Agnes Chow Released from Prison

Former Demosisto Agnes Chow released from prison today

A bit of good news this morning -- Agnes Chow Ting was released from prison after serving almost seven months for her role in a 15-hours siege of the Wan Chai police headquarters on June 21, 2019 during the anti-government protests.

At around 10am the 24-year-old emerged from Tai Lam Centre for Women in Tuen Mun and was mobbed by almost 100 reporters while a small group of supporters shouted, "Chow Ting add oil!" before getting into a white van.

There was a media frenzy of about 100 reporters 

Reporters noted Chow was much thinner than before and she admitted so in her Instagram post a few hours later.

"The pain that lasted for six months and 20 days has come to an end. What comes next is some good rest and recovery for the body. That's because my body has become really weak and slim during this period of time," she said, adding her comment should be read with a bitter smile.

She was originally jailed last December for 10 months for illegal assembly over the siege of the Wan Chai police headquarters on June 21, 2019. Her early release was due to her good behaviour. She was initially sent to Lo Wu Correctional Institution, but was later transferred to an isolation cell at the Tai Lam facility.

Chow pleaded guilty to charges of incitement and taking part in an unauthorized assembly. Her colleagues, Joshua Wong Chi-fung, 24, and Ivan Lam Long-yin, 26, were also imprisoned over the gathering. 

Chow, Lam, Wong convicted of illegal assembly

The only one among the trio without a previous criminal record, Chow burst into tears in the dock on learning the community service order her lawyers were seeking had been rejected. She has been in custody since entering her guilty plea on November 23.

However Chow is not completely free -- she was also charged under the national security law for colluding with foreign forces on the same day Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was arrested for colluding with foreign forces by calling for sanctions.

So far the police have granted Chow bail and not yet charged her, they still have her passport.

Meanwhile this evening part of the city was crawling with police, with the second anniversary of June 12, 2019, when protesters surrounded the Legislative Council in a bid to prevent the second reading of the now withdrawn extradition bill.  

Protesters at Wan Chai police station June 21, 2019

At least 2,000 officers were on the streets, at one point blocking the Cross Harbour Tunnel to check cars heading to Hong Kong island, and and some even entered two shopping malls, one in Mongkok, the other in Causeway Bay.

Anniversaries will not be forgotten but at the same time the police show up in force creating more tension... never ending...

 

HK's War Against its Youth

Lam and Wong's last look at the media and supporters

 

Today three pro-democracy activists were jailed for their part in a protest last year at Hong Kong police headquarters in Wan Chai that evolved into a siege that lasted 15 hours. Joshua Wong Chi-fung, 24, was sentenced for 13.5 months, Agnes Chow Ting, 23, 10 months, and Ivan Lam Long-ying, 26, seven months.

Chow will spend her 24th birthday in jail

Wong and Chow are high-profile activists who were the faces protesting national education in 2012, the Umbrella Movement two years later, and establishing the now disbanded political party Demosisto. Only a few months ago Wong and Chow just graduated from university. Chow was the only one without a previous criminal record and sobbed when she heard her sentenced read out.

She will mark her 24th birthday in prison tomorrow.

West Kowloon Magistrate Wong Sze-lai sharply criticized Wong for challenging the authority of the police force in a premeditated plot, and called him "selfish" for obstructing traffic at the massive rally on June 21 last year.

She said they committed the offences at a time of "social unrest and large-scale public protests", which "made this case more serious".

Wong the night of June 21 at Police headquarters

During the siege, where people protested against excessive force by the police during the then anti-extradition protests, people threw eggs and soft drink cans at the police headquarters, and spray painted graffiti. There were so many people around the building that the officers were obstructed from attending 61 emergency calls.

Prosecutors described Wong as the leader of the protest that night, showing videos of him telling people at the scene through a bullhorn that they should get more people to come and "completely besiege police headquarters".

While Wong was recorded on video saying these things last year, and Chow and Lam were with him, witnesses who were there that night saw the crowd ignore him and the protesters in this leaderless movement decided what to do by discussions on Telegram. Wong left the scene early that evening.

The convictions were not just about what they did that night, but for all their years of activism, standing up against the government and inspiring others to do the same.

