HK Journalists Recognised in Japan

Chan accepting the Japanese award on behalf of HK journalists

A day after the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong suspended its Human rights Press Awards citing the national security law, its sister club in Japan have named Hong Kong journalists as winners of its Freedom of the Press Asia Award.

Freelance journalist Ilgin Yorulmaz, co-chair of The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan's press freedom committee, said the award recognised journalists and media organisations who fight for free speech, for the free exchange of information, and against censorship.

The award was accepted by Hong Kong Journalists Association chair Ronson Chan Ron-sing.

He said it was an honour to receive the prize. 

FCC suspended the Human Rights Press Awards

"Hong Kong journalists are kind, passionate and tenacious... although the environment changed, most of us have remained in our position and try our best to find the truth for the Hong Kong community."

Meanwhile another person has abruptly left Hong Kong, a political cartoonist known as Ah To. 

In a social media post, he explained he would face "great mental stress" if he were to continue to produce political cartoons in the city.

On Tuesday he shared a picture of one of his characters in what looked like a backdrop of London and said he left because he "wanted to continue creating for Hong Kong".

Ah To said he thought about changing the theme of his work last year, but felt Hong Kong "needed political cartoons", and said he wanted to "persist" by remotely creating cartoons for his home city.

"I was worried that my future work would not be down to earth... but staying in Hong Kong to produce political cartoon [causes] great mental stress. [I] have no alternative but to leave," he wrote on Facebook, without stating his destination.

Ah To's character in what looks like London

He is known for being critical of Beijing and the Hong Kong government, and has produced work on controversial issues like the national security law, the election overhaul, and the 2019 protests.

Last July pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao criticised Ah To for sharing cartoons that "vilified the SAR government" and "incited hatred against the police".

His work was published in Ming Pao Weekly and Yahoo News, but both columns were cancelled in June 2020 just before the implementation of the national security law on June 30 that year.

In Tuesday's post, Ah To said he had made the decision to leave Hong Kong in a hurry and would not have time to bid farewell to his friends. He felt "guilty" about his departure, adding he would "speak up for the voiceless" and hoped Hong Kong's history would not be left with "silence" in the future.

Ah To's take on Carrie Lam

"Thinking about my family members in Hong Kong who I may not see again, my comrades who are in jail or pending trial, the readers who have been supporting me and my wife who was forced to flee with me... I feel very guilty," Ah To said.

"May good-natured people take care and preserve kindness in different ways," he added.

Ah To is not the only artist to leave recently. Manga artist Tony Lu and performance artist Kacey Wong Kwok-choi both left for Taiwan last year, citing the national security law for the reason behind their move.

PS: Here is the link to my new blog: https://goodbyehkhelloyvr.blogspot.com/

Self-Censorship Suspends Press Awards

The FCC decided at the last minute to suspend the HRPA

There is a lot of fury and disappointment over the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong for suspending its Human Rights Press Freedom Awards that would have been held on May 3, Press Freedom Day, at the last minute. 

The club's president Keith Richburg, said the decision was made after the board had a lengthy discussion about it on Saturday.

"Over the last two years, journalists in Hong Kong have been operating under new 'red lines' on what is and is not permissible, but there remain significant areas of uncertainty and we do not wish unintentionally to violate the law," he said.

Richburg said suspending awards was unusual

Richburg described the suspension as an unusual step to take just weeks before the winners were to be announced on May 3, acknowledging that it is likely deeply disappointing to the candidates, the judges and everyone else who took part.

He added suspending the awards was a very tough decision to reach, and that it "in now way reflects the FCC Board's view of the content of any of the entries or the work of the independent judges."

Nevertheless, Richburg said the FCC will continue to promote press freedom in Hong Kong, though "recent developments" -- without citing which -- might require changes to the club's approach.

In response, some of the FCC's press freedom committee members resigned, including journalists Shibani Mahtani, Timothy McLaughlin, and Mary Hui. Five other committee members have also reportedly resigned.

"As a former winner and judge of the HRPA, I feel nothing but the deepest regret and do not stand by this decision," said Mahtani, who is the SouthEast Asia and Hong Kong bureau chief for the Washington Post.

Many of the events and talks are held here

"It is an award that meant something not only to Hong Kong, but journalists across Asia who covered some of the most consequential developments in the region last year," she said.

"It is emblematic too of the self-censorship many institutions feel forced to subject themselves to in today's Hong Kong, whether with or without their merits."

