Protest-Related Humanitarian Fund to Shut

The fund was set up on June 15, 2019

Another civil society group has announced it will disband for fear of crossing the red line with the national security law.

612 Humanitarian Relief Fund was set up after the anti-extradition protests began in June 2019, helping to provide humanitarian aid and financial support to those who were injured, attacked, arrested or threatened with violence during the protests. 

The fund provided legal, medical, psychological and emergency financial assistance, and depended on donations from the public.

Cardinal Zen and Barrister Ng set up the chairs

But today 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund announced it would not take on new cases from Wednesday (today), and will shut down by the end of October.

The public donations were collected through a bank account belonging to the Alliance for True Democracy. The fund decided to stop operations after learning the alliance will shut down, citing the latest social developments.

"Without a bank account, we cannot operate at all. As to whether there's any political pressure behind, I don't think we are in a position to guess and in a way it's not relevant for us to guess," said Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, former Civic Party lawmaker and trustee of the 612 fund.

"We have remained vigilant in the unpredictable political environment, the day has come that the fund is forced to shut down."

In total the fund had a staggering over HK$236 million, though only HK$2 million is left. They helped 43 percent of cases, or 947 of them, of which 231 had the charges dropped or acquitted. Then there were 371 cases that were convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentence (alternative to prison sentence), and 345 convicted and sentenced to jail.

Cardinal Zen, Ng and singer Denise Ho (far right)

However, there are still 1,274 cases pending, and Ng says not all these cases can be helped. Only about 100 of them can be helped until the fund ceases to exist.

Nevertheless the fund is still accepting donations until September 21 before it closes October 31.

612 Humanitarian Relief Fund was specifically established to help people get the appropriate funding or help they needed, whether it be legal representation, paying for surgeries, or counselling. 

But alas it will soon be no more, though Ng remains optimistic for the future:

"A fair and just society, the rights and freedoms everyone is entitled to under the law will remain the joint hope and endeavour of Hong Kong's civil society."

Is hope enough to keep Hong Kong's civil society going? Hard to say, but it's looking very bleak these days. Yet another light snuffed out in the eerie dark future of the city...

 

 

Opposition Parties Struggling Financially to Stay Alive

Political parties used to raise lots of money from stalls like this

 

With the implementation of the national security law last June that led to the arrest of 47 pan-democratic lawmakers and activists, and now the overhaul of the electoral system, the opposition in the Legislative Council has been decimated literally and also financially.

Opposition parties are losing their main sources of fundraising from participating in rallies, Chinese New Year flower market stalls, and holding annual dinners because of the coronavirus pandemic. And now there is the added pressure that crowdfunding online has led to people involved being arrested for money laundering, thus scaring donors away.

Leong says Civic Party can only last a few months

And now with so many pan-democrats charged with crimes including violating the national security law, much of the money is now being spent on legal fee to defend them.

"The problem is, if you're donating to a party which is accused of subversion, would you not think twice before digging into your purse?" Civic Party chairman Alan Leong Kah-kit said.

Several members of the party are being detained for alleged national security offences and have also recently quit the party, which is the second-biggest in the opposition camp.

Leong revealed the Civic Party now has just enough money to continue for another four or five months unless it received more funding.

Meanwhile the Democratic Party has launched its fundraising campaign by selling raffle tickets for HK$20 each with prizes ranging from an Apple iPad, Dyson purifier and Apple watch.

Democratic Party now holding raffle ticket sales

The party's fundraising chairman, Ramon Yuen Hoi-man said he expected to spend at least HK$10 million this year, much of it used to defend members in court.

To raise other funds, the Democratic Party sold property in Lai Chi Kok but still needs an additional HK$4 million hopefully from raffle ticket sales to stay afloat.

"When I look at the balance sheets, this is the worst of the worst I have seen since I joined the party [10 years ago]," he said.

Yuen added the mass resignation of the lawmakers in Legco also hit the Democratic Party financially, as they would usually contribute 10 percent of their salary, which made up 10 percent of the annual income. In 2019 the members donated HK$1.3 million.

Leong of the Civic Party can't even consider thinking about running for the Legco elections in December when the party may not financially survive until then.

