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Police Ramp Up Scare/Intimidation Tactics!

Where are HK Police getting their strategy plans from? Could it be the People's Armed Police and their Tibetan strategy? — Where are HK Police getting their strategy plans from? Could it be the People’s Armed Police and their Tibetan strategy?

The Hong Kong Police really are showing that they come from the Tibet/Xinjiang school of policing now rather than any sensible rational approach. The top brass at HKPF have met and are now sending out what they think is a ‘scary’ message that groups of just three people could be arrested for public disorder offences. Plus, if that doesn’t scare people enough, they’ll bring out the big-bad, anti-terrorist PTU teams again.

YAWN!

This new draconian approach will change nothing in Hong Kong politically other than to highlight more of the contradictions and fractures within society.

The police neither have the ability or the judgement to discern fairly who represents a public order nuisance and who doesn’t. Gangs of violent, Blue Ribbons, will still roam free while the police target people based on the assumption that they oppose the government politically. This will be their only mandate for implementing these new measures or,

Are you a young person, that sympathises with the new wave of political protest in Hong Kong? If yes, proceed to intimidation, arrest and physical violence if required.

Religious festival in Amdo, Tibet. If Andy Tsang and CY get their way, is this what protests in Hong Kong will look like?

This is political persecution at its finest. Young HongKongers are now on the same par as Tibetans or Uighurs within the Great, Chinese Motherland; unable to raise their voice without facing overwhelming intimidation from the security forces.

After all, the police don’t need this new law to stop people from kicking over carts or acting violently. They can arrest people for this type of action whenever they see it. We do have extensive criminal laws and fairly impartial Courts in Hong Kong! But alas, these really don’t function too well when you’re in the business of political persecution.

Instead, just like during Occupy, Andy Tsang is formulating police strategy based on quelling a popular, political message that is in opposition to a malign government. It never works Andy, stop masturbating over all the weapons and gear you think you need and read some real history for once. What kind of path are you walking on when you now choose the same style of policing as Lhasa or Urumqi?

The sad fact is that these types of measures are only ever enacted by the most embattled of illegitimate governments protected by deranged and out of touch police forces in order to scare people off the streets. Or, screw the lid down tighter, allow no form of dissent and let’s carry on as though everything is ok. More popular outrage can only be met with more oppression.

The reality is that Hong Kong has a goon police force that has doubled down on a goon government and the people are not scared any more. The more force the goon government orders, the more powerful Hong Kong people get.

So, bring your draconian laws and your elite PTU, it only makes the people stronger and the government weaker!

As Albert Camus said, “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”

Why the Secrecy?

Obfuscation and non-answers cast doubt on honesty and truthfulness. So why the secrecy? If the opinion poll is accurate and CY Leung is happy enough with it to quote the results and use it to justify his policies… Why won’t the government publish details of poll it says shows majority of public back its universal suffrage proposal?

In Legco Frederick Fung wanted to know why and asked the following questions. He received a written non-reply by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Raymond Tam, in the Legislative Council on March 18:

Question:
It has been reported that on February 28 this year, the Chief Executive (CE) told reporters that the results of a public opinion survey recently commissioned by the Government showed that more than half of Hong Kong people were agreeable to the selection of CE by universal suffrage in 2017 to be implemented in accordance with the Decision made by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on August 31 last year on issues such as the selection of CE of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by universal suffrage. Yet, he did not provide any details of the public opinion survey. Some members of the public have complained to me that the Government has recently disseminated results of public opinion surveys to the media in a selective or incomprehensive manner from time to time, making it difficult for them to judge the credibility of such survey results. They also query that the employment of such a practice by the Government was an attempt to manipulate public opinion. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the details of the aforesaid public opinion survey regarding (i) the organisation commissioned to conduct the survey, (ii) the content of the questionnaire, (iii) the method and form of the survey, (iv) the number of respondents and the response rate, (v) the distribution of age, gender and political attitude of the respondents, (vi) the raw data, and (vii) the analytical results of the survey data;

(2) whether it has assessed the consequences of CE selectively disseminating a particular result of the aforesaid public opinion survey, including whether it has resulted in the credibility of the survey results being questioned and the Government being accused of manipulating public opinion; if it has not assessed, of the reasons for that; and

(3) whether it will consider disclosing concomitantly the relevant details when it disseminates the results of Government-commissioned public opinion surveys in future; if it will not, of the reasons for that?

