Hong Kong's Second Silver, and a 9-Year Sentence

Haughey with her second silver medal in the 100m free final

 

This morning Hongkongers were on a high as they watched swimmer Siobhan Haughey win a silver medal in the women's 100m freestyle. The 23-year-old clinched double silver in the span of a few days, Hong Kong's third medal of the Tokyo 2020 Games. 

But by the afternoon the mood became sombre with the news that Leon Tong Ying-kit, 24, the first person to be convicted of terrorism and secession under the national security law, was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Haughey set a new Asian record at 52.27 seconds

The government-appointed panel of judges sentenced the former restaurant worker to 6.5 years for the secession crime, and eight years for terrorism, with 5.5 years of the latter term to run concurrently with the first. He was also barred from driving for 10 years.

"The defendant was not a lone protester quietly carrying a flag bearing the slogan amongst a sea of protesters," read the 15-page judgment delivered at the Court of First Instance. "He deliberately challenged a number of police check lines in order to attract as much attention to the secessionist message on the flag as possible and to leave a great impact and a strong impression on people."

There was a flag mounted on the back of Tong's motorcycle with the slogan, "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times".

The panel believed Tong acted alone and did not have a specific plan to separate Hong Kong from the mainland.

Tong riding his motorcycle on July 1, 2020

However the judges believed the defendant committed a terrorist act when he ran into three police officers -- a symbol of law and order -- and intimidating members of the public, especially those with opposing views, by that action.

"What the defendant did was calculated and deliberate acts which created a very dangerous situation for the road users and which indeed caused injuries to three police officers," the judgment read. But they agreed the injuries suffered by the officers were not "serious" as alleged by the prosecution, and so the starting point for sentencing for the charge should be between three and 10 years in jail. The maximum penalty for terrorism under the national security law is life imprisonment.

Thomas Kellogg is the executive director of the Georgetown Centre for Asian Law and describes the sentence as "harsh".

"People can only shape their behaviour after the initial lines of what the national security law covers have been drawn," he said, adding it did not bode well for the 47 opposition activists who were earlier charged with subversion for their part in the unofficial primary election last year. 

Tong has been sentenced to nine years in prison

Kellogg also said it was unfortunate that judges had ruled that the acts to incite secession were of a "serious nature". "If Tong's act of carrying the banner is serious, what acts... are not serious? I worry that the court has essentially expanded the serious nature provision to cover almost all acts of inciting secession," he said.  

Meanwhile Nathan Law Kwun-chung, who is now based in the UK, said the sentence was "outrageous", and raised concerns about free speech.

"The sentencing guideline is unclear, and it gives the judge the power to determine whether a slogan can be seen as 'capable of' inciting secession. This is an extremely low threshold to lock an individual in jail for years," he said.

Today was literally a high and a low...

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.

 

Ex-lawmaker Makes New Life in Australia

Hui announced he had left the UK for Australia

 

Former Democratic Party lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung has announced he has moved from the UK to Australia on his Facebook page, but feared for his safety and did not reveal exactly where he was, except that he is in southeastern Australia. He arrived on Tuesday and is currently undergoing quarantine. 

Hui wrote he would continue his lobbying work in Australia, while leave activism efforts in Britain to Nathan Law Kwun-chung, who moved there just before the national security law was implemented in late June. 

Law is busy with lobbying efforts in the UK

When contacted by the media, Hui denied he was pressured by the UK government to leave, saying he always saw it as a stopover place before going to a third destination. He said he would live on his savings, and support through a social media platform called Patreon, where many pro-democracy activists receive donations from supporters.

"For the long term I've yet to think it over," he said.

Hui thanked Australian authorities for allowing him to come in on a tourist visa despite the strict Covid-19 entry restrictions and that he was undergoing two weeks of quarantine. In the social media post he also thanked the Australian government for coordinating his flight arrangements, thought he had not applied for asylum and would not do so unless it was his last option.

"Although there are many Hongkongers living and studying in Australia, there are relatively few Hong Kong political leaders who are in exile here and are engaged in lobbying work. This is one of the reasons why I decided to move to Australia," Hui said, adding he had relatives in the country who could help him.

Hui at a climate change meeting in Copenhagen

He explained he would lobby the Australian government to press sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials, and loosen its immigration rules to allow residents facing persecution to move there. 

Australia suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong last July, saying it was "deeply concerned" about Beijing imposing the national security law on the city.

The 38-year-old lawmaker fled Hong Kong in late November while out on bail late last year, facing numerous charges related to the anti-government protests in 2019.

