Hong Kong 2014 + 2019/20 - massive pro democracy protests

[TonyGosling]

What do people think - is this being orchestrated?

China Tells Foreign Countries Not To Meddle In Hong Kong

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/01/china-foreign-meddling-hong-k ong_n_5916014.html
WASHINGTON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi responded on Wednesday to comments by the United States and others on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, saying foreign countries should not meddle in China's domestic affairs.
Wang, the most senior Chinese official to speak publicly about the protests, said Beijing had "very formally and clearly stated its position: Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs. All countries should respect China's sovereignty."
He was speaking at the U.S. State Department before talks with Secretary of State John Kerry, who repeated U.S. calls for Chinese authorities to show restraint toward the mass protests challenging the communist government.
Wang said no country, including the United States, would tolerate "illegal acts that violate public order." He added: "We believe that the Hong Kong special administrative region's government has the capability to properly handle the current situation in accordance with the law."
Kerry said: "We have high hopes that Hong Kong authorities will exercise restraint and respect protesters' right to express their views."
The protesters, mostly students, are demanding full democracy and have called on Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to step down from the top office of the former British colony that reverted to Chinese rule in 1997. A month ago, Beijing ruled that it would vet candidates wishing to run for Hong Kong's leadership in 2017. Protesters are demanding that Beijing refrain from vetting candidates.
On Tuesday, U.S. officials said there should be greater autonomy for the people of Hong Kong in selecting candidates for chief executive.

"OPEN SOCIETY"
Kerry did not explicitly make that point on Wednesday in his public remarks, but said: "We believe an open society with the highest possible degree of autonomy, governed by the rule of law, is essential for Hong Kong's stability and prosperity."
Earlier, Wang met with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and will also visit the White House. The State Department said he and Kerry would continue their talks later at a second, previously unscheduled meeting.
The Washington talks were arranged to prepare for President Barack Obama's visit to China in November for an Asia-Pacific summit but were overshadowed by the Hong Kong events
Other issues affecting the two major powers were also on the agenda in the talks between Wang and Kerry, as Obama presses his 'pivot' to refocus U.S. attention increasingly on Asia.
The United States has been carefully calibrating its response to the demonstrations, voicing support for non-violent protests while signaling it has little interest in seeing them escalate and risk a harsher crackdown by Chinese authorities.
Any U.S. response to the Hong Kong protests is a tricky balancing act, given Beijing's transformation into a global economic powerhouse and how interdependent the U.S. and Chinese economies have become since the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989.
Kerry said the United States welcomed China's rise and reiterated Washington's view that with greater clout Beijing should also be a responsible player in world affairs.
He referred to Chinese efforts to help tackle the spread of Ebola in West Africa. "We are appreciative for China's willingness to put both equipment and personnel on the line in order to help deal with this," Kerry said. "We view that in very positive terms with respect to China's important role in global leadership." (Editing by David Story and David Gregorio)

[TonyGosling]

Ok, have had a look around. Personally I don't believe this 'NATO style regime change' take

US Now Admits it is Funding “Occupy Central” in Hong Kong
http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-now-admits-it-is-funding-occupy-centra l-in-hong-kong/5405680
By Tony Cartalucci - Global Research, October 01, 2014
Just as the US admitted shortly after the so-called “Arab Spring” began spreading chaos across the Middle East that it had fully funded, trained, and equipped both mob leaders and heavily armed terrorists years in advance, it is now admitted that the US State Department through a myriad of organizations and NGOs is behind the so-called “Occupy Central” protests in Hong Kong.
The Washington Post would report in an article titled, “Hong Kong erupts even as China tightens screws on civil society,” ...

[TonyGosling]

[TonyGosling]

Triads accused of smashing into peaceful demo

Hong Kong police deny using triads to disrupt protests -
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/oct/04/hong-kong-police-de ny-triads-protests-video
Hong Kong's assistant police commissioner denies allegations that criminal gangs were called in to disrupt protests in the city. Thugs punched and kicked pro-democracy protesters on Friday night, drawing blood as they tore down their tents and attempted to force them out. Meanwhile, tensions remain high on Saturday between pro-government and Occupy groups

[outsider]

@TonyG: 'Ok, have had a look around. Personally I don't believe this 'NATO style regime change' take' - why on earth not? I didn't see anything about 'NATO style regime change' in the article; it blamed the US State Department and NGO's, including National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and its subsidiary, the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

