Saturday, August 17, 2019

[HKFP] Who needs the law when Hong Kong authorities no longer follow it?

Hong Kong’s protest movement against the government’s suspended extradition bill is nearing its eleventh week, with no end in sight. Everyone around the world is asking: where do we go from here? Yet, no one seems to be able to provide an answer. This is a dangerous sign, as it indicates the whole situation is drifting out of control.

How did we get here in the first place? The peaceful demonstration with over a million people on June 9 followed by the clashes on June 12 successfully halted the extradition bill, but the government refused to withdraw it completely from the legislative agenda.

After the first instance of police brutality on June 12, when tear gas canisters and rubber bullets were fired at peaceful protesters, two million people marched peacefully again on June 16. They called for the complete withdrawal of the extradition bill, an independent inquiry into police tactics, and the resignation of key officials responsible for the debacle. The government responded with, well, no response.

Subsequent weekly protests became more confrontational and sometimes violent, with both police and protesters escalating their actions. The city has entered a vicious cycle of increasingly agitated frontline protesters, and establishment figures including Chief Executive Carrie Lam have hidden behind the police force, who use tear gas, guns and batons against the very people they were supposed to be protecting.

That was the image projected to the entire free world, as Hong Kong continues to occupy front pages globally.

The movement had the opportunity to take a new direction last Monday, when a mass strike took place across Hong Kong. An estimated 300,000 or more people participated. Most notably one-third of the city’s air traffic controllers took part in the strike, causing hundreds of flights in and out of the Hong Kong airport to be cancelled.

Unfortunately, when night fell, the people of Hong Kong’s attention turned to the numerous confrontations and police station attacks around the city. What happened?

On Monday morning, Lam came out after a long hiatus for a press conference, declaring that all the demands from protesters had been dealt with and that protests were now focused on challenging Beijing’s sovereignty over Hong Kong. She blamed the disruptions of economic activities on the protests and washed her hands clean of responsibility, conveniently forgetting that she got us into this whole mess in the first place.

That was a very shrewd tactic, but grossly selfish and irresponsible. By pitting people against people, while totally ignoring police misconduct and obvious collaboration with triads, she once again successfully provoked further anger and conflict.

On Tuesday, the State Council Information Office held a press conference echoing the same line to take as the Chief Executive, calling for more heavy-handed force against the people as well as mass arrests. Is that going to solve Hong Kong’s problems and bring back peace?

Dictators never change, because they never listen. Yes, the movement has evolved. The protesters and their wide base of supporters no longer simply want to see the complete withdrawal of the extradition bill and the establishment of an independent inquiry, and so on.

They want a real share of political power, the removal of the kind of governance that has plagued Hong Kong since the 1997 Handover to China — one where the government and their pro-establishment cronies ram through unwanted policies by manipulating an undemocratic political system that does not represent the wishes and the choices of the people.

Once again, as Hong Kong people have demanded for decades, we want true democracy. We want to choose our own Chief Executive and legislators without screening and selective disqualifications.

Yes, the movement has evolved. The protesters and their supporters are saying no to Hong Kong’s growing police state. Last week, when a university student was arrested for buying 10 laser pointers in Sham Shui Po, on the comically fabricated charge of possession of assault weapons. It was a perfect example of one of our biggest fears about the extradition bill itself — arbitrary arrests and convictions of citizens over trumped-up charges under an authoritarian government.

Only this time, these fabricated charges were made not by a corrupt mainland authority but by our previously respected Hong Kong police force.

So, the bill may not have been passed but the authority responsible for it is simply abusing its power further. Who needs the law, then?

That is why it is so ludicrous for the Hong Kong and Beijing governments to ignore their own abuses and blame the people. Protesters are not calling for anarchy. They have clearly called for the restoration of the One Country, Two Systems framework. Only dictators twist and abuse that framework by placing their authority over promised autonomy.

