Newly Elected District Councillors Started the Term without Office

( Editor's Note: After the pro-democracy party scored a landslide victory in District Council Election, they have started their term and attended the first meeting. However, netizens found that some of the councillors have yet to shift into their offices because the previous councillors have not left. )

A) Pro-Establishment District Councillors from the last term are still occupying the office in public housing estates

1. CHU LAP WAI, Shek Pai Wan Estate, Southern District
2. CHAN SIU MAN SIMON, Tsing Yi Estate, Kwai Tsing District
3. HUI LAM HING, Hing Tung Estate, Eastern District
4. HO MAN KIT RAYMOND, Choi Ming Court, Sai Kung District
5. CHEUNG KI TANG, Ko Yee Estate, Kwun Tong District
6. KAN SIU KEI, Sheung Tak Estate, Sai Kung District
7. MAK TSE HOW LING, Wah Kwai Estate, Southern District
8. WONG WAI LING, Tin Wah Estate, Yuen Long District
9. YEUNG HOI WING, Kwun Lung Lau, Central & Western District
10. WONG PIK KIU, Kwong Fuk Estate, Tai Po District
11. CHONG YUEN TUNG, Kwong Ming Court, Sai Kung District
12. CHEUNG YIU PAN, Lower Ngau Tak Kok Estate, Kwun Tong District
13. WONG CHUN PING, Sau Ho House, Kwun Tong District

Besides, some former councillors are still operating offices under misleading titles.

B) Former councillors still using the title of "District Councillor"
———————————————
1. YIP HING KWOK, To Tai (Amoy Plaza), Kwun Tong District
2. LAM FAAT KANG, Luk Yeung Galleria, Tsuen Wan District
3. WAN YUET CHEUNG, Tak Ming, Sai Kung District
4. SO LAI CHUN, Hiu Lai Court, Kwun Tong District
5. WONG TAK CHUEN JOE, Mei Foo South, Shum Shui Po District
6. YUEN KWOK KEUNG, Tsz Wan West, Wong Tai Sin District
7. TUNG KIN LEI, Mei Lam Estate, Sha Tin District
8. POON CHI SHING, Tsing Yi South, Kwai Tsing District

#DistrictCouncil #Shameless

(All information is obtained online; from telegram channel and facebook of the District Councillors as of 07-Jan )

Kwun Tong District Council suspended the construction of the musical fountain

[ABSTRACT]

The first meeting of Kwun Tong District Council was held on 7 Jan discussed the project of music fountain in Kwun Tong Promenade. Wong Chi-ken, one of the pro-democracy District Councillor, requested the government to explain the construction details and suspend the project. The motion passed with 28 votes in favour, 0 against and 9 abstentions.

#DistrictCouncil #KwunTong

Source: oncc (07-Jan)
https://bit.ly/2QufM7L

Newly Elected Council Member determined to withdraw the musical fountain project:
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/12456

How the 50 million white elephant project started:
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/12453

Eastern District Council passed a motion for Carrie Lam and Hong Kong government officials to inspect Wuhan epidemic in China in person

The Eastern District Council held its first meeting on January 7, with Lai Chi-keong of Civic Party and Andrew Chiu Ka-yin of Democratic Party being elected as the new Council Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively.

Chiu read out a joint statement from 32 democrats which expressed disappointment in government for letting the police to run rampant. The whole Council then stood in silent to pay tribute to the victims of the ongoing pro-democracy movement.

Moreover, the Council passed a motion requesting Chief Executive Carrie Lam to lead concerning principal officials to inspect the epidemic in Wuhan, China. In particular, the councilors called for the officials to retrieve detailed report of the virus in order for Hong Kong to carry out effective prevention work.

Source: Stand News
https://tinyurl.com/w9crhwd
#Jan8 #WuhanPneumonia #DistrictCouncil

[ Rigged System ] Aftermath of Historical District Council Landslide Victory: Home Affairs Department Override District Council Anyway; Councillors said Government is Extremely Disrespectful

(Editor's Note: It is not only benefiting developers and wasting taxpayers money, but also showing the world it means nothing that we won the previous election. 90% of the residents opposed to the construction; councillors voted "no"; but the corrupt practice goes on anyway.)

The motion of suspending the construction of the 53-million musical fountain was passed with 28 votes in favour and no objection in the first council meeting. However, the Home Affairs Department insisted on carrying out the project according to the contract as the budget was passed in Legislative Council Public Works Team in Nov 2018. It will continue to carry out the project according to the agreement and report to the District Council.

#DistrictCouncil #KwunTong

Excerpt: Stand News (08-Jan)
https://bit.ly/39TvIbh

Further Reading to the White Elephant Project:
Kwun Tong District Council suspended the construction of the musical fountain
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/15017

Newly Elected Council Member determined to withdraw the musical fountain project:
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/12456

How the 50 million white elephant project started:
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/12453

#PoliceState #StateTerrorism
Police continue to abuse powers while citizens remember the deceased of the pro-democracy movement

Police intervened memorial gathering on Febrary 8 and arrested many citizens including 5 district councilors from Sai Kung.