Wong protesting against national education

In 2011 Wong started Scholarism to protest against "moral and national education" curriculum put forward by the government. It would mean not learning about the Tiananmen Square massacre and casting the Communist Party in a better light. 

Scholarism organized a protest in late August 2012 around government headquarters in Tamar and tens of thousands showed up. Days later then chief executive Leung Chun-ying had to shelve the plan. 

Then in September 2014 the Umbrella Movement exploded after 87 rounds of tear gas was fired on protesters, and again Wong was the face of the protests. 

He was convicted and jailed in August 2017 and January 2018 for his role in the movement.

The jailing of this trio sends a strong signal to others not to stand up to authority, even if you may think protesting is right in principle. The space for dissent in Hong Kong is fast evaporating.

It also shows the government's unwillingness to engage with the next generation and reconcile differences -- the polarization is too extreme to find any middle ground.

87 rounds of tear gas fired on protesters in 2014

This is yet another sign forcing Hongkongers to decide whether they should leave the place they call home or stick it out, and become complacent.

There was more news today of Apple Daily found Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and two employees were charged with fraud. 

The government will continue to prosecute anyone it believes is contemptuous of it. 

The list is long.

As Covid Cases Spike, Three Activists Face Jail

In the fourth wave, source of many infections are dance clubs

 

Hong Kong recorded 73 new coronavirus cases today with 50 of them from a cluster of infections from dance clubs. These should not be mistaken with night clubs, but places where middle-aged people, mostly tai tais do the cha-cha, foxtrot and the rumba on the dance floor with men who are not their husbands. 

Hmmm! There's a video circulating on Twitter that shows everyone mask-less and in very close proximity to each other... there are already 70 preliminary positive cases for tomorrow...

Seven more dance clubs are impacted and anyone who has gone to any of these dance clubs must get tested... we will see many more cases in the next few days, yet again confirming the fourth wave is here.

Chow, Lam and Wong arrive at court today

While these cases got a lot of attention, three democracy activists pleaded guilty for their involvement in a 15-hour siege of Hong Kong police headquarters during the anti-government protests last year.

Originally Joshua Wong Chi-fung, 24, and Ivan Lam Long-yin, 26 were going to stand trial for their roles in the incident on June 21 last year, but yesterday they changed their minds to plead guilty after reviewing the prosecutor's evidence and consulting with legal counsel.

Agnes Chow Ting, 23, had originally pleaded guilty.

Wong pleaded guilty to organizing an unauthorized assembly and inciting others to take part in the event. Numerous clips were shown in court of him speaking through a loudspeaker outside police headquarters in Wan Chai, shouting that he hoped more people could join, and in another he declared the protesters had "completely besieged the police headquarters".

Wong at the June 21 protest with Chow (far right)

Lam pleaded guilty to a charge of incitement, while Chow had been charged with incitement and taking part in an unauthorized assembly.

As the barristers tried to plead lenience on their clients, Magistrate Wong Sze-lai refused, believing the incident could have escalated into violence.

In the case of Lam, which the barrister tried to ask for community service, Magistrate Wong immediately rejected this, saying the defendant already has four criminal records. 

The three were immediately remanded into custody until sentencing on December 2. 

As Wong was led out of the courtroom, he told supporters: "Hang in there everyone. Add oil!"

Before entering the court, Wong said the trio were prepared to face jail terms and hoped their plight would draw global attention.

Lam and Wong look up as they go into custody

"Under the continuing crackdown against the city's citizens, generations of youth [have gone] from protests to prisons to safeguard liberty for the place [in which] we were born," he said. "Neither prison bars nor election bans, nor any other arbitrary power will stop us from activism."

While Wong was defiant, Chow was worried. In her Facebook post on Sunday she wrote: "If sentenced, this will be my first time in prison. While I say I have mentally prepared for this, I am still a bit scared."

Sowing Seeds of Confusion

Lam says the public has the wrong understanding of the Basic Law

Hong Kong's alternative reality continues with the government pushing through its version of how the city should be governed versus what people have lived with since July 1, 1997.

Yesterday Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung explained that liberal studies textbooks removed references to Hong Kong having a separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary, and that it would be wrong for textbooks to suggest that it does.

Yeung says textbooks weren't changed due to political pressure

He rejected suggestions that the changes were made due to political censorship, and that publishers were not instructed on what should and should not be included.

