Ng Lai-ying the woman in this video has just been found guilty of assaulting a Police Officer after being held down by a male officer with both of his legs on her chest/waist. I can’t help feeling this kind of decision does little to create trust in our police and courts.
Chief Inspector Chan Ka-po claimed Ng used her breasts to bump against his right arm of during the chaotic protest in Yuen Long on 1 March. He also claimed that her breasts caused an injury to his chest – a medical examination revealed no injuries to Chan.
Although the Magistrate said there are doubtful points in the statement the police witness gave (e.g. it was very difficult for the defendant to assault an officer given the limited space where the incident took place), these doubtful points are insignificant, hence the defendant was found guilty and is remanded in custody until 10 July.
As this video, which captures the whole incident, shows the only person assaulted was Ng during her arrest. She was thrown to the ground and jumped on by several policemen leaving her with a bloody nose and other injuries
Incompetent and self-interested politicians have flourished in Hong Kong due to voter apathy – HongKongers this is our home take an interest in who and how it’s being run.
All Permanent Residents over 18 are eligible to vote.
Out of control police pepper spraying and assaulting HongKongers. The plain clothes officers in the background look surprised the actions of the uniformed officers, who are standing behind a road side barrier and in their police van. Why one policeman thinks its ok to rub pepper spray in the face of woman is quite beyond me. Surely these unprovoked actions amount to assault with a weapon and the police involved should be charged and jailed.
Richard Scotford on Sunday night’s protest in Sai Yeung Choi Street where respect for the police amongst law abiding HongKongers hits a new low – if that were possible – as those attacked are arrested and the attackers, protected or ignored by police.
From the very offset, this protest was never really about aunties dancing on the street, but instead a proxy fight for what many believe is the increasing Mainlandisation of Hong Kong. From as early as 18:00 there was a visibly high presence of plainclothes police in the area. The police had clearly mobilised high numbers of officers and it would later become clear to all why that was the case. At 19:30, the main group leading the protest, HK Localism Power, began to set up their speakers and banners.
Just in front of where the Localists planned to speak, a ten metre, empty corral had been created with police barriers. It wasn’t clear what the barriers were doing other than blocking half of the road to both pedestrians and the increasing number of protesters who were now quickly gathering. The protesters, quickly pushed the barriers to the one side and opened up the throughway. These barriers remained at the side of the road for at least fifteen minutes until some police tried to reopen up the corral again.
At this point there were hundreds of Localists in the area, who found themselves both in and outside of the newly created corral. It was all very confusing. No one could figure out why the police were so insistent on making the corral so close to the Localist booth. Needless to say, this action skyrocketed the tensions between both the police and the protesters. The police first moved the barricades out, then moved them back, then out, then back again, but there were just too many confused people in the way. Finally the police dragged the barriers a further twenty metres down the road and made a new corral.
This was when the first scuffle broke out between a police officer and a protester. As in every incident like this, almost everyone has no clue as to why the police have suddenly targeted just one person. The crowd closed ranks and the person was able to scurry away without being detained. Interestingly, and this would set the tone for the rest of the night, the police officer involved in the melee ran nearly a hundred metres down the road after the intended target . At which point the crowd demanded to know why the person was being detained, as is his lawful right, but the police could not answer. They then hogtied the man and violently barged him through the crowd to take him to a waiting van.
I have no problem with this slightly aggressive police, arrest procedure, if the man is found to have committed a serious crime, but bear in mind the enormous effort the police had invested in detaining this single person, and then how hands off they became once things got really serious and laws were blatantly being broken.
This first arrest then went on to lead to the first pepper spraying of the night. This occurred when the police, erroneously stated that their vehicle was surrounded and so needed to use pepper spray to push back the crowds. The reality was that the vehicle was behind a barrier, on Nathan Road with free access to leave at anytime. Protesters were on one side only, standing on the footpath, behind the barrier. There was no reason to indiscriminately pepper spray those on the footpath.