Reply:
President,
In consultation with the Chief Executive’s Office and the Central Policy Unit (CPU), our reply to the questions raised by Hon Fung is as follows.

The opinion poll which the Chief Executive referred to on February 28 was conducted by a professional agency commissioned by the CPU. The CPU commissions professional research agencies to conduct opinion polls on major social, economic and political issues from time to time. Such polls are for Government’s internal reference only, and relevant details are generally not made public.

link to the official Lego release http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201503/18/P201503170712.htm

Émilie Simon @ Grappa’s Cellar – 8pm, 26 March, 2015

With her unique mix of electronic, pop, and Bjork-like vocals, Émilie Simon has performed at sold-out shows across the world. Now, following on from her sold out show in Hong Kong in 2010, Emilie Simon is back this March.

Surrounded by music from an early age, Émilie Simon won critical plaudits as early as 2003, when she recorded a debut album largely written, composed and produced by herself. The self-titled record, Émilie Simon, won Album of the Year at Victoires de la Musique, France’s most prestigious music award ceremony.

Born in Montpellier in Southern France, Émilie grew up bathed in the Mediterranean sun and immersed in the sound of clarinets and electronic melodies. Wishing to imbue her second album with a more wintry and polar vibe, she began to record sounds that related to coldness.

Coincidentally, in the midst of her search for sounds for the album, she was contacted by film producer Luc Jacquet to compose the original soundtrack for his Oscar award-winning documentary film La Marche de l’empereur (March of the Penguins), concerning the annual migration of emperor penguins.

In 2009, Émilie started writing songs arranged for accompaniment on piano, rather than a computer. “I even forbade myself to go near a computer for a year and a half,” Emilie said, “I wanted to see what I was capable of without my usual comforts around me.” The result was a collection of sounds reflecting Émilie’s impression of New York City — an urban, black and white musical that became her most recent album, The Big Machine. On this album, Émilie’s experimental inclination involved the clever use of traditional Chinese instruments – together with keyboards – as a vestige of her long stay in the heart of Chinatown.

In 2011, the album Franky Night, (dedicated to her late fiancé) won her many more fans in France as most of the tracks were sung in French, as opposed to English. Her latest album, Mue, hit markets in 2014 and includes tracks like Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Games” cover, and other heartfelt songs featuring both English and French lyrics.

Émilie Simon
When:– 8pm, 26 March, 2015
Where: Grappa’s Cellar
Tickets: $420 (inc one drink) from Ticketflap
More info: www.emiliesimon.com

One Direction “On the Road Again Tour 2015” @ AsiaWorld Expo – 18 March, 2015

One Direction are Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan. The band came together at the boot camp stage of The X Factor 2010 and made it all the way to the final before finishing 3^rd. For the last five years the band the been a marketing dream selling millions of banal bland records across the world and making their management company extremely rich. To call the show a concert when the ‘band’ only lip-syncs along to their studio produced tracks should amount to false advertising.

One Direction On the Road AgainTour 2015
When: 8pm, 18 March, 2015
Where: AsiaWorld Expo
Tickets: $3488, $2288, $1888, $1488, $988
More info: buy the DVD it’s alot cheaper

Pub Landlord Al Murray Serves Up at The Sevens

Rugby fans worldwide can follow the adventures of famed publican Al Murray, The Pub Landlord, as he heads to Hong Kong to help mark 40 Years of the Sevens.

One of the UK’s best-loved comedians, Murray is to film a series of videos over the Sevens weekend from a special studio inside the Hong Kong Stadium. Murray’s trademark Pub Landlord persona has made him one of the most successful and recognisable comics in the world featuring as he has in numerous TV and radio sitcoms, chat shows, quiz shows…Murray’s stand-up tours have made him one of the most popular live comedy acts around, while his Pub Landlord, Book of British Common Sense, is a best seller.

https://youtu.be/AnDWNaH6SRc

“Pub Landlord” Helps Hong Kong Rugby Sevens Celebrate 40 Years (https://youtu.be/AnDWNaH6SRc)

“Al Murray’s tremendous international appeal makes him the perfect addition to an overwhelming entertainment line-up at this year’s celebrations of 40 Years of Sevens at the Hong Kong Sevens,” said Robbie McRobbie, General Manager, Rugby Operations and Commercial at the HKRFU. “Al will add even more colour and revelry to what is already one of the most entertaining weekends in world sport,” added McRobbie.

