisons. In their experience, this punishment was handed out often, and the experience is long and painful. As sleeping pills are not permitted in prisons, they could only take painkillers to help themselves sleep.
In July, news broke that pro-democracy district councilor #TiffanyYuen had endured 10 days of solitary confinement as punishment for hugging a fellow prisoner. Lawyer and chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance #ChowHangTung, who was also in prison at the time, also faced the same punishment for 3 days for sharing postage stamps with other inmates. Others had been penalized for 7 days for exchanging books and photographs, or 3 days for sharing chocolate.
What is the metric for such punishments? According to Correctional Services' response to Stand News: "Any prisoner who commit offenses against prison discipline as described under clause 61 of the Prison Rules [1] will be prosecuted by the Services according to the rules. If a disciplinary hearing determines that the prisoner have violated the rules, then the Services will impose punishments according to clause 63 of the Prison Rules. If the prisoner disagrees with the ruling, they may appeal it according to established procedures."
The prison rules of Hong Kong sets an upper limit for solitary confinement at 28 days. However, according to the United Nations' "Nelson Mandela Rules" - adopted in 2015 and named in honor of the former president of South Africa and activist for human rights, equality, democracy, and peace - prisons should prohibit solitary confinement longer than 15 days.
Furthermore, the UN Committee Against Torture had published a report in 2016, in which the committee expressed concern with the maximum length of solitary confinement in Hong Kong prisons. It also called to attention the rule of "removal from association" - forbidding prisoners from associating with others on vague grounds such as "for the maintenance of good order or discipline or in the interests of a prisoner".
Though the report made several recommendations to Hong Kong for clarifying the rules and bringing the limits of punishments to be closer to the Nelson Mandela Rules, prisoners released this year still reports that solitary confinement remains a common punishment. According to data from Correctional Services, there were 3181 instances of solitary confinement handed out among 14689 prisoners in 2019. This number had been above 3000 every year since 2016.
The Correctional Services did not comment when asked if it had implemented the UN committee's suggestions, and if it would reduce or abolish solitary confinement as a punishment.
[1] Cap. 234A Prison Rules: https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap234A!en-zh-Hant-HK?xpid=ID_1438402870147_001&INDEX_CS=N
#HumanRights #PoliceState
Source: Stand News; #Sept2
https://www.thestandnews.com/society/%E5%9B%9A%E6%AC%8A%E6%B0%B4%E9%A3%AF%E6%88%BF%E7%9B%B8%E6%93%81%E5%9B%9A%E4%B8%83%E6%97%A5-%E6%8F%9B%E6%9B%B8%E5%9B%B0%E5%8D%81%E5%A4%A9-%E7%8D%A8%E5%9B%9A%E6%9C%80%E9%95%B728%E6%97%A5-%E8%B6%85%E5%87%BA%E8%81%AF%E5%90%88%E5%9C%8B%E8%A6%8F%E5%89%87
Solitary Confinement in HK Prison: 10 Days for Hugging, 7 Days for Sharing Books; Maximum Above UN Rule
"You stay in bed all day. For seven days straight. You can only go to the toilet, and it's right next to the bed."
Stand News interviewed four former prisoners who had faced solitary confinement in Hong Kong's prisons. In their experience, this punishment was handed out often, and the experience is long and painful. As sleeping pills are not permitted in prisons, they could only take painkillers to help themselves sleep.
In July, news broke that pro-democracy district councilor #TiffanyYuen had endured 10 days of solitary confinement as punishment for hugging a fellow prisoner. Lawyer and chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance #ChowHangTung, who was also in prison at the time, also faced the same punishment for 3 days for sharing postage stamps with other inmates. Others had been penalized for 7 days for exchanging books and photographs, or 3 days for sharing chocolate.
What is the metric for such punishments? According to Correctional Services' response to Stand News: "Any prisoner who commit offenses against prison discipline as described under clause 61 of the Prison Rules [1] will be prosecuted by the Services according to the rules. If a disciplinary hearing determines that the prisoner have violated the rules, then the Services will impose punishments according to clause 63 of the Prison Rules. If the prisoner disagrees with the ruling, they may appeal it according to established procedures."
The prison rules of Hong Kong sets an upper limit for solitary confinement at 28 days. However, according to the United Nations' "Nelson Mandela Rules" - adopted in 2015 and named in honor of the former president of South Africa and activist for human rights, equality, democracy, and peace - prisons should prohibit solitary confinement longer than 15 days.
