Alliance Assets Frozen, Govt to Wind Down Next Digital

Cartoons of Szeto Wah (left) and Zhao Ziyang taken by police

Even though the group that used to organize the annual June 4 candlelight vigils had already decided to disband, the national security police has preempted the process by freezing all the assets, including bank accounts, property such as the June 4 museum which totals to about HK$2.2 million (US$282,000).

On Saturday the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China had voted to disband in a majority 41-4 vote. However, today (Wednesday), the alliance's secretary Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong who is handling the group's dissolution, was notified by the National Security department that it had frozen its assets, including the museum in Mongkok.

Tsoi says the alliance's assets have been frozen

In early September the police had already raided the museum, taking away documents, computers, cardboard presentations, and even large cartoon caricatures of the late Chinese premier Zhao Ziyang and the alliance's late co-founder Szeto Wah.

Tsoi said he would submit a letter to the National Security department asking it to unfreeze the bank accounts and museum as the group needed to process winding-up procedures.

The police accusing the alliance of acting as a "foreign agent", an offence under the national security law, and sent letters to 12 members of the group demanding for more information about its member list, financial reports and activities, a request they refused to comply with.

What will happen? Maybe the alliance can look to what is happening to Next Digital.

Lai's company will be wound up by the govt

The parent company that used to publish Apple Daily is in a similar situation: its HK$18 million in assets were frozen, and now the Hong Kong government is looking to wind up Next Digital for jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has filed a petition to the Court of First Instance to liquidate the 40-year old company under powers granted by the Companies Ordinance and a hearing is scheduled for December 15.

"After considering the interim report, the financial secretary took the view that it would be expedient in the public interest that Next Digital be wound up, and therefore decided to present a winding up petition to the court," the government said.

Market regulator the Securities and Futures Commission also believes it is in the public interest to wind up the company based on its information.

Next Digital's assets amount to HK$18 million

A source said no one was left at Next Digital to handle its assets after key management personnel had resigned.

While a former desk editor at Apple Daily said about 1,000 staff members were still owed salaries, she wondered whether the mandatory winding up would allow the authorities to gain access to sensitive staff information, such as emails and minutes of board meetings.

"If this happens, I don't think the government winding up is a good move as claimed," she said.

 

June 4 Museum Raided, Leaders Charged

The head of the Goddess of Democracy goes into police van

The June 4 Museum was already preparing for this day. 

This morning the National Security Department raided the museum in Mongkok and took lots of material from the place, from presentations of a timeline recording what happened in 1989 in Beijing and in 2019 in Hong Kong, a large cartoon of the Goddess of Democracy, as well as of the late Szeto Wah and former Chinese premier Zhao Ziyang.

FEHD officers shut down museum in June

It will be interesting to see how these cartoons will be used as evidence in court.

The ironic thing is that the museum was already shut down since June 2 this year, when the Food and Hygiene Department claimed there was a complaint about the venue not having the relevant license under the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance, as required for public exhibitions. The museum was fined HK$8,000 (US$1,028).

Once the authorities removed all the items it deemed necessary for their investigation work, they changed the locks on the museum to prevent anyone related to the place to get back in.

Meanwhile the group that previously organized the Tiananmen Square candlelight vigils has been charged, along with three of its leaders with inciting subversion against state power under the national security law.

Cartoons of Wah and Zhao were also carted away

A spokesman for the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China on Thursday evening said it was told by police the justice department would charge chairman Lee Cheuk-yan, vice-chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan, and vice-chairwoman Chow Hang-tung, as well as the group itself. 

In addition, Chow along with standing committee members Leung Kam-wai, Tsui Hon-kwong, Tang Ngok-kwan and Chan To-wai were also to be charged with refusing to provide information requested by the national security police.

A police spokesman said HK$2.2 million worth of the alliance's assets were frozen in connection with the case. Documents, computers and promotional materials were also seized. It is believed the police is looking for financial records connected to the group's activities with the New School for Democracy, the Asia Democracy Network, the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group and other organizations funded by the US-based National Endowment for Democracy.

A timeline of 1989 and 2019 was confiscated

Nevertheless Chow is defiant. When she heard she would be charged with "incitement to subversion" she was relieved.

"We should not be dwelling on accusations like 'foreign agent'. But rather, the focus should be on whether there should be accountability for the massacre, and if the one-party dictatorship should be put to an end.

"Let's face these spontaneous demands from the people head-on, and see which side reason is in favour with. With the spirit of those who departed on June 4, how dare we back down? The debate is just about to begin."

 

Teachers' Union Forced To Disband

This afternoon the PTU said it had no choice but to disband

 

Just over a week after Chinese state media declared the Professional Teachers' Union "a malignant tumour" that had to be removed, and the Hong Kong government cut ties, the group, which has 95,000 members, announced it had no choice but to disband.

