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...

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?

 

Fearing for Staff Safety, Citizen News Shuts Down

Chief editor Daisy Li (left) and Chris Yeung speak to media

Today senior executives of Citizen News explained to the media why they were closing abruptly, admitting it was because of what happened to Stand News on December 29 when seven people related to the news portal were arrested, which led to its immediate demise.

They said they could no longer guarantee their staff's safety, as they did not know where the red lines were being drawn.

Citizen News shut down effectively today

Choking back tears, chief writer Chris Yeung Kin-hing said: "We can't work in a safe environment. Reporters are also human and have their families and friends too. Journalists don't want to be landed in this dilemma simply because of their work."

Yeung, who is the former chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, said the closure was because of what happened to Stand News.

"The city's media has been embroiled in a political storm with many media outlets or the overall media being deemed as the target of a shake-up," he said.

"From the Stand News incident, we see that many articles and reports are deemed as seditious. We are worried that we may have violated the law without our knowledge."

He added: "Hong Kong is really facing a great change in many aspects, about how to understand press freedom, and where to draw the line... and now many things about the law and law enforcement and so on have become vague."

Yeung said as journalists could be exposed to the threat of prosecution, the outlet had no other choice but to close.

Yeung said no authorities contacted them

"We can't assess how long such a situation would linger. It's difficult to carry on," he said. "We have no choice but to cease operations."

During the announcement, Yeung said they were not contacted by the national security police regarding Citizen News' reporting, though some commentators have warned some media outlets like Stand News and Citizen News were targets. 

Citizen News started five years ago on January 1, 2017 with 10 people and in the last five years grew to dozens of people, absorbing those who left RTHK or i-Cable, or Apple Daily. And now it has let go 40 journalists.

Meanwhile, Ip Iam-chong, one of the co-founders of the online news outlets Inmediahk, told a radio show there had recently been an intensification of the chilling effect on the media from a government campaign initially targeting the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper.

"When we first started, we thought we wouldn't last long, not because of political pressure, but because of finances," Ip said. "Nowadays any media that is not considered establishment will keep receiving threats or warnings to shut down."

Over 200 police raided Stand News last week

He feared the continued closure of media outlets would mean that more rumours, mostly regarding the government, would be able to spread unchecked on the internet.

Even this afternoon there were rumours of the government considering imposing a lockdown on Hong Kong to stop the spread of the Omicron variant; eventually the government did issue a press release to deny the rumour, but with trust in the authorities so low, does anyone believe it?

They would have turned to online outlets like Stand News and Citizen News to get the facts. But now they have to turn elsewhere... and is it a place they trust?

This is the state of press freedom in Hong Kong, and more importantly freedom of information in the city. 

Third Media Outlet to Shut Down

News outlet Citizen News shuts down after five years

A few hours ago another independent news outlet Citizen News announced it will shut down as of tomorrow (January 4).

This comes just days after Stand News was raided by some 200 national security officers and seven people were arrested, including barrister Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee and singer Denise Ho Wan-see. Later two people, acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam Shiu-tung, and his predecessor Chung Pui-kuen were charged with allegedly publishing seditious content and stirring up hatred against the government.

Stand News' Lam was arrested, charged last week

Citizen News said tonight on social media in part: "Standing in the eye of the storm with the waves rolling, our little boat faces harsh conditions. In crisis, we must first ensure everyone on the boat is safe."

The online news outlet started five years ago on January 1, 2017. At the time the founders said: "By taking a small step, we hope we could inspire everyone in the industry to take a small step. Taken together, it will become a big step in protecting press freedom."

For five years Citizen News was a critical voice made up of veteran journalists who held the government accountable. 

Last year in an interview with the New York Times, chief editor Daisy Li said: "You know there is a red line, but at the same time you don't know what that line actually is."

Which makes one wonder, what is the future of journalism in Hong Kong? 

Citizen News' announcement tonight

How do you teach journalism students to be safe when you don't know what the red lines are?

What can be reported on safely anymore?

It's ironic that there is no violence in the streets, no blood being shed, and yet organisations being raided, people being arrested and thrown in jail, and groups shutting down are just as horrifying.

At the same time people are happy to pay good money to eat in nice restaurants, drink expensive bottles of wine and purchase luxury brand clothing, shoes and handbags. 

