The trial of Chow Hang-tung et al of the Hong Kong Alliance for refusing to hand over information ended Friday with a guilty verdict from the NatSec judge. Guardian report here…
…the alliance was accused of being a “foreign agent” for an unnamed group, after allegedly receiving HK$20,000 ($2,547).
This was a case in which no-one – not even the judge – was allowed to know exactly what the prosecution’s evidence was. For a good explanation, see Reuters correspondent’s thread – includes links to the police/prosecution documents and a video flick-through of redacted pages.
Women workers cancel a gathering after police claim violent elements might join in and the organizers will be legally responsible (eg, appearing in a NatSec court) for such outrages as forbidden slogans on banners. Scores of cops turn up anyway (video) – and even occupied Lion Rock. Someone is paranoid about a cancelled women workers’ march. Thread on how police now dissuade protests…
…this tactic is pretty much foolproof – who is going to risk un-bailed NSL jail for a march of any stripe?
Some links…
A (probably paywalled) WSJ editorial warns would-be tourists to think twice about taking up Hong Kong’s offer of free tickets…
Since 2020 authorities have removed a famous sculpture, forced the closure of a museum, banned films that offend Beijing’s political sensibilities, and arrested a pro-democracy pop star under the national security law. Hong Kong has also shut down two pro-democracy publications and arrested journalists, including publisher Jimmy Lai. Will the free ticket include a prison tour?
…Visitors who take the free ticket should beware that if they’ve ever said or written anything critical of Hong Kong or Beijing, Mr. Lee’s security forces will be watching.
The ‘two sessions’ snooze-fest is in progress. Might as well learn all about ‘Chinese-style modernization’…
On the eve of the NPC, the official nightly newscast Xinwen Lianbo (新闻联播) opened with an immediate mention of “Chinese-style modernization,” noting that Xi Jinping had deemed it “an important theoretical innovation emerging from the 20th National Congress of the CCP.”
Video interview with Alliance Canada Hong Kong executive director Cherie Wong on Chinese influence operations in Canada
Emerging markets guru Mark Mobius complains that he can’t get his money out of China.
Former Philippine Navy Rear Admiral on China’s grayzone ‘insurgency’ in the South China Sea…
Xi’s insurgency has a flaw, and it can be overcome if the region works together.
As if Southeast Asian countries could ever do that.
Not sure what I feel about Mark Mobius. I remember seeing him board a flight to Beijing in 2017. He seemed even then to be a man whose investment strategy kept him in a constant state of alarm.
In the 1970s, a white Sri Lankan’s tea farm was nationalised by payment in local currency which was non-convertible. So the ex-tea farmer went to Kandy and Columbo to buy up as many bearer bonds and valuable postage stamps that he could. He sent his collections to London relatives who sold them for sterling, for him.
In thirteen years in mainland China, I had never been treated the way the HK Gestapopo treats ordinary citizens, as shown in the Wanchai Twitter pics. Not defending the commies but it sure wasn’t as obnoxious (back then) as the new norm seems in HK. Of course it could all be totally different now with Paranoid Pooh running the show and my last time in China was December 2019.
I remember years ago (esp late ’90s~early 2000s) when people spoke of Mobius with total reverence as if he was either the next cumming or some kind of genius emerging market whisperer. I’m not a finance or play-with-other-people’s-money kind of guy so I can’t say. Just interesting to see his blast from the past name pop up again…jogged my memory.
The risk of 100,000 disagreeable people joining a police-approved public demonstration or march for an otherwise innocuous cause means the end of all public gatherings. The regime can’t risk it, at least not for the next 20 years.
Are the violent troublemakers who may gatecrash a protest dressed in blue by any chance?
I remember Dr Mark Mobius from circa 25 years ago. He was a tireless self promoter, in the same vein as Dr Mark Faber (who misappropriated the Dr Doom moniker from Henry Kaufman of Salomon Brothers) and “Dr” Allan Zeman who once famously said “I have never read a book in my life”. (I believe him)
Up to now I thought “Chinese Netizen” was female
Blast!
Modernization with Chinese Characteristics has a certain ring to it.
😉