It would have been the club's 26th year in handing out awards, and many of them would have been won by Stand News, a pro-democracy news outlet that shuttered late last year.

What is also interesting to note is that the HRPA are traditionally co-hosted by Amnesty International and the Hong Kong Journalists' Association. Amnesty has left Hong Kong, while the HKJA is meeting to discuss whether it should disband or not.

These are the times we live in, but as the Foreign Correspondents' Club, it has an obligation to stand up for press freedom and other human rights, and yet it has cowered from this mandate, choosing instead to stay silent probably in the hopes of being able to renew the lease on the property on Ice House Street.

Mahtani resigned in protest

What is the club good for these days? They hold a few guest speaker talks, but it is mainly run by non-journalists now, and serves cheap drinks (and good curries I heard).

The least the club could do is continue to speak out about press freedom when people like Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying is in jail along with his senior editors, editors at Stand News are languishing in jail, and most recently journalist Allan Au who was arrested two weeks ago.

But it seems the club is more concerned about preserving itself than taking advantage of its unique position and speaking out on behalf of local journalists, as well as the HKJA, where its leaders, currently Ronson Chan, and previously Chris Yeung, risked its position to speak out as much as possible.

Many feel the FCC chickened out and has lost all credibility with the journalism community in Hong Kong -- or what's left of it.

It's no wonder that local journalists never had an interest in joining this club in the first place, which hardly represented them.

Lam says press freedom is protected in Basic Law

Ironically today Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor pronounced that press freedom, which is enshrined in the Basic Law, has been safeguarded and upheld in the SAR since the handover, meaning almost 25 years.

When asked about the FCC suspending its HRPA and political scientist Chung Kim-wah fleeing to the UK, Lam claimed they were isolated incidents.

"So I would say that the two examples you have given are those isolated incidents, which might have given people that impression, especially people who tended to misunderstand the constitutional safeguards for press freedom, and that is one has to observe the law in exercising your freedom," she said.

But journalists are observing the law, and yet they are caught in the crossfire, Mrs Lam... for whatever charges the national security police wish to prosecute them... surely that is the erosion of press freedom...

Another Academic Hastily Flees Hong Kong

Chung wrote he was "reluctantly" leaving Hong Kong

It was disheartening to see another academic leave Hong Kong after he had been visited by the national security police. Political scientist Chung Kim-wah wrote a long post on his Facebook page with pictures of the empty departure area of Hong Kong International Airport.

He said he has to "reluctantly" leave Hong Kong for the UK, but didn't go into details. Instead he wrote about feeling bad about having to leave older parents behind and apologised for not being able to properly say goodbye to people.

"After balancing different factors and considerations, I have no choice but to make this decision," he wrote, and added he would live abroad f\or "a period of time".

Chung's picture of an empty departure area

Chung is the deputy CEO of the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, and was assistant professor of the Department of Applied Sciences until January 2020.

In his Facebook post, he said he initially did not think of migrating:

"I was born and raised in Hong Kong. A vast majority of my loved ones are in Hong Kong. I view Hong Kong as the place that cultivated me, and since I was young, I made it my ambition to contribute to Hong Kong and improve society," he wrote.

"Now I can only hope that the skies will be broader, the air fresher... and that I don't have to think about whether the red lines that move arbitrarily will one day target me."

In an article published in Ming Pao on Sunday night, Chung said that he had met national security police but did not elaborate. When asked by the newspaper if this was the reason why he left Hong Kong, he referred to his Facebook post describing his departure as "fleeing the chaos of the Qin dynasty" -- an expression alluding to the turmoil of China's first empire.

Harris was another high profile person who left

Chung's announcement comes two days after he publicly appeared at a PORI news conference about a poll on the public awareness of cannabis products in Hong Kong. 

It seems the national security police are still busy visiting people despite the pandemic. In early March the former head of the Hong Kong Bar Association Paul Harris had a chat with the national security police in Wan Chai earlier and given a warning over an alleged breach of the national security law. Harris would only confirm to Reuters that he had left the city to visit his mother in England.

Harris is a prominent human rights lawyer who was representing two former lawmakers charged in organising the primaries in 2020, and he has been the subject of attacks over the past year.

He expressed concern about the city's rule of law and said the national security law, which was implemented on June 30, 2020, was inconsistent with the Basic Law.

"I am not against the principle of having national security laws, which most countries have for legitimate reasons," he wrote in an article on the Bar Association's website at the time.