Ng says street booths have fewer donations now

The League of Social Democrats is also facing money problems, as fundraising through street booths has resulted in much lower donations than during the protests.

"We could collect up to HK$400,000 to HK$500,000 on those occasions," said Avery Ng Man-yuen, vice-chairman of the League of Social Democrats.

It's a sad state of affairs to see the opposition in such financial straits. This may be the beginning of the end of them being crushed financially and their donors either not having enough money themselves to donate or are concerned about getting into trouble making contributions.

Beijing must be pleased to see this happening, easily crushing the opposition by financially strangling them...

Police Drop Fine on Tackled Girl

12-year-old girl tackled by police in September in Mong Kok

 

Remember back on the evening of September 7 when a 12-year-old girl was tackled to the ground in Mong Kok when she went out to buy school supplies?

In the footage she looked nervous and ran from the officers, who then chased her and pinned her to the ground while there was a protest happening against the one year postponement of elections for the Legislative Council. 

She nervously flees the police who later tackle her

The girl and her brother were both fined for violating social-distancing rules. 

At the time Police Commissioner Chris Tang Ping-keung had claimed the girl acted "suspiciously" as she ran away from officers and that prompted the police to react and use "minimum force" to subdue her.

There was outrage at the police for being so rough with the girl, and now it seems the force may have realized its actions were overboard.

Today the police dropped the fine, though no explanation was given in the notice from the police.

However Civic Party councillor Andy Yu Tak-po said the U-turn showed the police had made a mistake.

Will Tang apologize to the girl about the incident?

He will help the girl and her brother to file a complaint against the police and demand an apology from the police chief.

Good luck getting the apology from Tang, but at least the police finally rescinded the fine that was outrageous. Nevertheless the psychological scars from the incident will probably remain.

Pan-Democrats Play into Beijing's Hands

Pan-democrats are united, but are they doing the right thing?

 

The pan-democratic lawmakers in the Legislative Council are outnumbered by the pro-establishment politicians, so when bills need to be passed, the former use whatever tools they have to prevent or at least have a decent debate before it is basically rubber stamped.

One of the tools they use is filibustering, and every other democratic opposition uses this strategy at one time or another.

For the Hong Kong opposition, it's basically all they have left. They don't even have a chance of having a majority elected in Legco and Beijing wants to make sure it stays that way.

Baggio Leung crosses his fingers in swearing-in

In recent years the National People's Congress has decimated the opposition by disqualifying them. In 2016, six newly-elected pan-democrats, including Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang were disqualified for displaying a banner that said "Hong Kong is not China" and not taking their oath seriously, mispronouncing "People's Republic of China" as "people's re-f***ing of Chee-na".

Now four more pan-democrat lawmakers may also be disqualified for... filibustering.

The NPC is meeting this week and has this issue on its agenda. 

The warning came from Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong's only delegate to the standing committee, saying the lawmakers' delaying tactics since the beginning of Legco's extended term made them unsuitable for office.

"As lawmakers, you must act in accordance with Article 104 of the Basic Law, [which states that lawmakers] need to swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and uphold the Basic Law," he said before flying to Beijing.

Tam says bills need to be passed, not filibustering

"It isn't good to use various means to disrupt Legco's normal operation. We need to face this problem."

The four at risk of being thrown out of Legco are: Civic Party's Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Dennis Kwok and Kwok Ka-ki, and Kenneth Leung of the Professionals Guild.

This evening 19 pan-democrats decided to raise the stakes if the four are disqualified.

"We have decided that we will resign en masse without hesitation if the central government decides to push ahead with the disqualification," Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai, co-convenor of the pan-democrat bloc said during a hastily arranged press conference.

"It is to demonstrate our extreme discontent and strong protest against the authorities' ruthless attempt to trample the legislature."

But isn't that exactly falling into Beijing's hands? If they all resign, there will be no opposition in Legco, and the people who elected them in are powerless to oppose this, as public protests are practically impossible now due to the pandemic.  

Beijing wants antics like this to end in Legco

Is this the right course of action for the pan-democrats to take? While filibustering is allowed in Legco, Beijing has had enough of it and wants bills to be passed.