So, after two months of protests, the fight for public support has once again taken centre stage. Daily press briefings from the police and the administration are held in order to spin news headlines, especially for the majority of those who are not readers of online forums such as LIHKG, used by anti-extradition law supporters.

Young people have fought back brilliantly with their own periodic press conferences in order to reach a bigger audience too. Comparing these efforts, one can clearly see the distinction between the pure pursuit of freedom and justice by youngsters, and the twisted logic, misinformation and top-down authoritarianism of the authorities.

When, in the middle of last week, the Hong Kong and Macau Office summoned selected heads from the pro-establishment ranks, such as members of the National People’s Congress, to Shenzhen with instructions to toe the line, Beijing repeated the same mistakes they have made since the Handover — that is, selectively listening to only its own selfish cronies and dictating its own views based on the misguided fear and mistrust of Hong Kong’s core values and spirits of freedom, fairness, justice and the rule of law.

If this current movement for change is extinguished, it will come at a great cost to our economy and Hong Kong’s image as an international financial centre. If Beijing continues to put politics above our economic and social wellbeing, even if they get away with it for the time being, freedom and justice will prevail in the long run. Beijing can choose to be on the right, or wrong side, of history. It is their choice. Hong Kong people have spoken.


Published on Hong Kong Free Press, Aug 16 2019

https://hongkongfp.com/2019/08/16/lawmaker-charles-mok-needs-law-hong-kong-authorities-no-longer-follow/

Sunday, August 11, 2019

[RTHK LTHK] As Hong Kong’s freedom movement faces Beijing’s heavy hands

The Hong Kong protests against the extradition bill is entering its tenth week, with no end in sight. Everyone in Hong Kong and around the world is asking, where do we go from here? Yet, no one seems to be able to suggest an answer. That is a dangerous sign, indicating that the whole situation appears to be drifting out of control.

How did we get here? Peaceful demonstration with over a million people on June 9th successfully halted the extradition bill, but the government refused to completely withdraw the bill from the legislative agenda. With the first occurrence of police brutalities on June 12th when tear gas canisters and rubber bullets were fired at peaceful protesters, two million people again marched peacefully on June 16th, calling for the complete withdrawal of the extradition bill, an independent inquiry commission into the police tactics, and the resignation of key officials responsible for the debacle. The government responded with, well, no response. 

Subsequent weekly protests turned more confrontational and even violent, with escalated force from both the police and the protesters. Hong Kong entered into a vicious cycle of a more and more agitated group of frontline protesters against the establishment, including the Chief Executive hiding behind a police force wielding their tear gas, guns and batons against the very people they were supposed to be protecting.

That was the image projected by Hong Kong to the entire free world as we continue to occupy the front pages globally.

Last Monday, the movement had the opportunity to take a new direction, when a mass strike was called all across Hong Kong. An estimated over 300,000 people participated. Most notably one-third of Hong Kong’s air traffic controllers took part in the strike, causing hundreds of flights in and out of the Hong Kong airport to be cancelled. 

Unfortunately, by Monday night, the attention of the people of Hong Kong was already turned toward the numerous outbreaks of confrontations and attacks on police stations around the city. What happened? On Monday morning, Chief Executive Carrie Lam came out after a long hiatus for a press conference, declaring that all the demands by the anti-extradition bill protesters had been dealt with, and that the nature of the protests had changed to be one of challenges toward Beijing’s sovereignty over Hong Kong. She further blamed the disruptions on economic activities in Hong Kong on the protests, washing her own hands clean and promptly forgetting that she got us into this whole mess in the first place. 

That was a very shrewd tactic, but grossly selfish and irresponsible. By pitting people against people, and totally ignoring the police misconducts and triad collaboration that lie in plain sight, she once again successfully provoked more angers and conflicts. 


By Tuesday, the State Council Information Office held a press conference echoing the same line to take as the Chief Executive. By jointly calling for more heavy-handed violence against the people and mass arrests, is that going to solve Hong Kong’s problems, and bring back our peace? 