Denmark invited Hui to come attend a supposed climate change meeting in Copenhagen, and he was able to secure court approval to leave Hong Kong while awaiting trial.

His family joined him later and they flew to Britain, but then five bank accounts belonging to his family were frozen by HSBC, Hang Seng Bank and Bank of China. He urged the British authorities to impose sanctions on HSBC for freezing credit cards and savings accounts belonging to him and his family due to "political considerations".

HSBC and two other banks froze Hui's accounts

It will be interesting to see how Hui and his family fare in Australia, but with relatives to support them, it sounds like a practical decision. But surely the Chinese will be conducting surveillance on him, so Hui needs to be careful. 

Nevertheless it is possible he can carve out a career as an activist in exile and keep the discussion going on Hong Kong and its deteriorating environment.

A Wander Around Tai O

Tai O is a quiet, quaint place, but housing is dilapidated

 

Yesterday I took advantage of a day off to wander around Tai O, a small fishing village on Lantau Island. I have visited two or three times previously for work assignments, one on making the famous shrimp paste that has a very strong smell, and one on solar panels used as a pilot project by WWF. But after spending a good part of the day conducting interviews and shoots, we were tired and wanted to go home so I never really got a chance to see the place.

The night before I did some research on places to visit and especially where to eat and noted the names and addresses.

On the way to Fu Shan Viewing Pt

Then I took the MTR to Tung Chung, and then the No. 11 bus to Tai O. I was surprised to see a long line of people at the bus stop, but luckily I got one of the last few seats. I remembered it takes about 45 minutes to get to Tai O, and on the bus it made scheduled stops in places including Tong Fuk Correctional Institute (former lawmaker Nathan Law Kwun-chung served two months there), and another, Shek Pik Prison where pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung is, and independence activist Edward Leung Tin-kei spent some time there previously.

Finally we arrived around lunchtime and I tried to find the shops that sell some snacks, but was disappointed to find they were all closed because it was a weekday! There's Tai O Bakery that apparently sells freshly made doughnuts sprinkled with sugar, and another stall that makes savoury pancakes called jianbing.

The only places open were cha chaan teng or a few western-style cafes selling cheesecake and coffee.

I decided to find the hill called Fu Shan Viewing Point, but not before I saw a woman selling pandan egg waffles. It turns out she had literally just opened her shop and so her waffle iron was not even heated up yet when I asked for an egg waffle.

The woman in her 70s was on the surly side, chastising a trio of middle-aged women who were lured by some palm-sized puddings to snack on. Luckily the three women were in a good mood and didn't let her criticisms get in the way of them having a good time.

The bridge in the distance and a plane overhead

Finally I got my egg waffles that had a tiny hint of pandan, but it was sustenance to keep me going for the mini hike.

The stairs are clean and wide, but I was already huffing and puffing and sweating -- I didn't realize until later it was because it was so humid. Walking along the ridge of the hill, down on one side are hundreds of large Chinese-style graves, and then further down is Tai O village itself.

On the other side is the South China Sea and in the distance is the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge that had no traffic on it. Above it every few minutes a plane took off from the nearby airport, making it an ideal spot for plane spotters.

I continued along the stone path until it abruptly ended, but saw others ahead still continuing along a rugged path and followed them.

The place is a scenic spot for pictures too

It wasn't too hard to climb and soon I was at the top, admiring the view, but then what? Turn back or continue down a dirt path? I decided to be a bit adventurous and thankfully with the help of ropes strung along the way, I managed to get down easier than my experience on Mount Johnston! 

When I got to the bottom, I checked out another scenic pavilion before encountering a temple and then walked back towards the Tai O village.

By now more visitors arrived and I'd pretty much gone through all the main thoroughfares in the village

While it's quaint and some like to call it "The Venice of Hong Kong", it really isn't, surrounded by dirty water, homes on stilts, others on the ground have very basic furnishings. One has to wonder if the government knows about people's living conditions here and will they be upgraded? 

Nevertheless, life here is slow, people ride bikes or walk along the paths, while cats and dogs laze around wherever they feel comfortable. 

Large fish that have been salted are left to dry out

This morning I woke up to heavy rain and was glad that I made the effort to go to Tai O yesterday, though I missed trying those doughnuts!

People's Daily Blasts Jimmy Lai's Bail

Lai (centre) was released late Wednesday night on bail

 

It took four days for Beijing to respond to Jimmy Lai Chee-ying's release on bail and as expected, it criticized the Hong Kong courts for allowing the "extremely dangerous" Apple Daily founder to go under house arrest.