But he insisted the content be factually accurate, adding the SAR has never had a separation of powers, neither before nor since the handover.

"As a matter of fact, some of the concepts now included in the textbooks are much more accurate than before," he said.

That raised a lot of eyebrows because this totally goes against what Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma Tao-li said back in 2014:

"The Basic Law sets out clearly the principle of the separation of powers between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, and in quite specific terms, the different roles of the three institutions," he said in a speech.

However, today Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor defended and reiterated Yeung's statements in her weekly media briefing.

The new liberal studies textbooks have amended content

"There is no separation of powers in Hong Kong, so I fully support the remark made by Secretary for Education, and I fully support him in the textbook consultation services launched. In the process we'll be able to better explain the constitutional order in Hong Kong," she said.

"Every so often someone will make this a topic -- whether there is separation of powers in Hong Kong -- they will cite some well-known persons or judges but there is nothing clearer than the Basic Law," Lam said.

Huh???!!

She added people have the wrong understanding of the Basic Law.

"I have carefully looked at what people from the legal sector said; they are mainly talking about the division of labour, of course in terms of trials and the judicial system, they can act independently," Lam said.

Compare the changes to previous liberal studies textbooks

"This is about the division of labour in terms of their functions under the Basic Law; if you look at the relations amongst the three powers, of course they would perform their duties and carry out their functions, I do agree that there are checks and balances, I can give you a lot of examples."

Are we all talking about the same Basic Law?

Legal sector lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang remarked that if Lam's interpretation of the Basic Law is that there is no separation of powers, then the rulings by the top court are all wrong, and that the Court of Final Appeal should clearly explain this to everyone.

"The courts have always referred to and relied on the separation of powers as the fundamental principle when it comes to dealing with all kinds of cases, concerning the rights of Hong Kong residents, the constitutionality of legislation, and the legality of executive decisions," he said.

"So, for Carrie Lam as the Chief Executive to now come out and say that there's in fact no separation of powers in Hong Kong is a joke," Kwok said. "It's ludicrous, and it's an offense to the common sense of the Hong Kong people."

Kwok says people have not misunderstood the Basic Law

He dismissed Lam's comment that people misunderstood the Basic Law, and accused the government of changing its stance to please Beijing.

Kwok also cited an article written by Basic Law Committee member Albert Chen Hung-yee in 2018, which said the courts in Hong Kong have stated that the separation of powers is "an important and indispensable constitutional principle embedded in the Basic Law".

Lam and her administration are trying to sow seeds of confusion, perhaps in a bid to justify the need for the national security law? To make Hong Kong lawyers unnecessary? To undermine the Basic Law?

But her audience is highly skeptical of what she and her officials are doing. There has still been no authoritative explanation of how the national security law interfaces with the Basic Law, only that it exists and a separate judicial system is set up to deal with cases -- a small number -- we were constantly told.

Chow on the evening she was arrested under the NSL

One of them, Agnes Chow Ting, went to the Tai Po Police Station today about the extension of her bail. She was asked to give a new statement with regards to her arrest under the national security law, but did not disclose more details to the media three hours after she entered the police station.

Chow has not yet been charged with anything, but has to report back to the police station on December 2, a day before her 24th birthday.

She hopes to celebrate her birthday at home...

Lawmakers Released, but Activist Captured

A crowd of supporters cheered as Hui and Lam emerged after paying bail

A couple of hours ago, Democratic Party lawmakers Ted Hui Chi-fung and Lam Cheuk-ting were released on bail, though they surrendered their passports. They walked out of the West Kowloon Magistrates Courts, both pumping their fists in the air to cheers of supporters.

Lam wore a black T-shirt with the word "Justice", and called for Hongkongers to remain united and keep resisting Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and authoritarianism, and continue to support protesters who are facing trial.

Thundering reception for Lam Cheuk-ting and Ted Hui as they step out of the West Kowloon courts, bailed on $15,000 and $5,000 respectively and having surrendered their passports. pic.twitter.com/xKpweP27zc

— Ryan Ho Kilpatrick 何松濤 (@rhokilpatrick) August 27, 2020

 

Meanwhile Hui, wore the same clothes as yesterday, posted a message on Facebook:

"Many of us might feel afraid, disappointed and helpless, some may also start to worry whether I will give up the things I'm doing, the belief I hold, or even my determination to pursue democracy. I can tell you all with certainty that I am not afraid. There is no room to yield and thus I will not back down. Mediating at scenes of confrontation is our duty as Legislative Councillors. It is my responsibility to protect citizens from violence and harm," he wrote.