The day February 8 marked 3 months after the passing of Alex Chow, a student in his early 20s who had been in coma after falling from height at Sheung Tak carpark during police operation. The actual cause of his death remains unknown.

Hundreds of citizens gathered at the parking lot in Tsuen Kwun O, where Chow fell to his death to pay their respects. Some also took the opportunity to protest against the government for setting up a quarantine facility in the area without seeking consent from the residents.

The Sai Kung district council held a press conference the following day condemning the abuse of powers form the police. These included wrongful arrest, obstructing the District Council's watchdog team , assaulting reporters and even inflicting sexual assaults.

Valarie Wong, one of the district councillors arrested at the scene, was groped in her chest by a male police officer. She then showed her ID to the officers on site and demanded the identity of the perpetrator.

Not only did the police refuse to provide her with the information she requested, the unit of the concerned officer was immediatelt called away; whereas Wong was then arrested.

After Wong was brought to the police station with other arrestees, she was separated from others and received verbal abuse from police officers who were in the same unit as the one who groped her.

Chan Wai-lit, another district councillor arrested, was beaten by the police with batons. Chan was also pinned to the ground and pressed down on his neck by an officer's knee. He was then continuously insulted and abused verbally along with his fellow councilors and citizens.

Worse still, another outrageous incident took place when a group of plain clothed officers drove a car directly into a crowd of citizens. The plainclothes then started attacking violently civilians with batons and pepper spray.

Ryan Lee, another district councillor at the scene got violated by the pepper spray, while his female assistant was hit by a teargas cannister and knocked to the ground.

Another member of the district council's watchdog team, Edmond Tse, was also hit in the stomach by the police’s pepper balls. He was wearing his orange uniform at the time and was receiving verbal insults form the police right before he was shot.

Neither press nor the district council could film freely. Councilman Lui Man Kwong was blinded by the police’s flashlight and pushed against the walls after the officers saw him filming. Reporters went through similar treatment, including being bashed by the police with shields.

Source: Inmedia #Feb11
https://bit.ly/2Szkl0t
#FailedState #DistrictCouncil #MassArrests #SexualAssault #MeToo #HongKongPolice

#DistrictCouncil
Joint statement by 17 District Councils Reprimanding Arrest of Yuen Long Council Chairman

8 months after Yuen Long 721 Incident, netizens called for a rally in remembrance of victims of gangsters' violence and police's inaction. District councillors were waiting at Yuen Long West Railway Station at about 7 pm to monitor police's operation on site, during which Yuen Long District Council Chairman Wong Wai-yin was arrested for no apparent reason. At around 10pm, Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of 17 District Councils and Pro-democracy Councilors of Islands District Council issued a joint statement reprimanding the arrest, snubbing civilian’s urge to investigate and reveal the truth of 721 incident.

They also expressed in the statement that they would continue to monitor the situation of arrestees and condemned the abuse of violence and the procedures by police force, undermining freedom of Hong Kong citizen.

Source : Inmedia HK
#Mar21 #PoliceBrutality #PoliceState #YuenLong721

#FailedState #DistrictCouncil #WuhanPneumonia
Government halts District Council's distribution of Anti-epidemic Kits
Pro-democracy Councilor: “Politics overriding human lives”

The Wanchai District Council began the distribution of disinfectant packs from this week. However, the Home Affairs Department suddenly called off the campaign, claiming that the distributed brochures contained wrong information, as the “Wuhan Pneumonia” wordings printed on them should be corrected to “COVID-19”.

Chairwoman of the Wan Chai District Council Clarisse Yeung Suet-ying believed that such an action from the Home Affairs Department conveyed the message that citizens’ lives were worth nothing compared to political duty.

Yeung stressed that the major targets of the the packs were singleton elderly and families with low income, and the distribution campaign could not be halted only because of a name.

Source: InMedia #Mar20
https://bit.ly/3a7wIZf

#PoliceState #DistrictCouncil
District Councilor Reveals How Police Undertake Political Retaliation

1. On January 16, Chairwoman Cheng Lai-king demanded Police Commissioner to wear his warrant card in the council meeting.

2. On January 16, a plainclothes police officer refused to wear a warrant card, Cheng as the Chairwoman demanded him to leave.

3. The Central and Western District Council has established a new “constitutional and security committee” to monitor the police force.

4. During the meeting on March 12, police officers refused to put on their warrant card despite the demand of the council

5. During the meeting on March 19, Chairwoman Cheng has allowed Councillors Kam Nai-wai and Sam Yip to read out the statement condemning the police.

6. Cheng asked the police officers who were disturbing the meeting to stop talking.

7. Cheng wanted to bring justice to the reporter who was blinded in one eye after being hit by a police plastic baton round.