Furthermore, the UN Committee Against Torture had published a report in 2016, in which the committee expressed concern with the maximum length of solitary confinement in Hong Kong prisons. It also called to attention the rule of "removal from association" - forbidding prisoners from associating with others on vague grounds such as "for the maintenance of good order or discipline or in the interests of a prisoner".
Though the report made several recommendations to Hong Kong for clarifying the rules and bringing the limits of punishments to be closer to the Nelson Mandela Rules, prisoners released this year still reports that solitary confinement remains a common punishment. According to data from Correctional Services, there were 3181 instances of solitary confinement handed out among 14689 prisoners in 2019. This number had been above 3000 every year since 2016.
The Correctional Services did not comment when asked if it had implemented the UN committee's suggestions, and if it would reduce or abolish solitary confinement as a punishment.
[1] Cap. 234A Prison Rules: https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap234A!en-zh-Hant-HK?xpid=ID_1438402870147_001&INDEX_CS=N
#HumanRights #PoliceState
Source: Stand News; #Sept2
https://www.thestandnews.com/society/%E5%9B%9A%E6%AC%8A%E6%B0%B4%E9%A3%AF%E6%88%BF%E7%9B%B8%E6%93%81%E5%9B%9A%E4%B8%83%E6%97%A5-%E6%8F%9B%E6%9B%B8%E5%9B%B0%E5%8D%81%E5%A4%A9-%E7%8D%A8%E5%9B%9A%E6%9C%80%E9%95%B728%E6%97%A5-%E8%B6%85%E5%87%BA%E8%81%AF%E5%90%88%E5%9C%8B%E8%A6%8F%E5%89%87
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
The 1st Day of Tonyee Chow Hang-tung's Detention due to Inciting Subversion.
Her Family: Her mind is calm and undaunted
Tonyee Chow Hang-Tung, the vice-chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance, was rejected for bail due to the suspicion of "inciting subversion of state power".
Sept 11, 2021 is the first day of her detention. The "Tonyee Chow Pages" on Facebook published a post saying that her family had already visited her. According to her family, Tonyee was in a good spirit with quick reaction, showing that her sleeping quality was better and her mood was calmer than usual. During the visit, Tonyee expressed herself with her favourite poem, "Lime Chanting" written by a Ming Dynasty loyal minister.
The Department of Justice formally prosecuted the Chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance Lee Cheuk-Yan, Vice-Chairpersons Albert Ho Chun-Yan and Tonyee Chow Hang-Tung with "Inciting Subversion of State Power". The case was brought to the West Kowloon Magistrates' court on Sept 10, during which Chow was asked whether she understood the charge and she replied, "Understood, but it is a ridiculous accusation". She made a bail statement for herself but the bail was denied by Peter Law, the Acting Chief Magistrate and the judge for national security law. The case will be continued on Oct 28, 2021.
Source: Stand News #Sep11
#TonyeeChow #ChowHangTung #HKAlliance #HoChunYan #LeeCheukYan #WestKowloon #MagistratesCourt #NationalSecurityLaw #IncitingSubversion
Her Family: Her mind is calm and undaunted
Tonyee Chow Hang-Tung, the vice-chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance, was rejected for bail due to the suspicion of "inciting subversion of state power".
Sept 11, 2021 is the first day of her detention. The "Tonyee Chow Pages" on Facebook published a post saying that her family had already visited her. According to her family, Tonyee was in a good spirit with quick reaction, showing that her sleeping quality was better and her mood was calmer than usual. During the visit, Tonyee expressed herself with her favourite poem, "Lime Chanting" written by a Ming Dynasty loyal minister.
The Department of Justice formally prosecuted the Chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance Lee Cheuk-Yan, Vice-Chairpersons Albert Ho Chun-Yan and Tonyee Chow Hang-Tung with "Inciting Subversion of State Power". The case was brought to the West Kowloon Magistrates' court on Sept 10, during which Chow was asked whether she understood the charge and she replied, "Understood, but it is a ridiculous accusation". She made a bail statement for herself but the bail was denied by Peter Law, the Acting Chief Magistrate and the judge for national security law. The case will be continued on Oct 28, 2021.
Source: Stand News #Sep11
#TonyeeChow #ChowHangTung #HKAlliance #HoChunYan #LeeCheukYan #WestKowloon #MagistratesCourt #NationalSecurityLaw #IncitingSubversion
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#TonyeeChow #Court
Hong Kong Judge Questions Arrested Pro-democracy Barrister: Can You Access Internet in Jail?