What times we live in in Hong Kong. 

The polar opposites could not be even more extreme...

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.

Two Former HK Leaders Named in Pandora Papers

11.9 million files reveal offshore accounts of wealthy elites

The Pandora Papers have revealed a treasure trove financial records showing current and former politicians, royalty, billionaires and celebrities who have hidden their money in tax-free offshore accounts.

Released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the 11.9 million files -- even bigger than the Panama Papers -- names two former Hong Kong leaders, Leung Chung-ying and Tung Chee-hwa.

In a report by Stand News that worked with ICIJ, Tung and his family have dozens of accounts related to seven offshore companies, while Leung was listed as the owner of two British Virgin Island companies while he was Hong Kong's chief executive.

Leung was accused of corruption but later cleared

Opposition lawmakers accused Leung of corruption in 2014 in relation to a HK$50 million payment he received from an Australian engineering firm and was investigated by the Independent Commission Against Corruption, but the Department of Justice dropped the case in 2018 due to insufficient evidence.

With the publication of Stand News' report, Leung is threatening legal action against the online news outlet, warning against the "flames of irresponsible journalism". In a series of Facebook posts over seven hours, he accused Stand News of misrepresenting the facts and being either ignorant of the laws governing what the city leader must disclose about his financials or driven by ulterior motives in deciding the publish the allegations.

Through its investigation of the financial records held by the ICIJ, Stand News reported Leung conducted business through two offshore companies and sold his 30 percent stake in DTZ Japan for HK$2.3 million in 2012, the year he began his five-year term as chief executive.

Tung and his family have 72 offshore accounts

Stand News also reported Tung and his family members were tied to at least 72 accounts owned by seven offshore companies, with one having an estimated US$1 million in assets, which were used to skirt taxes in Hong Kong. Tung has yet to respond to the allegations.

The online news outlet was one of 150 media outlets around the world, and the only one from Hong Kong to work on the Pandora Papers. 

Fallout Two Years After 7.21

Commuters in Yuen Long station were attacked two years ago

 

It's hard to believe it's been two years since the horrific attacks on commuters in Yuen Long by men in white T-shirts armed with long wooden sticks and metal rods. What has happened since then?

Last month five people were convicted in the attacks and will be sentenced tomorrow, another man was acquitted on the lack of evidence. That is only a tiny fraction of the people involved in the incident that left 45 people injured and shocked Hongkongers who watched it unfold in real time.

Ho livestreamed the attack, was later arrested

The brave journalist Gwyneth Ho of Stand News who kept live streaming the incident as she was being attacked became a politician in the hopes of running in the Legislative Council elections in 2019 that were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

But in January she was arrested along with 52 others for organizing and participating in the pro-democracy primaries last July. Ho was released on bail.

Another now former pro-democracy lawmaker, Lam Cheuk-ting, who rushed to the scene and was injured himself, was arrested for the same charge.

Lam was also arrested earlier this year

RTHK did an extensive investigation into the Yuen Long attacks, but one of its producers, Bao Choy Yuk-ling, was arrested and convicted for "submitting misinformation" when she requested ownership information of some of the vehicles used by the white-shirted men.  

While she was fined HK$6,000 for two violations of the Road Traffic Ordinance, Choy is appealing the decision because she feels she has done nothing wrong.

The RTHK documentary, 7.21: Who Owns the Truth? won a human rights prize and journalism nods, but public broadcaster refused to accept the awards and even tried to withdraw the application beforehand.

Choy does not believe she did anything wrong

But on that same evening in Western district, another attack was happening at the liaison office. Protesters defaced the Chinese emblem with black paint and it was then that state media began reporting on the anti-government protests and described the participants as rioters.

This incident may have set in motion the beginning of plans to implement the national security law less than a year later.

Now two years later, after Apple Daily shut down, laid off its staff and turned off the lights, the former executive editor was taken away by police, along with three others who reported to police following their bail conditions. They are expected to be charged under the national security law.

Lam Man-chung was arrested today

Eight in total have been have been arrested since last month, including two editorial writers, while Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was arrested last year for violating the national security law.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association said it was shocked and puzzled by the latest arrest, describing freedom of the press as the "cornerstone of an international city".

