Prison-Rights Group Disbands

Shiu's group had been advocating for prisoners' rights

Another day, another civil society group is disbanding for fears of crossing with the national security law.

Today Wall-fare, a prison-rights group founded by former opposition lawmaker Shiu Ka-chun announced it will disband after Hong Kong's security chief warned that inmates arrested on national security charges were being encouraged by people outside prison walls to fight on for their causes.

Wall-fare made the announcement on social media, saying the non-profit group will be dissolved with immediate effect.

Today Wall-fare announced it was disbanding

"Even if we are crushed in the end, the time in between was worth it," the group wrote in a farewell announcement on Facebook. "Wind and rain always pass, and for those inside and outside the wall, the most important thing is that the people are fine."

The group was founded in December 2020 to promote the well-being of prisoners, particularly anti-government protesters with emotional or physical challenges while in jail. Wall-fare offered them free packages as allowed by the Correctional Services Department items such as wet wipes, tissues and stationary.

In addition, the group coordinated a letter-writing campaign on social media, helping those sympathetic to inmates pass along words of encouragement and maintain "a bridge of communication" between those inside and outside prison walls.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung warned last Tuesday that people in custody on national security-related charges were establishing links with outside organizations as a way of building up new forms of resistance to the government.

Although Tang did not name Wall-fare by name, he slammed organizations for sending letters or documents to inmates and detainees, saying it encouraged the recipients to continue fighting for their cause, thereby spreading "the seeds of endangering national security".

Tang accused groups of supporting prisoners

Later Hong Kong's prisons chief Woo Ying-ming echoed Tang, alleging that such inmates were exercising "unprecedented influence" inside and "recruiting followers".

Shiu told RTHK that political pressure had threatened the existence of civil society at large, but declined to elaborate on why Wall-fare was disbanding. He said the group had not been directly contacted by the government, and declined to comment on possibly facing legal action.

He said Wall-fare had always been careful to focus on "humanitarian work" to help those in custody, many of whom came from the margins of society.

"What support will prisoners get without Wall-fare? We can't tell you today," he said. "We only wanted to do the humble work -- to give a cup of cool water to the prisoners and their family in the heat of the summer. Unfortunately, this cup of water may have become too hot now."

Indeed. Everything has become too hot to touch.

Repression of Defendants Continues

The Democratic Party's Wu Chi-wai during the 2019 protests

When it comes to breaching the national security law, or perhaps any law in Hong Kong these days, there is no mercy.

Former Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai has been remanded in custody since January pending trials but has yet to be convicted of any offenses. He is facing one count of conspiracy to subvert state power under the security law for his role in an unofficial primary election last July.

Wu is also facing criminal charges in two other cases, one of which is for unauthorized assembly on July 1, 2019, when there were mass protests against the now-abandoned extradition bill; it was the day that protesters stormed the Legislative Council.

Wu is not allowed to attend his father's funeral

He was originally granted bail, but was brought back to court in connection with that case after police discovered he had breached his bail conditions by failing to hand over his British National (Overseas) passport. His bail was revoked at West Kowloon Court.

And then late last month his 92-year-old father passed away while Wu was in jail, and the Correction Services Department is refusing to allow him to attend the funeral on Friday evening; the venue and time have been made public and there have been calls online to show up in support of the 58-year-old Wu. 

The department is concerned he could be a flight risk, or if lots of people show up it could affect security at the event, and that it had a duty to protect its staff and Wu.

While the Correctional Services Department has offered to let Wu watch the ceremony via a live video link, he has refused the arrangement, and so has his family.

Many are calling the prison authorities "inhumane" in their treatment of Wu.

Lawyers for Wu have filed an urgent bail application in a last ditch attempt to get him to attend his father's funeral.

People showed up last June 4 in illegal assembly

They had hoped the application would be heard on Thursday afternoon by Court of First Instance judge Esther Toh Lye-ping, but it was scheduled for Friday morning after the Department of Justice demanded more time to prepare for the case.

The application to be heard on Friday is likely to involve arguments on whether an accused person under the national security law can be granted bail under such a rare circumstance.

Meanwhile four activists were sentenced to between four and 10 months in jail today.

Officially it is for an illegal assembly, but in reality it is for lighting up candles in Victoria Park to remember the victims of the June 4 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Joshua Wong Chi-fung got 10 months, Lester Shum six months, and Tiffany Yuen Ka-wai, and Jannelle Rosalynne Leung each four months.

While they all pleaded guilty, District Court judge Stanley Chan said there was a potential for violence that night.

Wong (centre) handed a 10-month sentence

"With the 2019 unrest still lingering, the gathering of some 20,000 participants on a special night like June 4 meant emotions could run high, and unruly elements could take advantage of the situation and incite violence," Chan said.

Twenty-two other activists have also been charged over last year's vigil, including Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Sunny Cheung, both of whom have fled Hong Kong.

Wong will serve this sentence after he has finished serving his four-month sentence for taking part in an unauthorized assembly on October 5, 2019.

It seems the authorities are finding any way they can to charge and convict young people to keep them in jail... forever.