#HumanitarianCrisis
China Detains Human Rights Lawyers and Familes On the Eve of World's Human Rights Day

The UN Human Rights Day is observed on December 10 since 1948. On the eve of this year's Human Rights Day, human rights lawyers in China and their families were barred from making public appearance and leaving their homes between December 9 and 10.

The National Security Police sent by the Chinese Communist Party government said blatantly that the aim was to prevent them from joining Human Rights Day activities.

The targets are human rights lawyers such as Yu Wensheng, Huang Quanzhang and Li Heping and their families. Not only that their homes were blocked or monitored by a group of unidentified agents, but they were also barred from bringing their kids to school or visiting hospitalized parent.

In Taiwan, 18 organizations petitioned and called on the international community to monitor China's human rights oppression.

Source: Stand News; Radio Free Asia #Dec9

https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/htm/tw-rally-12092020060157.html

#HumanRightsDay
#HumanRightsLawyer
#YuWensheng #HuangQuanzhang #LiHeping

#FreeJimmyLai
#Taiwan President #TsaiIngWen: Staying true to my insistence on the value of democracy and freedom, I want to openly voice my support for Mr. Jimmy Lai

In a social media post on December 16, 2020, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen talked about a recent photo of Jimmy Lai, the founder of Next Digital, who was charged with a suspected violation of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

In the photo, Lai was being handcuffed and entangled in a metal chain around his waist on his way to court. Tsai said that the photo was "infuriating".

Tsai said, "the Human Rights Day has just passed, but Hong Kong's human rights are still in its butter winter. Staying true to my insistence on the value of democracy and freedom, I want to openly voice my support for Mr. Jimmy Lai. I want to let him know that the whole of Taiwan, and the whole world are watching this scene. It is not Mr. Lai who was humiliated, but Hong Kong's freedom and the rule of law."

Source: Citizen News #Dec16

https://www.hkcnews.com/article/36489/%E8%94%A1%E8%8B%B1%E6%96%87-%E9%BB%8E%E6%99%BA%E8%8B%B1-36489/%E9%BB%8E%E6%99%BA%E8%8B%B1

#AppleDaily #HumanitarianCrisis #PoliceState #HumanitarianCrisis #JimmyLai #Arrests #PoliticalProsecution

#Save12 #BringThemBack
China Informs 12 Hong Kong Youths' Families of Their Trial Only 3 Days Prior on Christmas Day

On the Christmas Day of 2020, the families of the 12 pro-democracy Hongkongers detained in China not only could not see their loved ones; seven families also received a last-minute notice from the lawyers appointed by the Chinese Government that the trial of ten of the 12 Hongkongers would take place on Dec 28, 2020, which was in less than 3 days including the public holidays.

Among the 12 Hongkongers detained by the Chinese authorities since August 2020, ten of them will face trial on Dec 28, 2020 at the Yantian Court in China, but only seven families received such a notice.

The Chinese court told the media that it belonged to a "secret case" and no public and media would be allowed to audit. The trial is also not listed in the timetable of the Yantian People's Court.

The #Save12HKYouths Concern Group released a statement on Dec 25, 2020, demanding the delivery of confirmed, open and clear information of the trials of the 12 Hongkongers. They also demanded the presence of their families, the lawyers hired by their families, Hong Kong and international media and diplomats from different countries to be allowed in court.

The families also demanded the Chinese authorities to allow them to pay the prison a visit, were the detained Hongkongers to be sentenced; and the HKSAR government to send representatives to make sure the civil rights of the Hongkongers could be protected.

Source: Save 12 HK Youths Concern Group #Dec25

#HumanitarianCrisis #ChineseCourt #RulebyLaw #Christmas2020

#HumanitarianCrisis #FailedState
Detainees On Hunger Strike for 178 Days to Protest Against the HK Authorities' Inhumane Treatment

In Hong Kong, ever since June 2020, the detainees at the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre (#CIC) have been going on hinger strike, protesting the Center’s inhumane treatment, arbitrary detention, poor hygienic condition and failure to provide suitable medical treatment.

The Centre run by the Hong Kong government detains those subject to deportation.

According to the CIC Concern group, on Dec 23, 2020 the court rejected to grant a writ of Habeas Corpus to a 41-year-old Pakistani detainee Ahmed Sani Salman who has entered the 178th day of his hunger strike.

In an open letter, Salman revealed that he has already lost 31kg of hisbody weight, leading to heart disease, organ failure and muscle problems.

The concern group on Dec 26, 2020 said the three remaining hunger strikers have started take in food after they decided to file an appeal to the court.

Still, because of their depleting health they will need to stay in the ward for a week before returning to the regular cells.