An editorial in the People's Daily today with the headline: "Bail granted to Lai Chee-ying severely hurt Hong Kong's rule of law", warned the mainland had "sufficient legal grounds" to take over jurisdiction of the 73-year-old's national security law case.

Lai is the first person to be charged under the national security law for colluding with foreign forces, and the first to be granted bail.

People's Daily editorial today

On Wednesday, he was granted bail for HK$10 million in cash by a High Court judge, and is now under house arrested under strict restrictions, including not being allowed to be interviewed or interview others, publish articles, meet with foreign government representatives, or publish social media posts.

The strongly worded online commentary urged the judiciary to "make the right decisions", and punish "insurgents" like him.

"If the judiciary fails to handle the case impartially and in accordance with the law, it will have severely hurt Hong Kong's rule of law and placed the country's security in an extremely dangerous situation, in turn bringing incalculable negative effects," it said.

The unsigned editorial pointed out Article 55 of the security law allows the central government to assert jurisdiction over certain cases and move defendants to the mainland for trial, saying there were valid grounds for invoking this provision in Lai's case.

It went on to accuse Lai of continuing through "words and deeds", to call on foreign governments to sanction Hong Kong, despite the security law being enacted on June 30. It also maintained demands to release Lai made by foreign politicians, including US Vice-President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, had "confirmed" the allegations of collusion with foreign forces.

"Under these circumstances, many Hong Kong citizens have called on the Office for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong to intervene in this case decisively in accordance with the law," it added. "There is sufficient legal basis."

Tsang faces charges but has gone into exile

Who are these "citizens" the People's Daily is referring to? In Hong Kong there has been no media reports of residents, nor pro-Beijing politicians, clamoring for Lai to be extradited to the mainland to face trial. 

People in Hong Kong appreciate the city's rule of law and are patient enough to let the case wind through the courts.   

The People's Daily editorial described Lai as "notorious and extremely dangerous", and that the bail conditions set by the court were "unbelievable" and "completely out of proportion to the possible harm Lai might cause to national security".

It said cases like Lai's should not even entertain the prospect of bail, as it was necessary to prevent suspects from continuing to endanger national security. It also urged local courts to learn a "bitter lesson" from the case of Tsang Chi-kin, the 19-year-old student who was shot during last year's protests and was facing charges of rioting and assaulting police, and who has since reportedly fled into exile.

"Lai has been an important pawn of some external forces, and has great value on anti-China campaigns. External forces have the motive to facilitate his escape from Hong Kong," the commentary said. "Who would shoulder responsibility if Lai absconds or continues to wreck Hong Kong while on bail?"

Law (left) and Hui meet up in the UK

This shows just how much Lai means to Beijing -- it is desperate to put the man behind bars to use him as an example. So far Lai has done nothing to violate his agreed terms of house arrest. He has even deleted his Twitter account and has not spoken to any reporter since Wednesday. So how can he continue to "wreck Hong Kong" while on bail?

There is also a news report that Hong Kong police have a list of 30 people who are overseas on suspicion of having violated the national security law. They include: former lawmakers Ted Hui Chi-fung, and Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang, and Brian Leung Ka-ping, who is currently in the United States after he and other protesters stormed the Legislative Council on July 1 last year.

Others are Nathan Law Kwun-chung, former British consulate worker Simon Cheng Man-kit, and activist Ray Wong Toi-yeung.

The police insider said these people had fled overseas to Europe, the US and Taiwan, and added if they returned to Hong Kong they would be arrested upon arrival. 

The crackdown is relentless. Life in exile is already hard, but for the Chinese authorities that isn't enough; justice must be done.

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...

Lam's Excuse for Lack of Leadership

Carrie Lam gets to defend her leadership during a Phoenix TV interview

It is absolutely appalling that Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor claims she is an administrator, not a politician, and was caught unawares that her extradition bill would result on the months-long protests last year.

In an interview with pro-Beijing Phoenix TV, Lam said she could not have predicted the turmoil that erupted in weekly and sometimes daily skirmishes between the protesters and police.

"I really did not expect it, because I don't consider myself to be a person who understands politics very well, I am an administrator," she said, when asked if she ever expected Hong Kong politics to be so complex in her role as chief executive.

June 9, 2019 when 1 million people protested extradition bill

"But as of now, Hong Kong needs to have good governance, which is inseparable from politics," she told Sally Wu Xiaoli, anchor and deputy director at Phoenix Satellite Television.

