A boarding pass for this weekends information event at Chep Lap Kok. Where protestors will inform and welcome arrivals to Hong Kong about what’s going on and that the city is still among the safest in the world.
Tag: police violence
Protestor Johnson Yeung Speaks About His Arrest
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.
Tiananmen Square Vigil @ Victoria Park – 4 June, 2017
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/4-June-tiananmen-square-vigil-Victoria-Park/i-QF48W8w
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?
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/4-June-tiananmen-square-vigil-Victoria-Park/i-LB5dNsx
https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/4-June-tiananmen-square-vigil-Victoria-Park/i-g9CV32H/A
Farcical Miscarriage of Justice
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
Translation: Real Hong Kong News
Panda by Sadhu-X
#Occupy: an expression of global conscience is an exhibition at the City Museum Kathmandu that seeks to acknowledge the art and creativity that is inspired by the spirit behind occupy.
An expression for social justice that grows into a social movement, largely with the use of social media: this is what has defined a generation’s efforts to stand up for what they believe is right, it is what has inspired thoughtful and provocative art and literature, and it is what has helped destroy the notion of staying silent, and being ignored when speaking up. If “we” see something, we say something. If “we” feel something, we do something. If those in position of delivering social justice turn a deaf ear, “we occupy.”
#Occupy resonates and is an ode to a generation looking for itself, and eager to “do something.” It is a generation occupied with liking, double tapping ♥, showing up, being seen, obsessing about everything, obsessing about self, a generation occupied with wanting to do something, to mean something.
Among the many exhibits is Panda by Sadhu-X one of two pieces commissioned by Kashish Das Shrestha the curator of “#Occupy: an expression of global conscience” who says this about Panda.
“When the International New York Times published an image by Vincent Yu (Associated Press) of Hong Kong police dragging a protestor away, I spoke with Aditya Aryal (Sadhu-X) on using that image to make a larger point about accountable systems. I also wondered if we could play with the dynamics of Banksy’s iconic protestor with flowers. So I urged Aditya to replace the protestor from Vincent Yu’s photo with something else, as Banksy replaced a Molotov cocktail with flowers. After a day, Aditya proposed a teddy bear. We eventually settled on a Panda.
In early December 2014, as the #OccupyHongKong protest was in its last throes, China extended its ‘Panda Diplomacy’ to Israel, offering to loan its zoo in Haifa two pandas. China has often used pandas as a way to extend its diplomatic relations with the receiving country. However, China’s relationship with the global ecology and wildlife is far from being diplomatic.
In November 2014, China’s top leaders were implicated in a massive illegal haul of ivory using the President’s jet. The news was based on the report ‘Vanishing Point: Criminality, Corruption and the Devastation of Tanzania’s Elephants’ published by Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). In it, China is repeatedly declared the global leader in enabling illegal wildlife trade. In July, EIA also reported on how China’s illegal timber trade is the leading cause for loss of forest in Mozambique. And days after the Panda diplomacy made news, EIA also reported how captive-bred tiger trade in China is posing an “enforcement nightmare” and “stimulates illegal trade.”
Political unaccountability has many serious repercussions for a society, and a global ecological crisis is as serious as any. In this piece, we have tried to express both these issues, while paying homage to an iconic street art.”
Your Rights v Police Powers
The increasing suppression of freedom of speech, the blocking of the press by the police to prevent their actions being recorded, scrutinised and exposed when illegal is fast turning Hong Kong into a police state.
There has been nothing public from the ineffectual buffoons in Legco to instruct the police to act in this manner. So one can only assume the harassment is on the instructions of Cy Leung and his Beijing puppet masters.
With this random stop, search, arrest, assault – it’s important that you know your rights and what the police are legally allowed to do. Not that, as we have seen, the police obey the law.
It’s called the Hong Kong Civil Liberties Union Protestors Rights Handbook – but it’s worth reading by anyone as it offers a good simple explanation of your basic legal rights when dealing with the police. Download a pdf copy here
The police have extensive powers, the two most relevant sections of the Police Force Ordinance are Chapter 232, section 54 entitled ‘The Power to stop, detain and search’ and Chapter 232 section 50 entitled ‘Arrest, detention and bail of suspected persons and seizure of suspected property’.
Several tweets have quoted police officers in Mong Kok as saying that if they see the same id card in their random stop and search harassments – then that person will be arrested.
The attraction of Mong Kok is wandering the streets full of wonderful street food and restaurants while trying to decide what’s to eat or buy… if that’s now been deemed illegal then it looks like a slow death for Mong Kok shops by police intimidation of their customers. I love the red bean pancakes and other pastries at the Kee Tsui Cake Shop 奇趣餅家, 135 Fa Yuen Street, but going there to buy them each week I now face the prospect of being arrested.
Or perhaps this is part of the bigger plan by the government, property tycoons and the Urban Renewal Authority to destroy the Mong Kok we love and replace it with more generic shopping malls targeting mainland tourist shoppers.
Umbrella Movement: Police Destruction of Education – 11 December, 2014
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/Umbrella-Movement-11-December/46302237_KWCNMr#!i=3757096969&k=GZP97Mk
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/Umbrella-Movement-11-December/46302237_KWCNMr#!i=3757090673&k=7nbWJbf
The PTU hack down the Umbrella Square study area, a place built with love for the futures of Hong Kong students.
Click on the photos to see more images
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/UM-Study-Area-Clearance/46305965_PrwsHm#!i=3757093955&k=sBjGzt5
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/UM-Study-Area-Clearance/46305965_PrwsHm#!i=3757088501&k=NJbLFfP
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/UM-Study-Area-Clearance/46305965_PrwsHm#!i=3757091414&k=8zzQwpm
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/Umbrella-Movement-11-December/46302237_KWCNMr#!i=3757098023&k=vRn2VwJ
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/Umbrella-Movement-11-December/46302237_KWCNMr#!i=3757097083&k=cChZx6h
Umbrella Movement – 9 December, 2014
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/Umbrella-Movement-9-December/46232250_ZDzLGQ#!i=3750075014&k=XrvtchR
After a very blustery night, the wind has eased, the sun is out and it’s a beautiful morning in Umbrella Square.
Click on any photo to see the full gallery of images
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/Umbrella-Movement-9-December/46232250_ZDzLGQ#!i=3750086898&k=8g3LJDG
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/Umbrella-Movement-9-December/46232250_ZDzLGQ#!i=3750079035&k=xRZrSxh
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/Umbrella-Movement-9-December/46232250_ZDzLGQ#!i=3750086893&k=LGHjnQt
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/Umbrella-Movement-9-December/46232250_ZDzLGQ#!i=3750094554&k=BJwdmm8
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/Umbrella-Movement-9-December/46232250_ZDzLGQ#!i=3750100185&k=NWLqZhT
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/Umbrella-Movement-9-December/46232250_ZDzLGQ#!i=3750101518&k=tDDf3wH
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/Umbrella-Movement-9-December/46232250_ZDzLGQ#!i=3750124952&k=BCWVk2z
http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/Umbrella-Movement-9-December/46232250_ZDzLGQ#!i=3750141374&k=8dF3Vmn