Category: news

Laurel Chor Honoured by IWMF

Congratulations to Hong Kong women’s rugby international Laurel Chor who was named an honoree in the 2020 Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award.

Chor has been given an honourable mention in the International Women’s Media Foundation’s (IWMF)awards for her coverage of the Hong Kong protests and showing the region’s struggle for democracy, freedom and human rights.

The award was created to celebrate the courageous work of female photojournalists. Learn more about this year’s awardees on website.

image: hkrugby

+ 1, Lest We Forget

Thousands of Hongkongers queued peacefully for hours in Admiralty on the first anniversary of Marco Leung Ling-kit death during the antiELAB protests wearing a yellow raincoat bearing the Chinese words “Carrie Lam kills Hong Kong; the police are cold-blooded”.

The solemn memorial for the first person killed, on the 15 June 2019, during the antiELAB demonstrations saw people lay flowers offer prayers and numerous renditions of Glory to Hong Kong.

After six hours of peaceful remembrance as the last of the massive line of mourners laid their flowers the police, needing to intimidate rather than police, marched up in riot gear banging shields and shining bright lights.

photos: internet

Joint Statement from the UK, Australia, Canada, and United States on Hong Kong

Joint statement by UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Canadian Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne, and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo responding to China’s proposed new security law for Hong Kong.

Signatories to this statement reiterate our deep concern regarding Beijing’s decision to impose a national security law in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong has flourished as a bastion of freedom. The international community has a significant and long-standing stake in Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability. Direct imposition of national security legislation on Hong Kong by the Beijing authorities, rather than through Hong Kong’s own institutions as provided for under Article 23 of the Basic Law, would curtail the Hong Kong people’s liberties, and in doing so, dramatically erode Hong Kong’s autonomy and the system that made it so prosperous.

China’s decision to impose the new national security law on Hong Kong lies in direct conflict with its international obligations under the principles of the legally-binding, UN-registered Sino-British Joint Declaration. The proposed law would undermine the One Country, Two Systems framework. It also raises the prospect of prosecution in Hong Kong for political crimes, and undermines existing commitments to protect the rights of Hong Kong people – including those set out in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

We are also extremely concerned that this action will exacerbate the existing deep divisions in Hong Kong society; the law does nothing to build mutual understanding and foster reconciliation within Hong Kong.

Rebuilding trust across Hong Kong society by allowing the people of Hong Kong to enjoy the rights and freedoms they were promised can be the only way back from the tensions and unrest that the territory has seen over the last year.

The world’s focus on a global pandemic requires enhanced trust in governments and international cooperation. Beijing’s unprecedented move risks having the opposite effect.

As Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity are jeopardised by the new imposition, we call on the Government of China to work with the Hong Kong SAR Government and the people of Hong Kong to find a mutually acceptable accommodation that will honour China’s international obligations under the UN-filed Sino-British Joint Declaration.

This statement was published on the UK Government website on 28 May, 2020.

Hong Kong Protests – Wanchai – 24 May, 2020

After Beijing’s announcement of the unilateral imposition of a ‘National Security’ law on Hong Kong the first post Wuhan virus protest demonstration occurred, after the police rejected an application for a march, on 24 May, 2020.

Thousands of people walked peacefully from Causeway Bay towards Wanchai to register their protest against Beijing’s actions. The streets resonating to the strains of what has become Hong Kong’s unofficial national anthem Glory to Hong Kong – including a plaintive mouth-organ version.

And as with the marches and demonstrations in 2019, attendees were peaceful – until hundreds of police dressed in riot gear and armed to the teeth with all their new ‘toys’ arrived to create tensions where none existed before.

Looking to annoy and irritate for no reason:
Blocking shoppers from using the escalator to access the bridge from Pacific Place to the Admiralty MTR and forcing people to climb the stairs outside.

30 or so police charging up onto the pedestrian bridge at Wanchai MTR threatening people going to the station, blocking the entrance for five minutes – until the about twenty people trying to use the bridge had descended the stairs to walk to use another entrance/cross the road before they ran off…

Launching rounds of tear gas down Hennessy Road, when the road was empty…

Intimidating reporters through stop and search, spraying them with pepper spray.