Lam said that since the national security law was enacted on June 30, calm was restored.

"It brought back the Hong Kong we were once familiar with," she said.

Excuse me? Hong Kong has not been the same since last year, and the national security law has created another new normal for the city, one of fear and frustration. People are being arrested for actions that were retroactive, which goes against the promises before the new law was in effect.

Carrie Lam with Phoenix TV anchor Sally Wu Xiaoli

Perhaps she has forgotten that the coronavirus pandemic has also not made Hong Kong back to what it was before either.

And how could she not know that the extradition bill would lead to millions of people marching in the streets?

She either has terrible intelligence or is in denial. Besides, after 1 million people turn out to march peacefully, and you ignore them, so double the number of protesters come out the week after, and you ignore them as well, then that's your fault for completely misreading the situation.

Lam has no excuse because five years earlier she was the one who spoke on behalf of the government during the Umbrella Movement.

That 2014 debate between the students (left) and government

That now famous televised debate in October 2014 between the student leaders and the government led by Lam who was then Chief Secretary, revealed the latter didn't have much room for maneovuering, whereas the student leaders like Lester Shum, Nathan Law and Yvonne Leung stuck to their demands of universal suffrage and changes to the election law, such as abolishing the functional constituencies, much to the delight of viewers watching in the protest site.

In addition, how can she excuse her leadership performance by claiming she is more of an administrator than a politician? While she has spent 40 years of her life dedicated to the civil service, she saw how her predecessor, Leung Chun-ying politicized the position of chief executive and surely she should have known inheriting that job would require political deftness?

Weak excuses really.

Or did she do it for the money? She earned HK$5.21 million by the end of the first quarter this year, with a HK$120,000 increase.

Hong Kong Government Cites Pandemic to Postpone Elections

Friday 6pm, Lam announces Legco elections are postponed

Word came down late this morning that the Hong Kong government would postpone the September 6 Legislative Council elections because of the ongoing pandemic.

We had to wait until 6pm in a press conference where Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was again flanked by some of her senior ministers, including the Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee, and Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs.

Hongkongers can't exercise their right to vote

Before making the actual announcement, Lam laid out a string of reasons why the elections had to be postponed. First and foremost, this was the 10th day that the city had triple digit new cases (121 today) and with just over a month away it would be "irresponsible" to hold the elections now; that there were many Hongkongers who lived and worked across the border who would have to rush here to vote on that day; elderly people's health would be compromised, and some wouldn't dare come out to vote; tens of thousands of workers would be needed to man all the polling stations and it would be hard to make sure people maintained social distancing and so on.

Finally Lam said the election would be held on September 5, 2021, while Cheng claimed that even those 12 pan-democrat candidates who were disqualified yesterday would be able to put in their nomination again next year.

Does Lam take Hongkongers as fools?

No matter which political stripe they are, people want to exercise their right to vote and now this has been taken away from them. Perhaps the only good thing is that between now and next September who has become eligible to vote can now register.

There were questions about why the government didn't consider holding the election anyway like Singapore did recently, but Lam claimed it was a different situation, and cited over 60 countries like the UK where the London mayoral race was postponed.

Law wonders what his "crime" is

A reporter said since Hong Kong is such a tech hub, why couldn't we vote online or by mail? And why hadn't the government considered these options, as it has been seven months now. Again Lam claimed there wasn't enough time to organize all of this in time.

Another asked if this was because the government was worried the pan-democrats would win more seats and wanted to shut down their chances, Lam stressed this decision was not political at all. Did she have an evil grin on her face hidden by her Cu Mask+ as she said this?

Lam hinted that anyone serving the Legislative Council had to have the correct political leaning, which is perhaps why some people were disqualified from running in the election. But since it's been postponed that's all moot now.

This evening's announcement only makes the Hong Kong government's premise that "one country, two systems" still exists is a sham.

Earlier today Civic Party leader Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu said on RTHK that the government is so shameless, it no longer cares about what the world thinks.

"But again if this Hong Kong government is still trying to convince the rest of the world that 'hey this is an international city, there is still One Country, Two Systems', then of course they have to make up even more excuses or put up more reasons to convince others."

Activist Ray Wong seeking asylum in Germany

Each passing day there is a new development that leaves Hongkongers flabbergasted at how fast the city is changing.

Just before the press conference was to start, another bombshell dropped with the Director of Prosecutions announcing he had quit and would leave his job at the end of the year.