"But the Hong Kong NSL excludes certain officials from all legal challenge for their actions."

Beijing claimed Harris was "cheering for independence advocates", and said he was unfit to chair the Bar Association.

National Security Job Creation

The second National Security Education Day was last week

Did you learn anything from last week's National Security Education Day on April 15?

Aside from stickers on the backs of bus seats advertising it as well as giant billboards across Hong Kong, there wasn't specifically anything new to learn unless you went onto the website to take a look.

Two former law enforcement chiefs don't think people know enough about national education and are proposing a position in the upcoming administration to promote it further.

People were encouraged to go on the website

Former security chief Lai Tung-kwok is calling for a new post of "national security education commissioner", as the public don't know enough about the issue, and that the annual National Security Education Day is far from sufficient.

During a radio program on RTHK, he said the city needs to work harder to educate people about national security, as it encompasses everything from finance to food.

So how does national security affect food, unless he is referring to ecological security, which is about ecological damage and environmental pollution?

Lai, who is also a New People's Party legislator, said if people had a better understanding of national security, it would be easier to get them to make sacrifices to ensure it is upheld.

Tang (left) and Lai want a NSL commissioner 

With rights and freedoms further eroding because of national security, not many would agree to make sacrifices -- they have no choice really and have to accept that almost everything is for national security reasons.

Meanwhile, former police commissioner Tang King-shing said the public have misunderstood what national security is all about, adding that an ageing population and gender equality issues could also undermine safety and stability.

These two enjoy stirring more fear into the pot with reasons that have zero logic.

How does having an increasingly elderly population and the fight for gender equality undermine safety and stability?

Lai and Tang both seem keen on being this "national security commissioner", if the new Chief Executive decides to create the post.

How do these elderly impact national security?

There is talk that sole candidate John Lee Ka-chiu is looking to expand his administration, and perhaps one of them will be national security education, considering security seems to be a top priority.

A quick scan of the National Security Education website does not mention the elderly or gender equality issues either, so maybe Lai and Tang should study the website first before making these ominous proclamations that are hardly credible?

The Final Farewell

Hong Kong's skyline is so famous, yet it has changed so much

After 836 days I am finally back home. The coronavirus pandemic prevented me from visiting -- or rather I should say it was the Hong Kong government's strict measures, from 21 days' hotel quarantine to a battery of tests after arriving, as well as the threat of flight bans that stopped me from flying.

But now I am home for good -- at least I think I am -- and sadly am relieved to be out of Hong Kong, the city I love so much.

Since the national security law was implemented on June 30, 2020, Hong Kong has irrevocably changed so much that it is hard to fathom the sweeping changes that happen almost on a daily basis. At one point people were being arrested daily. 

This is not normal.

A friend asked how Hong Kong was different from China. On the mainland you know where the red lines are, whereas in Hong Kong, they are constantly changing; what was something normal or done with regularity is suddenly banned and it's hard to anticipate what is next, or if you will be implicated because of where the red line is drawn.

So I have joined the tens of thousands of others in the mass exodus, saying goodbye to people I have known for years professionally and personally, for them feeling another pang of emptiness as yet another friend or relative leaves.

For me I didn't realise how much I had impacted their lives personally and professionally. They reminded me of the things I had done for them or experiences we had together that affected them so profoundly. It was good to hear I had made a meaningful contribution to their lives.

I also didn't realise how much stuff I had -- even though I had moved into a serviced apartment for the last few months, I still had bags and boxes of things I gave away to friends, charities, recycling and so on. I even dug out an old iPhone 3 and iPhone7 and took them to the nearby recycling centre. The security guard was so excited to see my iPhone7 that he claimed it right away and turned it on to make sure it worked. 

Hong Kong is the city where I started my career when I was a fresh graduate, unsure of what path I was going to take, but only knew that I was willing to work hard and see where I could go. I returned again in 2010 with an even greater appreciation for the city and what it offered.

But after 2014 and even more so after 2019, and the events that followed, this place will never be the same again, and many others feel the same way.

Hong Kong was known as a city of refuge from war and revolution, but now it is the place people are fleeing from to seek safety elsewhere.

I will continue to watch Hong Kong's developments from afar, but it is still close to my heart.

A friend has asked me to write a to-do list on how to exit Hong Kong, but after that, The Fragrant Harbour will end, and I will start another blog and will add the link.

Thanks for reading!