"The association urges the government not to keep arresting journalists in the name of national security in a bid to create white terror in the field," it said.

What will happen a year from now?

 

After Apple Daily, Stand News Might be Next

A vendor spotted selling back copies of Apple Daily today

 

People are still reeling from the loss of Apple Daily.

A friend told me the other day, whenever she wanted to find out the latest news, she automatically turned to the Apple Daily app on her phone and then realized it was blank. Now my friend, along with millions of others are wondering what news media they can read now. 

A mini version of Apple Daily (right)

This weekend some news stands sold back copies of Apple Daily to the delight of souvenir hunters, while others got really creative and made mini copies of the last edition of the paper. "Easier to bring along when you move. Remind your kids about Apple Daily," one sign says.

However, that newspaper is not the only one that is vulnerable -- Stand News may be the next target.

Today the popular pro-democracy web media, which was founded after the 2014 Umbrella protests, announced it has taken a number of measures to protect itself, its staff and readers. 

It will remove all opinion pieces and commentaries published in May or earlier, and will only consider re-posting with the consent of the authors, while news reporting has remain unchanged.

However, six of the parent company's eight directors have resigned, including barrister Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, singer Denise Ho Wan-see, and columnist Joseph Lian Yizheng.

Two founding directors, Tony Tsoi Tung-ho and chief editor Chung Pui-kuen will stay on.

While Stand News relies on subscriptions and donations to operate, it has said it will stop its monthly membership sponsorship scheme, and stop receiving donations.

Stand News is trying to mitigate possible attacks

"We have enough money to run for another nine to 12 months. If necessary, we will seek help again from Hongkongers in future," Stand News said.

It has terminated the employment contracts of its journalists to protect them and compensated them with higher salaries than legally required. The vast majority will continue to work for Stand News.

Defending press freedom these days requires courage. And fearlessness.

A Very Grim Start to 2021

Hong Kong's tolerance for dissent has practically evaporated

Six days into the new year, and Hong Kong marked a very grim day with 53 pro-democracy activists, former lawmakers and even an American lawyer arrested for alleged violating the national security law for subversion.

Lam Cheuk-ting was arrested this morning

Hongkongers woke up to the news of the arrests early this morning, including the likes of Lam Cheuk-ting, Chu Hoi-dick, Claudia Mo Man-ching, Leung Kwok-hung, and Benny Tai Yiu-ting, the brainchild behind the "35+" strategy. South Asian social worker Jeffrey Andrews was arrested too for running in the primaries. There were reports veteran pollster Robert Chung was swept up as well, but (luckily) he was not.

Also at least three news outlets, Apple Daily, Stand News and InMedia received warrants for documents to help the police in their investigations, and some HK$1.6 million was frozen in accounts.

What was this all for?

For organizing and executing the pro-democratic primary run-offs in early July last year to prepare for the upcoming Legislative Council elections that should have been held in September, but were postponed by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-gnor by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tai in front of a voting station in a red bus (right)

On those two days, these "elections" were held in numerous places in all 18 districts, from district councillors' offices, to a converted double-decker bus, to shops, including one selling lingerie. At the time Tai was hoping for 200,000 people to come out to vote -- so he was overwhelmed when over 600,000 did, as they felt it was probably the last time they would be able to make their voices heard, and they are probably right.

These run-offs were a bid to help the pro-democratic camp field the best or most popular candidate in each of geographic areas to go against the pro-establishment one in the hopes that this could lead to a possible majority in the Legislative Council, to have a stronger voice in vetoing bills and such.

However, the government -- and by extension Beijing -- felt this strategy, called "35+" was subversive. These run-offs would have been legitimate in any other democratic society, but in Hong Kong it is considered dangerous.

Lee says voters of primaries won't be charged

The authorities are framing this action as a bid to paralyze the government and anyone who was involved in organizing or participating in it was arrested and charged. However, Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu reassured the public that those 600,000 who cast votes in the run-off would not be prosecuted.

How heartening.

Lawyer Clancey is chairman of the Asian Human Rights League and a member of the committee of the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group. He was treasurer for Power for Democracy, the group that organized the primaries.

Police came to the law firm where he worked, and the elderly American emerged onto the street where reporters asked if he had any words for Hongkongers. "We need to work for democracy and human rights in Hong Kong," he said before going into an unmarked police van.