Barrister Tonyee Chow Hang-tung is a pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong and the former Vice Chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The now-disbanded Alliance was known for organizing the annual June 4 vigil in Hong Kong to commemorate the victims of the Tianamen Square Massacre in Beijing in 1989.
She was arrested for state subversion by the Hong Kong authority.
The authority accused her of calling on citizens to participate in June 4th commemorative event in 2020, which was banned by the government. Chow was charged with "inciting others to participate in an unauthorised assembly".
The case was heard in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts by Judge Chan Wai-mun on October 5, 2021.
Chow, who has been detained since her arrest, stated that she would defend herself and make her own statement. She will argue whether it is constitutional to restrict the dispute to freedom and whether the related article she disseminsted can ce considered as an "incitement".
Due to the limited resources she has when on remand, Chow asked for one to two weeks' time for preparation.
The Judge then questioned her, “Where did you find the law books in jail? Can you access Internet?” The query made citizens attending the session laughed.
Chow responded that she would rely on her professional knowledge of law and seek help from friends.
Source: Stand News #Oct5
https://bit.ly/2ZXtBCZ
#June4 #HKASPDMC #Vigil #TiananmenSquareMassacre #Internet #ChowHangTung #CivilSociety #Law #Alliance
Hong Kong Judge Questions Arrested Pro-democracy Barrister: Can You Access Internet in Jail?
Barrister Tonyee Chow Hang-tung is a pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong and the former Vice Chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The now-disbanded Alliance was known for organizing the annual June 4 vigil in Hong Kong to commemorate the victims of the Tianamen Square Massacre in Beijing in 1989.
She was arrested for state subversion by the Hong Kong authority.
The authority accused her of calling on citizens to participate in June 4th commemorative event in 2020, which was banned by the government. Chow was charged with "inciting others to participate in an unauthorised assembly".
The case was heard in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts by Judge Chan Wai-mun on October 5, 2021.
Chow, who has been detained since her arrest, stated that she would defend herself and make her own statement. She will argue whether it is constitutional to restrict the dispute to freedom and whether the related article she disseminsted can ce considered as an "incitement".
Due to the limited resources she has when on remand, Chow asked for one to two weeks' time for preparation.
The Judge then questioned her, “Where did you find the law books in jail? Can you access Internet?” The query made citizens attending the session laughed.
Chow responded that she would rely on her professional knowledge of law and seek help from friends.
Source: Stand News #Oct5
https://bit.ly/2ZXtBCZ
#June4 #HKASPDMC #Vigil #TiananmenSquareMassacre #Internet #ChowHangTung #CivilSociety #Law #Alliance
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#Court #RulebyLaw
Catch-22: Authority Rejects Reference Books Sent to Activist Lawyer Detained for Subversion, Due to Content about Subversion
Tonyee #ChowHangTung, the former vice-chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (#HKASPDMC), is in detention on charges of inciting subversion of state power. A lawyer by trade, she intends to represent herself in her upcoming trial, and is preparing her own defense while in custody.
In an article on her Patreon published on October 23, she mentioned that her relatives and friends recently tried to send books about the late activist Szeto Wah and the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989, but the Hong Kong Correctional Services (#HKCS) rejected them.
(Editor's note: Szeto Wah was the founder of the Hong Kong Alliance (#HKA) and was one of the most influential activists in Hong Kong who worked for decades to establish, preserve and protect Hong Kong people's democratic institutions, freedom and human rights.)
One of the books, she quoted an HKCS staff, "mentions behaviours of subverting state power". The decision could not be appealed, the staff added.
Chow questions whether the HKCS had assumed the role of the judge, making a fair trial impossible. The books are reference materials for her to prepare for her own defense in the trial, she said.
"If I can't have access to information about the Alliance and the June 4th incident, I would have no chance to find evidence to refute these accusations."
The Correctional Services have set up a perfect catch-22, she said of the arrangement. "This would guarantee the prosecution a win."
Source: Stand News #Oct23
https://thestandnews.page.link/Xwr8mUcpXtD6Q2MGA
#TonyeeChow #NSL #PrisonerRights #HongKongAlliance #HKASPDMC #June4th #TiananmenMassacre #SzetoWah
Catch-22: Authority Rejects Reference Books Sent to Activist Lawyer Detained for Subversion, Due to Content about Subversion
Tonyee #ChowHangTung, the former vice-chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (#HKASPDMC), is in detention on charges of inciting subversion of state power. A lawyer by trade, she intends to represent herself in her upcoming trial, and is preparing her own defense while in custody.