David Leung Cheuk-yin, who has been a prosecutor for 25 years, wrote in an email to colleagues: "It is most unfortunately that I do not see eye to eye with the SJ [Secretary for Justice] on the running of PD [Prosecutions Department], and the situation has not improved with the passage of time."

He also revealed that he was not privy to cases related to the new national security law implemented a month ago.

"As to the National Security cases, I do not have information for you as my assistance and participation in those matters have not been required," he wrote.

It's quite revealing that Leung, as Hong Kong's top prosecutor has no part in any of the national security case and was completely sidelined.

Meanwhile Nathan Law Kwun-chung and five others who fled Hong Kong are now wanted by Hong Kong police for breaching the national security law on charges of inciting secession and colluding with foreign forces.

Along with Law, the others are former UK consulate worker Simon Cheng, activists Ray Wong, Samuel Chu, Wayne Chan and Honcques Laus.

Law replied on Facebook he was not sure what his "crime" would be, but perhaps it was because he "loves Hong Kong too much".

He added since he left Hong Kong he stopped contacting his family and would sever his relationship with them in the hopes of not having them caught up in his work.

As Hong Kong is dragged kicking and screaming closer to the motherland, the rest of us wonder what's going to happen tomorrow...

A Slew of News Today

Joshua Wong handily won for Kowloon East in the primaries

Lots of things happened today: the results of the primaries this past weekend thanks to 610,000 voters, the announcement of more social-distancing measures, and today is the third anniversary of Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo's death, and 27th birthday of former lawmaker Nathan Law Kwun-chung.

Gwyneth Ho was a former Stand News reporter

Firstly, mostly big names were the big winners in the primaries that were held this weekend. Eddie Chu Hoi-dick, Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, and Ted Hui Chi-fung. Newcomer Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam swept New Territories East with Ventus Lau Wing-hong; Ho was previously a reporter with Stand News and was best known for continuing to record men attacking her in the Yuen Long MTR station last July 21.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was asked for her comments about the results at a press conference this evening. She immediately described them as "so-called primaries" and added there is no such thing in Hong Kong elections, as a way to imply they were illegal.

Lam announced more stricter measures tonight

Then she added that if more than 35 pan-democrats make up the Legislative Council and oppose the government's proposed policies, then they would be breaching the national security law.

"I am not saying they have breached the law, but I have to put forward a warning," she said.

Lam even added the government had received a number of complaints about the two-day primaries, as it may have breached the numbers for social-distancing, and breaching privacy, and that it was unfair for the upcoming elections.

At the same press conference, Lam announced stricter measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic, as there were 41 local cases today. These measures for one week include: no dining in from 6pm to 5am, only takeout; if dining in restaurants for breakfast and lunch, no more than four per table; masks are mandatory when taking any public transport; and 12 kinds of premises, including gyms and cinemas will shut down for a week.

Ocean Park, Disneyland will be closed again

One could have heard a collective groan from the entire city, especially those in the restaurant industry who depend on dinner service. Reporters repeatedly asked Lam and her cabinet why only dinner was restricted, and they replied several times that dinner was when people usually gathered to eat and spend more time than compared to breakfast and lunch.

Already there were comparisons of the virus to gremlins, as if they only came out to wreck havoc at night! The virus is everywhere all the time. We are still scratching our heads on not allowing dining in for dinner.

Lam also hinted the government was being kind to the catering industry for only shutting them down for dinner for one week.

Gym rats will be scratching at the walls desperate to get their workouts on a daily basis. Perhaps more will show up along the waterfront again and at Dr Sun Yat-sen Park. Disneyland and Ocean Park will be closed too.

Restaurants can only offer takeaway for dinner

We will all have to dig deep and try to keep infections numbers low.

Meanwhile today Nathan Law tweeted that he was in London, flying there with a backpack and a small suitcase, and is now living in a small apartment.

He also hints that the decision to leave was made rather quickly.

"As I turn 27 today, I can't say I'm anything but anxious and unsettled. I'm not one to celebrate my birthday, especially since Liu Xiaobo's passing on this very day three years ago. There's not much to be cheerful about," he tweeted. "My biggest wish is peace to Hong Kongers. We will keep our city and spirit alive."

It's a sad anniversary for sure. Liu died of liver cancer three years ago at the age of 61. His friends claim Liu would have been "heartbroken" to see Hong Kong being "mainlandized" and "communised".

Remembering Liu Xiaobo today

The statement added they believed Hongkongers would continue to put up resistance despite the new national security law.