At first, there were 28 detainees taking part in the hunger strike, but many had to stop because of poor health.

Among the last three, Shah apologized, “178 days is really too long. I am sorry that we have to stop, but please continue to support is.”

The CIC Concern Group supports the decision, saying they are still on the road to fight for freedom, and urging more public awareness and support.

Source: Stand News #Dec26

#BoxingDay2020 #HungerStrike

#PoliticalOppression #Court
4 Pro-democracy activists sent to hospital after 14-hour court mentioning in Hong Kong

On Feb 28, 2021 in Hong Kong, 47 pro-democracy activists, including former Legislative Councilors and current district councilors, were arrested for committing "subversion" under the #NationalSecurityLaw.

They were mentioned in court on Mar 1. At 02:32 on Mar 2, Clarisse Yeung Suet-ying collapsed after 14 hours of court mentioning. Her lawer stated that Yeung was conscious, yet was unable to open her eyes nor stand up.

Apart from Yeung, "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, Mike Lam King-nam and Roy Tam Hoi-pong felt unwell and were sent to hospital.

After long hours of ongoing mentioning, the arrestees were sent back to detention centre at around 5am on the morning of Mar 2. The court will continue at 11am, leaving them without enough rests.

Sources: Apple Daily #Mar2
https://bit.ly/2PqHS5R

#HumanitarianCrisis #47Democrats

#NeverForget #NeverForgive
Over 10,000 People Arrested: 2 Years After the 1-million Pro-Democracy Protest in Hong Kong

Jan (alias), a 17-year-old Hong Kong youth, was charged with rioting.

In the end, he chose to plead guilty.

During a junior high school field trip, Jan visited a prison in Hong Kong. At the time, he thought, "I would never go to jail in my life. What's the point of the visit?"

He never imagined that in just a few years, he would be imprisoned because of a pro-democracy movement.

During a relatively mild clash, Jan was arrested on a charge of unlawful assembly. While he was detained, however, the police suddenly changed his charge to rioting. This was a complete surprise to Jan, and he thought the new charge was ridiculous.

His lawyer eventually managed to secure approval for his bail, though with strict curfew conditions. "I've lost most of my freedoms well before they declare me guilty," Jan said.

During a meeting, his lawyer explained to him that the police already had enough evidence to make the rioting charge stick. His mother immediately broke down in tears; Jan himself was overwhelmed by lethargy, staying up late and skipping school for a whole month, only imagining what prison life would be like.

Eventually, he decided to plead guilty, since it would lead to his sentence being reduced by one-third. After the court hearing, he saw forum posts questioning his plea when he had done no wrong. He was perplexed at their thinking. "'If your heart is truly in this movement,' I thought, 'why would you want any of us to get a longer sentence?"

---

As of April 2021, the Hong Kong Police has arrested over 10,000 people in connection to the 2019 Anti-ELAB movement. Among them, 1,700 were minors.

As of June 7, 2021, according to statistics provided by Stand News, 757 people are charged with riotting. 70% of them are below 25 years old and 75 of them are underaged. As of April 13, 2021, 28 people have been convicted. 23 of them have been sentenced; the longest jail time among them is 5 years and 6 months.

Source: Stand News #Jun9
https://bit.ly/3w2GkPQ

#PoliceState #HumanitarianCrisis #PoliticalProsecution #PoliticalPrisoners

#HumanitarianCrisis #OathofOffice
230 Directly Elected #DistrictCouncillors to be Disqualified by HK Gov't

According to Cable News and Now News in Hong Kong on July 7, 2021, about 230 directly elected district councillors would face "#disqualification" by authorities, for not having taken an oath of #allegiance to uphold the #BasicLaw.

The Hong Kong government demands these district councillors to return their entire salary received during the term they have served so far. The estimated amount per person is HKD1million.

Since one day ago, a resignation wave took place across different districts. These include Chan Shu-ying (Tuen Mun), Cheung Kwan-kiu (Kwai Ching), Lee Wing-shing (Shatin), Lo Chun-yu (Tuen Mun), Lee Chun-hei (Shum Shui Po), Yau Man-chun (Shatin) and Chan Siu-yeung (Shatin).

Source: Stand News #Jul7

https://www.thestandnews.com/politics/%E5%8D%80%E8%AD%B0%E5%93%A1%E5%AE%A3%E8%AA%93%E5%85%A8%E6%B8%AF%E5%A4%9A%E5%8D%80%E5%8D%80%E8%AD%B0%E5%93%A1%E7%B4%9B%E5%AE%A3%E5%B8%83%E8%BE%AD%E8%81%B7

#WuhanPneumonia #HumanitarianCrisis
COVID19 Quarantine Center in Hong Kong, a Torture to Patients: "No One would Remember Us"

A video of a distraught woman inside Hong Kong's COVID-19 quarantine center has gone viral on social media on Feb 22.