PS: Here is the new link: https://goodbyehkhelloyvr.blogspot.com/

John Lee Secures over 700 Nominations

Lee has secured over three times the necessary nominations

One person is running for the position of Chief Executive, and he already has secured over 700 nominations from almost half of the Election Committee, so is there any point for John Lee Ka-chiu to formally put in his paperwork to participate in the one-horse race?

The one-horse race will cost HK$278 million

But it seems one must go through the motions, and Lee has more than the minimum 188 nominations from the Election Committee, over three times the number... cause no other viable contender has thrown his or her hat into the ring.

"It is time that I let people know the clear indication of standing for the election, so it is appropriate for me to actually register to stand for the election," he said today. 

"I will continue to appeal for people's support. So I will be approaching the Election Committee members again for their support in the eventual voting exercise."

An exercise that will cost taxpayers -- who cannot vote in this election -- HK$278 million (US$35.5 million), with another HK$50 million tacked on because of delays due to the pandemic. 

The 2003 protests led to shelving Article 23

And as expected, one of Lee's priorities if he becomes the next Chief Executive, is to pass Article 23, where the city can enact laws to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, and subversion against the central government, or the theft of state secrets, forbid foreign political organisations from conducting political activities in the region, and to ban political organisations from establishing ties with foreign political organisations.

That seems to be pretty much covered already by the national security law enacted in 2020, but just in case, Article 23 will reinforce this and give the government more leeway to further crush dissent.

As many will remember back in 2003 over 500,000 people came out to protest then chief executive Tung Chee-hwa's attempt to pass the bill, which led to his abrupt exit as well as then security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee.

The then protests caused Ip to lose her job

The current Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said back in February that consultations on Article 23 will begin in May.

Guess there's no point in wasting time...

Veteran Journalist Arrested, then Released

Au used to write for Stand News and was charged with sedition

Soon after online media outlet Stand News shut down in December 2021, one of its former columnists, longtime journalist Allan Au Ka-lun would write "good morning" on his Facebook page as a way to confirm his safety.

But at 6am this morning national security police descended on his flat and arrested him on the charge of "conspiracy to publish seditious materials" and a police source added further arrests could be made.

Around midnight Au was released after 17 hours

Two other senior employees of Stand News have also been charged with sedition, though Au is the journalist and not a media executive, like Apple Daily to have this charge against him.

I am writing this just after midnight and it has now been reported that Au was released from Kwai Chung police station. "Thanks for your care and concern," he said as he put his hands in prayer.

Au, 54, is considered one of Hong Kong's most experienced local columnists, and was a Knight fellow at Stanford University in 2005, and earned a doctorate from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

In 2017 he published a book about censorship in Hong Kong titled, "Freedom Under 20 Shades of Shadow".

In addition, Au had spent more than a decade working for Radio Television Hong Kong on a current affairs show. But it was axed last year after RTHK's management conducted a major shake up of the publicly-funded broadcaster from being independent to now towing the government line.

Au's radio show on RTHK was axed last year

The charge of sedition dates back to 1938 colonial Hong Kong, and now it is used against journalists, unionists, activists, a former pop star and ordinary citizens.

However, the courts treat it as a national security offence, where bail is often denied for those charged. 

Au is very lucky to be back home tonight... but for how much longer?

 

John Lee Tipped for Top Job

Lee announces his resignation in a bid to run for CE

The election for Hong Kong's next chief executive has one candidate so far, and he may be the only one Beijing endorses. Former Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu has emerged as the front runner and no other are contesting the top job -- yet.

Earlier today he formally resigned from his position citing his ambitions -- if given Beijing's blessing -- to run in the May 8 election.

"If my resignation is approved by the Central People's Government, I shall plan to prepare to stand for the upcoming Chief Executive Election," he said, adding he would inform the public of his next move if Beijing accepted his decision to quit.

Protests erupted over the extradition bill in 2019

His press conference was only five minutes, making his announcement in Cantonese and English and left without taking any questions from reporters.

The choice of Lee signals Beijing's priority of security over social welfare, the economy or development. 

He has always been involved in law enforcement, beginning his career in the Hong Kong Police force, starting as a probationary officer in 1977, and moving up the ranks.

In 2012, then chief executive Leung Chun-ying made Lee deputy commissioner, joining government circles, and then was promoted again five years later to chief of the Security Bureau. 

Last June he replaced Matthew Cheung Kin-chung as Chief Secretary.

Lee and Lam announcing the bill was "dead"

It should be pointed out that in 2019 it was Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Lee who proposed the extradition bill, which led to millions of people protesting in the streets, and later implementing the national security law.