Which brings us back to the massive turnout for the primaries; it's news he would probably like to hear.

Massive Turnout for Pro-Democracy Voters

This old China Motor Bus is converted into a polling station

The first day of the primaries began after a three-hour delay and started at around noon. Robert Chung Yiu-ting, head of Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute explained in the early hours of Saturday that it was because of the police raiding its Wong Chuk Hang offices that they reset the encryption key for the voting system out of security concerns.

However, the delay did not deter voters at all. Benny Tai Yiu-ting, one of the organizers of the primaries, had hoped for a total turnout of 170,000 -- but in fact almost 229,000 came out to cast their vote on the first day alone.

Long lines of voters were seen today

The primaries are an opportunity for pro-democracy voters to choose their best candidate for the upcoming Legislative Council elections to avoid splitting the vote. Tai is hoping for at least 35 pan-democrats to be voted in to take at half of the seats.

On social media there were pictures of long lines in many places, including 200 in Tai Po Plaza. The polling stations were also held in locations not necessarily easy to find, as Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai had warned the primaries could breach the national security law.

Some district councillors had planned to use their offices as polling stations, but were warned by their landlord, the Housing Authority, that doing so would breach their leases. Also a gelato shop that sells "tear gas ice cream" as one of its flavours in a shopping mall in Tsuen Wan was also warned about using its space as a polling station and pulled out.

Nevertheless, there were several unusual polling stations. One was an old China Motor Bus in Tuen Mun, and even a lingerie shop in Kennedy Town -- how did the men feel being in a shop full of bras! There were jokes about the primaries having "lots of support" coming out of the lingerie shop.

At one point several police descended on this shop as there were many people waiting to cast their votes. But luckily they were satisfied people were practicing social distancing and left.

This lingerie shop was also a polling station

Joshua Wong Chi-fung, formerly of Demosisto, canvased for votes in Kwun Tong and told people it was either the ballot or the bullet -- a pretty stark choice, but he went straight the point.

Some people voted after seeing the news of Wong's colleague, Nathan Law Kwun-chung flee Hong Kong, while others voted for localist candidates knowing they may not win, but wanted to have their voices heard.

And isn't that the point of voting? Universal suffrage was promised in the Basic Law but still has yet to be realized...

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.

Nathan Law Quits Demosisto

Nathan Law was the youngest elected lawmaker to the Legislative Council

Former legislator Nathan Law Kwun-chung has had enough and is quitting Demosisto, the political party he co-founded.

The 24-year-old pro-democracy activist made the announcement yesterday on social media, saying he was stepping down as chairman of the two-year-old party, while co-founder Joshua Wong Chi-fung remains Demosisto's secretary-general.

Law said in his Facebook post on Wednesday that he is not abandoning his vision or beliefs, but wanted to "open up paths that were not explored before".

Law (far left) with Joshua Wong and Alex Chow at Occupy

"Since the umbrella movement, I have been living in the vortex of the political storm. In the face of the stern political situation, I found myself overloaded both physically and mentally. I need time to rally my forces and think about the road ahead."

Indeed he has been through a lot since he and Wong started Scholarism exactly seven years ago this month and since then Law has been in the public eye, particularly during the Occupy Movement in 2014.

Two years later the duo started Demosisto and Law ran and won a seat in the Legislative Council elections that year.

However, Law was dogged with law suits and jail time -- he, Wong and Alex Chow Yong-kang were convicted and jailed for six to eight months last August for their role in the Occupy protests that were deemed illegal.

Also after he was elected democratically into Legco in 2016, he was disqualified last year by the court for his improper oath-taking in which he made a short speech before taking the oath.

Law campaigning in 2016 with the Demosisto party

He quoted Mahatma Gandhi in saying: "You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind." And then as he took the oath, when it came to the word "republic", he changed the tone of his voice as if you ask a question -- "I swear allegiance to... the People's Republic of China?" he asked.

Although his oath was validated by the clerk, there was an unprecedented legal challenge mounted by then chief executive Leung Chun-ying and Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung. First it was Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Baggio Leung who were disqualified, then Law along with three others.

So one can imagine Law might be mentally and physically exhausted after what he has gone through. He also hints it's time to figure out another way to fight the establishment, though how else can one do that without doing something illegal these days?

The pro-Beijing side must be elated -- one less opponent to deal with (for now), and now there is speculation how much longer Demosisto will be around now that one of the co-founders is leaving.

It's not easy to walk away from something you have started, but perhaps Law feels now is the time to take a break and figure out what to do next.

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.