By Tony Cartalucci
'October 05, 2014 "ICH" - "Land Destroyer" - The slogans, leaders, and agenda of the "Occupy Central" movement are supposedly the manifestations of Hong Kong's desire for "total democracy," "universal suffrage," and "freedom." In reality, the leaders of "Occupy Central" are verified to be directly backed, funded, and directed by the US State Department, its National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and its subsidiary, the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

Despite admitting this overwhelming evidence, many "Occupy Central" supporters still insist the protests are genuine and now some propose that the "Occupy Central" leadership does not truly represent the people of Hong Kong. While the leadership of "Occupy Central" indeed in no way represent the people of Hong Kong, the fact still remains that the protest itself was prearranged at least as early as April 2014, revealed by "Occupy Central" co-organizers Martin Lee and Anson Chan before NED in Washington DC....'


This is the US 'Modus Operandi', from Chechnya, Georgia, 'Arab Spring', Venezuela, Cuba (that one failed), Ukraine and the US 'CANVAS' proxies in Serbia have been involved in over 50 countries, according to Wikipedia:
Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_for_Applied_Nonviolent_Action_and_ Strategies

I don't know why these countries allow these trouble-making NGO's into their countries, or if they do, why they don't strictly control and monitor them.
Would the US or Britain allow Russian or Chinese NGO's into their countries, to foment street protests? I don't think so!


Many people think the 'Occupy' movement in London was very heavily infiltrated; I think they were right.

[Whitehall_Bin_Men]

Boom!
Your website taken out @FCCHK - presumably by China's cyberwarriors - but could be NSA too I suppose trying to make it look like Beijing
https://reut.rs/2nz6uYK

Like to share professional opinion about who's behind the outage? Clearly no coincidence!
https://sc.mp/2KQtqvS

FCC, Hong Kong
@fcchk

[Whitehall_Bin_Men]

TUE AUG 14, 2018 / 9:25 AM BST
Pro-China groups protest outside Hong Kong press club over 'separatist' speech
James Pomfret and Greg Torode
https://uk.mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUKKBN1KZ078
https://t.co/Y3MK307XD8

2018.08.14 香港民族黨陳浩天於FCC演講 (直播中)

Link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEfRDg1HrbY

(Reuters) - Pro-China groups rallied outside Hong Kong's Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) on Tuesday over a speech by an independence activist that has riled Beijing and sparked debate about the viability of the city's freedoms.

The invitation to Andy Chan, a founder of the Hong Kong National Party, drew strong criticism this month from China's Foreign Ministry which urged the club to cancel the speech. The FCC pressed on with the event.

A number of Reuters journalists are FCC members.

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In his speech, Chan, dressed in a black suit and grey tie, said his ideals were no different than many of his fellow citizens in chasing "the dream of democracy".

"If Hong Kong were to become truly democratic, Hong Kong's sovereignty must rest with the people of Hong Kong," he said.

"China is, by its nature, an empire, a threat to all free peoples in the world," Chan added.

About 50 pro-China supporters rallied outside the historic FCC building, waving red China flags and denouncing Chan and the club through loudhailers as police looked on.

"He's a traitor," said protester Jimmy Tso, who wore a black cap and T-shirt emblazoned with a China flag.

"We want harmony in Hong Kong but people like him are trying to subvert China, backed by foreign forces," he said.

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Around a dozen pro-independence activists with banners supporting Chan were blocked by police from getting near the club's main entrance and the pro-Beijing groups.

The FCC, which has a membership that includes local and international journalists, is known as a spirited institution fostering and defending free speech.

RELATED COVERAGE
China condemns press group for Hong Kong independence activist speech
"I won't change my stance," said Chan, 27, acknowledging his calls for independence had angered some Hong Kong democrats who fear Beijing will crack down on all opposition groups.

"Hong Kong faces national cleansing from China...We are on our own, and we are a nation that is quickly being annexed by China," he said.

Hong Kong's government said it deeply regretted the FCC's decision to host Chan.

"It is totally inappropriate and unacceptable for any person to openly promote and advocate the independence of Hong Kong," a government spokesman said.

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"As such, it is also totally inappropriate and unacceptable for any organisation to provide a public platform to espouse such views," the spokesman said.

DEBATE OVER FREEDOMS

Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, states that the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997, is an "inalienable" part of China.

But Hong Kong operates under a "one country, two systems" agreement that promises it a high degree of autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed in China.

The incident has opened a new battlefront over the city's relative freedoms compared with mainland China, as pro-establishment figures demand tough new national security laws.

The independence activists say separation from China would safeguard the city's freedoms from Beijing's tightening grip over politics, academia, the law and the media.