While the first pepper spraying of the night was taking place on Nathan Road, it became clear as to why the police had wanted to create their corral. With a police escort that even a president would be proud of, in came a tiny contingent of Pro-Beijing supporters with flags and a loud speaker. A fifty minute slanging match and flag waving contest ensued between the two groups, divided by a very thick, blue line of police. In this regard, I thoroughly support the idea that the police are there to protect free speech for everyone but once again, we have to see the police orders in context. For this coming July 1st march, booth licenses have been refused on the grounds of security, yet, the police mobilised an entire army to ensure that two Pro-Beijing supporters could stand on a stepladder and shout profanities at an already agitated crowd. The police action was tantamount to mobilizing hundreds of officers to ensure that Joshua Wong could shout abuse at five hundred CCP stalwarts.
If getting the Bejing loyalists in was impressive, extracting them was a military operation to behold as the police effectively made an impenetrable blue tunnel for them to scurry through. It was epic, superstar treatment fit for a king. Needless to say, the tensions were now off the charts and most importantly, the confidence of the Blue Ribbons in the area was at an all time high, as the police had demonstrated in spectacular fashion who they were supporting, and so the fighting began. Not, pushes and shouting like you see at most protests but full on fist fights and assaults with isolated Localists getting the worst of it by gangs of ageing male Blue Ribbons.
All the serious fighting occurred on Nathan Road. As more Localists began to stream of Sai Yeung Choi Street to help those that had been assaulted they easily cornered the attackers. So what did the police do with the assailants? They released them to the great consternation of the crowd. At this point, let’s remember the first Localist arrested, who was chased 100metres down the road, hog-tied and carried onto the police van by six officers, yet now the police were confronted with victims of assault, with obvious signs of injury and there were multiple people wanting to give statements and the police let them go. No hogtying, no violent police take-downs, no pepper spraying. Those accused of the assaults were given the friendly shoulder tap and released out of sight.
But not out of sight enough!
Protesters had seen the police release them and weren’t going to tolerate it.
At this point, the police could have saved themselves a lot of legwork if they’d have treated the Blue Ribbons like the Localists and bundled them into waiting cells in Mongkok Police Station. Instead, rolling battles ensued as the Localists hunted down the released Blue Ribbon assailants, to demand that they be arrested once again.
Serious scuffles continued all the way to Tong Mi Road, which is practically Sham Shui Po, until once again the assailants were cornered on Palm Street. The police then set up another defensive circle around those accused of assault until a police van arrived to finally take them away. To ensure that the police didn’t release them again, Ray Wong, leader of HK Indigenous, went in a police van too to make a statement, escorted by 8 police men, erstwhile the accused attackers sauntered onto the waiting police van with a gentle shoulder tap from the police.
All in all, the night was a sad example of just how much energy the police will spend on detaining Localists, erstwhile going to great lengths to avoid detaining their own so called supporters. The aunties never featured in the night, not even for a minute. The night was never about dancing. The Localists chose the dancing because they knew it would get a rise in the authorities, and true to form, the HK police showed once again that they are now just a paramilitary force set up to defend the Mainland. They’re happy to let clear assaults pass by in plain sight, so long as those doing the assaulting support the Mainland.
18 years after it closed, and 66 years after it originally opened Lai Yuen is ‘re-imagined’ on the Central Harbourfront this summer. The result is simple uncomplicated fun. The contrast to last winter’s Great European Carnival couldn’t be more profound, that was noise, flashing lights, scream inducing rides… Lai Yuen by contrast is a throw back to a simpler less complicated time where fun and enjoyment was shared and involved participation rather than staring at a screen which provides the entertainment.
There’s a wide range of games, flick your flip flop, parachute man, toss the magnet, feed the elephant and my favourite throw the feather duster. A half dozen rides aimed strictly, apart from the dodgems, at young children and ice-skating.
If there’s a criticism it’s that the food quality is very average and the prices – $15 for a small bottle of water – a bit expensive. There’s also a lack of seating near the food court. Last winters GEC had its food prices and quality just right. But there’s nothing stopping you bring your own beverages, and even with mist sprays on many of the games the Lai Yuen midway is hot when the sun’s beating down.
Games and rides are paid for with tokens, each token is $10. For food and beverage, you need to purchase a (top-upable) stored value card which is valid for the duration of the fair and unused credit up to $300 can be refunded.
