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With @hkcnews_com ceasing operations, every major pro-democracy news outlet in Hong Kong has now either been forcibly shuttered or opted to close rather than be smothered in Beijing’s unrelenting quest to extinguish any & all dissent. The darkest hour for press freedom. twitter.com/hkcnews_com/st…
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Great @StandNewsHK photograph of the football pitches in Victoria Park as they begin to fill. Many have chosen to head to the Tiananmen anniversary vigil in spite of the police ban on it, despite the risk of arrest & clashes. No sign of police in the immediate vicinity so far.
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At last @UKLabour is waking up & smelling the coffee on China.
@SKinnock: David Cameron’s golden era of engagement with China ‘an abject failure’; UK was ‘naive about China’s intentions’.
The global left’s blind spot on China, HK & Xinjiang is ending.
theguardian.com/world/2020/may…
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「凡是毛主席作出的決策，我們都堅決維護；凡是毛主席的指示，我們都始終不渝地遵循」— 華國鋒
Vote in the pan-democratic primaries today & tomorrow — if anyone asks, tell them Chairman Mao told you to. 為人民服務 ✊🚩
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Joshua Wong has written a thoughtful & reflective thread ahead of his sentencing tomorrow:
“Despite possible jail sentences ahead, it is my honour to stand with each of you from the very beginning... whatever storm we might face, I always have my faith in my fellow HongKongers” twitter.com/joshuawongcf/s…
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Per Now News, police have stated they will not enter Victoria Park; site of the now-banned Tiananmen anniversary vigil, unless there is ‘chaos’. But Telegram groups show a large policing operation is in progress across HK. Unclear how this’ll develop or if there will be clashes.
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Via Reuters: The U.S. Department for Transportation has confirmed it is banning all Chinese airlines from flying passengers to the U.S. from this month.
Another example of Washington turning the screws on Beijing. Wonder what the response will be...
uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa…
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As the 12 HK youths appear in a Shenzhen court in a sham trial, the EU is to sign a huge investment deal with China following assurances from Beijing over - get this - workers’ rights & forced labour (!)
History will judge this savagely. A nauseating juxtaposition in today’s @FT
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Chinese social media is awash with claims Kim Jong-Un has died; with Reuters reporting China has sent a specialist medical team to NK. Below, Qin Feng (秦楓), niece of former 🇨🇳 Foreign Minister & journo at HKSTV (HK Satellite TV) claimed in a deleted Weibo post that he has died. twitter.com/shijianxingzou…
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Earlier, one of the senior British officers in the HK Police was photographed in CWB. Baptist University student journos have reported it as being Rupert Dover, but the shoulder insignia doesn't match his rank & he looks too fat to be Dover. Anyone know who it is? Pic: HKBUSU
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The PSHK captured more 📸 of senior expat officers in the HK Police today. On the left appears to be Paul Renouf, a French national. On the right is Brit John Carroll, his massive girth is unmistakable.
Their home countries should be disgusted with their role in the crackdown. twitter.com/JackHHazlewood…
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Chinese state media Global Times is claiming ytd’s assault of a pregnant woman by the HK Police may have been “staged” by democrats to “smear police with claims of “brutal” law enforcement”.
No mention on how the police could have, like, not assaulted a visibly pregnant woman.
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Beijing's draconian proposed national security laws for Hong Kong have just passed the National People's Congress China’s rubber-stamp Parliament.
Votes in favour: 2,878
Votes against: 1
Abstentions: 6
The end of one country two systems as we know it, no question.
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So the HK Police now have their own fake reporters to film their propaganda FB live-stream.
But real journalists are the 'fake reporters' according to the police.
Remember this when they scream "假記者!" at the press.
Ironically this guy is the only safe 'reporter' in HK.
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🔥@AppleDaily_HK on the 1st anniversary of the protests. Police have refused permission for a rally on 612; the day police instigated the violence. Instead an ‘exhibition of resistance’ across HK is planned, with organisers calling for HKers to ‘遍地開花’ - ‘blossom everywhere’.
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Civic Party District Councillor Andy Yu (余德寶) reports Student Depth Media (深學媒體), to whom the 13 year-old student journalist ludicrously arrested by the HK Police belongs, has been sent a letter by the Labour Dept accusing them of ‘child labour’. He’s assisting both. Mad.
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Horrendous report of an Apple Daily photojournalist being strangled by police for 20 seconds. Video also shows pepper spray being used liberally against reporters
//本報女攝記者拍攝期間，被警員強行箍頸約20秒，一度出現休克，需要召救護車，用頸箍送院治理//
hk.appledaily.com/breaking/20200…
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Finally Xinhua confirms more details re. the national security law. A Nat Sec Committee to be estab'd in HK, along with an office in Beijing. Cases will be dealt with HK except in undefined 'special circumstances' - so Beijing will have jurisdiction over certain cases. Not good.
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The HK Police's new national security department is using the Royal HK Police's Special Branch as a template. British colonial administration bodies & laws have repeatedly been used to justify & give cover to Beijing's bastardised versions of them. Thread:news.mingpao.com/pns/%E5%89%AF%…
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Riot police have pepper sprayed & fired pepper balls at protestors and bystanders on Queens Road & Des Voeux Road as demonstrators mark the first anniversary of the protests. Several people have also been wrestled to the ground & arrested.📸: Apple Daily, Stand News.
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The case of a HK Police officer in riot gear taking some drinks without paying has been followed up by @appledaily_hk - legal experts have said that even though the PR wing of the HKPF left payment a few hours later, he still committed a criminal offence.
hk.appledaily.com/local/20200524… twitter.com/JackHHazlewood…
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A number of older people were seen in agony after being targeted with pepper spray by police in CWB. Police regularly use pepper spray indiscriminately against protestors, bystanders and journalists. Pics: CBC
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HK01: HK CE Carrie Lam will deliver a press conference at 6pm & announce the Legislative Council election will be postponed for an entire year. RTHK & SCMP also reporting the same.
Pandemic cited, but real reason is pro-Beijing parties face annihilation.
hk01.com/%E6%94%BF%E6%8…
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In CWB riot police have aimed firearms at members of the public & ordered them to return to the walkway (out of shot) & leave the area. Not immediately clear what ammunition said weapons can fire. Pics: HSUSU
前蘋果日報專欄作家. Words/investigations @TheSundayTimes @Telegraph @TheEconomist @ForeignPolicy @Australian etc, docs @PopularFront_