Tiananmen Square Vigil @ Victoria Park – 4 June, 2017

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Tens of thousands of HongKongers gathered to remember those who died as China’s communist leaders turned their guns on their own unarmed people.

Tiananmen was 28 years ago, but the CCP continues to use violence to suppress freedom of speech, sexual equality and especially against those who speak out on corruption, incompetence, nepotism and party members self-enrichment.

While news of few of these violent put downs makes it past China’s draconian censors, we only need to see what has happened here in Hong Kong to know it’s far worse north of the border.

Here publishers disappear, kidnapped from our streets while the police do nothing. A police force that used to be respected and trusted by all. But now a force that cannot ‘see’ a pro-Beijing supporter beat someone up even when it happens infront of their eyes and is recorded on multiple cameras – yet thinks a woman’s breast is a weapon…

Sadly China is infesting Hong Kong with it’s corruption, bribery, censorship… anything that helps China’s leaders and their sycophants to make more money.

If China is so wonderful why do so many people there, especially the very rich CCP leaders, want to take their personal money out of the country and stash it in countries they claim to despise?

We cannot keep silent! We want to keep our city corruption free. Retain freedom of expression, the press, religion, sexuality, an impartial judiciary…as enshrined in the Basic Law.

If you prefer China’s vision of life, everyone working to enrich the chosen and connected few. Feel free to move North.

China gave us the Basic Law, article 25 of which states ‘HongKongers are all equal before the law’. Some though are more ‘equal’ than others and we’ve seen our government buy the tools and guns to suppress the views of those who disagree with China’s view of ‘equality’…

Who will hold a vigil for us?

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Editorial: Court of Appeal Reject Oath Appeal

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Today the Court of Appeal rejected the appeal of Yau Wai Ching, Sixtus Leung Chung Hang, and The President of The Legislative Council over their oath taking disqualification. The reasons are steeped in legalise but essentially amount to the fact that Legco and the HK courts are subservient to the Basic Law and that China can change and amend the Basic Law whenever and however it wants.

And that any amendments are how the law should have been read since it came into being on the 1 July, 1997. Thus if China ‘interprets’ the Basic Law and says that, for example, the HK Bauhinia flag is green, even though we can all see its red. Then the flag is green! And anyone who says otherwise can and will be sent to jail even if they said the flag was red in 1998 years before the new interpretation existed.

Given the judge’s very precise interpretation and reliance on the new wording of Article 104 then strictly speaking since 689 omitted the words Hong Kong from his oath then he should be also be removed from office (and have to hand back all the money given to him as he threw the vast majority of HongKongers under the bus). It won’t happen of course, there’s one rule for the entitled, rich and connected and another for everyone else.

The question is will the Court of Final Appeal (CoFA) stand up for the people of Hong Kong, who it must be pointed out freely chose and elected Yau Wai Ching and Sixtus Leung Chung Hang to represent them, and affirm that the laws of Hong Kong are worth the paper they are written on or do we live in the dictatorship that exists north of the border where ‘the law’ changes according to the daily whim and benefit of the Chinese Communist Party.

It’s unlikely as it would mean the CoFA having to make a ruling on the Basic Law and having to decide whether China can amend (and make no mistake this ‘interpretation’ is an amendment) and make the amendment retrospective (as the Court ruled regarding ‘interpretations’ in 1999), whenever they want. Much as I respect the members of the CoFA I doubt they are willing to do that.

As I’ve said before, for those HongKongers who love China so much, you’re free to move there. Just remember that anyone who gets rich in China moves their money out of China as quickly as possible, chooses to educate their children in England, USA or Hong Kong and goes to medical clinics overseas whenever they can. If the China the CCP supporting Chinese have created is so wonderful, why are they so keen to leave?

Raise the Umbrellas – Fundraising Screening

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Evans Chan‘s documentary Raise the Umbrellas explores the origin and impact of Hong Kong’s 2014 Umbrella Movement through the inter-generational lenses of three post-Tiananmen democratic activists – Martin Lee, founder of the Hong Kong Democratic party; Benny Tai, Occupy Central initiator; and Joshua Wong, the sprightly student leader.