Is it any good? Yes, go with a group of friends take a step back in time and enjoy the simple fun of playing, sharing, relaxing and having fun. Does it have the repeat visit attraction of the Great European Carnival maybe not. But it’s different, and enjoyable and a reminder of days gone bye.
Tomás Luis de Victoria’s Requiem is widely regarded as the greatest masterpiece of Renaissance polyphony. Tallis Vocalis will perform this great work in their second concert entitled ‘In Memoriam’, on 28 June 2015 at All Saints’ Cathedral, Hong Kong.
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, the concert brings together music written in the Renaissance period and the present day on the theme of remembering those we have lost. Victoria’s Requiem was written for his patron the Holy Roman Empress Maria. This Spanish work sets itself apart from its English and Italian Renaissance contemporaries by its mystical intensity of expression achieved through the simplest musical means.
The Requiem will be interspersed with four contemporary works: Arvo Pärt’s Da pacem Domine (a tribute to those who died in the 2004 Madrid bombings) and The Woman With the Alabaster Box (which references Jesus’ burial); James MacMillan’s A Child’s Prayer (written after the Dunblane massacre in 1996) and John Tavener’s Song for Athene (a tribute to his friend Athene Hariades).
Christopher Watson, of The Tallis Scholars and Theatre of Voices will conduct the concert.
In Memoriam
Tallis Vocalis Date: 8pm, 28 June, 2015 Venue: All Saints’ Cathedral, 11 Pak Po Street, Mongkok, Hong Kong Tickets: $250, online reservation commences 1 June 2015 More info:
Programme
Victoria: Requiem (Officium Defunctorum 1605)
Pärt: Da pacem Domine
Pärt: The Woman With the Alabaster Box
MacMillan: A Child’s Prayer
Tavener: Song for Athene
War Sum Up is a highly visually alternative opera, merging Japanese manga images projected on stage with classic warrior texts. Fuelled by a mash-up of chamber pop, electronic and new classical music, the piece has been received with great acclaim after its premiere in Riga in 2012.
Conceived by experimental Danish theatre Hotel Pro Forma and performed by Grammy award winners Latvian Radio Choir with a score by British symphonic art-pop ensemble The Irrepressibles and Latvian composer Santa Ratniece, the piece is a pioneering artistic reflection on the brutal, yet fascinating nature of war.
Through a blend of striking light effects, smashing sets and technical innovation, 12 singers appear on stage wearing costumes by fashion designer Henrik Vibskov, to tell a story with three main characters: a soldier who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the spectre of a Warrior killed in battle and a Spy who became a superwoman in order to survive. Playing with light and darkness, the strong visuals are accompanied by a mix of sounds blending in men and machines as metaphors for an endless scourge of the human existence.
War Sum Up looks to push our senses to the limits, while offering it’s audience a chance to reflect on a universal subject, materialized in a visual manner that it hopes will encourage us to look at the world with new eyes.
Conceived by: Hotel Pro Forma
Performed by: Latvian Radio Choir
War Sum Up
Hotel Pro Forma Date: 8pm 27 June, 2015 Venue: Macao Cultural Centre, Grand Auditorium Tickets: MOP$300, $250, $200, $150, $100 More info: In Japanese with Chinese and English surtitles
For China, the Volvo Ocean Race, and all those who thought we couldn’t do it. Dongfeng Race Team secured a place on the podium of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 at their first attempt today in Gothenburg, Sweden – an incredible achievement for Charles Caudrelier and his Chinese backed team.
However this podium finish reaches further than just the realms of the team. It touches the Chinese sponsors Dongfeng Trucks, Aeolus Tyres and the city of Shiyan, who took the risk of financially backing the campaign, for whom sponsorship and sailing were completely new just last year. It is a huge reward for the professional sailors and shore team who embraced the project knowing that it was not labelled a ‘winning’ campaign. And finally, it touches the journalists, family, friends, fans and everyone else who believed in us and supported us on our journey.
Winning comes in many forms, we didn’t take the trophy home but does that mean we didn’t win? Maybe we didn’t win the Volvo Ocean Race but we won our own challenge.