Source: Napa Wong's facebook #Mar26

District Councilor: Police are Abusing Anti-Crowding Laws to Arrest Citizens and Impose Political Pressure

2314 Prince Edward
District Councilor Chan Po-ming states that he went to the vigil alone and did not know nearby citizens. However, while being searched by the police, he was asked if he was gathering with four other nearby citizens. He noted that these types of events kept happening, and it is unacceptable that the anti-epidemic policy is being used as a political pressure tool.

Source: Apple Daily #Mar31
#DistrictCouncil #831PrinceEdward #AntiEpidemic

#DistrictCouncil #HongKongPolice
Yau Tsim Mong District Council Passes Motion Calling For Reforming the Police despite Government’s Obstruction

In a meeting on April 16, the Yau-Tsim-Mong District Council tabled a motion calling for restructuring of the Police Force. The Home Affairs Commissioner from the government, however, refused to provide secretariat services and denounced the motion as outside the remit of the Council.

The Commissioner, Police Representatives and three pro-establishment councilors left the meeting venue abruptly. In the absence of the secretariat, the motion was passed unanimously by 17 pro-democracy councilors.

During the meeting, the police commander refused to admit police excessive use of the force. He claimed that it was evident that "innocent protesters" were beaten by "violent protesters". Meanwhile, the government commissioner spoke to the media in an intimidating manner when he stormed out.

Source: Now News; InMedia

#Apr16 #PoliceState #PoliceBrutality

#Powerplay #DistrictCouncil
Government Forcefully Renames 'Sha Tin District Council Conference Room' as 'District Office Conference Room'

[Editor's note: Though similarly-named, the District Council and District Office are independent entities. The District Office is part of the government's Home Affairs Department, which does not generated by election; while the District Council is democratically elected by the population.]

A number of Sha Tin District Council members criticized in their Facebook posts today that the Sha Tin District Office had renamed the 'Sha Tin District Council Conference Room' at the Government Offices as 'District Office Conference Room'. An electric drill was even employed to erase the words 'District Council Conference Room' on the map at the lift lobby.

Community Sha Tin, a group formed by a number of the district's council members, described in a post that the change discovered today during the meeting was 'a change without consent', and criticized that the District Office did not consult with the District Council beforehand, and refused to explain who ordered the change, nor under what authority or justification.

In their reply to the inquiry, the Sha Tin District Office stressed that the conference room was located within their office, thus 'the name now adopted can clearly reflect its location'. They added that both the government departments and the Sha Tin District Council could still use the venue as before, following the established procedures.

Ching Cheung-ying, the chairman of the Sha Tin District Council who has been serving as a District Council member for over 30 years, told Stand News that the conference room had been named 'Sha Tin District Council Conference Room' since 2002, and it was also designed with holding District Council meetings in mind. 'We have been using this name all this time'. He then challenged the District Office's statement of 'correcting the error': 'There was no error; where is the error?'. He slammed the District Office's action, calling it 'petty and overbearing' , and questioned whether they were 'belittling the District Council'.

Source: Stand News #Nov10

#FailedState

#FailedState #PoliticalOppression
Gov't Stops Incumbent #DistrictCouncillor's Salary and Office Income, #TedHui: Lack of Legal Basis shows the Panic of Hong Kong’s political power”

The Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR government is stopping the payroll, the allowance and the expense reimbursement of district councillor Ted Hui from December 3, 2020. The government cited Hui’s self-exile as a reason.

Hui responded to the Hong Kong government’s decision as “No legal basis at all”. He also states that his HSBC bank account has been frozen, making it impossible to withdraw any of his salary since then.

Hui said the government’s treatment of him is a political statement but should be considered useless. The government’s action is severely impacting the district councillor's office that has continued to serve Hong Kong citizens.

Hui said that the government should not stop any payment of the payroll when the councillors are still serving their term of office. He is very disappointed with how the government wields political power and ignores the public interest.

Source: Stand News #Dec16
#HSBC #DistrictCouncil

#Censorship #CCPControl
China Blocks Shipments of "Freedom and Democracy" Calendars to Hong Kong

Chinese customs may have held up an order of new year calendars printed for district councils in Hong Kong, Yau Tsim Mong District councillor Lee Wai-fung wrote in a Facebook post.

The calendars, with the text "Pursue Freedom and Democracy" in golden calligraphy, was scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong in mid-November, so that they will be given out to civilians on Dec 16, 2020.

However, Lee was later informed that order was detained in China, without an official explanation from either the print shop nor the Chinese customs. The councillors ended up printing labels with their names and pictures, and handing out regular calendars with their labels attached.

Yuen Long District councillor Henry Wong Pak-yu experienced similar issues with the Chinese customs. He was informed by the print shop in China that printed products for district councils in Hong Kong are now being scrutinized much more closely by Chinese customs, because some of their previous materials contained "sensitive content". The printer was not allowed to send out the shipment, and Wong may not be able to receive his calendars in time for the new year.

Source: Stand News #Dec16

#NewYearCalendar #FreeSpeech #ChineseCustoms #DistrictCouncil