The "Crackdown" Picks up Pace

Denise Ho performed after Lancome cancelled promotion

 

The apparent "crackdown" on civil society groups continued today, a relentless flurry of announcements.

Canto-pop singer and activist Denise Ho Wan-sze announced on Twitter that the Hong Kong Arts Centre had informed her that it had cancelled its contract with her music company that had organized a concert there next week.

The termination came days after pro-Beijing newspapers accused her of taking part in anti-China activities and claimed she was on the police's radar.

Arts Centre terminated contract with Goomusic

Ho hit back, saying she did not agree with the cancellation of the contract and said the concert would still be live streamed next Sunday.

"We are very disappointed," her music company Goomusic stated. "We have thoroughly examined our released materials and show contents, but could not see where or how this performance or hiring has the possibility to endanger, or will endanger public order or safety at all."

The Arts Centre said it decided to cancel Ho's reservation for the space from September 6-12, citing the centre's terms and conditions. It said it would return Goomusic's booking fee of HK$127,800 (US$16,400).

Her show was supposed to run from September 8-12 and all the tickets -- which cost HK$680 each -- had been sold out by mid-August.

Ho invited to speak at UN Human Rights Council

In 2019 Ho was active during the 2019 anti-government protests and even went to the UN Human Rights Council to ask the UN to remove China from the body and convene an urgent session to protect Hongkongers.

Two months later she was invited by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China in the United States to testify on the social unrest in Hong Kong. She attended along with now jailed Joshua Wong Chi-fung, and activist Sunny Cheung Kwan-yang, who recently announced he is in the US.

Ho is also involved in the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which recently announced it will disband in October, is now being investigated by the national security police for possible collusion with foreign forces.

The fund, and the Alliance for True Democracy, which provided its bank account for the fund's trustees to hold donations, have been targeted by the national security department.

Police had obtained court orders to require the two groups to provide information of the donors, and the purpose of the donations.

Seven jailed for illegal march October 20, 2019

About two weeks ago the fund's trustees announced it would close in October after distributing more than HK$243 million to protesters facing criminal prosecution, or financial difficulties as a result of the 2019 protests.

Apparently as of May 31 this year, the fund had 2,554 monthly donors, who contributed over HK$1 million to the group each month.

If that wasn't enough news, seven activists were jailed today for up to 16 months for their roles in a banned procession in Tsim Sha Tsui on October 20, 2019. Six of them are already serving sentences for other convictions.

They include Civil Human Rights Front convenor Figo Chan Ho-wun, former lawmakers "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, Albert Ho Chun-yan, were each handed 16 months. Former lawmaker Cyd Ho Sau-lan and activist Raphael Wong Ho-ming were jailed for 14 months, and ex-lawmaker Yeung Sum, and activist Avery Ng Man-yuen were ordered to serve 11 months.

Wong is the only one who up till today was not in jail.

Over 350,000 gathered in Tsim Sha Tsui

It is believed around 350,000 took part in the illegal gathering where they marched from Salisbury Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui up to the West Kowloon train station on Austin Road. 

Before the national security law Hongkongers were told the new legislation would not be retroactive and would only affect a small number of people. How things have changed...

More Civil Society Groups Targeted by Police

 

CHRF organized several peaceful marches in 2019

The Hong Kong Police have set their next target on the Civil Human Rights Front, which is best known for organizing the annual July 1 protest marches from 2003 until last year. The group is reportedly disbanding.

And even though the government has said the national security law is not retroactive from July 1, 2020, Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee says CHRF is suspected of violating the national security law in recent years.

Siu says groups can be investigated anytime

Pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao quoted Siu as saying the police will investigate whether CHRF has violated the national security law.

The front had organized some of the biggest peaceful protest marches since the handover, in particular their first rally with over 500,000 protesting against Article 23 and against the extradition bill in 2019.

Siu said the CHRF had never registered with the authorities since its establishment in 2002.

However, every year, the police coordinated with the CHRF in having police officers along the route to ensure the march was orderly.

Nevertheless, Siu said the police are always collecting evidence and can take action against unlawful groups at anytime.

Chan, Sham and Lee (far right) are all in jail now

He added even though well-known figures from CHRF are already behind bars, like Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit and Figo Chan Ho-wun, the police can still investigate other key members and charge them.

The police are using the national security law to pressure groups to disband even though they may have not done anything legally wrong up to July 1, 2020. 

But in the hopes of avoiding the force from possibly arresting members and freezing bank accounts like what happened to Apple Daily, groups like the Professional Teachers' Union and now the CHRF hope they can try to wind things up quickly and not get in trouble with the law.

