Prison-Rights Group Disbands

Shiu's group had been advocating for prisoners' rights

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

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

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

Today Wall-fare announced it was disbanding

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

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

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

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

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

Tang accused groups of supporting prisoners

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

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

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

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

Indeed. Everything has become too hot to touch.

Thrown in Jail for Doing his Job

Tens of thousands gathered to reclaim Yuen Long on July 27

Today a judge sentenced a social worker to one year in jail for impeding a police operation during an anti-government protest, saying he and his peers caused chaos and "dealt a blow" to police work.

On July 27 last year, a week after the horrific attack on people by white-shirted men at the Yuen Long MTR station, protesters came out to the New Territories district to demonstrate against the police's lack of action in this incident.

At the time tens of thousands showed up to support the neighbourhood and to protest against the brutality, when the police did not approve the rally and moved to clear the protesters.

Social worker Lau sentenced to a year in jail

Lau Ka-tung, 24, and two other social workers stood in front of the police cordon, asking police officers to slow down and allow protesters to leave the area.

Lawyers for Lau said he wanted to communicate with the police because he feared officers would cause a stampede if they suddenly charged towards the protesters.

However, the defence failed to convince acting principal magistrate Don So Man-lung, who said social workers on the scene led to chaos and anger, as well as having "fundamentally dealt a blow" to police work.

The magistrate said the social workers prevented the officers from enforcing the law.

"The duty of police is not to rally alongside protesters... Police are entitled to charge at the gathering crowd and jostle protesters to break down their size," So said.

"In the present case, no one was allowed to stop the advancing officers, just as nobody should prevent police from chasing a robber."

Jail social workers to silence dissent?

How are protesters who have a right to express themselves, and to assemble, be judged on the same level as a robber?

While the defense suggested Lau be punished with a fine, Magistrate So said time in prison was more appropriate considering the magnitude of the obstruction called by Lau and his two colleagues.

This sentence made a lot of social workers upset, because they come to protests specifically to provide any legal advice, to try to negotiate between the protesters and the police, and to be a resource for those needing help during these tense and often violent incidents.

"I am extremely angry," said Cheung Chi-wai, vice-president of the Hong Kong Social Workers' General Union. He made the statement during a press conference alongside lawmakers Shiu Ka-chun and Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung, both social workers by profession.

"The presence of social workers on protest scenes is both lawful and appropriate. It is not open to challenge," Cheung Chi-wai said.

It is shocking that a social worker who was not actively protesting was sentenced to a year in jail for supposedly obstructing the police from doing their work. While police were discharging their duties, so were the social workers. How are they in the wrong?

This is only the beginning. It will be sad to see more and more convictions of this nature.