Some don't deserve to be passed, such as the Lantau Tomorrow Vision, where Chief Executive Carrie Lam proposes to solve the housing crisis by building a massive 1,700-hectare manmade island through land reclamation costing HK$500 million (US$68.3 billion) off Lantau.

We will find out in the next day or so what Beijing has to say about the four lawmakers; it may force the hand of pan-democrats to resign en masse. 

Then what? 

Who will represent the interests of Hongkongers?

Pan-Democrats Unite to Fight, while PLA Dock now Official

Pan-democrats have three less members, but ready to fight

 

As the Legislative Council elections in early September were postponed due to pandemic concerns (cough cough), the government somehow wrangled a way to extend the sitting of Legco for another year with Beijing's consent.

That left lawmakers, particular pan-democrats who had planned to leave and those who were going to stay to ponder if they still wanted to keep those positions or change their minds.

That's because Beijing's decision of extended the term goes against the Basic Law, and that the lawmakers' mandate was over when the term ended.

It was such a gut-wrenching decision for them to make that they commissioned a poll conducted by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute and Chinese University's public opinion survey centre. 

Lam says the bloc has three priorities in Legco

The results were announced today in a press conference, but were hardly definitive. Of the 2,579 respondents, 47.1 percent said the lawmakers should stay, while 45.8 percent said they should leave, and 7 percent had a neutral position.

The "stay" camp didn't have a decisive majority, so the pan-democrats were back at square one to decide for themselves what to do.

Yesterday Raymond Chan Chi-chuen and Eddie Chu Hoi-dick announced they were leaving, and today Civic Party's Tanya Chan announced tearily that she would leave as well.

At the press conference, Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai said the bloc, including all seven incumbents from his party, had made "a very difficult political judgment" to serve out the extended term.

"We believe it is important for us to maintain the battlefront in Legco to fight the tyranny," said Wu, who is now convenor of the new bloc. "We will relentlessly block all evil government policies, in hope of slowing down the erosion of freedom in Hong Kong."

Fellow Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting said the 19 who decided to stay had established three priorities for the extended term: continue to pressure the administration over the plight of the 12 Hongkongers detained in Shenzhen; block amendments to Legco ordinances to investigate supporters of last year's anti-government protests; and to call for an early resumption of legislative elections.

Chan tearfully announced she would leave Legco

Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung of the Labour Party had earlier announced he would leave, but is now staying.  

Currently there are 65 lawmakers in Legco, 41 in the pro-establishment camp and previously 22 pan-democrats, now down to 19, and two independents.

So now what? Political scientist Ivan Choy Chi-keung of Chinese University believes the remaining pan-democrat lawmakers could become more radical in Legco.

"[Pan-democrats] might adopt a more confrontational approach towards the government in the council," he said. "They have to prove that they will not betray the democratic supporters."

They also need to be more coordinated in their efforts which means being united on every issue to have as much of a presence in Legco as possible; divisions within the camp will render them powerless, and so it won't be surprising if the pro-Beijing camp try to divide and conquer them.

Now that this quandary has been dealt with, can we talk about today's low-key announcement?

This is the blocked off PLA dock, an eyesore

At the Central harbourfront, in front of Tamar, is a 150-metre long thin sliver of land that is barricaded with an ugly fence while weeds have grown in the unkempt space.

Meanwhile people walking along the waterfront have to purposely go around it, and for years, activists have campaigned for the dock to be opened up most of the time for public use.

However, the cordoned off area is a military dock for the People's Liberation Army to use, and today it is officially theirs.

As of this morning at 7am it was declared a military restricted zone that will be managed and used by the PLA Hong Kong Garrison from now on.

Does this mean soldiers will be posted at this strip of land? Or will it continue to remain a locked-up eyesore?

These people are not wearing masks or distancing

In any event, during this morning's ceremony, 11 special guests stood shoulder to shoulder and were not wearing masks. They included Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her deputy Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, and liaison office director Luo Huining.

How is it that they can stand together and police aren't ticketing them for not social distancing or not wearing masks?

Seems like a two-tier system going on... 

Or should we wait what happens in the next two weeks?

