Saturday, November 21, 2020

Hong Kong UPDATES: 
Joshua Wong remains defiant in face of potential five years in prison

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong told DW that defying "the greatest human rights abuser is essential" ahead of his trial next week. He faces up to five years in prison for his role in pro-democracy protests.


Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong on Friday told DW that he faces up to five years in jail if found guilty of instigating unlawful protests last year.

Wong rose to prominence during the pro-democracy demonstrations that were triggered by the introduction of the Fugitive Offenders amendment bill by the Hong Kong government. The now-aborted legislation would have potentially meant the extradition of Hong Kong citizens to mainland China, where Wong and other activists felt residents would be subjected to Beijing's stricter approach to civil liberties.

Wong, whose trial starts on Monday, remained defiant, despite the threat of a lengthy jail term. "Prison bars have never stopped me from activism and thinking critically. Even though more than 10,000 Hong Kongers have been arrested since last summer and 2,000 people — including me — were prosecuted, it's still important for us to stay and fight."

Wong not expecting a fair trial

But Wong has little confidence in the judicial process ahead. "Courts in Hong Kong are being interfered with by the Beijing authorities, and the rule of law in Hong Kong exists in name only."

Police arrested Wong on September 24 for participating in an unauthorized assembly in October 2019, as well as for violating the city’s anti-mask law by covering his face during the protests.

That arrest added to several unlawful assembly charges, or suspected offenses he and other activists have been accused of related to last year’s protests.
'The greatest human rights abuser'

Despite the pressure, Wong showed no signs of easing up as he said: "No matter what happens, to defy the greatest human rights abuser is essential to restore democracy for our generation and the generation following us."

Watch video 
 https://p.dw.com/p/3lcGL

'To defy greatest human rights abuser is essential'

Wong hopes others will keep a watchful eye on developments in Hong Kong should he go to prison.

"It's important that the new [US] administration holds China accountable. It's important to seek bipartisan support because supporting Hong Kong is not a matter of left or right, it's a matter of right or wrong."

Read more: Opinion: Hong Kong's rule of law is at its end

"I only wish that during my absence, people around the world can continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong by following closely the developments, whether it's the canceled election, the large-scale arrests under the national security law and the 12 activists being detained in China."

At the beginning of last month, China formally approved the arrests of 12 Hong Kong activists caught last month while allegedly trying to flee the former British colony for Taiwan.


Families of detained Hong Kong dozen protest on island near Chinese prison

By Jessie Pang and James Pomfret
Sat, 21 November 2020

Families of detained Hong Kong dozen protest on island near Chinese prison
Relatives and supporters of the 12 Hong Kong people detained in mainland China release balloons in Hong Kong

By Jessie Pang and James Pomfret

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Relatives and supporters of 12 Hongkongers, detained in China after trying to flee the city by speedboat, protested on Saturday on an island near the Chinese prison where they have been held virtually incommunicado for nearly three months.

The 11 men and one woman were captured by the Chinese coastguard on Aug. 23 aboard a speedboat believed to be bound for Taiwan.

All had faced charges linked to the protest movement embroiling Hong Kong, including rioting and violation of the a national security law China imposed in June.

Family members and supporters of some of the 12 hiked to the peak of Kat O island in Hong Kong's remote northeastern reaches, looking onto China's high-tech boomtown of Shenzhen, and the Yantian district where the dozen are being held.

Some peered through binoculars at a hill where the detention centre is located. Several told Reuters they want the Chinese authorities to deal with the cases in a just, fair and transparent manner.

The group inflated blue and white balloons and wrote the names of the detainees on them, before releasing them into a leaden sky. They chanted for their "immediate safe return" while holding white banners reading "SAVE 12" and "Return Home".

"I hope he can see the balloons and know we didn’t give up yet," said the 28-year-old wife of detainee Wong Wai-yin.

A Hong Kong marine police vessel later docked on the island, with police questioning and taking down the details of several reporters present.

Authorities have denied family and lawyers access to the 12, insisting they be represented by officially appointed lawyers. Last week seven detainees wrote handwritten letters to their family, but the group said in a statement that "they seem to have been compiled under duress".

Eddie Chu, a former lawmaker who recently quit his post in protest against political suppression by authorities under the national security law, said it was important to keep fighting.

"We are so close to them, just a few kilometres in reality, but in fact it's like ... something unreachable. So we need to have the balloons to do this for us.”

(Reporting by Jessie Pang and James Pomfret; Editing by William Mallard)

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