He also instigated the arrests last year of 47 politicians, activists and academics for holding a primary in 2020 to see which candidates would be best suited to run in the Legislative Council election. 

He claimed their plans would paralyse Hong Kong's government and pull the city into a "bottomless abyss".

So while Beijing will be satisfied with the choice of Lee, Hongkongers are beginning to worry about the consequences of having someone who has no expertise in how to kickstart the city's economy out of the doldrums or care about the underprivileged, or even housing issues.

Many people in this photo are behind bars

Finance Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has hinted he won't be running, while no word yet on former chief executive Leung or former secretary for security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee. Ip may always be the bridesmaid and never the bride...

If Lee does become the next chief executive, things may get more stricter and more authoritarian...

Despite Fifth Wave, Grave Sweeping Continues

Many ignored government warnings and went grave sweeping

Today is Ching Ming Festival, or grave sweeping and also a gorgeous day. 

The government and health officials had warned people not to go today, but many who adhere to tradition continued the practice.

A friend and I walked from Wan Chai to Kennedy Town and up Victoria Road, where we saw packed buses and lots of people clutching flowers to pay their respects to loved ones. 

There were fewer people at cemeteries today

The police were on hand to control the crowds, helping them cross the street periodically. While there were less people in general, it was still a sizeable number in the hundreds.

Health officials are concerned there could be an uptick in the number of Covid-19 cases following not only Ching Ming, but also the upcoming Easter holiday too.

Today there was a slight rise in the total number of cases today at 3,238, though the number of deaths has decreased to 87, with 81 newly reported, and six backlogged.

The other victims of the fifth wave are restaurants. 

I just found out that American restaurant Red Lobster shut its doors in Causeway Bay. It had only opened three years ago. 

Red Lobster was another victim of Covid-19

The owner said Covid-19 and the dining restrictions made it untenable to keep going and in the end the company sustained too much loss to keep going.

He thinks that those with deep pockets and can survive will live to see a rebound in 2023.

For many that's a long way off when living day by day.

Other restaurants have been taken down too, like Duck and Waffle that I had no idea had disappeared until I walked through IFC Mall and the space was completely empty. Others include Mana! and La Rotisserie, Silencio, Poem, and Second Draft (but for rent reasons).

The other day I wandered to Shun Tak, where people used to go catch ferries to go to Macau. The departure floor is completely eerie, with the floor covered, and every single shop space that used to sell ferry tickets or arrange hotel rooms or junkets are all shut down. 

Shun Tak departure hall is completely empty

When the pandemic eases, reopening Hong Kong and telling the world the city is open for business will be the hardest task for the next chief executive. The Hong Kong Tourism Board also had formidable challenge in promoting the city that has changed so drastically after the 2019 protests and the implementation of the national security law two years ago.

But hey -- let's not worry about that now, and instead focus on getting those Covid-19 numbers down...

Questions of Press Freedom during Pandemic

Lam continually thanks the central government for its help

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's daily press briefings have now become a concern for press freedom after a reporter's question led to pro-Beijing figures and media to accuse the journalist of spreading hate speech.

The Now TV reporter asked Lam how Covid-19 patients should lodge complaints over mainland Chinese medical professionals who are working in the city to help battle the fifth wave of the pandemic. The mainland medical staff are in Hong Kong to help alleviate healthcare staff shortages.

This is a legitimate question to ask as these temporary workers are exempted from obtaining local licences under an emergency regulation introduced last month. Typically, patients' complaints are handled through the Medical Council of Hong Kong, the industry's registering body, but it does not have the jurisdiction over these workers. The Hospital Authority said it bore ultimate responsibility for the mainland workers.

Lam greeting hundreds of Chinese healthcare staff

But the reporter's question led to a flurry of criticism from pro-Beijing groups and individuals. One association called Politihk Social Strategic launched an online petition that accused the reporter of spreading hate speech and questioning whether she breached the national security law.

Under Article 29, it is a crime for anyone to provoke hatred among residents "which is likely to cause serious consequences" towards the central or local governments.

The group even called for the reporter to be sacked, which led to fears that press freedom was further being eroded in Hong Kong.

Others who criticised the reporter include former chief executive Leung Chun-ying and pro-Beijing paper Ta Kung Pao.

This led to Now TV issuing an apology on Thursday, saying: "We are deeply sorry for the attention and frustration caused by a question asked by our reporter regarding mainland medical staff."

