Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #HKProtests

Most recents (24)

[Arrests at #hkprotests hit 10,000 milestone]

1. Since #HongKongProtests last year, 10,000+ HKers were arrested with nearly 400 arrests solely in the past two months. It implies in every 700 #Hongkongers, one has been detained due to protests or #hkpolice’s arbitrary arrests. Image
2. While most are charged w/ rioting & illegal assemblies, the figure clearly indicates freedom of assembly is under assault amid #Beijing’s mounting influence. With the prosecution rate much lower than arrests, it suggests arbitrary arrest is a tactic to scare off protesters.
3. In fact, #policebrutality intensifies, especially with pregnant woman and 12yo girl forcibly tackled to ground, and a #HKer dragged along the ground just because he urged resuming election & demand releasing 12 HK #Asylumseekers now detained in #China’s prison. #save12hkyouth
Read 5 tweets
[In every 700 #Hongkongers, one was arrested because of #HongKongProtests]

1. Since the outbreak of #HKprotests last year, 9672 #HKers have been arrested when they protested against injustice, with 2093 prosecuted.
2. With arrestees from 11yo kid to 84yo elderly, #hkpolice is now staging the biggest political purge across generations in the city, especially at the time when #hkgov attempting to rewrite history, whitewash #policebrutality and censor textbooks.
3. You may wonder what #HKers can still do under draconian #nationalsecuritylaw, arbitrary arrests, unchecked police violence that even targets pregnant women, and also the detentions of 12 asylum seekers in #China, with their fate still unknown for nearly 2 weeks.
Read 4 tweets
[HK asylum seekers could be sent to #China's secret courts]

1. Twelve #HKers, all involved in #hkprotests, were detained by #China’s coast guard today when fleeing to #Taiwan for political asylum. All of them are now detained in #China. Image
2. It reportedly includes Andy Li, who was previously arrested under #nationalsecuritylaw, on the same day when pro-democracy media mogul #Jimmylai was arrested.
3. The news broke out after #hkpolice's recent move to rewrite history and arrest pro-democracy lawmakers, visa denials of foreign correspondents, disqualification of young runners, election cancellation and censorship of textbooks in schools.
Read 6 tweets
[New clampdown on #HK press freedom]

1. While Beijing claims #nationalsecuritylaw won't affect #PressFreedom in #Hongkong, #HK Immigration Dept just denied w/o reason the work visa for a @HongKongFP reporter, who has been closely following #hkprotests

hongkongfp.com/2020/08/27/vis…
2. As the journalist is a non-American national working in a local news outlet, clearly nothing to do with #US-#China tension, it shows an alarming acceleration of #Beijing’s clampdown on the city’s media freedom, soon after the arrest of the pro-democracy media mogul #Jimmylai.
3. With the flow of information further blocked, #China is now effectively decoupling this international financial hub, as well as the major global media centre in the region, by weaponizing its visa system to stifle critical voices.
Read 3 tweets
[Detainee faces indefinite detention & tortures in #HK]

1. A detainee from #India on hunger strike was brutally beaten by officers at Castle Peak Bay Immigration Center (CIC, aka "black prison"), before unwillingly sending to hospital for forced injection, per @appledaily_hk.
2. The victim, Vikramjeet Singh, was severely assaulted in a place not covered by CCTV cameras, with multiple bruises on wrists, arms and legs, as well as broken bones in chest and back. Impatient with Singh’s hunger strike, officers even scolded him, “go to die!”
3. Although #hkpolice claimed they would investigate the case, Singh has not given any copy of statement for more than 4 days since August 18, nor any case number. Worse still, #police prohibited Singh’s friends from taking pictures of his wounds for no reason.
Read 6 tweets
[Staff complaints: @Apple bans staff from wearing colours associated w/ #hkprotests]

1. I've received complaints by @Apple store staff in #HK who blasted the company for conducting political censorship by banning them from wearing yellow masks or those printed with "HongKong".
2. 2. Also, @Apple allegedly imposed restrictive guidelines, requiring workers not to wear yellow or black in their memoji which will be displayed on their lanyards. Managers even threatened employees with the sack if they refused to change their memoji.
3. If it is really the case, it will be unbelievably scandalous if tech giants like @Apple help #Beijing to impose Chinese-style censorship at the workplace and suppress the city's vanishing freedoms of expression.
Read 5 tweets
[#HKers calling on #Cellebrite to halt selling phone hacking technologies to #Belarus] #standwithbelarus