What is left of the opposition? Even though almost all the opposition lawmakers resigned en masse in November last year after four of them were disqualified, Beijing did not think that was enough -- they had to be punished for even attempting to try to win a majority in Legco through democratic means.

Lawyer Clancey escorted by police from his office

It shows that Beijing does not allow any kind of dissent in Hong Kong and now Legco has practically been cleared of any opposition obstacles, and the people's right to vote for the candidate of their choosing has been effectively been eliminated. 

The institutions that create a civil society in Hong Kong are being destroyed and dismantled by Beijing, executed by the local government, and people's fears of what is happening to their hometown are heightened yet again.

The emigration queue probably grew much longer today, and people can't wait for the pandemic to end to get the hell out of Hong Kong, their home they cannot recognize anymore and are too afraid to stay here to find out what happens in the future. 

What happened today in a word: relentless.

 

Official: Barbecues Worse than Tear Gas

Over 10,000 canisters of tear gas has been fired since early June

The Hong Kong government -- the institution that we pay our tax dollars to govern us -- continues to leave us flabbergasted.

A few weeks ago the Secretary for Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee claimed there was no evidence to prove claims that tear gas poses a major threat to public health and environmental risks.

Sophia Chan brushes off the toxicity of tear gas

"We have conducted internal studies on whether tear gas will produce dioxin or cyanide," she told the Legislative Council at a Q&A session on November 20. "We found no evidence based on existing research and academic literature that tear gas will generate dioxin."

The police have fired over 10,000 canisters of tear gas which has prompted public health concerns. Those rose sharply after a Stand News journalist who has frequently reported on the front lines, said he had been diagnosed with chloracne, a skin condition that has been linked directly to exposure to dioxin-like substances.

Then Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing trotted out to say the major causes of dioxin globally were hill fires and waste burning in the open air. He suggested that perhaps the source of Hong Kong's air pollution was from the protesters, who threw Molotov cocktails, burned projectiles and set fires to stores and cars.

Law Chi-kwong says barbecues are dangerous than tear gas

And today it's Welfare Secretary Law Chi-kwong's turn to give an explanation. He said tear gas only causes mild respiratory and skin irritation, and that it was the protesters who were burning plastic barriers that were causing dioxins to be released in the air.

"For the dioxins resulting from tear gas, I think it has been found from literature that it is minimal or even non-existent. In fact when compared with dioxins resulting from our barbecue activities, I think the level is indeed very minimal," Law said.

Are we really barbecuing that much? He's really grasping at straws, or in this case skewers.

We actually pay these people really good salaries to say these things to us.

They are obviously the minority in Hong Kong who have yet to experience a "tear gas buffet". They have not felt first hand what it is like to breathe in these noxious chemicals that leave your eyes and throat burning. Some people have such strong reactions to the tear gas that they vomit and have skin irritations.

Over 80 percent of Hongkongers have had a "tear gas buffet"

And in case these officials didn't know, dioxin is a known cancer-causing substance.

So basically the Hong Kong government, and by extension Beijing, is killing us. Slowly.

In 10, 15, or 20 years' time we will have a barrage of cancer cases coming up and many will blame it on the tear gas they were exposed to in 2019.

For the government to shirk responsibility is a crime against humanity.

Absurdities Continue in Hong Kong

Reporters silently protest police violence against them during the protests

This past weekend's escalated tactics by the police in an attempt to subdue the protesters only further incensed the public who lost their faith in the force ages ago.

Journalists were particularly fed up with the police, as they have shot their colleagues with rubber bullets, fired pepper spray at them to clear the area while people are being arrested, pushed and shoved them so they can't get a good look at what is going on. Photographers have been arrested too and made to wear chains and handcuffs. Do we still want to bring up the fact that they don't have identification badges on? At most they will just have numbers indicating the detachment they are from, but no unique number for individual officers.

"Investigate police brutality, stop police lies" the sign says

When they are questioned at the daily press conferences about these issues by reporters, the police's answers don't even begin to address what was asked, resulting in utter gaslighting at the force's best.

Last week freelance journalist Amy Ip had enough and tried to vent her frustration at police representatives at the regular press briefing but they walked away and suspended the press conference for half an hour. Some reporters, like Apple Daily, walked out in protest of the police.