The company vowed to "humbly listen to" public criticisms and be subject to scrutiny, while continuing to provide updates on the pandemic.

Now TV apologised for the reporter's questions

Now TV even added: "With the fifth wave of the pandemic still raging, we are very grateful for the selfless help from the central government and mainland."

The news outlet is owned by Richard Li Tzar-kai, son of Li Ka-shing, and offered help to combat the pandemic during a meeting chaired by Luo Huining, director of the Beijing liaison office.

However, it should be pointed out the same accountability question of the mainland medical staff was also asked by lawmaker Tang Fei, of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers. 

Media lecturer Grace Leung Lai-kuen said the incident demonstrated the "cultural shock" journalists in Hong Kong were facing as the city became increasingly intertwined with the mainland on many levels.

She said journalists in Hong Kong have always questioned local officials over their responsibilities.

But the mainland side could be struggling to understand why it is still facing scrutiny while having taken the extra step to help the city," she said.

"I would say things are different now if you ask me whether it has undermined press freedom," she said.

Just what we needed -- another level of anxiety to add to our pandemic woes.

More Opposition Silenced Today

Koo had planned to protest in front of the Liaison Office today

Just after 6am this morning, the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, the police came to the home of activist Koo Sze-yiu and arrested him for allegedly inciting subversion.

The authorities took the 75 year-old, who also has stage 4 cancer, and four others were detained to assist in the investigation, including Democratic Party member Virginia Fung King-man.

He was arrested for allegedly inciting subversion

Koo had informed the media that he would go to the Liaison Office in Western district to protest against China hosting the Winter Olympics which officially kicks off today. He also wanted to call attention to the political activists behind bars, that they weren't able to meet with their families during Chinese New Year, the most important family festival in the calendar.

In his letter Koo also wrote that the national security law was being "abused" and that many had been "wrongfully detained".

Chan Po-ying, chair of the League of Social Democrats, said that "if simply protesting at the China Liaison Office can be charged with incitement, it is quite terrifying."

Meanwhile another activist was finally sentenced today -- Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung -- a name we haven't heard from in ages as he has been detained in prison since he was arrested on November 1, 2020.

On May 8, 2020, a melee broke out in the Legislative Council when Starry Lee Wai-king, DAB lawmaker and incumbent chair of the House Committee, took control of a meeting (with security guards surrounding her), and Cheung and six other Democratic lawmakers tried to stop her.

Cheung was sentenced to three weeks in jail

For that Cheung pleaded guilty at West Kowloon Court today to a contempt charge under Legislative Council (Powers and Privilege) Ordinance, that was initially designed to immunise members from criminal sanctions while exercising their freedom of speech and debate.

Acting chief magistrate Peter Law Tak-chuen rejected Cheung's plea for a fine or suspended sentence, saying the former lawmaker's actions had tarnished Legco's reputation and contributed to "a decline of civility" and sentenced him to three months in prison.

Cheung, who will turn 65 later this month, said he would only admit the charge, but not wrongdoing, as he maintained his prosecution was driven by political motives.

"For me, Legco is an important structure that facilitates improvements in society. I will never hold Legco in contempt," he said, as he read out a statement in the dock.

"We [opposition lawmakers] respect the 'one country, two systems' principle and strictly abide by the Basic Law, but very unfortunately, the majority of my colleagues who had insisted on our peaceful ways are already in jail."

He added: "In the end, who was the one who broke the rules, flouted the law and even suppressed the opposition with the regime that is the judiciary?"

On May 8, 2020 Cheung was carried out of Legco

Applause broke out in the gallery after Cheung's speech, but they were silenced by warnings from the magistrate and court security officers.

It is only in court can the media and public see former lawmakers and activists who are jailed or remanded in custody. And now prisons are suspending visits from family and friends for at least a week because of Omicron. 

Not only does that mean no more visits, but also no chances of receiving items from the outside world, including books, letters, notebooks and pens. 

Living with Covid Does Not Violate NSL

77 local cases of Covid-19 were detected, many untraceable

Some top Hong Kong infectious disease experts have been hinting publicly that it is time that Hong Kong live with Covid-19, as "zero-Covid" is not attainable in the long run.

Pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu jumped on this, suggesting that the strategy should be viewed as violating the national security law.

Ho suggested living with Covid violated NSL

When he spoke to the media on Saturday, he explained guarding against the importation of cases and the resurgence of domestic infections is a national-level strategy, and anti-pandemic measures are equal to defence and diplomacy.