Dictators never change, because they never listen. Yes, the movement has evolved. The protesters and their even wider base of supporters no longer just want to see the complete withdrawal of the extradition bill and the setting up of an independent inquiry, and so on. They want a real share of political power, the removal of the sort of governance that has plagued Hong Kong since the handover, one of which the the government and their pro-establishment cronies ram through unwanted policies by manipulating an undemocratic political system that does not represent the wishes and the choices of the people. Once again, as Hong Kong people have demanded for decades, we want true democracy. We want to choose our own Chief Executive and legislators without screening and selective disqualifications. 

Yes, the movement has evolved. The protesters and their supporters are saying no to a growing police state being instituted in Hong Kong. Last week, when a university student was arrested for buying ten laser pointers in Shamshuipo, on the comically fabricated charges of possession of assault weapons, it was a perfect demonstration and realization of one of our biggest fears about the extradition bill itself, that charges can be drummed up and arbitrary arrests and convictions can be set up against citizens by an authoritarian government. Only that this time, even worse than we feared months ago, these fabricated arrests and charges were made not by a corrupt mainland authority, but by our previously respected Hong Kong police force itself. 

So, the extradition bill may not have been passed, but the authority compensated for that loss by simply abusing its powers even more. Who needs the law then!

That’s why it is so ludicrous for the Hong Kong and Beijing governments to ignore their own abuses, and blame the people. The protesters are not calling for anarchy. They have been clearly calling for a restoration to the true nature of our One Country Two Systems framework. It is only the dictators that want to twist and abuse that framework by putting authority over promised autonomy. 

So, after two months of protests, the fight for public opinions has once again taken center stage. Daily press briefings by the police and the administration are set up to try to spin the news headlines, especially for the majority of those who are not readers of online forums such as LIHKG. So the young people fought back brilliantly with their own periodic press conferences in order to reach a bigger audience too. By comparing these efforts, we can clearly see the distinction between the pure pursuit for freedom and justice by the young people, and the twisted logic, misinformation and top-down authoritarianism demonstrated by the authorities.

And when in the middle of last week, the Hong Kong and Macau Office summoned the selected heads of the pro-establishment ranks, such as members of the National People’s Congress, to Shenzhen with instructions to toe the line, Beijing is set to repeat the same mistakes that they have made since the handover — that is, selectively listening only its own selfish cronies, and dictating its own views, based on a misguided fear and mistrust of Hong Kong’s core values and spirits of freedom, fairness, justice and the rule of law. 

If this current movement for change is put down, it will come at a great cost to our economy, and our image as an international city and financial center. If Beijing continues to put politics above our economic and social wellbeing, even if they get away with it for the time being, freedom and justice will prevail in the long run. Beijing can choose to be on the right, or wrong side, of history. It is their choice. Hong Kong people have spoken. 


For Radio Television Hong Kong's Letter for Hong Kong, Aug 11 2019

Sunday, August 04, 2019

[HKFP] Hong Kong needs a long-term strategy for sociopolitical justice and democracy

 As Hong Kong’s summer of discontent enters its ninth consecutive weekend, every week citizens are worried about how things may get worse if the violence escalates and, most of all, what’s next for the city roiled by a political crisis with no end in sight.

In a situation where political leadership is critically needed to face up to Hong Kong’s underlying problems, such leadership is also conspicuously missing. The city’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam has virtually disappeared, and the government seems to have gone on autopilot, notably with the exception of the police.

This week, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office held a rare press conference in Beijing to express the central government’s position on the unrest in Hong Kong. The standout message was a reiteration of support for the Hong Kong Police Force in its bid to quash the protests. Ironically, compared to the praise given to the police, the Chief Executive herself only received a routine and lukewarm reaffirmation of support from the central government.

No wonder that, back in Hong Kong, many feel that the police have been given a carte blanche to advance its use of force against protesters, with the People’s Liberation Army lurking over the border, ready to make its move. The fear, or even possibly, of Hong Kong becoming a police state, with many of our promised freedoms in the Basic Law — including our freedoms of assembly, expression, speech and others — soon to be curtailed, is becoming more and more of a possibility.