Increasing Threats on Joshua Wong

Joshua Wong says Hongkongers will not easily surrender

 

Day by day the level of absurdity in Hong Kong rises a notch or two higher. Earlier this week it was the Hong Kong police determining who was a real reporter and who was "fake" to ensure smooth operations.

And then yesterday Joshua Wong Chi-fung was arrested for allegedly breaching the anti-mask law last October 5, when people were banned from covering their faces during protests.

The irony is that wearing masks is mandatory these days because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He was also arrested for allegedly taking part in an illegal assembly that day as well.

Koo Sze-yiu is a veteran social activist

The force said the October 5 protest was not authorized under the Public Order Ordinance, hence the charge. The 23-year-old Wong was arrested along with 74-year-old Koo Sze-yiu, a veteran social activist who has was recently diagnosed with cancer and is in hospital, according to fellow activist Nathan Law Kwun-chung.

After Wong was released on bail, he told the media waiting outside the Central Police Station that the timing of his arrest and prosecution were politically motivated.

"The government wants to produce a chilling effect on Hong Kong people to frighten people away from the October 1 march," he said, referring to the planned National Day rally.

"But I can declare that I will continue to resist and we should also let the world know Hong Kong people will not easily surrender. They can't censor our commitment to fight for freedom. The chilling effect will not work and is not the way out -- they cannot force us to surrender."

Many opposition politicians, rights groups and the European Union weighed in on Wong's arrest.

Richardson says authorities want to silence Wong

Alan Leong Kah-kit, chairman of the Civic Party said: "It's so ridiculous for the government to arrest people over participating in an anti-mask law rally when everyone now in Hong Kong has to wear masks in public places [under coronavirus measures]."

Human Rights Watch said the Hong Kong government should stop prosecuting pro-democracy activists.

"The Hong Kong authorities keep dredging up dubious cases against Joshua Wong in a heavy-handed attempt to silence him," said Sophie Richardson, China director. "Hong Kong and Chinese authorities should realize that people in Hong Kong have responded to attacks on pro-democracy voices with ever greater resolve in calling for human rights."

Law, who is currently in exile in London, is concerned that while the authorities have not yet arrested Wong for breaching the national security law, it will only be a matter of time. 

"By arresting him and charging him once more, it sends a strong signal to Joshua that, basically telling Joshua that [he should] not do anything, otherwise we will arrest you under the national security law which is much more draconian and the maximum penalty will be life-long sentencing. I think that kind of intimidation is clear," Law told CBC Radio's current affairs show As It Happens.

Law with former HK governor Chris Patten

The Civil Human Rights Front had applied to the police to hold a rally on October 1 to protest against the mainland authorities for detaining 12 people who allegedly attempted to flee to Taiwan. However, the police rejected the application, citing social-distancing measures where a maximum of four people may gather in public, and that a large crowd could constitute a "grave threat" to public health and public safety.

The front has said it will appeal, and if rejected again, will think of other ways people can protest.

By the way there were only two new coronavirus cases today...

Security Bill Destroying Hongkongers' Trust

Lam and her administration support the national security law

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress will meet next weekend, and it is believed the national security law will be up for discussion and possibly promulgation, as if it couldn't happen fast enough.

While some believe the passage of this law will put an end to protests, this may be true, but the reality is that it will be the end of Hong Kong as we know it. The city is rapidly changing into a mainland city whether we like it or not, and our government officials and elites trying to one up themselves on telling the public how the national security law is a good thing when they haven't even seen the wording of such an important document.

Kwok says Beijing has lost the trust of HKers

There is a media report that when Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was meeting with the senior leadership in Beijing, she tried to get a copy of the draft but was told it was highly confidential.

So even the leader of Hong Kong has no idea what's in there and not even allowed to have a sneak peek.

That's what loyalty to Beijing gets you these days -- nothing.

And that's what Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki has said on RTHK's Letter to Hong Kong today. He accused Beijing of destroying people's trust in the city.

As a result of Beijing making "one country, two systems" null and void, Hongkongers are frantically looking into emigration, applying for British National (Overseas) passports, and businesses moving out of the Central business district.

But what upset him the most is how some pro-establishment figures have chosen to give away Hong Kong's rights and freedoms so easily.