Apparently a couple of ‘protester’s broke the windows of a store in Causeway Bay – but there are so many plainclothes police deployed now, who have (sadly) been seen caught and charged with initiating violence and criminal damage, that it’s impossible to describe them as anything other than persons dressed in black until further information, is known.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2020/Hong-Kong-Protests-Wanchai-24-May-2020/i-DmRRvXw

What was caught on video (credit @WilliamYang120) was a policeman in riot uniform walking into a convenience store and stealing a bottle of water. Why hasn’t he been arrested and charged? If it was a member of the public, they would have been. After the video emerged on twitter, police (media liaison officers?) went to the shop to pay for the water.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2020/Hong-Kong-Protests-Wanchai-24-May-2020/i-rdCT8RF

Under Beijing’s new law, likely you would not be able to read this article. The press would not be allowed to take photos and videos of the many acts of violence the police have perpetrated on HongKongers over the last year.

If the police have nothing to hide why do they actively try to stop the media from recording arrests and enforcement actions?

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2020/Hong-Kong-Protests-Wanchai-24-May-2020/i-jSF7Kkh

More images here

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2020/Hong-Kong-Protests-Wanchai-24-May-2020/i-krVQsm4/A

RIP Mark Andrew Rendell

Tragically Mark Andrew Rendell died recently of a suspected heart attack.

Mark worked many jobs while living in Hong Kong for almost 30 years. For the last few he managed a Wanchai bar, creating a vibe that attracted a wide and eclectic mix of customers who happily made it their local.

bc offers our condolences to his family. RIP my friend.

Entry Restrictions on Non-Hong Kong Residents Extended

The Hong Kong government today (6 April, 2020) extended, until further notice, the entry restrictions on non-Hong Kong residents arriving by plane.

All transit at Hong Kong International Airport will continue to be suspended until further notice.

The entry restrictions, which came into effect on the 25 March 2020, were announced by the Government on 23  March with the aim of reducing imported cases of the Wuhan virus know as COVID-19:

• All non-Hong Kong residents coming from overseas countries and regions by plane will be denied entry to Hong Kong;
• Non-Hong Kong residents coming from the Mainland, Macao and Taiwan will be denied entry to Hong Kong if they have been to any overseas countries and regions in the past 14 days;
• All transit services at Hong Kong International Airport will be suspended;
• All travellers coming from Macao and Taiwan, including Hong Kong and non-Hong Kong residents, will be subject to a 14-day compulsory quarantine, which is the same as the arrangements for people entering Hong Kong from the Mainland.

The entry restriction and suspension of transit services at the airport were at the time to be implemented tentatively for 14 days, ending on 7 April, 2020.

Exemptions to the above restrictions include:

• Crew members of aircraft who need to commute to and from foreign places in performance of necessary duties or crew members of goods vessels;
• Government officials carrying out government duties including personnel of consular posts;
• Personnel engaged in anti-epidemic work endorsed by the HKSAR Government;
• Spouses and minor children of Hong Kong residents.

All entrants to Hong Kong must complete 14-days compulsory quarantine on arrival.

Read the government press release https://t.co/WW8NKVLBqB?amp=1

More information can be found on the government’s dedicated website www.coronavirus.gov.hk

Red Outbound Travel Alert for Europe

The Hong Kong government today issued a Red Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for 26 European countries. The alert warns against all non-essential travel to countries in the Shengen area, the part of Europe covered by an open-border travel arrangement.

“In view of the health risks arising from the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Europe, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (March 13) issued the Red Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) on certain European countries (Schengen Area), including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Principality of Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Republic of Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.”

The Red OTA urges members of the public planning to travel to the aforementioned countries to adjust travel plans and avoid non-essential travel.

After returning to Hong Kong travelers should consult a doctor promptly if experiencing a fever or other COVID-19 symptoms, and wear a surgical mask until 14 days after returning to Hong Kong.

More information can be found on the government’s dedicated website www.coronavirus.gov.hk

Where to Access Coronavirus News Without a Paywall

When it comes to coronavirus news / COVID-19, there is a mass of misinformation and charlatans looking to profit from the suffering of others.

Many of the media sources you might trust are behind paywalls – journalism after all costs money – with limited free articles.

However because of the seriousness and global nature of the pandemic many news outlets have made their COVID-19 news free to access. Here is list of major outlets with free updates and articles:

The New York Times is offering its COVID-19 coverage for free.

The Washington Post has a free email newsletter for coronavirus-related news. All articles linked in the newsletter are free.

The Los Angeles Times coronavirus liveblog is available for free.

The Wall Street Journal has created a free section for coronavirus articles.

The Atlantic is offering all coronavirus-related articles for free.

The Star is labeling free articles related to the coronavirus with a red “free digital access” label.

The Guardian has no paywall.

BBC has no paywall

Associated Press

STAT, which covers health and medicine, is offering its coronavirus coverage for free.