At a hastily arranged press conference, PTU president Fung Wai-wah said: "In recent years there have been big changes to the social, political and economic environments.  Especially in recent weeks, the situation has become worse. As of now, we do not see a future... We have decided to disband. We shall start the process of disbanding."

Lam at 45th anniversary of PTU, now has cut ties

Founded 48 years ago by the late Szeto Wah, the union decided to call it quits after education minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung on Saturday urged Hong Kong teachers to "thoroughly rethink" their relationship with the PTU, and said his bureau would no longer recognize it as a professional organization.

In addition the police commissioner said the force would "definitely investigate" the union for any potential national security violations.

"We have gone through, with many residents, Hong Kong's historic moments," Fung said. "We face huge pressure. Although we have tried to find new ways to continue our work, we regret that we have failed to find a workable option to ease the crisis this time.

"We aim to disband in an orderly and reasonable manner. We shall call an extraordinary members'  meeting... We hope to take care of the rights of some 200 staff members... make financial arrangements and dispose or properties and assets properly."

PTU's two supermarkets were busy today

The union is a large group that gives lots of benefits to teachers, from two supermarket for them, to discounts on school supplies, even travel agent services, insurance, even medical and dental clinics -- practically a small ecosystem of its own. What will happen to all the staff running these businesses? The PTU also owns several properties that Fung said would take time to sell off.

And just like that another opposition-leaning group is eliminated. According to AFP, this is the 33rd political or professional group that has disbanded since June 30, 2020. It is also the oldest group to dissolve so far.

The relentless pace at which the government is dismantling civil society and grassroots groups is blindingly fast, shocking and difficult for many to fathom. Where it ends, no one knows, only that it is ongoing.

Professional Teachers' Union Under Attack

Teachers protested against the extradition bill in August 2019

 

This morning Chinese state media like Xinhua and People's Daily launched a blistering attack on the Professional Teachers' Union, describing the pro-democracy group as a tumour that must be rooted out.

They blamed the union for events during the 2019 anti-government protests, saying some teachers and students participated in violent and illegal activities, and that it didn't play its part to educate and stop them.

The PTU advocates for better quality education

Xinhua also said in its commentary that the union had participated in filibustering in the Legislative Council, encouraged class boycotts and supported what they called rioters and teachers who are poisoning students' minds.

The articles were published after the PTU dropped its association with the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, which used to organize the annual June 4 candlelight vigils, and has been accused by pro-Beijing figures of violating the national security law.

However, Xinhua said union's exit was merely a "trick to evade accountability" and added the PTU was "long-hidden dirt in the education system", having engaged in anti-China and anti-Hong Kong activities.

Xinhua said the Hong Kong government "should get rid of the union", calling the task "an unshirkable responsibility".

People's Daily added the PTU had nothing to do with education or professionalism and that it was a malignant tumour that needed to be eradicated.

PTU was founded by Szeto Wah in 1973

The union was founded in 1973 by the late pro-democracy politician Szeto Wah. Its mission is to be politically liberal, socially activist, and defend the legal rights of teachers. It focuses on improving education quality by promoting teachers' professionalism and advocating education policies.

Soon after, the PTU issued a statement to respond to the state media attacks, saying it had always opposed Hong Kong independence and had cared about the country's development ever since the union's establishment. It also refused the outlets' accusations that it was "inciting kids to break the law", during the 2019 protests, saying it cared about students' safety and never invited them to participate in any demonstration.

The union added it would continue to listen and communicate with different sectors, and keep up its education work.

But that defense argument wasn't enough and the Hong Kong Education Bureau severed its ties with the union, and stripped it of its status as a professional group. 

The PTU, which has 95,000 members, expressed disappointment and regret over the decision on Saturday, saying it would be a loss to the whole education sector.

Days ago PTU withdrew from the alliance

A government source hinted the move to cut ties with the union was in the works and believed the PTU withdrawing from the alliance was a bid to relieve some pressure, but it was obviously not enough.

As a result of cutting its ties with the PTU, the bureau will no longer regard the union as a professional body, and will neither engage in any formal or informal meetings with it, nor take its opinions on matters pertaining to the sector. 

In addition, the bureau will temporarily stop looking into any cases referred by the union, and will review its advisory bodies and other groups with an eye to removing members who represented the PTU.

The union said it handled over 3,000 complaints and inquiries from members every year, and that the bureau's decision failed to take into account teachers' interests and welfare.

"The union has a positive impact on safeguarding workers' rights and bettering policies. Even though we have different views, if the bureau decides to cut ties with the union, it will be a loss to the whole industry," it said.

Education Bureau cut ties with the union today

Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong's sole delegate to China's National People's Congress, said the central government had disliked the union for some time for its participation in political affairs. 

"Instead of serving as an educational professional body, it's been more like a political group throughout the years," Tam said. "It does not matter whether the union is historical, it's more of whether it's an opposition force."

This should be a warning to other professional bodies in Hong Kong -- dissenting voices will not be tolerated.