The video shows the woman in her flip flops at Penny's Bay, Hong Kong's main quarantine facility, breaking down in tears and yelling in desperation as she frantically looked for a way out.

Several staff members, clad in protective gear, tried unsuccessfully to calm her down and persuade her to return to her room. She eventually lashed out and kicked at a staff member who was apparently trying to approach her.

Online media Channel C interviewed another patient, Ms. P, who is also undergoing quarantine in the Penny’s Bay Center. Ms. P said that she totally understood the woman’s desperation, adding that she was also feeling very depressed during her stay.

In fact, distressed patients crying, shouting, yelling in their rooms or along the walkways are a daily occurrence in the center, she said.

A man even attempted suicide by drinking a bottle of disinfectant, Ms. P added.

“The worst thing here is you're easily forgotten,” Ms. P said. When she was admitted into the facility, she made tens of phone calls and waited for 4 days before her initial test bottle was delivered. No one came back to pick it up until she made another round of phone calls, until she finally reached medical staff.

When her quarantine period ended on Feb 19, the facility did not arrange for her to leave, and she spent another 3 days on the phone trying to contact staff - again, receiving no reply. She was elated when staff finally notified her on Feb 21 that she could leave.

However, just before she boarded the bus, she was turned away because she was not given a doctor's note. She watched all the buses leave before being sent back to her room.

"We were all very scared," she said on the interview, her voice breaking, "Once we're back in our rooms, no one would remember us."

However, she was sympathetic to the medical staff and other supporting staff members on the site. “They are suffering just like us. The staff member who came to deliver my documents was soaked in the rain.”

Ms. P questioned the purpose of putting Hong Kong people in quarantine centers where they are not properly taken care of.

She stressed that the costs and suffering inflicted upon so many citizens grossly outweigh any foreseeable benefits.

Source: Facebook; Channel C HK; #Feb23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42SwTQPrtF8

#FailedState #PennysBay #Quarantine

#HumanTrafficking #HumanitarianCrisis
2 Chinese men arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle 2 Ukraine babies

On March 14, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported that border guards at the Porubne Border Crossing Point in Chernivtsi Oblast had foiled an attempt by foreigners to take babies out of Ukraine.

According to the border guard, two Chinese citizens tried to walk across the border into Romania while carrying two infants.

When questioned by border guards, the two Chinese men were not able to provide an explanation about where the children came from. 

After conducting an investigation, the State Border Guard Service found that "shortly before this (incident), both Chinese had arrived in the territory of our country without children."

Traffickers are targeting parentless children on the Ukraine-Poland border, says a group evacuating orphanages in the war zone. They say thousands are unaccounted for and fear some may already have fallen prey to people traffickers.

Source: RFA; #Mar15
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/ukr-baby-03152022104238.html/ampRFA

#ShanghaiLockdown
Shanghai Violinist Leaped to his Death after COVID Restrictions Denied him Medical Assistance

71-year-old amateur violinist Chen Shunping, who lived in #Shanghai, had taken his own life after being denied medical help for his suspected pancreatitis during the city's month-long lockdown. He was a member of the Shanghai Pops Orchestra.

Three #COVID19 deaths had been recorded [Ed: as of April 18] since Shanghai's lockdown began in late March, all of whom were seniors with chronic illnesses.

However, reports often surfaced on Chinese social media surrounding deaths of patients not being able to get medical treatment.

According to chat messages from Chen's family, he began to feel unwell in the evening of April 13, with stomach pains and vomiting; from experience, he suspected it was pancreatitis.

His family called an ambulance, who took Chen to two separate hospitals, but both turned him away, citing COVID restrictions. Unable to endure the severe pain, Chen left suicide notes for his family before leaping to his death from his apartment.

Chen's wife was stricken with grief as she remembered him as a cheerful and kind man, with a passion for life and music: "This society had taken an ordinary, lively man and pushed him to his death!"

His death also sparked outcry online; netizens commented that he "didn't get COVID, but died because of COVID."

A separate incident of a pregnant Shanghai woman who died from blood loss during a premature birth also circulated on social media. Shanghai police quickly refuted it as "fake news", announcing that the woman successfully gave birth to twins, and that they had arrested the spreader of the rumor.

Netizens were quick to react: "Why don't you refute Chen Shunping's fake news?" "Chen's case still hasn't been refuted, so it must be true."

Source: In-Media HK
https://bit.ly/3OeDLUx

#HumanitarianCrisis #WuhanPneumonia #ChenShunPing