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China's Foreign Ministry, which has an office in Hong Kong, this month urged the club to cancel the event.

Leung Chun-ying, a former Hong Kong chief executive who is now vice chairman of a leading advisory body to China's parliament, had criticised the FCC for hosting a "secessionist".

Leung said the club paid "token rent" to the government for its building in the central business district - comments that stoked concerns among some members about the FCC's future.

Leung did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

FCC vice president Victor Mallet said the club has over the years neither endorsed nor opposed the diverse views of speakers.

"The FCC does believe that its members, and the public at large, have the right ... to hear the views of different sides in any debate," Mallet said.

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"We at the FCC, we fully respect the law and we champion free speech and freedom of the press across Asia," he said.

(Reporting by James Pomfret and Greg Torode; Additional reporting by Timothy Chan; Editing by Michael Perry and Darren Schuettler)

[TonyGosling]

These Are the Triad Gangs Linked to Hong Kong Protester Attacks
By Karen Leigh and Kari Soo Lindberg July 24, 2019
A light rail train travels through a street in the Yuen Long district, Hong Hong.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-24/who-are-triads-and- are-they-behind-hong-kong-attacks-quicktake

A light rail train travels through a street in the Yuen Long district, Hong H
Violent attacks against pro-democracy protesters by dozens of masked, stick-carrying men have shocked Hong Kong. The brazen assaults took place over the course of an hour July 21 in a train station, with police nowhere to be seen. The police say some of the handful of men later arrested in connection with the incident had links with the city’s notorious organized crime syndicates, known as the triads. It’s not the first time triads have been linked with violence against political demonstrators.

1. What are triads?
Popularly known as the Chinese mafia, there are half a dozen or so main groups in Hong Kong with, according to the South China Morning Post newspaper, some 100,000 members. The three best-known groups -- 14K, Sun Yee On and Wo Shing Wo -- also operate just across the border in southern China and as far afield as the U.S. and the U.K. Triads specialize in the organized crime staples of prostitution, racketeering and drugs, but also have developed a reputation as thugs for hire in recent years, said T. Wing Lo, a professor at the City University of Hong Kong who researches organized crime. Counterfeiting, pornography and cigarette- and fuel-smuggling are also important sources of revenue. Stomping grounds include the crowded Mong Kok area in Kowloon, a neighborhood across the bay from Hong Kong Island that’s popular with both local and mainland shoppers and diners. Police say the majority of triad arrests are for violent assault. The gangs have managed to survive even though Hong Kong is one of Asia’s most crime-free cities.

2. Where did triads originate?
They have their roots in mainland China; the first triad was a patriotic secret society formed in the 17th century to overthrow the Qing dynasty, which had been founded by Manchu invaders, and to restore the Han Chinese Ming dynasty. By the beginning of the 19th century, the group had disintegrated into gangs operating independently all over China. Their membership in Hong Kong surged as refugees fled civil war and political upheaval on the mainland. In 1960, then-Police Commissioner Henry Heath mused that one in six of the city’s 3 million residents probably belonged to a triad, according T. Wing Lo. Triads are regularly fictionalized in popular culture and were most pervasive in Hong Kong in the 1960s and 1970s, bolstered by police corruption so rampant that it sparked protests and the creation of an anti-graft commission.

3. Why are they in the news?

Hong Kong has seen months of protests in response to a city government proposal to allow extradition to mainland China. Even after the authorities caved in and shelved that idea, the protests persisted but with broader demands. After a day of demonstrations on July 21, around 100 masked men wearing white T-shirts laid into black-shirted protesters returning home. Other passengers and journalists were also attacked with batons at the train station near the Chinese border. An opposition lawmaker caught in the fray said he suspected that the aggressors -- some in their 20s and some as old as in their 60s -- had ties to triad gangs.

HONG KONG-CHINA-POLITICS-CRIME
A man is arrested for illegal assembly in Yuen Long.Photographer: Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images
4. Is that true?
A senior police official said that some of the first six men arrested in connection with incident had triad ties, while the SCMP quoted unidentified police sources as saying they thought members of 14K and Wo Shing Wo were involved. Pro-democracy lawmaker Hui Chi-fung went so far as accusing police of colluding with triads, after victims of the attack said officers had failed to respond to the melee. Police Commissioner Stephen Lo denied any links between his force and the attackers. The attacks were an escalation of months of violence that included police firing tear gas at crowds and demonstrators smashing their way into Hong Kong’s legislature.