Except it seems that once they are targeted, that's the beginning of the end, no matter how they try to continue to exist -- they can't.

HKJA may be the next police target

While the PTU will disband soon, the group still has to sell off its various properties and ensure some 200 staff are paid in full. Having to sell quickly means the union will not necessarily get good prices for the properties, but it has no choice but to dissolve as quickly as possible.

It's a difficult situation for those affected and those who think they may be next.

The next target? Possibly the Hong Kong Journalists' Association, which a pro-establishment newspaper has described as protecting violence and spreading rumours...

July 1 March Cancelled for Second Year

The July 1, 2019 march is the last of the annual marches in HK

The annual July 1 march will be cancelled for a second year, with the police force citing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as the reason.

Up until last year it was the Civil Human Rights Front that had organized the marches since 2003, but this year announced it had disbanded as several of its prominent members, including its convenor, Figo Chan Ho-wun were in jail, and the police investigating the legality of its existence.

As a result, three civic groups decided to carry on the mantle and apply for police approval for the march that was scheduled for Thursday.

The League of Social Democrats, Tin Shui Wai Connection, and Save Lantau Alliance applied to hold the march that would coincide with the 24th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to China. As expected their application was not approved.

The national security law is one year old in HK

"The police have reasons to believe that holding the activities would not just increase the risk of participants and other citizens getting infected, it would also pose grave threats to the lives and health of all citizens, endangering public safety and affecting the rights of others," the force said in its rejection letter.

The police added that officers had discussed the proposed arrangements for the march with the organizers, but believe that adding certain restrictions "would not help to ensure public order, public safety and protecting other people's rights and freedoms".

Perhaps what the force is alluding to is that Beijing doesn't want any kind of dissent on display that day.

That's because July 1 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. It's actually on July 23, 1921, but it's the same month...

And it will also mark the first anniversary of the implementation of the national security law, so lots to celebrate this year.

The Communist Party celebrates 100 years

However Eddie Tse Sai-kit of Save Lantau Alliance is not convinced of the force's explanation.

"The government has already relaxed the number of people allowed to gather indoors. Why not outdoors?"

He also noted the promotions of John Lee Ka-chiu to Chief Secretary and Chris Tang Ping-keung to Secretary of Security as being hardliners.

"Why is the government so scared of letting people voice their concerns on the streets?"

While these are good points, security trumps all in times of big anniversaries for China. 

Even though the three groups plan to appeal the ban on Tuesday evening, they are probably going to be rejected again.

These groups deserve kudos for trying to do their bit for civil society, but it seems this year was not to be...

First Time in 19 Years, No July 1 March

Half a million people participated in the July 1, 2003 march

 

Every year since 2003, there had been a July 1 march to demonstrate against the government. It started that year to vehemently protest against legislating Article 23 -- the national security bill. Some 500,000 people came out to march peacefully in the streets.

It resulted in the bill being withdrawn and shelved indefinitely, as well as the resignation of the then security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, and later then chief executive Tung Chee-hwa stepped down for "health reasons".

The 2015 march after the Umbrella Movement

It was that march that showed if people came out to protest peacefully, the government was listening, and spurred subsequent marches every July 1 after that.

These marches were meant as a counterpoint to the pro-government celebrations marking Hong Kong's return to the motherland. It also reinforced people's passion for the city, their pride in being Hongkongers.

Marching on July 1 is not easy -- the high temperatures combined with high humidity and tens of thousands of people makes it a big communal sweaty affair. But everyone is usually in good spirits and patient enough to deal with the police making it at times difficult to continue walking.

On the streets were people of all ages, elderly people, young parents carrying babies, children, teenagers and professionals, all united together.

The 2019 march against the extradition bill

However, the organizer of this march, the Civil Human Rights Front, will not do it this year for the first time in 19 years.

It was revealed the group that used to organize the marches to demonstrate against the government every year since 2003 has disbanded since its convenor Figo Chan Ho-wun was jailed in May for his role in the unauthorized protest on October 1, 2019.

The news was revealed by Raphael Wong Ho-ming, chairman of the League of Social Democrats, a member group of the Front.

On Sunday Wong said some civil groups will discuss holding their own protests on July 1, though conceding any applications to the police to march will likely be rejected.

The front dissolved after Figo Chan was jailed

Last year the front had applied for permission from the police to march, but it was rejected citing the coronavirus pandemic, though some people still went out onto the streets that day to protest against the newly enacted national security law.

Wong said the league and other groups will set up street booths that day for people to be able to voice their opinions, while complying to social-distancing rules.

How things change so quickly within a year...