Therefore, the strategy of "living with Covid" may "breach national defence and disrupt the order of the society," he continued.

However, the government issued a statement on Sunday clarifying that "general remarks and discussion" on the effectiveness of the official zero-Covid strategy were not illegal.

"Hong Kong must cut the transmission chains as quickly as possible, with an aim of achieving dynamic zero infection, otherwise the consequences could be dire," the statement added.

Chuang warned about gathering for CNY

This is the state of the city now -- where anything could be considered violating the national security law and the government has to issue a statement to deny it.

At least that's one thing that's not related to the national security law, but still...

In the meantime Hong Kong recorded 81 new cases -- first time in double digits in a week -- 77 of which are local. There are 70 preliminary positive cases.

"Although the number of daily cases is declining, the proportion of untraceable cases has increased," said Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection's communicable disease branch.

"The transmission chains in the community remain unclear; we do not know what some of the transmission paths were."

Govt says living with Covid not illegal

She also asked that families be careful when gathering for the Lunar New Year festivities, especially around seniors who may not have been vaccinated yet. "If they get infected, there may be complications," Chuang said.

You don't say!

Stand News Stands Down

Media covering arrest of Stand News editor Patrick Lam

Yesterday Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and six former senior editors and executives were slapped with another charge of allegedly promoting seditious material. 

Early this morning news broke that the national security police arrested seven people related to independent online news outlet Stand News, including former and current editors, former opposition lawmaker Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, musician and activist Denise Ho Wan-sze, and Christine Fang Meng-sang, cousin of former chief secretary Anson Chan Fong On-sang.

Denise Ho was also arrested this morning

Police also froze HK$61 million (US$7.8 million) of Stand News' assets, making it the second news outlet to be accused of breaching the national security law.

Ronson Chan Ron-sing, Stand News deputy assignment editor and chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, was also taken from his home in Tai Wai for questioning but was not placed under arrest.

Coincidentally, Chan was at the association's annual dinner two nights ago, in which he deplored the rapid deterioration of press freedom in Hong Kong.

In part he said this:

"When the Excom was elected last June, we made a solemn promise to our colleagues and the society. We know that it is a turbulent time, but freedom of the press is one of the pillars of Hong Kong's success. Since its establishment in 1968, HKJA has attached importance to its social responsibility as much as to the needs of our colleagues. Hong Kong needs both truth and reporters. No matter how difficult the road is ahead, HKJA will do our utmost to continue to stand high and shoulder to shoulder. In the face of an uncertain future, we have no other request from our friends and partners other than your encouragement. Our humble wish is to continue to receive words of encouragement even if they may be soft and low."

Chan speaks to reporters after his release

By this afternoon Stand News was shut down, its employees all laid off. By 11pm tonight the website was shut down as well as its social media like Twitter accounts.

More than 200 police officers were involved in Wednesday's crackdown, raiding the Stand News office in Kwun Tong with a warrant, and took away 33 boxes of evidence, including computers and journalistic material, and also searching the homes of some of the accused.

At a press conference today, Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu justified the arrests of the seven which led to Stand News' demise.

"Anybody who attempts to make use of media work as a tool to pursue their political purpose or other interests [and] contravenes the law, particularly offences that endanger national security, they are the evil elements that damage press freedom," Lee said.

Barrister Margaret Ng was arrested by police

"Professional media workers should recognise that these are the bad apples who are abusing their position simply by wearing a false coat of media worker and then, using that position, abuse news as a tool, to pursue their own purposes. They will pollute press freedom. Professional media workers should recognise this, say no to these people and stand far from them."

Senior Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah, of the police force's National Security Department, said they froze Stand News' assets as they questioned where the money came from as the news outlet did not accept sponsors or receive many advertising fees. 

The police also questioned how Stand News could have the money to open a bureau in the UK and if a conspiracy had occurred. 

Stand News was founded on December 29, 2014 and shut down almost seven days later to the day on December 27, 2021.

It became known for its on-the-ground reporting, particularly during the 2019 protests and was a go-to source for news for opposition-leaning readers. Its reporters also did investigative stories, including the latest one on two senior immigration officials allegedly receiving gift hampers from embattled developer China Evergrande.

Screenshot from Ho's live stream of Yuen Long

By law civil servants are not allowed to receive gifts worth more than HK$3,000, but these hampers were priced at HK$3,388. One of the officials surmised that the hampers were bought during an early-bird special so they actually cost under HK$3,000...