5. Why would triads attack protesters?
Protesters note this wasn’t the first time that government opponents had been attacked by organized gangs. In 2014, when thousands of student-led pro-democracy protesters occupied Hong Kong’s major retail and business districts, there were arrests after triads beat up demonstrators. Many protesters had taken up residence in Mong Kok, hurting business in a key area for criminal organizations. Triad members attacked protesters “with impunity,” according to Andreas Fulda, an assistant professor at the University of Nottingham and author of “The Struggle for Democracy in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong: Sharp Power and its Discontents.” Police also issued denials then that they worked with triads. Protest leaders and groups including the Hong Kong Federation of Students had sought to tie the Mong Kok attacks to a nexus of gangs, police and the local government -- and by inference, the central government in Beijing.

[TonyGosling]

A brief history of Hong Kong’s triad gangs
Starting off as a patriotic movement to restore Ming rule in China, triads later turned to crime, including drugs, extortion, gambling and prostitution
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2067890/brief-hi story-hong-kongs-triad-gangs

Rachel Blundy Published: 2:00pm, 4 Feb, 2017

Triad societies originated in 17th century China when the Hung Mun came together in an attempt to overthrow the Qing dynasty in an unsuccessful bid to restore the Ming dynasty.
Members were expected to regard each other as blood brothers, which is perhaps why they have become known colloquially as the Chinese mafia. There was a clear hierarchical structure within the group, initiation ceremonies and certain codes of conduct.
In 19th century Hong Kong, members were frequently imprisoned under British law.
Former Hong Kong triad member reflects on his life from gangster to rehabilitation worker
By the 20th century, the Hung Mun had begun to break up into smaller gangs, based all over China. In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party came to power, prompting many gangs to flee to Hong Kong, as well as Macau,Taiwan and further overseas. Hong Kong soon became regarded as the triad capital, according to Chinese Triad Society by T. Wing Lo and Sharon Ingrid Kwok.
In the 1960s, there were some 60 triad gangs in Hong Kong, with one in six people said to belong to one, according to police.
Drug trafficking has traditionally been a significant source of income for gangs, with opium, heroin and cocaine all being traded. They also make money from fraud, extortion, money laundering, gambling and prostitution.

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They have often tried to extort money from local tradesmen or workers.
Watch: Former Walled City heroin addict now helps teens quit drugs

Violence between rival gangs is common. Prospective gang members are required to take the “36 oaths” as part of their initiation ceremony, in which they pledge to help free a fellow member if they inadvertently get him arrested. If they fail, they will be “killed by five thunderbolts”.
Leading triad gangs in Hong Kong include the Sun Yee On, 14K and Wo Shing Wo.
Between the 1950s and 1970s, the Kowloon Walled City, home to about 30,000 people, was largely controlled by the Sun Yee On and 14K. It fell into their hands soon after the end of the Japanese occupation in 1945, when refugees from the mainland found protection within its walls following China’s civil war.
The British began to adopt a “hands-off” policy in relation to the walled city. It became a hotbed for crime. Residents also had to endure poor sanitation.
The British and Chinese governments announced in January 1987 that the area would be demolished. Work began in 1993 and was completed the following year. The area has since been transformed into Kowloon Walled City Park.
The Hong Kong police have a dedicated division that aims to combat triad activities – the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau. It is estimated there could be as many as 100,000 triad members currently operating in the city.
When the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, which opened in 1972, was being built, fights reportedly broke out between rival gangs over who would control the bus drivers travelling through it.
Despite various crackdowns, triad culture continues to be immortalised through films, artwork and video games.

[TonyGosling]

Hong Kong protests: Demonstrators defy ban on march
8 hours ago
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-49534439

Media captionBlue-dyed water fired at protesters by Hong Kong police
Hong Kong police have used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse crowds as tens of thousands marched in the city, defying a ban.

Demonstrators lit fires, threw petrol bombs at riot police and attacked the parliament building.

An event to mark five years since Beijing ruled out fully democratic elections was banned in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China.

On Friday, several key pro-democracy activists and lawmakers were arrested.

The protest movement grew out of rallies against a controversial extradition bill - now suspended - which would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial.

What led to a single gunshot being fired?
Joshua Wong, the poster boy for protests
Is this proof the 'Umbrella Protests' failed?
It has since become a broader pro-democracy movement in which clashes have grown more violent.

What happened on Saturday?
Protesters took to the streets in the Wan Chai district, many joining a Christian march, while others demonstrated in the Causeway Bay shopping district in the pouring rain. Many carried umbrellas and wore face masks.

