Tag: freedom of speech

Lam Pours Fuel on the Fire

The Hong Kong government’s bypassing of Legco to unilaterally introduce a ‘mask law’ is an insult to all HongKongers and a violation of our rights under both the Basic Law and Hong Kong law.

Carrie Lam has ignored millions of HongKongers marching peacefully, she has ignored the input of the people invited to attend the community discussions that she instigated.

Instead of listening to the people she claimed to represent when elected, and looking to attempt to defuse the volatile situation she created with the Extradition Law, Lam has instead trampled over the rights and freedoms of all HongKongers.

There was no violence or masks at the original protests against the  extradition law. 

The violence was instigated and initiated by the HK Police who actively and deliberately choose to use excessive force to disperse peaceful protestors and who allowed triads to attack the public.

Masks arrived because of the police’s excessive, indiscriminate and illegal use of tear gas and pepper spray. 

The ‘mask law’ does not affect those Lam labels as ‘violent’ protestors, the penalties for ‘unlawful assembly’ far exceed those of the ‘mask law’. 

The newly instigated law looks to intimidate and shutdown the peaceful protestors who are freely expressing their opinions as enshrined in the Basic Law and allowed under HK Law.

It also appears to be worded to suppress and interfere with the Freedom of the Press and the media’s ability to cover the protests and the excessive violence of the HK Police against protestors and members of the public. It is after all hard to film and report when you have a faceful of tear gas and/or pepper spray.

The protestors violence directly stems from the police’s own actions.

The damage to the MTR stems from it’s own injunction turning passengers into criminals and from picking sides rather than remaining neutral and simply moving people around.

The only way ‘healing’ and peace can come is from the government and the new ‘mask law’ shows Lam has no interest in resolving the violent situation she created. Beijing only understands force, subjugation and repression of freedoms.

Lam will go down in history as woman who destroyed Hong Kong, we can only hope that the blood on her hands gives her nightmares for the eternity.

Protestor Johnson Yeung Speaks About His Arrest

Speech by Johnson Yeung Ching Yin (ex convenor of Civil Human Rights Front) after his release on bail on 30th July 2019 evening:

There are many protestors here, some 40 of them have been held inside the Kwai Chung Police Station, and for many the 48-hour limit has passed.

I am one of the protestors arrested on 28th July. My name is Johnson Yeung. I was arrested in Central District at around 11pm that night. We were very cooperative at that time and we followed instructions given by the police. Policemen dragged me behind their shields regardless and subdued me with their fists. This is a complete abuse of police power!

“Being born in Hong Kong gives us the responsibility to make this a better place.”

My mobile phone was confiscated by the Police after the arrest. When they confiscated my mobile phone, I have told them the mobile phone must be put in a sealed evidence bag. However, they did not do so. After urging them several times, they still did not do so. They did not do so even after our arrival at the police station. Worse still, a police officer flashed a torchlight into my eyes when I was on my way to see the officer on duty. Another police officer even threatened me by saying “If you continue to be noisy you will be put inside the air-conditioned room”. They tried to use cruel treatment to threaten protestors who stood by their own rights.

The 40 more of us sat inside a car park that was as hot as a steamer for 24 hours. Some protestors may have sat there for even longer without rest. All we could do was sit. Some people were on the verge of getting a heat stroke. It is very clear to everyone whether this is normal practice or an abuse of power: The police was obviously trying to punish the protesters.

While the Police claimed that I was arrested for obstructing police officers, after detaining me for almost 24 hours, they obtained a search warrant from a Magistrate for the offence of unlawful assembly at midnight. They chose to bring me to my household in the middle of the night to disturb my family.

“The government is still sacrificing teenagers’ blood and freedom for their own dignity, power and benefit! We despise these! We want freedom! All we are asking for is freedom! We ask for autonomy! There are no rioters! There’s only tyranny!”

The above are tactics that the police are using: Illegal, inappropriate ways to discourage the people of Hong Kong from coming out to protest. All these convey one message: If you come out to protest, expect a deprivation of basic rights. Expect nuisance. Expect terror and restlessness for your family.

I do not reckon the above as what the Police should be doing. However, these actions are exactly what they have been doing to abuse and exert their power. These actions are also reasons why we have been pushing for the involvement of an independent investigative committee in reviewing the Police’s abuse of power.

Next, I would like to talk about this charge of “rioting”. There are some 40 people inside, and over 40 of us are being charged with “rioting”. I might have spent only around 20 hours with them inside this dungeon, but most of them are… (sobbing) they were only ten-odd and twenty-odd years old!

