Speech by Johnson Yeung Ching Yin (ex convenor of Civil Human Rights Front) after his release on bail on 30th July 2019 evening:
There are many protestors here, some 40 of them have been held inside the Kwai Chung Police Station, and for many the 48-hour limit has passed.
I am one of the protestors arrested on 28th July. My name is Johnson Yeung. I was arrested in Central District at around 11pm that night. We were very cooperative at that time and we followed instructions given by the police. Policemen dragged me behind their shields regardless and subdued me with their fists. This is a complete abuse of police power!
“Being born in Hong Kong gives us the responsibility to make this a better place.”
My mobile phone was confiscated by the Police after the arrest. When they confiscated my mobile phone, I have told them the mobile phone must be put in a sealed evidence bag. However, they did not do so. After urging them several times, they still did not do so. They did not do so even after our arrival at the police station. Worse still, a police officer flashed a torchlight into my eyes when I was on my way to see the officer on duty. Another police officer even threatened me by saying “If you continue to be noisy you will be put inside the air-conditioned room”. They tried to use cruel treatment to threaten protestors who stood by their own rights.
The 40 more of us sat inside a car park that was as hot as a steamer for 24 hours. Some protestors may have sat there for even longer without rest. All we could do was sit. Some people were on the verge of getting a heat stroke. It is very clear to everyone whether this is normal practice or an abuse of power: The police was obviously trying to punish the protesters.
While the Police claimed that I was arrested for obstructing police officers, after detaining me for almost 24 hours, they obtained a search warrant from a Magistrate for the offence of unlawful assembly at midnight. They chose to bring me to my household in the middle of the night to disturb my family.
“The government is still sacrificing teenagers’ blood and freedom for their own dignity, power and benefit! We despise these! We want freedom! All we are asking for is freedom! We ask for autonomy! There are no rioters! There’s only tyranny!”
The above are tactics that the police are using: Illegal, inappropriate ways to discourage the people of Hong Kong from coming out to protest. All these convey one message: If you come out to protest, expect a deprivation of basic rights. Expect nuisance. Expect terror and restlessness for your family.
I do not reckon the above as what the Police should be doing. However, these actions are exactly what they have been doing to abuse and exert their power. These actions are also reasons why we have been pushing for the involvement of an independent investigative committee in reviewing the Police’s abuse of power.
Next, I would like to talk about this charge of “rioting”. There are some 40 people inside, and over 40 of us are being charged with “rioting”. I might have spent only around 20 hours with them inside this dungeon, but most of them are… (sobbing) they were only ten-odd and twenty-odd years old!
Why should they be prosecuted and threatened with the charge of “rioting”? In 2014 it was like this. In 2016 nothing changed. It is 2019 now and it has been five years! The government is still sacrificing teenagers’ blood and freedom for their own dignity, power and benefit! We despise these! We want freedom! All we are asking for is freedom! We ask for autonomy! There are no rioters! There’s only tyranny!
There are no rioters! There’s only tyranny!
I had a short conversation with several arrested protestors. In fact, they are really just… They are just teenagers that desperately hoped for a better Hong Kong. Some of them have considered migration and starting a new life in a different country, but ultimately they said: “Being born into Hong Kong gives us the responsibility to make this a better place.” Even if they have the right and the chance to immigrate, they still want to fight for freedom here in Hong Kong in hopes of making their homeland a place where people could truly live in peace. They are really not rioters. They are just a group of idealistic teenagers. I urge everyone to continue to support them.