Guangdong Coast Guard intercepted a boat from Hong Kong

"Legislative Councillors act as citizens' shield. If our shield is compromised, large-scale score settling will follow. Localists, Democrats or even ordinary citizens will not be spared."

Earlier in the day the Guangdong Coast Guard posted on its social media that it had intercepted a boat on August 23 with 12 people on board, all from Hong Kong.

Why the coast guard did not reveal this information sooner was not explained, but it is now revealed that the Hongkongers were allegedly fleeing to Taiwan for political asylum, and one of them on board is Andy Li, who was recently arrested under the new national security law.

It is not clear on what law they will be charged of violating, but if confirmed, it would be a rare instance of Chinese authorities arresting people from Hong Kong trying to leave the city.

Andy Li was one of those arrested trying to go to Taiwan

Li was arrested on August 10 for alleged collusion with foreign forces and money laundering. That was the same day that Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and activist Agnes Chow Ting were arrested too for allegedly violating the national security law, and fraud.

Police sources have accused Li of being a suspected key member of an online group called "Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong" (SWHK), which they said had continued to call for international sanctions after the new law took effect.

When asked about the news of the people arrested by the Guangdong coast guard, police chief Chris Tang Ping-keung said he had no details about it as it was not a joint operation. Under mainland law, illegal immigrants can be detained for up to a year before being expatriated.

Police Chief Tang has no further details on the arrest

Why did Li decide to flee this way? Did he know the risks of what he was doing?

It may be difficult to find out more about his case now that Li and the others are in Chinese custody...

The Worrying State of Hong Kong Media

Will i-Cable be able to retain its integrity with its latest leadership shuffle?

On the same day that Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was being arrested along with seven other people including activist Agnes Chow Ting, some executive shuffling was happening at i-Cable, a paid TV station that elicited some raised eyebrows.

Oscar Lee (right) conducts fawning interview with Chris Tang

Edna Tse Yin-na, who was the former head of the Hong Kong International Business Channel, the English channel under i-Cable, officially took charge of the news department as deputy general manager. She replaced Fung Tak-hung, who now has an advisory role.

Oscar Lee Tsun and Anderson Chan Hing-cheong will report to Tse as department controllers.

Lee and Tse don't exactly garner much respect in the newsroom, while Chan worked with Tse at ATV.

First Lee, who is known for being a television anchor and parenting influencer. He was widely mocked on social media after a recent interview with police chief Chris Tang Ping-keung which critics said was overly fawning and deferential.

Tse did not think Louis Cha's death was newsworthy enough

Meanwhile many question Tse's editorial judgment. When famous and respected novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung, best known by his pen name Jin Yong, passed away on October 2018, Tse downplayed his death as not important.

She also seemed to not be familiar with Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang who was detained in August 2015 and wasn't put on trial until three and a half years later. While he was convicted of subverting the state in 2019, he was finally released in April this year, in large part thanks to his wife who relentlessly lobbied for him.

Fung hasn't escaped criticism for his editorial decisions either that are blatantly pro-Beijng. Last June he tried to postpone a show related to the June 4 crackdown, but he retracted his decision following protests inside the newsroom.

Then during this year's anniversary of June 4, an interview on i-Cable with Zhang Xianling, the mother of a 19-year-old who was killed in Tiananmen Square in 1989, was shortened to remove her comments on Hong Kong's national security law and similarities to restrictions in China.

Zhang Xianling's comments about NSL were cut from story

Last year a New Year's segment was edited to take out the chanting of the protest slogan, "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time" and was replaced with archival footage of a New Year countdown.

Observers say i-Cable's decline began after it was sold in 2017 to investors, real estate moguls Henry Cheng Kar-shun, and David Chiu Tat-cheong, both of whom have close business ties to China.

Then the broadcaster began diverting resources to focus more on business news in China, while sensitive news items were reported less.

These changes have left reporters in a difficult situation.