On the 13th weekend of protests, demonstrators - chanting "stand with Hong Kong" and "fight for freedom" - gathered outside government offices, the local headquarters of China's People's Liberation Army and the city's parliament, known as the Legislative Council.

In the Admiralty district, some protesters threw fire bombs towards officers. Earlier, protesters marched near the official residence of embattled leader Carrie Lam, who is the focal point of much of the anger.

Police had erected barriers around key buildings and road blocks, and fired tear gas and jets of blue-dyed water from the water cannon. The coloured liquid is traditionally used to make it easier for police to identify protesters.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds
Image copyrightREUTERS
Image caption
A number of demonstrators were detained
Eric, a 22-year-old student, told Reuters news agency: "Telling us not to protest is like telling us not to breathe. I feel it's my duty to fight for democracy. Maybe we win, maybe we lose, but we fight."

The recent demonstrations have been characterised as leaderless.

On Friday police had appealed to members of the public to cut ties with "violent protesters" and had warned people not to take part in the banned march.

Police made a number of arrests late on Saturday.

Tear gas, rubber bullets and barrows of bricks
Danny Vincent, BBC News, Hong Kong

A sea of young people gathered on the streets surrounding the government headquarters. Like most weekends many came prepared. Protesters pushed wheel-barrows full of broken bricks to the front lines. They were thrown and pushed to the front over barricades in an attempt to slow the police's advance.

Rounds of tear gas, now the go-to weapon of the police, hung in the air, followed by rubber bullets fired towards the ground and in some cases nearly horizontally.

But police projectiles were met with rounds of petrol bombs thrown over police barriers and into the makeshift no-man's-land which separated the police and protesters. Many young protesters have become battle-hardened by nearly three months of demonstrations. They are strategic, organised and increasingly willing to resort to violence.

Who was arrested?
During a 24-hour police crackdown, at least three activists - including prominent 23-year-old campaigner Joshua Wong - and three lawmakers were detained.

Mr Wong, who first rose to prominence as the poster boy of a protest movement that swept Hong Kong in 2014, was released on bail after being charged over the protests which have rocked the territory since June.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Wong said: "Organising protests, having assembly on street is the fundamental right of [the] Hong Kong people... People will still gather on [the] street and urge President Xi [Jinping] and Beijing [that] it's time to listen to people's voice."


Media captionHong Kong activists Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow vow to continue protests after their release on bail
Hong Kong is part of China, but enjoys "special freedoms". Those are set to expire in 2047, and many in Hong Kong do not want to become "another Chinese city".

Beijing has repeatedly condemned the protesters and described their actions as "close to terrorism". The protests have frequently escalated into violence between police and activists, with injuries on both sides.

Activists are increasingly concerned that China might use military force to intervene. On Thursday, Beijing moved a new batch of troops into Hong Kong, a move Chinese state media described as a routine annual rotation

[TonyGosling]

Hong Kong mask law: Beijing claim on ‘unconstitutional’ ruling could spell end of ‘one country, two systems’, legal heavyweights warn
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3038479/hong-kong -mask-law-beijing-claim-unconstitutional-ruling

Cliff Buddle

China’s top legislative body’s comments on the power of Hong Kong courts strike at the heart of ‘one country, two systems’
By calling into question Hong Kong courts’ power to declare laws unconstitutional if they breach the Basic Law, Beijing threatens the city’s legal system and the local judiciary’s ability to protect human rights
Cliff Buddle
Cliff Buddle in Hong Kong

Published: 9:00am, 21 Nov, 2019


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382
Within weeks of Hong Kong’s return to China, the courts were faced with an audacious legal challenge which threatened to plunge the city’s new constitutional arrangements into chaos. Three defendants in a criminal trial argued the common law had not survived the 1997 transfer of sovereignty and that most of Hong Kong’s laws were, therefore, invalid. This bold assertion was rejected by the Court of Appeal, which upheld the continuation of the common law system.
But that was not the only important part of the judgment. One question raised was whether the courts had the power to declare local laws invalid if they breached the city’s new de facto constitution, the Basic Law.
The government argued that the courts enjoy this power, just as they had been free before the handover to strike out laws conflicting with the colonial constitution, the Letters Patent. The Court of Appeal agreed and the judiciary has been using the power ever since.
The ability of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional if they breach the Basic Law is a fundamental part of the city’s legal system. It is the way in which the judiciary ensures the government and legislature act constitutionally and do not abuse their power. Without the ability to strike down laws, the courts will not be able to effectively protect human rights.
But this power now appears to be under threat. This week, the Court of First Instance declared a ban on the wearing of masks at protests to be in breach of the Basic Law. The ban was imposed by the chief executive in October in a bid to curb ongoing violent unrest.