More Convictions for Illegal Rally

The October 1, 2019 march was not condoned by the police

Today 10 pro-democracy figures including Jimmy Lai Chee-ying were jailed for up to 18 months for organizing an illegal rally on National Day, October 1, 2019. They had pleaded guilty to the charge.

District Court Judge Amanda Woodcock was critical of the group, saying they consciously decided to break the law and challenge public order during a time of civil unrest, referring to the anti-government protests that year.

Figo Chan was sentenced to 18 months in prison

"They did call for a peaceful, rational and non-violent procession, but how naive and unrealistic was that considering what was happening on a daily basis was the opposite," Woodcock said, noting that Molotov cocktails were thrown along or near the procession route, and other acts of damage, arson and violence were captured on video that day.

Lai was handed a 14-month sentence, part of it to be served consecutively with his sentences in two other unauthorized protests, making it 20 months in jail.

Figo Chan Ho-wun, 25, is the convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front that organized many of the large-scale demonstrations in 2019. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison as Woodcock deemed him and three others to be most culpable because they held a press conference the night before National Day.

One of the defendants, former Democratic lawmaker Sin Chung-kai who was given a suspended sentence of 14 months, was disappointed to see his fellow activists jailed, calling the punishment "record-setting" and "unprecedented".

The march later led to violent clashes with police

"People should be aware of the consequences -- the court has changed," Sin said. "I think this is absolutely a setback for the democratic movement in Hong Kong and we have to rethink the overall strategies before we move forward."

The other convicted activists are former Democratic Party lawmakers Albert Ho Chun-yan and Yeung Sum; former Labour Party legislators Lee Cheuk-yan and Cyd Ho Sau-lan; former League of Social Democrats lawmaker "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, and Avery Ng Man-yuen.

Another activist Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong also received a suspended sentence of 14 months for his passive role in the crime.

Leung's wife Chan Po-ying said he was convicted for the same offence in the 1990s and was fined only HK$500, and a few thousand dollars 10 years ago. Now Figo Chan, who has no previous convictions must spend almost two years in jail.

Sin Chung-kai had a suspended sentence

Samuel Chu, managing director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council, said the group was outraged by the sentences, which he labelled as an attempt to create maximum terror and deterrence in the lead-up to the anniversary of the June 4 Tiananmen Square crackdown. 

How much more bad news can people take? The insistence of Lai serving sentences consecutively instead of concurrently is very harsh. But the Department of Justice seems determined to punish him as much as possible, to punish the spirit of Hongkongers.

March Organizer Faces Possible Ban

Civil Human Rights Front has organized marches since 2003

The Civil Human Rights Front was formed in 2002 and has been organizing the July 1 marches that in 2003 drew half a million people onto the streets, causing the Hong Kong government to shelve its plans to enact Article 23, a national security bill, and the several peaceful protest marches in 2019.

But now the group is at the centre of a police probe, with the authorities scrutinizing Civil Human Rights Front's finances and its failure to register with the government under the Societies Ordinance.

Even CY Leung praised the group in 2013

Last Monday the police demanded 15 years' of financial documents including funding, expenses and related bank accounts that were due by Wednesday, but the Civil Human Rights Front said it will not comply with the order, which could result in an outright ban of the group.

Civil Human Rights Front convenor Figo Chan Ho-wun said previously the police had communicated with members of the group without raising any issues.

"Following the July 1 march in 2013, then chief executive Leung Chun-ying even referred to the Civil Human Rights Front as 'friends'," Chan pointed out.

He added the group was a lawful entity because the city's Basic Law guaranteed freedom of assembly.

Chan said the organization disagreed with the Societies Ordinance because it allowed the police to investigate the group and possibly ban it.

He said the front was only give nine days to answer questions and comply with the documents requested for the past 15 years which will be difficult to dig up since the standard time to keep documents for tax investigation purposes is only eight years.

Chan says he may be the last convenor of group

However Chan said the group did not intend to hand over those details to the police even if they still had them. "It's a matter of principle," he said.

The police probe came a month after Lianhe Zaobao, the largest Chinese-language daily newspaper in Singapore reported the Hong Kong government was seeking to ban the group on national security grounds.

The law says the police societies officer could recommend to the Secretary of Security that a group be banned if it was found to be a political body connected to a political organization overseas or in Taiwan.

Prohibition could be deemed necessary in the interests of national security of public safety, as well as uphold order or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

When asked what would happen if Civil Human Rights Front is banned, Chan believed other civil groups will pick up the mantle.

"But I may be the last convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front," he said.