1/ Phone hacking tech is one of the weapons abused by authoritarian regimes to stamp out dissidents, in particular, crackdowns on leaderless movements in both Belarus and HK.
2/ Solely in #Hongkong, throughout #hkprotests last year, #hkpolice has been using Cellebrite's hacking technology to crack at least 4000 #Hkprotesters’ phones without consent, with our private conversation used by authoritarian regimes for political purges.
3/ Recently, a group of Israeli human rights lawyers have found that the investigation units of dictatorship in #Belarus have been using Cellebrite's forensic system, #UFED Touch, to break the defence systems in smartphones.
Read 8 tweets
#NOW at Pacific Place in Admiralty, security guards of the mall put on notice asking people not to shout, display banners or flags and not to obstruct passage but the growing crowd on the footbridge responded with loud chanting of slogans.
Oral warning from police of sweep and arrests if people continue to join the “unauthorised assembly” outside the Pacific Place mall.
One year ago young man Leung Ling-kit fell from the mall after hanging some protest banners. People gather today to mourn anniversary of his death
This man in yellow raincoat was just released after police search. He showed a paper with the words 永垂不朽 (to be remembered forever).
Read 34 tweets
It was just 6.30pm and at least one man had been arrested in Chater Garden, where netizens called on people to gathering after work and march on Chater Rd and Queen's Rd C. to remark the anniversary of #HKProtests. Image
Cordon line is set up in Chater Park, in which a woman in black outfit is under search. Police media liaison team asked reporters to wear press badge and put on hi-vis vests so the force could differentiate them from others. Image
6.35pm, blue flag warning of unlawful assembly is up in Chater Garden. Image
Read 19 tweets
#CarrieLam’s weekly presser coincidentally on #HKProtests anniversary. What would Hong Kong people want to ask her? Image
Message from #CarrieLam Image
#thread on June 18, 2019, in the same room she gave her weekly press conference this morning, #CarrieLam offered her “most sincere apology” to HK people for causing “controversies, disputes and anxieties” in the society with the #extraditionbill. One year on, she said...
Read 8 tweets
#thread this Ming Pao front page story is one of the must-read for #HKProtests anniversary - a riot police Lee and a frontline protester Chan chatted on phone.
Their sole agreement was that the gov is still evading from handling the key problems.

news.mingpao.com/pns/%e8%a6%81%…
On use of force
Chan said protesters could only use bricks and petrol bombs for self-defense, which could never compare with the police weapons.
Lee said bricks and petrol bombs were more harming than protesters imagined and urged Chan to rethink.
On liability
Chan said police has been abusing their power and seem under no supervision at all.
Lee disagreed but admitted that head shots and more force after arrest are not acceptable. Lee said individual officers might lose control under fear in face of unprecedented clashes.
Read 8 tweets
FEATURE: I couldn't fly to Hong Kong so I spent days talking with people on the ground there. This is why so many feel like they've been through a time warp where they're now in the year 2047. thestar.com/news/canada/20… @TorontoStar #HK #HKProtests
“I expected to be older when 2047 came."

Teenagers in Hong Kong have grown up knowing that in their middle age, the treaty safeguarding their city’s high degree of autonomy would expire in the year 2047.

Suddenly, this could happen at any time. thestar.com/news/canada/20… #HK
I spoke with protesters on the ground in Hong Kong who said the mood there was desperate and defiant after Beijing's surprise passing of a national security law.

Others (in business) said they were relieved China was taking steps to “stabilize” the city.thestar.com/news/canada/20…
Read 24 tweets
@CyberNews_com This proposed legislation may or may not be good for HK’s future; but it is well within the letter and spirit of “One Country, Two Systems”. Some of those in the #HKProtests need a constitutional law and history lesson amongst other things. (1/10)
@CyberNews_com The 1C2S framework was conceived through, and has always rested on, the principle of ‘subsidiarity’, not ‘parity’ as some would like to think. (2/10)
@CyberNews_com From day one, the writ of 1C2S has run *only insofar as it does not conflict with the existing constitution of China*, and the Chinese constitution has always been “senior”. (3/10)
Read 11 tweets
1/ #hkpolicebrutality is one of the key factors fueling #HKProtests since last year. The unchecked & indiscriminate use of excessive forces against innocent citizens, pregnant women, underaged kids, unarmed elderly and even medics & journalists sparked anger & sense of injustice. Image
2/ That's why Police watchdog IPCC is merely a whitewashing & propaganda to justify the future bloody crackdowns on protest. When police violence has becomes the elephant in the room, what #HKGov do is to act like a #MinistryOfTruth to ignore all these widespread atrocities.
3/ Political discontents can only be settled with the courage to admit the deep-rooted problems, instead of denials and coverups. Hence, I welcome Professor @cliffordstott’s decision to work on a genuinely scientific report to shed light on #hkpolicebrutality.
Read 3 tweets
[What the hell is going on in HK?]