A spokesman for China’s top legislative body said the ruling “did not comply” with parts of the Basic Law and the position of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC). He added: “Whether Hong Kong’s laws are consistent with the Basic Law can only be judged and decided by the NPCSC. No other authority has the right to make judgments and decisions.”
There are now worrying suggestions that Beijing may act to prevent the courts from exercising this power in future. Such a move would strike a fatal blow to Hong Kong’s separate legal system.
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The power of the courts to strike out unconstitutional laws was asserted in the strongest terms by the Court of Final Appeal in 1999. Five top judges unanimously declared that the courts “undoubtedly” have the power to declare laws invalid if they conflict with the Basic Law. This is a duty which the courts are bound to exercise, they said.
Parts of that judgment were controversially overturned by the NPCSC in its first interpretation of the Basic Law later that year. Beijing did not, however, question the court’s assertion that it had the right to declare laws invalid.

The Basic Law does not state clearly that the courts enjoy the power to strike out laws. It gives the NPCSC the right to return and invalidate laws passed by Hong Kong’s legislature if it considers them to conflict with the Basic Law, although this does not apply to laws on matters within the city’s high degree of autonomy.
However, numerous articles of the Basic Law stress the continuity of the legal system which existed at the time of the handover. Article 19(2) provides that the only restrictions on the jurisdiction of the courts are those that existed before the change of sovereignty. The courts have been actively using the power to declare laws unconstitutional for almost 30 years, since the introduction of the Bill of Rights Ordinance. Although mainland officials have occasionally questioned their right to do so, it has not seriously been challenged until now.
Can Beijing’s power to interpret Hong Kong’s Basic Law be questioned?
20 Jul 2018

The idea that this power could be removed, perhaps by an NPCSC interpretation of the Basic Law, is chilling. The courts would find it difficult, if not impossible, to intervene should oppressive laws be passed. The Basic Law protects a wide range of rights and freedoms, including free speech, freedom of the press and the right to demonstrate.
Former Chief Justice Andrew Li Kwok-nang, speaking in 2013, stressed the importance of the court’s role in protecting these rights, which he said formed part of the city’s rule of law. Without such protection, there would be “rule by law”, he said. Li pointed out that in Nazi Germany, oppressive laws had been used to persecute the Jews.

The Court of First Instance, in its carefully considered, well-argued 106 page judgment, sought to uphold the constitutional arrangements put in place for the handover by the National People’s Congress. It is ironic that the central government wants to preserve a draconian emergency law introduced by the colonial government in 1922 to combat a seaman’s strike. At that time, the Legislative Council was a small advisory body composed mostly of government officials. Times have changed.
The court found this law unconstitutional to the extent that it gives the chief executive almost unrestricted power to pass regulations at a time of public danger. This is because the Basic Law provides that only the elected legislature can pass laws. The court relied on nine articles of the Basic Law to reach that conclusion.
Why Beijing’s angry reaction to Hong Kong mask ruling sparks concern
20 Nov 2019

The judges also found that the ban on masks at lawful protests restricted human rights more than necessary and the power given to the police to remove masks in public places was too broad.
The ruling does not prevent the imposition of a ban on wearing masks at protests. But the ban must be put in place by the legislature, not the government. It must be expressed clearly so that everyone understands what it means. And it must not restrict human rights more than necessary. This is consistent with established legal principles and makes perfect sense.
Protesters appear at the Eastern Court in Sai Wan Ho, on October 7, in support of 13 people arrested for defying the mask ban after the emergency law took effect on October 5. Photo: May Tse
Protesters appear at the Eastern Court in Sai Wan Ho, on October 7, in support of 13 people arrested for defying the mask ban after the emergency law took effect on October 5. Photo: May Tse
It is to be hoped that this judgment will not be overturned by an interpretation of the Basic Law from Beijing. Such a move would severely undermine the city’s independent judiciary at a highly sensitive time when it is coming under pressure from both sides of the political divide. The central government’s questioning of the court’s power to invalidate laws adds to that pressure, especially if the ruling is the subject of an appeal. Perhaps the applying of that pressure is the intention.
The violent unrest in Hong Kong poses a grave danger to the city. But measures adopted by the government to handle the crisis must be lawful. And if they are not, it is the job of the courts to intervene. Any attempt to prevent the independent judiciary from performing this role will only hasten the downfall of Hong Kong and the “one country, two systems” concept.
Cliff Buddle is the Post’s editor of special projects

Hong Kong protests
Hong Kong Basic Law
Law
Human rights
Hong Kong courts
COMMENTS
Cliff Buddle
Cliff Buddle

A journalist for more than 30 years, Cliff began his career as a court reporter in London and moved to Hong Kong in 1994 to join the SCMP. Specialising in court reporting and legal affairs, he has held a variety of editorial positions, including Deputy Editor and Acting Editor-in-Chief.