Beijing crushed dissidents like Liu

"Beyond the mainland government's infringement on our city's founding principles, it is even more disappointing to see how local elites and government officials have turned their backs on Hong Kong people," he said.

"Members of the Executive Council and many prominent business owners voiced their support for the legislation. Perhaps fearing backlash from China, top executives from companies like HSBC have also stood by the draconian law."

He said the mainland authorities use the national security law to intimidate political opponents and suppress dissent, citing the examples of Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo, recently released Wang Quanzhang, and just sentenced Yu Wensheng.

"With the passing of the national security law, Hong Kong may follow the same dark path of political oppression," Kwok said.

In addition, he accused the SAR government of already using intimidating language towards those who opposed the impending bill.

"To intimidate voices of opposition, Chief Executive Carrie Lam has even called critics of the National Security Act 'enemies of the people'," he said.

Cohen has many questions about the new law

"Anyone who is publicly opposing the national security bill will very likely face prosecution and other consequences. Just this week, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Erick Tsang Kwok-wai (who has a painted plate of Xi Jinping in his office) said that critics of the legislation may be barred from running in the upcoming Legislative Council elections."

Therefore, Kwok said, people who call Hong Kong home are left with no choice but to stand firm and fight against what he calls "this intrusion into our city's autonomy".

Esteemed law professor and China expert Jerome Cohen of New York University School of Law has been blogging non stop about the national security law. He puts it pretty succinctly in his June 20 blog post:

"The Handover has clearly become the Takeover".

National Security Law Sparks Press Freedom Worries

Hong Kong's National Security Law closer to promulgation

The dreaded national security law has been drafted, but "collusion" has been added to the wording that created more fear for democracy activists and lawmakers.

According to Xinhua, the law outlines crimes of secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign and external forces to endanger national security, as well as lays out their penalties, but no details were given.

Originally collusion was not included in the resolution passed last month by the National People's Congress, but legal experts claim this brings the national security law in line with China's criminal laws.

Kwok worries lawmakers could be caught in law

However, pan-democrats and democracy activists are concerned how collusion will be applied in Hong Kong.

Civic Party lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang and legal sector representative says: "We frequently come across consuls general, foreign legislators, officials, academics, and journalists. We would talk to them about Hong Kong and they would talk to us about international affairs that are of interest to them. Are they saying that all those would be deemed as colluding with foreign forces, hence [it] would become a criminal activity going forward? That is ridiculous."

Joshua Wong Chi-fung of Demosisto says the collusion charge could force Hong Kong to further cut ties with the rest of the world and punish "all those who urge the government to uphold the city's freedoms and human rights to international standards."

It is not clear when the law will be passed, as it seems very early to pass it this weekend. The next convening of the Standing Committee is in August, but there is talk they may possibly hold a special meeting next month to pass it.

Wong (left) Hong Kong will cut ties with law

Meanwhile, journalists are extremely worried about the upcoming implementation of the law, with 98 percent of 150 surveyed are against the legislation, as they are concerned how the law will impact press freedom and their own welfare.

About 87 percent believed the new law would "seriously affect" press freedom in Hong Kong, and 92 percent were worried about their personal safety.

Chris Yeung, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association warned that journalists could fall into the scope of the national security law.

"Reporters or editors could be liable to those crimes, so those threats to us are not just psychological, but substantive in the sense that they might face those charges," he said.

Yeung also said there were concerns journalists would be worried about covering sensitive topics, comparing it to stepping on landmines.

Yeung says journalists are very worried about law

Nevertheless, despite the pessimistic outlook, only 13 percent of those surveyed said they would leave the industry when the new law came into effect.

Many are probably waiting to see what the law actually says before making up their minds.

Any way you look at it, the national security law is not reassuring...

Lam Lashes Out at Opposition

Carrie Lam tells people not to "demonize the new law"

Today marks the first anniversary when 2 million people marched on the streets to protest against the extradition bill. Coinciding with the date was a double rainbow that appeared in the late afternoon, and protesters took as a sign from above.

Wonder if Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor had another interpretation of the naturally-occuring sign?

Amazing double rainbow today -- is it a sign?