It’s true that this 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race has been epic and unbelievably, after 11 countries, over 41,000 nautical miles, two leg wins, five podium results out of nine, one broken mast and it it all came down to the last few miles. Dongfeng Race Team finished leg 9 in fourth place behind Team Alvimedica, Team Brunel and MAPFRE. The Spanish frustratingly managed to slip in front of Dongfeng a few hundred metres from the line after being covered all the way from The Hague by the Caudrelier-Bidegorry duo. But it was enough for Dongfeng to secure the overall podium place they deserved – Mapfre had to beat Dongfeng by two places to overtake them in the overall standings.
So whilst there was some disappointment on their faces from missing a leg 9 podium after putting so much energy in to these past few days, the overall third place is a great victory for a team for whom a podium finish in Gothenburg was just a distant dream.
“I want to thank Dongfeng and Bruno for giving me this opportunity. A year ago I never would have believed this possible. I have lived the most incredible human story with this team and I am so proud of the progress of the Chinese sailors. Turning Chinese athletes including HongKonger Cheng Ying-kit into professional offshore sailors was challenging but it was worth every second.” – Charles Caudrelier.
In most people’s mind the concept of winning is an absolute. Technically, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing has won this race, and we congratulate them, they were there the favourites, they delivered, and they deserved it. They got first place, they held an unassailable lead coming in to Gothenburg and they will take the trophy home. So what does this tell us? Well, we know they were the ‘race favourites’ and as Charles said “It’s hard to be the race favourites and even harder to maintain that image. They’ve done a great job.”
But for Dongfeng Race Team it has been a different story. Hardly race favourites, from day one this Chinese campaign has faced adversity and sometimes it’s been draining, both physically and emotionally. It’s a given that if we had a dollar for every tear, drop of sweat and laughter over the last nine months, we would be millionaires today.
As a campaign we wanted to reignite offshore sailing in China. We wanted to build a campaign the Chinese people could take ownership of, something they were proud of. We wanted to inspire a new generation of sailors and we had a mission to teach and train young Chinese sailors, take a first step in the right direction to bring offshore sailing to China and if we could, leave a Volvo Ocean Race legacy.
“There is still a long way to go but I know from the reaction back home this project has been great for offshore sailing in China,” says Yang Jiru (Wolf). “I hope it will inspire young Chinese sailors for years to come. Eighteen months of this life with this team has taught me a lot. Besides offshore sailing it has taught me how to deal with situations and emotions I would have never otherwise faced.”
This team defied the odds, and ultimately became a team that could win – if not this time, then in the future…
This time though – Charles Caudrelier, Chen Jin Hao (Horace), Pascal Bidégorry, Yang Jiru (Wolf), Thomas Rouxel, Liu Xue (Black), Eric Peron, Cheng Ying Kit, Yann Riou, Sam Greenfield, Kevin Escoffier, Liu Ming (Leo) and Kong Chencheng – and the whole team – be proud.
Tickets for the two day Asia Olympic Sevens Qualifier on the 7-8 November will go on sale in August priced at $360 for a 2 day pass and $200 for a day pass. The two day tournament will feature the men’s and women’s Rio2016 Asia qualification matches.
The men’s tournament is a 12 team event featuring with the men’s winner claiming Asia’s sole automatic slot amongst the 12 teams participating in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Rugby Sevens will make its much anticipated debut. Competing to be Asia’s representative will be China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Already qualified for the men’s competition are Fiji, New Zealand, South Africa, Great Britain, USA, Argentina and the hosts Brazil. The remaining five places will be awarded to the winners of regional qualifiers in Europe, Oceania, Africa and the Hong Kong tournament for Asia as well as the winner of a 16-team international repêchage tournament to be held later in the year.
The women’s qualifier is an 8 team event, the first part of a two leg qualification process that culminates in Tokyo on 28-29 November 2015. Teams competing in the women’s event are China, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan.
The winner heading to Rio to join New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, Colombia, USA,France andhosts Brazil who have already booked their spots at the 2016 Olympic Games
“The opportunity to participate in an Olympic Games is the ultimate dream for any athlete, and we are totally focused on preparing for the November tournaments,” commented women’s sevens veteran Cheng Ka Chi.
Asia Rugby Sevens Qualifier Date: 7-8 November, 2015 Venue: HK Stadium Tickets: $360 (2-day pass), $200 (1-day pass), under 12 free. More info: Exact details of the ticket buying process have yet to be released