During the 2019 protests, it drew 3.8 million viewers when its then reporter Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam, live streamed the attacks in the Yuen Long MTR station on July 21, 2019, and she herself was attacked by the white-clad men with rods. Her video was a chilling record of what happened that night.

But Stand News is no more. 

There are fewer places for Hongkongers to get their news. If anything the mainlandisation of Hong Kong continues to steamroll on, making press freedom in the city even more fragile by the day.

HKU Removes the Pillar of Shame

Workers move a piece of the sculpture overnight on Thursday

Two months after heads of the University of Hong Kong ordered the Tiananmen-themed sculpture Pillar of Shame removed, late last night it was taken apart in pieces which were wrapped up and then moved to HKU's Kadoorie Centre in Yuen Long, 30km away.

The surreptitious incident happened after 10pm when yellow plastic barricades were placed around the statue by Danish artist Jens Galschiot and workers in yellow hard hats began dismantling it around 3am, and bundled the pieces into a container truck which left the campus at 6.50am.

The Pillar of Shame originally looked like this

The HKU Council confirmed the removal of the eight-metre tall sculpture in a statement after the deed was done, saying the decision to take down the Pillar of Shame was made in light of "external legal advice and risk assessment" after a meeting on Wednesday.

"Latest legal advice given to the university cautioned that the continued display of the statue would pose legal risks... based on the Crimes Ordinance enacted under the Hong Kong colonial government," the statement said.

So it's not national security law related? Or any other law not related to NSL?

The council also said it was "very concerned about the potential safety issues resulting from the fragile statue" and noted that no official approval had ever been granted for its display. It had stood on campus since June 1997.

While the statement didn't give specifics on the potential legal risks, Section 10 of the Crimes Ordinance deals with acts with a seditious intent, including publications and displays of any seditious material, deemed a crime punishable by up to two years in prison and a HK$5,000 (US$641) fine for a first offence.

The artist is threatening compensation for damage

At Wednesday's council meeting, a large majority of the members -- most of whom are external stakeholders -- voted for the statue's removal.

It seems the council was prepared to remove the statue immediately after the meeting without asking other stakeholders on campus. This drew a lot of criticism not only the act of removing the sculpture, but also how it was done.

Legal scholar Eric Cheung Tat-ming said he could not see the rationale for citing Section 10 of the Crimes Ordinance to remove the pillar.

"The section has existed for a very long time and the statue was erected at HKU for years. Why did they not think the display had a [seditious] intention in the past, while suddenly they think it will violate the law?" Cheung said.

Indeed. We are all wondering the same thing.

And many critics have also pointed out for the university to take it apart in the middle of the night days before Christmas shows how cowardly the institution is in dealing with the issue. 

Interestingly the statue's removal comes two days before council chairman Arthur Li Kwok-cheung ends his term, and is days after the recent Legislative Council election to ensure "only patriots" hold power.

The statue was moved to Yuen Long

Li claimed on Sunday that it was still unclear who was the rightful owner of the sculpture, but artist Galschiot said Thursday it was his and accused the university of "destroying" the art work, and had ignored his offer to travel to Hong Kong to take it away.

"[HKU] will not talk to me," he said in a statement. "Countries around the world have offered to receive the Pillar of Shame, and the Danish foreign minister has offered his help -- but there has been no response from [HKU] or other responsible authorities."

He added: "It is my private property and the sculpture belongs to me personally... I will claim compensation for any damage to the sculpture. It is a disgrace and an abuse and shows that Hong Kong has become a brutal place without laws and regulations such as protecting the population, the arts and private property.

"And it's even more grotesque that they use the Western holiday Christmas to carry out the destruction of the artwork."

The aftermath of the removal is empty space

What is left is the yellow plastic hoarding and white plastic sheets over the area where the pillar was. Around the hoarding are pots of poinsettias as if to give the space a festive air.

The university has taken a hard line on the statue, which sparks questions around the future of freedom of speech and expression, as well as academic freedom on campus. More importantly it shows HKU complicit in following the government's lead in removing any reminders of what happened on June 4, 1989.

Will students there wish to continue studying at HKU following this incident? How do the alumnae feel?And what does this mean in terms of remembering Tiananmen? Will students and staff still be able to commemorate it in some way? Can the topic still be taught in class?

While administrators may think they are doing the right thing, they are destroying the foundations of the university, and Hong Kong too.