She coincidentally held her weekly news briefing today and aside from saying that social distancing measures would be further eased by Friday, Lam continued her tirade against those who were vocally against the national security bill.

"I urge the opposition to stop demonizing and stigmatizing [the law], so as not to pit themselves against the people in Hong Kong," she said. "The common goal must be for Hong Kong to maintain stability."

As if people weren't concerned enough, their worries were further heightened when Deng Zhonghua, deputy director of the cabinet-level Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said Beijing would exercise jurisdiction over cases "in very special circumstances" when applying the new law, that Hongkongers might be extradited to the mainland for trials -- one of their greatest fears about the national security law.

Lam's response to reporters' questions about this was hardly comforting.

"Without any details about the provisions in the legislation, and how they are going to be applied, it is not possible and appropriate for me to express my opinion on comments made by my mainland counterparts, because I'm not a party to the lawmaking institution," she said.

So how can she even begin to reassure the public that the new law will only impact a small group of people when she even admits she doesn't know what is in the provisions of the law. It is completely backwards and the unknown is making people even more anxious.

When 2 million people marched a year ago

Hong Kong legal experts are wondering how this national security law will be compatible with the existing Basic Law and what does "special circumstances" mean?

Meanwhile Civic Party lawmaker Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu accused Lam of applying a double standard in claiming that the opposition camp was "demonizing the new law".

"We challenged the law because it's uncertain and it lacks details," he said. "When all top officials are promoting the bill without details, they fail to show Hongkongers how they are able to safeguard human rights, and it's also unfair and illogical to criticize us.

"Is Carrie Lam demonstrating the new normal? That after the national security law is enacted, all voices from us will be seen as demonizing the government?"

Yes it seems Lam is taking it all very personally and lashing out with the word "demonizing" when lawmakers are just challenging her for more information.

Yeung challenges Lam to guarantee people's rights

It's pathetic, but then again that's what we ended up with, thanks to the election committee of 1,200 people, 777 of who voted for her in 2017.

What would have happened if her challenger John Tsang Chun-wah had won?

What would have happened if Hong Kong already had universal suffrage?

But no, we don't have universal suffrage, we don't have a leader defending Hong Kong's interests and one country, two systems is disintegrating before our eyes.

And she tells us not to worry...

Carrie Lam's "Extremely Submissive" Beijing Visit

Political cartoonist Zunzi's take on the national security law

In Beijing today, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor reported China's leadership has heard the concerns of Hongkongers on the national security law. When asked what she told them, Lam refused to divulge what was said.

"I will not disclose what we discussed in the meeting. I can only say that... on this important Hong Kong matter, central government officials can hear the opinion raised in Hong Kong, as well as those raised in foreign countries. I believe that they don't need the chief executive to come to Beijing personally to reflect those," she said.

Tanya Chan says Lam is "extremely submissive"

It is believed the law will be passed by August and senior Chinese officials have repeated that only a small minority of people will be affected by this law.

Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan Suk-chong described Lam's attitude towards Beijing as "extremely submissive".

Views will only be heard in seminars organized in Shenzhen and Beijing, which Chan hinted was not very helpful for Hongkongers who wanted to give their feedback.

Speaking of submissive, political cartoonist Wong Kee-kwan, aka Zunzi is quite busy these days drawing cartoons critical of both Beijing and Hong Kong governments.

One of his latest ones about the national security law features a police officer from mainland Chinese coming out of the Bauhinia flower and in one hand he has a cage, and in the other has a pair of tongs picking up Hong Kong to put in the cage.

Lam says Beijing has heard feedback from HK

Zunzi was asked if it was unusual for his cartoons to be featured on the front page of newspapers and magazines.

"It's not that unusual, because in the past few years, there has been so many demonstrations in the streets that it is difficult for the editor to find a suitable way to express them... They can't find a good photo to cover... the whole story. So sometimes they ask me to make a picture to represent the situation. So in the past few years, I think I have done more than 10 to 12 cartoons.

In the last few years he has drawn Chief Executive Lam more often, and his description of her is on point:

Zunzi with Lam as a maid with a teapot

"Well, before and when she started to become chief executive, we didn't draw her too badly. But now, right now, we find that she is just like a servant, like a maid of Xi Jinping. She directly serves Xi Jinping only... I draw her as a maid, holding a teapot... ready to serve Xi Jinping everyday."