"It feels very draining when most of your time is spent on futile fight resisting the collapse of the institution instead of doing actual journalism," said a reporter at i-Cable. "I feel like I am fighting alone. I would also like to leave, but with similar scenes playing out across newsrooms in Hong Kong, where else can I go?"

Bruce Lui Ping-kuen, a senior journalism lecturer at Baptist University, questioned whether the latest appointments were made based on political loyalty.

Jimmy Lai was arrested Monday from his home

"Fung is one of the most experienced veterans in the industry. Although he has sparked controversy after rejoining i-Cable's news department, he only took up the position a little over a year ago," he added.

"He was also replaced by a less experienced colleague. With a big difference between them, this makes me question if political loyalty was the consideration behind Fung's replacement, instead of experience, or was Fung not doing enough in showing his political loyalty?"

As the vast majority of news outlets in Hong Kong are owned by pro-Beijing business owners, reporters and editors have to walk a fine line between serving the interests of the public's right to know, while trying not to offend or get their bosses in trouble.

Which is why Apple Daily, which holds everyone accountable, is such an important barometer for Hong Kong; if and when it goes, press freedom will truly be gone too. Who would be willing to take up that mantle?

People Vote for Press Freedom

People line up in Central to get a copy of Apple Daily today

If there was no coronavirus pandemic, people would have flooded the streets to protest the arrest of Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying for breaching the national security law.
But here we are in the midst of the third wave, but Hongkongers used their wallets to vote for press freedom.

First many waited at 2am in the morning in front of newsstands for today's edition of Apple Daily. News sellers must have had a field day collecting money from people willing to buy one, two, five, 10 copies of the paper that they didn't normally buy.

People lined up in front of Cafe Seasons for food

One or two people who bought a whole stack of paper left them on the street for people to pick up and even attached the receipt there to show they weren't stolen.

Many people posted on social media that they had bought a copy of the paper, though there was one pro-Beijing resident who took several copies that someone else bought and dumped them in the recycling bin. At least he had the conscience to do that.

During the day people queued up at Cafe Seasons on Des Voeux Road in Central where Lai's son Ian has a restaurant. Apparently people lined up for at least half an hour to get a table or takeaway.
"I think the number of people buying lunch at Cafe Seasons is somehow a poll which reflects our opinions, Hong Kong people's opinion," said a woman surnamed Chan in her 30s, who works in the area.

"As you can see, the queue is so long that people have to wait for more than half an hour. It's a poll, in which people cast their votes for freedom."

Next Digital's stock rose again

And Next Digital stock continued to surge today, rising from HK$0.45 to as high as HK$1.70 then ending the day at HK$1.10.

In the past two days the stock (0282) rose 1,200 percent and was the third most traded stock today. Pro-democracy supporters were asked to buy the stock, resulting in nearly a staggering 4.1 million stocks trading, almost 10 times what was transacted everyday in the past year.

The price jump also made Lai a very wealthy man (on paper) worth HK$2.06 billion (US$266 million), and his company valued at HK2.9 billion, surpassing pro-establishment television station TVB to become the biggest publicly traded company in Hong Kong.

A few people complained about the stock's "unusual activity" to the Securities and Futures Commission and called on the body to investigate.

"The share price of Next Digital saw significant and abnormal movement on the day of [Lai's] arrest and today, but the SFC still has not taken any actions," said Innes Tang, chairman of the political organization Politihk Social Strategic, adding he was making an official complaint in his personal capcity.

"This is in stark contrast to [the SFC's] approach with companies in the past, and raises the question among the public as to the SFC's management approach and efficiency."

Police take Lai to his yacht in Sai Kung

In a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange after trading, Next Digital wrote: "The board is not aware of any reasons for these price and volume movements or of any information which must be announced to avoid a false market in the stock trading."

Meanwhile the SFC issued a statement strongly advising investors to exercise extreme caution when dealing in shares of Next Digital, while instructing the company to disclose to the market all future developments and information about its control, financial position and operations which could affect the stock price.

Lai owns 1.88 billion shares, or 71.3 percent of the company based on filings last March.
This morning Lai, handcuffed again, was taken by police to Hong Kong Marina in Sai Kung to board his yacht with his legal representatives.

What did the police think they would find on the boat?