In an article on her Patreon published on October 23, she mentioned that her relatives and friends recently tried to send books about the late activist Szeto Wah and the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989, but the Hong Kong Correctional Services (#HKCS) rejected them.
(Editor's note: Szeto Wah was the founder of the Hong Kong Alliance (#HKA) and was one of the most influential activists in Hong Kong who worked for decades to establish, preserve and protect Hong Kong people's democratic institutions, freedom and human rights.)
One of the books, she quoted an HKCS staff, "mentions behaviours of subverting state power". The decision could not be appealed, the staff added.
Chow questions whether the HKCS had assumed the role of the judge, making a fair trial impossible. The books are reference materials for her to prepare for her own defense in the trial, she said.
"If I can't have access to information about the Alliance and the June 4th incident, I would have no chance to find evidence to refute these accusations."
The Correctional Services have set up a perfect catch-22, she said of the arrangement. "This would guarantee the prosecution a win."
Source: Stand News #Oct23
https://thestandnews.page.link/Xwr8mUcpXtD6Q2MGA
#TonyeeChow #NSL #PrisonerRights #HongKongAlliance #HKASPDMC #June4th #TiananmenMassacre #SzetoWah
Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#Court #PoliticalOppression
"It was Conscience that Drove Hongkongers for 32 years to Mourn June 4th": Tonyee Chow Defends Herself in Court Against June 4 Unlawful Assembly Charge
Tonyee #ChowHangTung, former Vice-Chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (#HKASPDMC), was accused of promoting and calling on others to participate in the June 4 rally, and had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charge of inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly. The case was resumed in the West Kowloon Magistrates Court on Oct 25th.
Tonyee, who is herself a barrister, represented herself in court. She mentioned that all the cases brought against her are related to the Alliance and June 4th. The authorities are piling on these charges, showing that the regime is attempting to suppress and eliminate the memory of June 4th step by step.
She reiterated that after the police banned the rally this year, the Alliance had publicly announced that it would not hold a candlelight rally in Victoria Park. She has since written articles and taken interviews, in which she had simply appealed to the public to overcome their fears and continue to mourn June 4 through personal actions. She questioned how a call for action with no specified location could incite an unauthorized assembly, saying that the regime "might as well admit directly that what is forbidden is the June 4 memorial itself".
Tonyee stressed that it was not anyone's incitement that drove the people of Hong Kong to mourn June 4th for 32 years; rather, it was every person's conscience. "If the court wants to use the word 'incite', it ought to say that it was the people of Hong Kong who had incited me to do this."
And if she were to be punished for it, she would have no regrets, she said.
Source: Stand News; #Oct25
Full account of Tonyee's defense speech (in Chinese) : https://thestandnews.page.link/o3zrFQwM34J6m8ky9
#June4 #HongKong #Democracy #Protest #Court
"It was Conscience that Drove Hongkongers for 32 years to Mourn June 4th": Tonyee Chow Defends Herself in Court Against June 4 Unlawful Assembly Charge
Tonyee #ChowHangTung, former Vice-Chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (#HKASPDMC), was accused of promoting and calling on others to participate in the June 4 rally, and had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charge of inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly. The case was resumed in the West Kowloon Magistrates Court on Oct 25th.
Tonyee, who is herself a barrister, represented herself in court. She mentioned that all the cases brought against her are related to the Alliance and June 4th. The authorities are piling on these charges, showing that the regime is attempting to suppress and eliminate the memory of June 4th step by step.
She reiterated that after the police banned the rally this year, the Alliance had publicly announced that it would not hold a candlelight rally in Victoria Park. She has since written articles and taken interviews, in which she had simply appealed to the public to overcome their fears and continue to mourn June 4 through personal actions. She questioned how a call for action with no specified location could incite an unauthorized assembly, saying that the regime "might as well admit directly that what is forbidden is the June 4 memorial itself".
Tonyee stressed that it was not anyone's incitement that drove the people of Hong Kong to mourn June 4th for 32 years; rather, it was every person's conscience. "If the court wants to use the word 'incite', it ought to say that it was the people of Hong Kong who had incited me to do this."
And if she were to be punished for it, she would have no regrets, she said.
Source: Stand News; #Oct25
Full account of Tonyee's defense speech (in Chinese) : https://thestandnews.page.link/o3zrFQwM34J6m8ky9
#June4 #HongKong #Democracy #Protest #Court