Wonder how she sees it, and if Zunzi can continue drawing her like that after the national security law is passed...

Another Dark Day in Hong Kong

Lam Cheuk-ting rips up the rules of procedure as lawmakers are ejected

When it comes to the procedures and rules in the Legislative Council, they don't mean anything anymore. It's not about electing people into office, it's about who exerts more brute force.

Presiding member of the House Committee Chan Kin-por was ensconced at the podium before the meeting to elect the chair of the committee began at 11am, and he was surrounded by several Legco security staff who were obviously doing Beijing's bidding to not only prevent pan-democrat lawmakers from getting at him, but also physically restraining them and forcefully ejecting them from the chambers.

Chan Kin-por sits securely behind a security cordon

One of them, Ted Hui Chi-fung tried to break through the cordon of guards surrounding Chan, but he was lifted up by four guards who then dragged him on the ground. Chan even said: "Do not struggle. You are hurting the security guards."

Later sitting on the ground in a corridor with a security guard watching over him, Hui says he felt someone kick him in the chest, which led him to have trouble breathing. He was later checked over in the hospital and diagnosed chest injuries.

Hui said he had never been treated so forcefully in Legco before and pan-democrats believe many of these security guards are former policemen, and that they have lost impartiality.

At one point Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting stood on a bench as he ripped out pages of the rules of procedure in protest. But really what he was doing literally illustrated what was going on.

It was after 15 of the 20 pan-democrat lawmakers were physically removed from Legco (and not allowed back in) did the voting begin of who would chair the House Committee, and lo and behold, Starry Lee Wai-king "won" the "election" at 40 votes to zero! How about that! A unanimous decision!

Ted Hui being forcefully dragged out of Legco

Civic Party leader Dennis Kwok Wing-hang had presided over the previous meetings as incumbent Lee had to  step aside as she is up for re-election in September. But apparently that rule doesn't mean anything anymore.

So the pro-establishment literally fought for control of the election of who chairs the House Committee, and in this case won handily, if not illegally.

Tanya Chan Suk-chong, convenor of the pro-democracy bloc and the first to be removed from the chamber, said they would not endorse the election results.

"Hong Kong people will never forget what happened today and they will not allow these people to return to Legco," Kwok said, referring to the upcoming elections in September.

Starry Lee got 40 votes and unanimously "won"

The next expected raucous event will be on May 27, with the second reading of the National Anthem bill.

One of Hong Kong's legal institutions is being literally ripped apart before our eyes and we can only hope to right these wrongs in September... if there is still an election...

Clash for Power in the Legislative Council

Eddie Chu Hoi-dick tries to climb the wall to take over Starry Lee's seat

Beijing's belief that it rules over Hong Kong continued today in a shameless attempt by pro-Beijing lawmakers in the Legislative Council to chair a committee by throwing out pan-democrats.

There hasn't been a chair elected, and Civic Party's Dennis Kwok Wing-hang had been presiding over the previous 17 meetings as vice chairman. The DAB's Starry Lee Wai-king is the incumbent House Committee Chairwoman, but will be up for re-election. So who should be in charge?

However, Beijing was displeased with Kwok's filibustering strategy (which is legal), that has delayed the passing of many bills, including the controversial national anthem bill, outlining how Hongkongers should behave when the March of the Volunteers is played.

Starry Lee (in yellow) is protected by Legco security

Even with a majority in Legco, Beijing couldn't understand why the pro-Beijing bloc could not control this committee until it gave its blessing for lawmakers to physically take control, not legally.

With the collusion of Legco security staff, Lee rushed to occupy the podium seat, beating opposition lawmakers to it; the security staff surrounded her and prevented pan-democrats from getting close to her at all.

Underneath her mask one could see she had a smirk on her face.

Then the rest of the afternoon was watching pan-democrats trying to physically unseat her. At one point Eddie Chu Hoi-dick tried to climb the wall to get at Lee, and then Raymond Chan Chi-chuen was dragged to the ground by Kwok Wai-keung for several metres until one of his colleagues stopped him.

