#BREAKING A few changes - including some alarming ones - in the latest print of #NSL Reader Beijing gifted all HK teachers and schools to read. The book’s leading author is Wang Zhenmin, ex legal affairs chief of the Liaison Office.
1. Most alarming one - in the section about cases in HK’s jurisdiction, 1st print said other regulations in HK’s existing laws concerning national security “of course shall be followed” but the line is gone in 2nd print ...
(L: 1st print; R: 2nd print)
...instead 2nd print listed 3 ordinances in HK laws deemed “concerning national security offences” including the Crimes Ordinance, the Official Secrets Ordinance and the Societies Ordinance, and said if they contradict with #NSL, #NSL shall prevail.
(L: 1st print; R: 2nd print)
2. Second most alarming change - in the section about legal procedures should a case falls in mainland’s jurisdiction, 1st print included a par about regulations on officials-in-charge and law enforcers’ misconducts - it’s now gone.
(L: 1st print; R: 2nd print)
3. New judgement added - in the section about bail application in #NSL case, the new print included HK Court of Final Appeal’s ruling on #JimmyLai and emphasised that the no-bail-except article in #NSL does not violate presumption of innocence.
(L: 1st print; R: 2nd print)
4. Last but not least - the line in 1st print acknowledging that China’s #NSL passed in 2015 is not included in Annex III of Basic Law (meaning it can’t be enforced directly in HK) is removed in the 2nd print.
#BREAKING HK top court ruled in favour of journalist @Baochoy’s appeal , quashing all her conviction and fines as the court found “there was no reason that bona fide investigative journalism … should be excluded from the phrase ‘other traffic and transport related purpose’.”
Choy was found guilty of “making false statement” 2 years ago for choosing the purpose of “other traffic and transport related matters” on the application form for car owner info from public registries controlled by the Transport Dept.
Choy’s search was for her award winning investigative report on #721YuenLongAttack in 2019. The application form then provided only 3 purposes for applicants after an amendment to remove the open-ended “other:” column in Oct 2019.
Tsui Hon-Kwong, veteran member of disbanded #HongKongAlliance - the group who hosted candlelight vigil for #June4 for three decades in HK, was taken away by police. He kept upholding his candle for #TiananmenMothers until police shut the door.
A man whose phone torch was on was taken away by police after a search. An officer snatched his phone as a group of officers escorted him into the search zone.
At a point people were lined up to wait for police search.
#BREAKING League of Social Democrats leader #ChanPoying was taken away minutes after she showed up with a small candle for #TiananmenMothers and two yellow flowers. She resisted and tried to uphold what she had in hands.
Heard LSD’s Chan Po-Ying said “why must police station? I don’t mind here.” before police bundled her into a police car.
Truck driver turned activist To Chi-kuen was taken away by police. He apparently carried nothing with him except wearing a tee that says “I don’t want to remember but I dare not to forget”.
#JUSTNOW This woman was taken away by police after a search. Not immediately clear what triggered the search. She upheld a small card with the Chinese characters “conscience” during the search. She wore a yellow mask, a black tee, a yellow skirt, and yellow socks with “Hong Kong”
“Going to a police station. Going to Wan Chai Police Station,” the woman shouted as police bundled her away.
A woman surnamed Cheung and in all black outfit was searched and let go by police. She told reporters police didn’t specify what made her suspicious and only checked her ID and bag. She took the search rather easy, “everyone knows what day is it today.”
#thread
On the protest-annulled Labour Day in HK, leftist party League of Social Democrats and the Women Workers Association would have small group petitions separately outside the government HQs to advocate for labour rights.
Before the 1st group LSD arrived , some 20-30 officers were seen deployed nearby with at least two holding a video camera to record the petition.
When Chan Po-ying, chairwoman of LSD arrived, an acting sergeant from the central police precinct read out an 8-point “reminder” to her. The points will be laid out in English translation from the next tweet.