The latest update at 11.35pm is that both of Lai's sons, Ian Lai Yiu-yan, and Timothy Lai Kin-yang have been released on bail. Activist Agnes Chow Ting has just been released.

It has Come to This

Hong Kong is now pulled closer to China in "second handover"

The national security law has been gazetted and basically in effect now -- though we only now get to see what's in it (in Chinese).

The media are pouring over it now with precious minutes to point out things before midnight.

Then Governor Chris Patten at the 1997 handover

So it has come to this, which Beijing is promoting as the "second handover", the one with all the bells and whistles sorted out.

I still remember 23 years ago watching the handover on a large screen projected in a cafeteria in Chinese University. It was pouring rain, and Prince Charles stood stoically in the rain, while then Governor Chris Patten received the folded British flag as if it was draped on the coffin of a dead soldier.

There was anxiety about what was about to happen, but for the most part Hongkongers were glad to finally get rid of their colonial masters and feel proud to be Chinese.

That feeling soured in 2003 when some half a million people took to the streets to protest against the enactment of Article 23, and after the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and has gotten worse since then.

Carrie Lam refusing to answer NSL questions

Meanwhile Hong Kong was being governed by Hongkongers, but by leaders completely incapable of doing their job. It wasn't our fault -- Beijing wanted them installed as chief executive, and each successive one has been worse than the previous one.

And now we are stuck with Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who has been completely sidelined by Beijing and yet still being paid a pretty penny for being the most hated person in Hong Kong by both camps.

Beijing has lost its patience with Hong Kong -- it lost major face last year with the protesters defacing the Legislative Council and in particular the national emblem at the Liaison Office. The nail in the coffin was the district council elections in November, when 17 of the 18 districts became yellow overnight.

While Hongkongers were celebrating, Beijing was plotting its revenge to gain back control of the city with the national security law that was suddenly sprung on us on May 22 and was approved on May 28 and now here we are on the eve of the handover this draconian law is being enacted.

Wong, Law and Chow quitting Demosisto today

We don't know what's in it, but it's enough to scare the leadership of Demosisto -- Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Agnes Chow Ting -- to quit the party. People are deleting posts on social media, while some yellow shops are taking down their mini Lennon Walls to avoid attracting attention.

The reign of terror has already begun. One owner of a cafe that was part of the "yellow economic circle" said he was followed by strangers and received threatening messages that his family would be harmed.

With some 200 staff working for him, he decided it was better to formally leave this network than to have any problems.

Some die-hard protesters are sad and upset people are caving in, but can you blame them? Their concerns are very real.

Remember Hong Kong before June 30, 2020. Remember as much as you can because future generations depend on us to tell them what happened pre-NSL. Pre-1997.

Hong Kong will never be the same again.

White Terror in Hong Kong

Agnes Chow and Joshua Wong emerge having been released on bail today

Today reached new heights of shock with a slew of arrests last night, today and more are still happening as the clock approaches midnight Hong Kong time.

On Thursday night, Andy Chan Ho-tin of the now outlawed Hong Kong National Party was detained when he was trying to board a plane to Tokyo. He was arrested on suspicion of rioting and assaulting a police officer during an anti-parallel protest in Sheung Shui last month.

Former HKU student leader Althea Suen was also arrested

Then this morning there was word that Demosisto's secretary general Joshua Wong Chi-fung was arrested at 7.30am when he was in Ap Lei Chau; apparently he was nabbed into an unmarked car and then sent to the Wan Chai police station.

This goes against police regulations -- transporting all those arrested should be in clearly marked cars.

His arrest was quickly followed by another Demosisto member, Agnes Chow Ting, who also picked up in the same manner in Tai Po.

What had they done wrong?

But that wasn't all. The police were looking for Ivan Lam also of Demosisto, but he is in Taiwan now. There was also Althea Suen Hiu-lam, a former student leader at the University of Hong Kong.

Andy Chan was stopped from boarding a flight to Tokyo

And then there were three pro-democracy lawmakers who were taken by police: Cheng Chung-tai for conspiracy of criminal damage in the Legislative Council on July 1, Au Nok-yin for suspicion of obstructing police in the execution of their duties and assaulting police, and then former Cathay Pacific pilot Jeremy Tam for obstructing police officers on July 8, possibly related to clashes that followed a march in Tsim Sha Tsui the day before.