Andrew Wan Siu-kin was expelled and injured his back so paramedics had to put him on a stretcher and wheel him out.

Barefooted Raymond Chan is physically removed from Legco

One by one the pan-democrats were removed, some carried out and shouting, "Starry Lee acting beyond her authority!"

Watching these scenes was surreal and sad to watch. What is happening to law and order in Hong Kong? The Legislative Council is one of the institutions where the Basic Law is supposed to be practiced and here all decorum was dumped in favour of power.

The shenanigans today make the pro-Beijing camp look like blind sheep doing Beijing's bidding. Is this how they want to be remembered especially in the upcoming Legislative Council election in September?

Even former Legco president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing says Beijing's tightening grip on Hong Kong will only make its people even more resistant of the central government.

Jasper Tsang says decorum must be followed in Legco

He was being interviewed by Emily Lau Wai-hing just as these scuffles were happening in Legco.

"If everybody still believes that we should try our best to put 'One Country, Two Systems' back on the right track, that we should resolve our differences by working out a way forward which can be acceptable to all stakeholders, then we have to find a way to try to break the vicious cycle," Tsang said. 

"It's so easy when we have arrived at this point for everybody to stick to their position. I can't see any good coming from that."

He also said it was crucial for democracy to be practiced in Legco.

"For the institution to function properly you need a consensus among all the different parties. You need a common purpose to allow the council to work. This is important," he said.

"So the majority always has to understand and respect the wishes of the minority. Of course, the minority should also abide by the rule that the decisions should be taken by the majority," he added.

Does Tsang want to mediate between the two sides?

He sounds like the only level-headed adult in the room at the moment...

Labour Day Clashes

Police try to control the crowds that gathered at New Town Plaza tonight

The Hong Kong Police did not allow for a Labour Day march to go ahead like in previous years, citing the current coronavirus pandemic and the need for social distancing, ie groups of four.

Word got out that protesters were planning to have flash mobs in places like Causeway Bay, Sai Ying Pun, Mongkok and Tai Po, which resulted in 3,000 officers out patrolling these areas. In fact they were all over the place, including Kennedy Town and Central -- in groups of eight.

Police officers not practicing social distancing in Mongkok

They were suited up in riot gear complete with handguns. It was unnerving to say the least to follow them down Queen's Road Central, and they walk very slowly...

In the end there weren't flash mobs which must have annoyed the police, who then started harassing anyone nearby. A colleague told me her friend was just walking around Causeway Bay when police stopped her for no good reason.

Protesters instead focused on supporting the "yellow economic circle", patronizing restaurants, shops and services that support the protest movement. There is a list of them online and apparently many were inundated with customers, from hair salons to cafes and restaurants.

While it is an economic boost to these mostly small businesses, it is hardly enough to even begin to shore up the city's financial state. Since 2003 after SARS, Hong Kong has become so dependent on spending by mainlanders visiting, from hotels, restaurants and luxury brands that is exponentially more economic power than local spending.

One hair salon supported by the "Yellow Economic Circle"

Nevertheless, it was a gesture these small businesses probably appreciated greatly.

This evening, hundreds of protesters gathered at New Town Plaza in Sha Tin to sing Glory to Hong Kong, the anti-government protest anthem. They also shouted slogans, like "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times!" before dispersing, though those who were not cooperative were pepper sprayed in the face.

And par for the course, the police roughed up reporters on the scene, accusing them of not respecting social distancing rules of four to a group, when government regulations say this is exempted when it is related to work.

One officer told journalists to clear the mall, saying, "You're no longer documenting, you're gathering and taking part."

How is that even a decent excuse?

A former Civic Party member accosted by police and fined

Meanwhile former Civic Party member Philip Tsang got into an altercation with police, accusing him too of breaching the group gathering ordinance when he was... by himself. He was fined HK$2,000.

Despite the heavy riot police presence, people were undeterred and found empty corridors to gather and shout slogans.

People are still very angry and determined to express themselves to the government and Beijing.

It reminds me of the protest march by thousands of journalists after former Ming Pao editor Kevin Lau Chun-to was attacked by men armed with choppers in 2014.

The slogan shouted back then? "They can't kill us all".

It still pertains to today.