Al’s Sevens videos will appear on Al’s popular social media platforms as well as on the Sevens website www.hksevens.com.

Murray has been in-training for the big event, releasing a preview video, “The Landlord”, which sets the scene for the Sevens and why he’s heading East to the “Hong Kong Sevens… Where the World comes to Play”.

HK Salsa Festival @ Quayside – 14 March, 2015

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/HK-Salsa-Festival-Quayside2015/48003996_TSsbPM#!i=3929617056&k=PbmQ2Hn

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/HK-Salsa-Festival-Quayside2015/48003996_TSsbPM#!i=3929618352&k=5FLKsKd

Dancers from across the region joined The Hong Kong Salsa Festival 2015 to compete, to showcase and to enjoy their shared passion of dancing.
Click on any photo to see the full gallery of images.

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/HK-Salsa-Festival-Quayside2015/48003996_TSsbPM#!i=3929617318&k=6GjLXTq

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/HK-Salsa-Festival-Quayside2015/48003996_TSsbPM#!i=3929619410&k=DJ5B9Fj

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/HK-Salsa-Festival-Quayside2015/48003996_TSsbPM#!i=3929621325&k=7D9h9c6

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/HK-Salsa-Festival-Quayside2015/48003996_TSsbPM#!i=3929621427&k=759wKSC

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/HK-Salsa-Festival-Quayside2015/48003996_TSsbPM#!i=3929622123&k=fJF6pbc

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/HK-Salsa-Festival-Quayside2015/48003996_TSsbPM#!i=3929624609&k=WPHqVSV

We Will Be Back – When?

Definitions:
Peaceful – not involving violence or force
Radical – favouring drastic political, economic, or social reforms
Fanatical – filled with excessive and single-minded zeal.

The big question is, have Hong Kong’s protests become more radical? The simple answer, by looking at a photograph of September 28th is categorically NO.

We can see there is a significant proportion of people who are engaging in what some would describe as radical actions, or, putting pressure on the police to remove the political line they are holding and let the masses assemble outside their government to protest.

Behind them we can see a throng of so called peaceful protesters, or those, that wouldn’t dream of confronting the police, but wish to register their political discontent in a way that is absent of violence or force.

Here, the police line is described as fanatical, or overly excessive and single minded. This is an inarguable description of them. It was overly excessive of them to fire 87 rounds of tear gas and walk upon the streets of Hong Kong with automatic weapons. Their single mindedness to pursue a plan of intimidation without giving much thought to other possible outcomes, shows without doubt their fanaticism.

To this day, nothing much has really changed in the make-up of the groups. some radical protesters have behaved badly, mainly due to lack of leadership. Some police have behaved badly, mainly due to lack of leadership.

The only significant thing that has changed is that the peaceful protesters packed up and went home after the 79day Occupy and have not come back out again on a regular basis.

Why is this?
Maybe it’s for fear of being accused of being a radical or being scared of being abused by the fanaticals. Who can say?

But when the Occupy ended, everyone revelled in the new motto, “We’ll be back.”
Well, when is that?

If you truly want to create change you need to do it regularly, every week. Not every third Tuesday in a month when the moon is blue.

There isn’t going to be another Occupy, the fanaticals are now too violent to let you settle in anyone place ever again. But this doesn’t mean that every weekend you can’t peacefully show your discontent in huge numbers. Being too scared to protest for fear of being accused of being radical didn’t bother anyone on 28th September, so why should it now?

If the police are to be believed, they fired the first canisters of tear gas because of the radical actions on the frontline, the Umbrella Movement, is born from radical action and made powerful by peaceful protests.

The radicals are still out there!
The fanatics are still out there!
Where are peaceful protesters?

Win Hong Kong Sevens Tickets

The world’s greatest social sporting event happens at the end of March every year in our own backyard. Turning 40 this year, the Hong Kong Sevens has transformed rugby on a global level since its inception. The rugby is exhilarating, the atmosphere amazing – come join the fun.

Thanks to the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union, bc magazine has two 3-day tickets to give away to the 40th Anniversary Sevens. Entry is simple, use the entry form below, answer the devilishly hard question: Where does the HK Sevens take place? and follow bc magazine on Facebook and bcmagazinehk on Twitter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Entries close at midnight on the 22 March, 2015. Only the two winners will be contacted. By entering this game of skill, you agree to abide by Terms and Conditions of the competition.