Sha Tin District Council member Rick Hui Yui-yu was also arrested on suspicion of obstructing police officers performing their duty during clashes at New Town Plaza shopping centre on July 14.

Speaking at a press conference, fellow Sha Tin District Council member George Wong Hok-lai said: "The police claimed that he [Hui] was obstructing police operations but as we saw on the news, he was performing his duty as a district councillor to assist the residents and protect them in Sha Tin."

Former Cathay Pacific pilot Jeremy Tam was arrested

A pro-Beijing newspaper had claimed Hui pretended to be a journalist, but Wong said Hui was wearing a reflective vest with a label on the back stating he is a district council member.

Late in the afternoon Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow were released on a HK$10,000 bail each, and outside the court, both were defiant and continued to demand the government withdraw the extradition bill, have an independent inquiry into police brutality, to stop calling the protesters "rioters", and have universal suffrage.

"Beijing just conveniently manipulates Hong Kong people's freedom," Wong said. "I urge the international community to send a message to President Xi, sending troops or using the emergency ordinance is not the way out."

Meanwhile Chief Superintendent John Tse Chun-chung of the police public relations branch, denied the arrests were meant to deter supporters from attending a banned protest march tomorrow, from Chater Garden in Central to the liaison office in Western district.

But so many people in one day?

Au Nok-hin was also taken by police in a series of arrests

Either Hong Kong police are doing this show of force to satisfy Beijing that it has rounded up those who it believes are causing trouble, or it really does believe "black hands" are manipulating these people?

The police also claim to have enough evidence to prosecute all these people...

In the meantime, the planned protest tomorrow has been cancelled, which means anyone near the area could be arrested for illegal assembly. Even bystanders could be nabbed. Some think of lots of people show up then how can the police arrest so many people? But then again they already have arrested 900 people... what's a few thousand more?

As Agnes Chow says, stop the white terror. Hongkongers will find another way to protest.

Raking in the Donations

Tens of thousands came out to march and support their political parties

In yesterday's post I complained about how the July 1 protest march was a constant barrage of speeches angling for donations.

But it's interesting to find out today who garnered the most money -- Demosisto.

With Joshua Wong Chi-fung and Agnes Chow Ting waving to the crowd, cheering on the marchers and shaking hands, the political party received HK$530,000 (US$67,950). This is a 23 percent increase from last year's donations totaling HK$430,000.

Agnes Chow encourages the marchers in the heat

The party has gone through a lot of upheaval in the past year, with Nathan Law Kwun-chun stepping down from Demosisto after he, the party's sole representative in the Legislative Council, was kicked out for not reading the oath of office properly.

Ivan Lam Long-yin, the new chairman of Demosisto says despite having lost their sole lawmaker in Legco, the public still supports them.

Lam says the donations will be used to continue Demosisto's campaign called "Decoding Hong Kong's History", an archival research project that looks into declassified documents related to Hong Kong's handover in 1997.

He also said the money would be used to attend international conferences and fund the group's work on producing material related to issues like the proposed national anthem law.

Lee Cheuk-yan's Labour Party saw a drop in donations

Another big winner yesterday was Democracy Groundwork, led by disgraced lawmaker Lau Siu-lai, who had a 45 percent jump in donations to HK$276,000. She said she was buoyed by the support they received and is considering running in the upcoming Legco by-election in November.

Meanwhile traditional pan-democratic parties saw a drop in their donation takings. The League of Social Democrats which had several members embroiled in court cases, saw a 9 percent drop in donations to HK$460,000, while the Civic Party, Democratic Party and Labour Party saw a decline as well.

So Hong Kong people vote with their feet literally and their wallets it seems...

By-Election Blues

An Au Nok-hin supporter earlier today

Today is the by-election for four of the six seats in the Legislative Council vacated by those who were disqualified for making improper oaths of office.

Despite rigorous campaigning, voter turnout seems blase about the event. By 9.30pm, an hour before polls closed, a total of 840,070 voters had cast their votes in the geographical constituency, an overall turnout rate of 39.97 percent. This compares to a 52.27 percent for the same time during the 2016 general elections.

