Monday News Bites

National security police arrested Wong this morning

 

Monday morning and more arrests today -- three students of an opposition group called Student Politicism who national security police allege the trio conspired to incite subversion against state power.

Officers carted off books, masks and chocolates

The group is also known for holding fundraisers to buy basic necessities for prisoners, such as surgical masks, sanitizers, snacks and books.

After the trio were arrested, officers broke into the warehouse where Student Politicism store their supplies and these were carted away as evidence.

These students, ranging in age from 18 to 20 years old, and were doing something similar to Wall-fare, in providing sanctioned supplies to inmates. They have been in trouble with the law before and arrested a few times.

One of them, Wong Yat-chin, 20, convenor of Student Politicism, previously said in an interview the value of the group was "to test the red line of the authorities".

They definitely touched the red line today.

How long does it take to count 4,380 ballots?

Media that are not pro-Beijing remarked this morning how it could be possible to take almost 14 hours to count 4,380 votes in yesterday's election for the Election Committee.

Despite the lengthy delay, Beijing's liaison office hailed the exercise as marking a "major step in Hong Kong's democratic movement with its own characteristics".

Definitely, when only 0.06 percent of the population is involved. 

Tung is the owner of a flat at Grenville House

 

Finally a news item from last week -- former Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa is a first-time homeowner at the age of 84. Guess there's always a first time for everything.

Unlike most people who have to scrimp and save or hope parents will pitch in for the down payment for a microflat, Tung shelled out HK$160 million (US$20.6 million) for a luxury flat at Grenville House in Mid-Levels.

As Tung paid for it himself, he was subjected to a stamp duty of 4.25 percent, or HK$6.8 million.

Tung is a first-time homeowner at 84 years old

"Tung bought the C2 unit of Grenville House in August this year. The government had rented the same unit during his stint as chief executive," his spokesperson said. 

"After resigning as chief executive, he continued to rent the unit for his own use. He learnt in recent months that the vendor had intentions to sell his property, leading to his decision to purchase the unit at Grenville House."

He had been renting the 3,335 sq ft flat for more than a decade, and it comes with a car park.

It's just really baffling that Tung has never bought a home in Hong Kong before until now.

And by the way the vendor is laughing all the way to the bank. It bought the property for HK$3.9 million in 1982.

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.