[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.
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.
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.
4/ To note that, rioting has long been criticized for its arbitrary and disproportionate sentencing by the UN. Everyone that just appears in the area will be regarded as participating in riots. In the past, medics, reporters & citizens have been charged with the same offence.
5/ At the same time, the police watchdog, IPCC, has just released a report which has zero mention of #policemisconduct during the pro-#Beijing mob attack on citizens and pregnant women in 21 July last year.
6/ Even though HKers had made 24k emergency calls in 3 hours & subway station is just 5mins walk away from the police station, #hkpolice appeared only after attackers left. Caught on camera, #hkpolice spoke with 2 masked mobs holding metal rods & sticks & patted 1on the shoulder.
7/ However, in this 1011-page whitewash report, police watchdog just completely ignored all undeniable facts concerning #policebrutality & claims there is "no evidence of collusion”. In fact, oversea experts had warned of the watchdog’s independence by resigning from the panel.
8/ Clearly, in the absence of effective checks and balances mechanism, #hkgov and #hkpolice are ready to step up its political prosecution and clamp down upon democratic movements with “rioting” charge. Up to now, 8337 #hongkongers were arrested and 595 ppl charged with rioting.
9/ When more people who defend against an evil law fall behind bars, it only reveals the injustice of the system. June 12 of 2019 was the time when #HKers came up with our 5 demands & urged for a more accountable & democratic gov, and an independent probe into police atrocities.
10/ The hardline suppression merely future protests inevitable, especially when #Beijing is now paving the way to disqualify more candidates in the forthcoming legislative elections on the upcoming summer. Also, more kids might be jailed under the sugar-coated legal system......
11/ In recent weeks #HKers have regained momentum & #policebrutality persists, with 13yo student reporter arrested & kid dragged on the ground by #hkpolice. As our autonomy & freedoms are once again in peril, I call upon the world to keep an eye on #HK’s situation & #standwithhk.
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Photo credit to @hkfeature
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