Why should they be prosecuted and threatened with the charge of “rioting”? In 2014 it was like this. In 2016 nothing changed. It is 2019 now and it has been five years! The government is still sacrificing teenagers’ blood and freedom for their own dignity, power and benefit! We despise these! We want freedom! All we are asking for is freedom! We ask for autonomy! There are no rioters! There’s only tyranny!

There are no rioters! There’s only tyranny!

I had a short conversation with several arrested protestors. In fact, they are really just… They are just teenagers that desperately hoped for a better Hong Kong. Some of them have considered migration and starting a new life in a different country, but ultimately they said: “Being born into Hong Kong gives us the responsibility to make this a better place.” Even if they have the right and the chance to immigrate, they still want to fight for freedom here in Hong Kong in hopes of making their homeland a place where people could truly live in peace. They are really not rioters. They are just a group of idealistic teenagers. I urge everyone to continue to support them.

No Extradition Protest March – 21 July, 2019

When does a massive protest march seem small?

After the enormous So No to China Extradition protest marches of June which saw millions of HongKongers protesting. Today’s march which had around 350,000 participants seemed small – but it wasn’t! It was another blunt statement of anger at Chief Executive Carrie Lam and her disfunctio0nal and corrupt administration.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2019/No-Extradition-Protest-March-21-July-2019/i-z3cLGdp

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2019/No-Extradition-Protest-March-21-July-2019/i-pp7N8jN

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2019/No-Extradition-Protest-March-21-July-2019/i-6QzdLq9

Handover Anniversary Protest March – 1 July, 2019

It’s become a tradition to celebrate the handover of Hong Kong to China and the birth of the Hong Kong SAR on the 1 July with a march to raise awareness of freedom of speech, human rights etc.

A march of 500,00+ people, which closed both sides of Hennessy and Lockhart roads, is an impressive statement. Including the couple of hundred thousand already in Tamar Park and at Legco, this year’s Handover Protest was probably at least 5 times the average turnout.

But in truth, after the protest marches earlier in June when 1 million and 2 million + 1 respectively turned out to protest the extradition law. The Handover March felt small! There was space around you as you walked, the march rarely stopped and the pavements were empty.

It was a massive turnout – but sadly Chief Executive Carrie Lam (who boasted when accepting the job that she would listen to the people and resign if she felt they didn’t approve of her) has already shown that the only people she listens to and cares about are those Beijing.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2019/Handover-anniversary-protest-1-july-2019/n-7XvDvj/i-phLRQMm

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2019/Handover-anniversary-protest-1-july-2019/n-7XvDvj/i-jxG58xD

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2019/Handover-anniversary-protest-1-july-2019/n-7XvDvj/i-sGJxhtq

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2019/Handover-anniversary-protest-1-july-2019/n-7XvDvj/i-S4wzPjP

Tiananmen Square Vigil @ Victoria Park – 4 June, 2017

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/4-June-tiananmen-square-vigil-Victoria-Park/i-QF48W8w

Tens of thousands of HongKongers gathered to remember those who died as China’s communist leaders turned their guns on their own unarmed people.

Tiananmen was 28 years ago, but the CCP continues to use violence to suppress freedom of speech, sexual equality and especially against those who speak out on corruption, incompetence, nepotism and party members self-enrichment.

While news of few of these violent put downs makes it past China’s draconian censors, we only need to see what has happened here in Hong Kong to know it’s far worse north of the border.

Here publishers disappear, kidnapped from our streets while the police do nothing. A police force that used to be respected and trusted by all. But now a force that cannot ‘see’ a pro-Beijing supporter beat someone up even when it happens infront of their eyes and is recorded on multiple cameras – yet thinks a woman’s breast is a weapon…

Sadly China is infesting Hong Kong with it’s corruption, bribery, censorship… anything that helps China’s leaders and their sycophants to make more money.

If China is so wonderful why do so many people there, especially the very rich CCP leaders, want to take their personal money out of the country and stash it in countries they claim to despise?

We cannot keep silent! We want to keep our city corruption free. Retain freedom of expression, the press, religion, sexuality, an impartial judiciary…as enshrined in the Basic Law.

If you prefer China’s vision of life, everyone working to enrich the chosen and connected few. Feel free to move North.

China gave us the Basic Law, article 25 of which states ‘HongKongers are all equal before the law’. Some though are more ‘equal’ than others and we’ve seen our government buy the tools and guns to suppress the views of those who disagree with China’s view of ‘equality’…

Who will hold a vigil for us?

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/4-June-tiananmen-square-vigil-Victoria-Park/i-LB5dNsx

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/4-June-tiananmen-square-vigil-Victoria-Park/i-g9CV32H/A