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Hong Kong mask law: Beijing claim on ‘unconstitutional’ ruling could spell end of ‘one country, two systems’, legal heavyweights warn
Beijing’s view on mask law ruling ‘could spell end of one country, two systems’

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Hong Kong court sent wrong signals to radical protesters over face mask ban, say mainland Chinese analysts
Hong Kong court ‘sent wrong signal to radicals over face mask ban’


Hong Kong / Politics
Hong Kong mask law: Beijing claim on ‘unconstitutional’ ruling could spell end of ‘one country, two systems’, legal heavyweights warn
City’s legal scholars say any action from Beijing could be ‘disastrous’ for politically charged cases
Spokesman for NPCSC’s Legislative Affairs Commission said High Court ruling did not comply with Hong Kong’s mini-constitution
SCMP
Joyce Ng
Chris Lau
Tony Cheung
Nectar Gan
Published: 10:00am, 20 Nov, 2019


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Anti-government protesters wearing Guy Fawkes masks along Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Photo: Felix Wong
Anti-government protesters wearing Guy Fawkes masks along Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Photo: Felix Wong
Joyce Ng
Joyce Ng

Joyce Ng covers Hong Kong’s politics and housing issues. She joined the Post in 2008 to focus on urban planning, housing and heritage news, and has won awards for reporting on developers’ tricks in flat sales.

Chris Lau
Chris Lau

Chris is a reporter specialising in court and legal affairs in Hong Kong. From criminal justice to constitutional issues, he brings in the latest updates and in-depth analysis on legal issues that affect all aspects of the city. He also covers human rights issues extensively.

Tony Cheung
Tony Cheung

Tony Cheung became a political journalist in 2007. He joined the Post in 2012 and now leads the Hong Kong-mainland relations team on the Hong Kong desk. Tony also writes about the economy, and reports from mainland China, the United States, Germany and Britain. He is a Correspondent and Team Leader for the Hong Kong desk, covering cross-border issues.

China / Politics
Chinese police release Simon Cheng Man-kit ‘confession’ tape amid accusations of torture
Shenzhen authorities claim Cheng ‘engaged in prostitution’ but former British consulate trade officer said earlier that he did nothing regrettable
Echo Xie
Echo Xie
Published: 10:32pm, 21 Nov, 2019


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Shenzhen police released a video on Thursday purportedly showing Simon Cheng “confessing” to “wrongdoings”. Photo: Weibo
Shenzhen police released a video on Thursday purportedly showing Simon Cheng “confessing” to “wrongdoings”. Photo: Weibo
Echo Xie
Echo Xie

Echo is a Beijing-based Chinese politics and policy reporter. Before joining the SCMP, she worked for Jiemian news and the CSMonitor Beijing Bureau. She has a master's in journalism from Shantou University.

Hong Kong / Politics
As it happened: pro-Beijing camp licks wounds after hammering in Hong Kong district council elections
Huge surge of support for pro-democracy camp, which has already taken more seats than it had before
Shock defeats for Junius Ho, Michael Tien and Holden Chow, while Starry Lee holds on against ‘Long Hair’
SCMP Reporters
SCMP Reporters
Published: 12:22am, 25 Nov, 2019