More Arrests Stir More Defiance Than Fear

Leung, Wu, Chu and Chan and four other arrested this morning

The authorities haven't just implemented the national security law to deter residents from secession, sedition, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, but it is also enforcing the new law that was implemented on July 1.

This morning eight opposition activists were charged with illegal assembly on July 1, the first large protest after the law was enacted.

Hundreds came out for illegal July 1 rally

Former legislators Eddie Chu Hoi-dick, Wu Chi-wai, "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, and five others were arrested early this morning at their homes, including Figo Chan Ho-wun, convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front, on suspicion of violating the Public Order Ordinance.

A few hours later they were released on bail, and the activists vowed to remain defiant despite the crackdown, accusing police of retaliating against them for sanctions levelled by the United States against 14 top officials in China's legislature the night before.

July 1 is usually the annual mass march to mark the anniversary of the handover, but because of the new national security law, the police had refused permission to hold the rally. Nevertheless large crowds still gathered in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, and police fired tear gas and pepper balls to disperse the crowds. Now these eight are being held responsible for the illegal rally.

Graduation ceremonies at Chinese University

The arrests this morning come a day after the police national security unit arrested three students over a politically-charged demonstration at Chinese University last month. During graduation ceremonies, some students chanted separatist slogans and carried black balloons, much to the horror of Beijing's liaison office. 

The office said the protesters had pushed for the city's independence, which contravened the national security law. 

As if that wasn't enough drama for today, two people connected to a church that helped mediate between the protesters and the police during last year's protests were arrested on suspicion of fraud and money laundering.

A former director and an employee of The Good Neighbourhood North District Church were taken into police custody, while the current director and secretary of the church, both of whom left Hong Kong in October, are also wanted by the authorities. 

The church had allegedly raised HK$27 million

Detectives allege that the church raised HK$27 million through several crowd-funding drives between June last year and September this year, but publicly stated they only raised one-third of the amount.

The police said the church's five accounts which total HK$25 million have been frozen as part of the investigation. Some of those accounts belong to Pastor Roy Chan Hoi-ting and his wife, who are currently on sabbatical in Britain, and now they have no access to the money for them and their five children.

"This is no doubt an act of political retaliation," the church said in a statement, condemning HSBC. "The purge has never ceased, just like the asset-freezing case of the self-exiled [former] Democrat, Ted Hui and his family. Such [an] incident has severely eradicated dissent in Hong Kong, suppressing freedom among religions and community service workers." 

Pastor Roy Chan volunteered during protests

The issue of freezing people's bank accounts without prior notice has worried many in Hong Kong to transfer more money abroad than before, though Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said today, "Hong Kong's monetary and financial systems are as robust as ever".

Sure thing, Carrie.

What Tomorrow Brings

The anti-government protests have been going on for over six months now

Tomorrow is the District Council elections and there were concerns the government would call them off because of escalating violence from six months of anti-government protests.

Protest held today against the police's extensive use of tear gas

Many see tomorrow's elections as a referendum on Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her administration, particularly in her bungled handling of this half year-long crisis that seems to have no end.

Although some people are still holed up at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the city has been relatively calm these few days, including a peaceful protest in Kowloon Tong this morning by families against the police force's indiscriminate use of tear gas.

Nevertheless, the pro-democracy camp has informed its supporters to vote as early as possible, concerned that the polling booths could be shut down if there is violence, so get the vote in early -- as early as 7.30am when the polling booths open.

Some of the destruction at Hong Kong Polytechnic University

This strategy is also to counteract the anticipated busloads of seniors from old folks homes who will be bused in to polling booths and then treated to dim sum after.

And the pro-Beijing side always say that protesters get paid...

One heartening piece of news is that the people of Hong Kong have been awarded the 2019 John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service. The awarded was received in Halifax, Canada by Figo Chan Ho-wun of the Civil Human Rights Front that organizes the mass marches, and former lawmaker Emily Lau Wai-hing.

Human rights activist Figo Chan in Halifax to receive award

Chan gave a short speech (in broken English) explaining to the audience how the Chinese government frames the protesters as "rioters", but that "we are simply fighting for democracy, freedom, and social justice. This is not a value of Hong Kong. This is a value we share between all of us".

He added over 4,000 people have been arrested so far, including first aiders, doctors and reporters.

"Even with immense pressure from the Chinese, we hope the international society will stand, join with us," Chan said.

Cindy McCain presented the award to Hong Kong people

Earlier Cindy McCain, wife of Senator John McCain who died in 2018, said: "I hope this tribute to those who are struggling for their rights in Hong Kong will encourage more people around the world to raise their voices in support of their cause, especially in my country's government. They are fighting for something larger than themselves."