Many people have begun to ask, who do our police report to – the Hong Kong government or Beijing authorities? When our own Chief Secretary gave a mild apology for the handling of the triad attacks on citizens in the Yuen Long train station on June 21st, the frontline unions of the police criticised the Chief Secretary – the very person who the force is supposed to be reporting to.

Instead of reprimanding the police, the Chief Secretary appeased them. Such is the ridiculous situation we face in Hong Kong, further reinforcing the possibility of a future police state.

And when more than 40 protesters were arrested during a confrontation with the police last Sunday night in Central, they were promptly prosecuted with rioting charges. Their arrests contradicted comments made by the Police Commissioner and the Secretary of Justice barely a month ago that the thresholds for the prosecution of such charges would be “very high.”

We know right away that this follows the position staked out by Beijing, that is, to instil fear with heavy, violent and dangerous police tactics, including targeting citizens with live ammunition at close range and handing protesters the heaviest criminal charges possible, in order to scare off others.

All of this is done regardless of the fact that those arrested included medical and social workers who were on scene merely to assist citizens or bystanders trying to help the wounded. Justice is no longer the goal. Intimidation is now the means to the ultimate goal of a rule by force. As indicated by the rare and courageous open letter by some civil servants in the Department of Justice, which made the serious accusation that the Secretary for Justice was making politically motivated prosecution decisions, our Department of Justice has actually become the Department of Injustice.

So, what’s next? It is clear that protesters are so determined that they are not going to give up easily. The call for change in the last two months has been expanded far beyond the original call for the complete withdrawal of the extradition bill. It is now also about the injustice that our government and those in authority have ignored for years — and I, most certainly, do not mean the lack of affordable housing for young people.

We are talking about all the lies about the absolute sociopolitical domination of power by the pro-establishment, permeating all levels of government and eroding the rule of law and autonomy of Hong Kong under the One Country Two Systems principle. People see these injustices every day and they are not going to be convinced by a few more top-down declarations from Beijing.

But I am also convinced that the majority of protesters know that they must bear the weight of this struggle in the longterm, and I mean “protesters” in the broadest sense of the word – from millions of peaceful marchers to those on the frontline in recent weeks across different parts of Hong Kong. And violent confrontations are not only unsustainable but they also carry the risks of losing public empathy.

We must find other more peaceful and sustainable tactics to carry on the struggle for political and social justice and democracy in Hong Kong. Statements and writings from those who were previously considered to be the most radical voices — such as Edward Leung, who is in jail serving sentences relating to “rioting” — to the more moderate political and academic figures, all echo this sentiment.

So, there is hope that the call for a day of strikes on August 5 may signal a long term and more peaceful strategy for the movement. Certainly, this will be only the first wave of such tactics to demand more meaningful responses from authorities.

Protesters and their supporters must also begin to understand that peaceful actions are much, much more effective than violence or the use of force, in generating and maintaining support, both domestically and internationally.

We must also focus on how to change minds not only in Hong Kong, but also in Beijing. Make no mistake about it – everything will not go back to normal once the protests end, as some in Beijing or their cronies in Hong Kong want to believe. Beijing may want to continue to fool themselves or others by branding this movement as led by foreign forces. But this may just be a reflection of their biggest fear.

For two months, global media has cast Hong Kong in the spotlight like never before. The world cares about our city and our wellbeing, and this attention may turn out to be our last and most important safety net. And China must also realise that it must live up to the international standards and play by the rules accepted by the rest of the world. That will be the only happy ending for China, Hong Kong, and the world.


Published on Hong Kong Free Press, Aug 3, 2019

https://hongkongfp.com/2019/08/03/lawmaker-charles-mok-hong-kong-needs-long-term-strategy-sociopolitical-justice-democracy/

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