The numbers are growing.

This afternoon just as today's regular briefing by the police was just underway, six reporters put on hard hats, each with a Chinese character. Together they read: "查警暴 止警謊", "Investigate police brutality, stop police lies". The police representatives felt the reporters were hijacking the event in the police headquarters, that they should use public space to demonstrate, and were asked to leave many times.

The reporters, from Stand News, RTHK, Ming Pao, AM730, Initium and Inmedia, stood their ground and the police representatives left the room and even turned off the lights, while other reporters said the silent protest was not obstructing anyone and that the briefing should continue.

Instead at 5.30pm the police held a Facebook Live press conference without any media attending. As a result there were no challenges to the police's statements nor could any questions be asked.

HKJA ex-co member and @StandNewsHK Ronson Chan revealed outside police HQs that one journo received a call from newsroom senior, demanding him/her not to wear the helmet and join the protest. Chan appealed to editorial seniors to understand dangers faced by frontline journos. pic.twitter.com/2F2owNKInq

— Xinqi Su 蘇昕琪 (@XinqiSu) November 4, 2019

 

Outside police headquarters, Hong Kong Journalists' Association ex-co member and Stand News journalist Ronson Chan said one of the reporters who wore the hard hat in the room earlier received a call from a newsroom editor, demanding he/she not wear the helmet. Chan appealed to senior editorial staff to understand the dangers faced by frontline journalists every minute they are on the streets.

It was later reported that this phone call never happened.... but still it was important to draw attention to how difficult it has been to report on these increasingly dangerous protests.

The "press conference" continued without the media there

Today's events show how the relationship between reporters and police has completely disintegrated, and there are no signs the protests are going to end anytime soon.

Speaking of which, a Hong Kong businessman has come up with a brilliant idea of giving millions of dollars to the person who has the best solution to end the five months-long protests. 

Christopher Chuang is the CEO of a fin-tech company called TGM Group, and he's also a CPPCC member which should be a big hint. He said in a press conference that the top proposal would be awarded HK$1 million, while the best solution picked by a panel of judges will be given HK$7 million.

Chuang, who says he grew up in Hong Kong and loves the city, said the proposal should focus on livelihood issues, though he admits political conflicts are to blame for the current impasse, and that only Hong Kong residents can enter the contest.

Only 100 entries will be chosen, and the ideas cannot be political -- they won't even be considered, he says.

He claims to have gone to the protest sites and talked to many young people as well as the police.

Christopher Chuang will pay good money for a good solution

"I can see the love in the police eyes for these young people. But at the same time I can see the dream, the lost dream of teenagers," Chuang says.

Is he talking about a parallel universe? Last I checked, the police called everyone "cockroaches"...

Chuang means well, but the protests are a political problem. People want accountability, they want to protect whatever freedoms and rights they have left. And that means being able to directly vote for their own leader, not a committee of 1,200 people stacked with pro-Beijing elites.

But he is a pro-Beijing elite himself, so he is unaware of what's really at stake.

The government has tried to ease the housing issue, but that hasn't stopped the protests, neither has tycoon Li Ka-shing's donation of HK$1 billion (US$128 million) to help small- and medium-sized businesses helped calm down the protests either.

So obviously it's not about the money.

Escalated police tactics have resulted in lack of public trust

Chuang is barking up the wrong tree.

Whatever happened to former chief executive Leung Chun-ying's website purporting to give people money for reporting people who committed "crimes" like throwing the Chinese flag into Victoria Harbour? Has he paid anyone out for a successful conviction?

And a footnote to yesterday's crazy bloody attack in Taikoo Shing, where a man bit off district councillor Andrew Chiu Ka-yin's ear?

After hours of surgery today, surgeons managed to re-attach the ear back.

As for the assailant, he was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm rather than grievous bodily harm... to put that into perspective, last month the student who used a box cutter to make a 3cm slash into a policeman's neck in Kwun Tong was charged with attempted murder, wounding with intent and grievous bodily harm.

So it turns out the knife-wielding man speaking Mandarin randomly attacked people in the mall, including a couple, not a family. The attacker has undergone a psychiatric test and found to have
"violent tendencies"...

Hong Kong is getting crazier and crazier, with each week becoming the new normal.