1/ After almost a year of #HKprotests, a 22yo lifeguard #Sinkaho, the first person that pleaded guilty to riot charges, is sentenced to 4 yrs behind bars today, even though he just threw umbrella & helmet during #antiELAB on June 12 last year. Image
2/ On the contrary, the pro-#China supporter was praised for his noble sentiment & sentenced to shorter periods of imprisonment, after he stabbed innocent reporters & #HKers with cleaver & knife at #Lennonwall, leaving victims broken bones, collapsed lung & post-traumatic stress. Image
3/ This disproportionate sentencing shows that any protest against evil and abusive law is de facto classified as a more severe crime than actual killings in this city under #China’s growing control. Image
Read 12 tweets
1/ Three #hongkongers were slashed by a pro-#Beijing mob with a beef knife, with wounds on her left chest and chin, broken ribs, lungs collapsed with blood, suffering from post-traumatic stress, when handing out leaflets at #lennonwalls last night
2/ But #HK Judge offered sympathy to the assailant, without slamming his cruel move during sentencing yesterday. Instead, he violated his impartiality by spending one-third of the time criticizing #HKprotests & comparing victims that just delivered leaflets as "terrorist army”.
3/ He even praised the assailant as "an involuntary sacrifice and a bloodstained victim hanging by his last breath”, while the victims, the ones truly laying in blood, were slammed as "ruthlessly trampled on his right to work, live and survive.”
Read 4 tweets
Anthony Neoh, chairman of IPCC, said he has been having meetings in the past few days and he is having a sore throat. He said he does not believe it was due to the virus but instead too much talking. He will see his doctor later today. Image
IPCC postponed the publication of its phase one report on complaints against police handling of #HKProtests due to a judicial review of its power, of which hearing will start on 3/24. IPCC is set to publish a full-year report after the ruling is handed down approximately in April
IPCC chair Anthony Neoh said in the belated report will include all the issues IPCC will look into, including 6.9, 6.12, 7.1, 7.21, 8.11, 8.31, San Uk Ling and display of police officer number.
Read 3 tweets
A thread: We are now about a month into the massive social distancing experiment Hong Kong introduced to mitigate impact of #COVID19. I thought I would share some thoughts for other academics about the effects it has had on my life. #AcademicTwitter
As the world prepares for a pandemic, many are asking what they should do to get ready. Yes - buy facemasks, hand rub, and extra food. But academics also need to prepare for the possibility that universities and other schools close for weeks on end.
A month ago, universities in Hong Kong cancelled on-campus classes and meetings and moved all teaching online. Classes are set to resume in 6 weeks, but that may be extended. My kids’ school will be closed for at least 12 weeks in total (!).
Read 12 tweets
This session named Panic Message 驚方信息(playing a Canto homophonic pun with 警方信息 Police Message) from RTHK's revue Headliner on Feb 14 begot a complaint letter from HK Police's PR head Kwok Ka-chuen on Feb 15.
facebook.com/RTHKheadliner/…
In the letter to head of RTHK, or HK's commissioner of broadcast, Kwok expressed "extreme regret" at the session, which he said "smeared" the force, "completely ignored" their efforts in fighting the epidemic, and "deliberately created division among government departments“. Image
Since Headliner does not have English subtitles, I will try to transcribe the session of Panic Message in this #thread, which was performed by Wong He, a policeman-turned actor and a vocal critic of HK police in #HKProtests in 2019.
Read 18 tweets
Again, Beijing’s foreign affairs commissioner Xie Feng condemned violent protests as “virus” and warned of it “transforming into the virus of terrorism”. Xie also insisted that the outside world’s understanding of #HKprotests was misled and distorted. Image
Xie Feng said the world now has “black swans across the sky and grey rhinos across the lands”, and urges the international community to oppose “long-arm jurisdiction” and “international sanctions”.
Xie Feng disclosed that he and his colleagues hiked the Victoria Peak on the last day of 2019 and thought of Xi Jinping’s speeches on his way uphill.

Xie said he believed Hong Kong could “turn from great chaos into good governance” 大亂走向大治
Read 3 tweets
#THREAD starts here for #Jan1March in Hong Kong.
Peter (left) said “If you are serious about democracy, the only question for you is in which place you want to live in order to fight for human rights. Hong Kong remains my favourite place because of its unity.” Image
Pepe Squat is here around the fountain in Victoria Park #Jan1March #HKProtests
How many Pepes and Linden Pigs are here in Victoria Park? #Jan1March #hkprotest
Read 62 tweets
#THREAD HK Education Minister said the authority will adopt harsher measures on teachers arrested and complained in protest-related incidents to “correct mistakes”.
Around 80 teachers were arrested in #HKProtests and 123 complaints on teachers were filed to the Buro.
Among the 123 complaints, 74 have completed probe. 44 were found valid. 13/44 have received foloup actions including 7 extortion letters, 5 condemnation letters, 1 warning letter. 31 cases are waiting for or considering teachers’ explanations.
1 government school teacher was suspended for using “inappropriate teaching materials”
2 subsidised school teachers were suspended for speech that has “deviated common values recognised by the society”.
2 teachers left their jobs amid complaints and probes.
Read 10 tweets
People following Xinjiang related issues on Twitter recently may have seen a few tweets like this. On a hunch that Emma Stone might not be re-tweeting the Global Times’ denial of the repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, @tomatospy and I took a closer look.
We found that the accounts obsessively sharing the Global Times article were part of what appears to be a massive spambot network in the making. We identified 375+ related accounts, many of which use the photos of random celebrities.
All of the accounts were created in 2019, but it's not clear who by or for what purpose. Only a relatively small proportion have tweeted on issues relating to China or Xinjiang. Many have barely been used other than what looks like a test tweet - 'Hello [own name]'
Read 9 tweets

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