Granted this is a by-election and not a general election, still it's important for the pro-democrats to try to regain ground in Legco. However, it seems voters may be jaded and feel there's no point in trying to vote for someone who represent their interests because the Hong Kong government, or rather Beijing, will find a way to disqualify them, or make it harder for pro-democracy lawmakers to do their work.

Pro-Beijing loyalists butt heads with Joshua Wong and Au

There's also still simmering tensions between pro-democracy and pro-Beijing parties. This morning at around 9am in Aberdeen, a group of middle-aged Beijing loyalists surrounded pro-democracy candidate Au Nok-hin along with Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Agnes Chow Ting.

"You are a traitor who betrayed your country! Why don't you go to Taiwan instead?" the pro-Beijing group shouted at them, along with some swear words.

The tensions also extended to former senior officials who had differing opinions on the state of politics in Hong Kong. Ex-chief executive Tung Chee-hwa said quarreling should end, saying advocates of Hong Kong independence and self-determination would cost a heavy toll.

"We should elect some people who are constructive, pragmatic and true-heartedly serving Hong Kong into the Legislative Council," he said.

Tung Chee-hwa says he wants Hong Kong to move forward

Don't we all want that? We know independence isn't going to get anywhere but what about at least upholding "one country, two systems"?

Meanwhile Tung's former No. 2 Anson Chan Fang On-sang had a different view.

"Hongkongers should never give up... we should vote to express our zero tolerance to the constant interventions in Hong Kong affairs and the devastating damage to the 'one country, two systems' principle by the local and central governments," she said.

"Tung called on citizens to vote for those who genuinely work for Hong Kong," Chan continued, addressing his earlier comments. "I believe voters have the wisdom to judge who truly represents the values of Hongkongers."

Anson Chan hopes votes reflect Hong Kong's sentiment

We will see in the next few hours what the results are and in what direction Hong Kong will be going in... we can only hope for the best.

Yellow Umbrella Nobel Nomination

Nathan Law, Joshua Wong and Alex Chow were nominated for the peace prize

Late last night the news broke that 12 US congressmen had nominated Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Alex Chow Yong-kang and the Umbrella Movement for the Nobel Peace Prize. It is the first time there has been a nominee from Hong Kong.

As expected, Beijing and pro-establishment politicians were up in arms about it.

In a strongly worded statement, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in part: "Hong Kong's affairs are China's affairs, and China firmly objects to anyone intervening through any means.

Marco Rubio is one of the congressmen who nominated Wong

"We would urge the relevant congressmen to stop meddling with Hong Kong's affairs and China's domestic affairs. They should do more things that are conducive to the development of China-US ties, and not the opposite."

It's a reaction that was totally expected, but will this mean repercussions for Hong Kong?

A friend of mine asked me this today when she asked for my thoughts on the Nobel nomination.

Hong Kong would probably not be punished per say -- the activists have already done their jail time and further restricted in what they can do with their lives. No financial institutions want to open bank accounts with them nor employers hire them for jobs so they are pretty much confined in their livelihoods.

Also with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor at the helm, Beijing has full confidence she has control over the city; protests of that scale will never happen again in the city.

Therefore it's a bit strange that these US congressmen who are critical of China choose to nominate the trio and the Umbrella Movement when it failed to achieve anything in the end. Some may point out things have gotten worse with the further politicization of issues and people. Even the colour yellow has political connotations.

The 2014 Umbrella Movement was unprecedented in its scale

Hong Kong residents didn't get one man, one vote. The government tried to ram electoral reform down their throats but the majority of people didn't buy it.

However a few good things came out of the movement. Young people became less apathetic and more interested in politics. Sadly they have been dismissed as decent political contenders in the upcoming by-election for seats in the Legislative Council -- we're thinking of Agnes Chow Ting here -- but that hasn't stopped them, even those in high school to be more politically aware of what is going on.

The other good thing about this Nobel nomination is that it reminds the rest of the world about the plight of Hong Kong. Some may vaguely remember the relatively peaceful protests that went on for 79 days, or others will learn about it for the first time. Drawing attention to Hong Kong is a good thing. Any publicity is good publicity.

We're assuming this news was blocked in China, and besides, Beijing should realize that anyone can nominate anyone for a Nobel prize and it doesn't mean the committee will take all the nominations seriously.

Regardless, being nominated is a sign that Hong Kong's struggle for democracy is not forgotten.