Alongside voices from unknown “umbrella mothers,” student occupiers (Yvonne Leung and Vivian Yip), star politicians (Emily Lau, and “Long Hair” Leung Kwok Hung, as well as the pro-Beijing heavyweight Jasper Tsang), prominent media professionals (Jimmy Lai, Cheong Ching, Philip Bowring), international scholars (Andrew Nathan, Arif Dirlik and Hung Ho-fung), and activist Canton-pop icons Denise Ho and Anthony Wong.

Driven by on-site footage of a major Asian metropolis riven by peaceful protest, Umbrellas reveals the Movement’s eco-awareness, gay activism, burgeoning localism and the sheer political risk for post-colonial Hong Kong’s universal-suffragist striving to define its autonomy within China.

There will be a post screening discussion: panelists will include Dr. Au Yeung Shing, Eric Ng Man Kei, Au Lung Yu, Dr. Lau Siu Lai

Raise the Umbrellas – Fundraising Screening
When:
 7:30pm, 4 December, 2016
Where: HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, Multi-media Theatre
How much: $1,200, $600, $300
More info: 
Tel: 2891 8482, 2891 8488, 9800 7169
Fax 2891 8483
Cheque payable to “Centre for Community Cultural Development Ltd”or bank-in slip (Bank of China: 012-694-10049720). Tickets are also available at CCCD, L205-208 JCCAC, 30 Pak Tin Street

Yellowing

yellowing-october-2016The Umbrella Movement happened over two years ago when tens of thousands took to the streets of Hong Kong in a fight for democracy. Yellowing is a documentary that sheds light on the nameless, ordinary young people whose massed peaceful protest stunned the world.

The film is composed of 20 memorandums, each recording a different aspect of the movement, more of daily chores, that in the most realistic respect, made this seemingly unrealistic defiance possible. Where there is discord, may we bring harmony; and where there is despair, may we bring hope.
Director: Chan Tze Woon

Yellowing
Director: Chan Tze Woon
When: 15, 22, 29 October, 2016
Where:
HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, Multi-Media Theatre
Tickets: $70 from Urbtix
More info:
In Cantonese with Chinese & English subtitles

5:58 – 28 September, 2nd Anniversary

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5:58 when para-military police in green army style fatigues and armed with shotguns and semi-automatic rifles advanced on thousands of peaceful HongKongers and without warning opened fire with tear gas and started pointing rifles at those advocating democracy.

5:58 when HongKongers respect and faith in the police disappeared.

5:58 when Beijing exposed the reality behind the facade of one country two systems.

87 canisters, a gift from 689 to those who wish to stop him destroying the city and people he’s supposed to lead.

87 a blunt statement that nepotism, cronyism and corruption are the way of the future and free speech and democracy a thing of the past

Two years have passed, but none forget. We’ll be back!

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Post Sentencing Rally @ Eastern Magistrates Court – 15 August, 2016

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Hong Kong student activists following their sentencing at the Eastern Magistrates Court in Sai Wan Ho on Hong Kong Island. Joshua Wong is sentenced to 80 hours community service, after he joined others in entering Civic Square in September 2014 as part of the pro-democracy Occupy protests – the fore-runner to the mass Umbrella Movement protest.
Photos: Jayne Russell

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Hong Kong Independence Rally @ Tamar Park – 5 August, 2016

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Hong Kong’s first rally overtly advocating independence from China was organised by the Hong Kong National Party as a protest following the Electoral Affairs Commission disqualification of several politicians on the basis of their policies. Democracy in Hong Kong is under serious threat as those candidates not prepared to toe the Beijing party line find the September election of Legislative Council members will go ahead without them as they have been excluded by the EAC from the ballot.
Click on any photo for more images of the rally
Photos: Jayne Russell

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1 July Protest March, 2016

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The streets of Hong Kong were thronged with tens of thousands of protestors and protest groups as the annual 1 July protest march peacefully and bluntly displayed people’s anger at CY Leung and his incompetent group of Beijing loving sycophants.

That so many groups with such wide ranging causes can find common cause and anger at 689’s incompetence, greed and destruction of Hong Hong explains why Beijing is cracking down so hard on freedom of the press.

One of Hong Kong’s ‘disappeared’ bookseller Lam Wing-Kee was supposed to lead the march, but pulled out at the last minute over the personal safety fears for him and his family.

A heavy presence of fully armed, pepper spray carrying and gloved up police looked to make the day as irritating as possible for marchers, groups and the general public.
Click on any photo for the full gallery

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