Thread by @michaelmohk

1/ 3 years since the cross-border terrorist attack in #YuenLong, the #HongKong authorities are still concealing the truth. It's clear that the attack is well-coordinated by those in power behind the scene. If not, school heads in the district won't get the reminder ahead. A 🧵

2/ Max Chung & I felt it was our duty to light up the candle and curse the darkness. Therefore, we launched the Take Back #YuenLong / Liberate YL protest on the July 27. For sure, the police won't let us through by using many technical reasons.

3/ We fought hard at the appeal board we couldn't make it. As the protest has been well-advertised, #HongKongers flock to the satellite town on the day anyway.
Village leaders tried to negotiate w/ us before the day but have been called off as they blocked the protest permit.

4/ On the day of the supposed protest, Max and I have been around the protest route and tried to calm down the confrontations between the village residents and protesters as much as we could. Apparently, those in power don't buy it.

5/ Max was attacked by a group of South Asian mob right outside of the police station after he's been released on bail. One of his fingers suffered permanent damage and requires long rehab. But the retaliation isn't over.

6/ Starting in early 2021, the police went to re-investigate and prosecute protest organisers in 2019 for anything tiny. Both the police and the prosecutors do this for a reason: To lower the threshold of convictions in lower courts through case laws esp. those who pled guilty.

7/ Before 2014, organisers may still be able to get their case heard slightly fairly and be granted court bails. For organisers in 2019, that's not the case. The judge either imposes harsh bail conditions or denies bail at all levels of court.

8/ Lower courts also favour the stance of police and prosecutors as to put everything that happened during the protest as the fault of the protest organisers (incite elements). Even if the organisers did not incite violent acts, organisers are still liable for protesters' acts.

9/ The above stance makes no sense and contravenes the UN's general comments on peaceful assemblies. But you know, the lines can only be tested at the Court of Final Appeal & by then, one has already been thrown to jail by lower courts and completed the sentence.

10/ That's exactly what those in power try to do: Retaliation. As long as organisers have been thrown to jail, they celebrate. Laws and courts have further skewed in their favour thx to the new NSL requirement as judges have to take the oath of allegiance to the regime.

11/ W/ sources told me I have become the regime's next target, I have only 2 choices - To wait to be thrown to jail or to leave #HongKong entirely. Clearly, I chose the latter.
The judicial system has become so corrupted to reverse its course. $ wise & jail term wise.

12/ Also, pro-democracy organisers who are less well-known have been forgotten by the ppl gradually. I'm not talking about treating them like heroic leaders for a lifetime but ppl are afraid of supporting them openly. Fewer people are visiting pro-dem leaders in jail these days.

13/ Not many media would pair the attack on 721 with the cause that Max & I brought to empower #HongKongers. They may see it as another protest held in the #antiELAB movement & may not realise the response was crucial to re-assure HKers & to curse the darkness.

14/ Anyways, Max has completed his sentence for organising this protest. The world has already moved on to other pressing issues. It's down to #HongKongers, both remain in the city and abroad, to decide how they treat those who really paid the real price for the common good./End