Supporters of pro-democracy candidate Angus Wong celebrate his victory. Photo: AP
Supporters of pro-democracy candidate Angus Wong celebrate his victory. Photo: AP
7:38AM
Coverage closes
7:01AM
Good night for pro-democracy lawmakers seeking re-election to councils
6:22AM
Civic Party more than doubles number of councillors
6:19AM
Power for Democracy candidate takes DAB scalp in Kennedy Town
6:00AM
Pro-democracy camp takes control of at least five councils
5:37AM
21 wins, 156 losses so far for DAB
4:44AM
Winning Civic Party members to head to PolyU
4:40AM
Seven out of seven for Labour Party
4:36AM
Emotions still running high at Kennedy Town polling station
4:14AM
Pan-democrat Leung Yiu-chung re-elected in Kwai Tsing district
4:00AM
Defeated lawmaker Alice Mak points finger at Carrie Lam
3:52AM
Another DAB incumbent loses out
3:32AM
DAB’s Bill Tang loses out in bid for Sha Tin seat
3:25AM
Sai Kung District Council chairman George Ng loses seat
3:21AM
Rural incumbent holds off challenge from Eddie Chu
3:14AM
FTU lawmaker Alice Mak beaten by Civic Party candidate
3:10AM
Election not about district work this time, says defeated DAB lawmaker
3:03AM
Holden Chow the fourth DAB lawmaker to be beaten
2:53AM
Democratic Party vice-chairman Lo Kin-hei secures third term
2:51AM
Pan-democrats equal number of seats held previously
2:44AM
Double whammy in Whampoa
2:40AM
Bad night for DAB with more than 100 candidates losing
2:39AM
Victim of police assault takes Ma Tau Wai
2:34AM
DAB lawmaker Edward Lau beaten by NeoDemocrats candidate
2:31AM
‘Voice of the public is loud and clear,’ Roy Kwong says
2:26AM
Junius Ho defeat celebrated by some in Tuen Mun
2:24AM
Democrats unbeaten, with DAB losing more than 80 seats
2:23AM
Tai Po District Council chairwoman Wong Pik-kiu loses to pan-democrat
2:21AM
Victory shows Hong Kong people determined to fight for freedoms: Democrat Andrew Chiu
2:17AM
Democrat Roy Kwong successfully defends Yuen Long seat
2:16AM
Pro-Beijing ‘king of votes’ in Tsuen Wan falls
2:15AM
Pro-democracy activist Tommy Cheung hails results as ‘tsunami’
2:12AM
DAB’s ‘triple councillor’ Horace Cheung ousted in Sai Wan
2:09AM
Attacked activist Stanley Ho wins Sai Kung seat
2:07AM
Junius Ho says loss of seat is ‘strange’
2:02AM
We need to keep up the fight for the future of Hong Kong, says Lester Shum
1:56AM
Results show Carrie Lam not accepted by most people, says democrat who unseated Junius Ho
1:56AM
Starry Lee secures seat in To Kwa Wan North
1:52AM
Pro-establishment lawmaker Vincent Cheng loses seat in Sham Shui Po
1:43AM
‘Hongkongers have spoken clearly and sent signal to authorities ’
1:34AM
Pro-establishment lawmaker Michael Tien loses Discovery Park seat
1:33AM
Police chief heaps praise on officers for peaceful elections
1:29AM
Controversial politician Junius Ho loses Tuen Mun seat
1:28AM
Civic Party member Wong Man-huen wins City One seat
1:22AM
Civil Human Rights Front’s Jimmy Sham wins in Sha Tin
1:20AM
Democrat Ramon Yuen secures second term in Lai Chi Kok Central
1:14AM
League of Social Democrats’ Tsang Kin-shing takes Lok Hong constituency
1:10AM
Democratic Party’s Lam Cheuk-ting says he has been re-elected in Sheung Shui
1:06AM
6,540 complaints received over elections, commission chief says
1:00AM
Occupy student leader Tommy Cheung another winner
12:56AM
Kelvin Lam wins South Horizons West constituency
12:54AM
Civic Party’s Cheng Tat-hung re-elected in Tanner constituency of Eastern district
12:51AM
Former student leader Lester Shum wins Tsuen Wan seat
12:49AM
Turnout hits 71.2 per cent, elections chief says
12:45AM
South Horizons West looking good for pan-democrats
12:21AM
Civic Party member expects to win in Mei Foo North
12:20AM
Former student activist Eddie Chan wins in Yuen Long
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7:38AM
Coverage closes
As it stands, the pro-democracy camp has gained control of at least 12 of the 18 district councils, winning 278 seats. The pro-Beijing camp has managed to secure just 42 seats so far.
Independents, who are not endorsed by either camp, have won 24 seats.
Our live coverage is now closing. For a full wrap of events, please click here.
7:01AM
Good night for pro-democracy lawmakers seeking re-election to councils
All six pro-democracy lawmakers who stood for re-election as district councillors were successful in Sunday’s vote.
6:22AM
Civic Party more than doubles number of councillors
The Civic Party, of the pan-democratic bloc, says 32 of the 36 candidates it sent into Sunday’s polls have won. Before the elections, it had 12 members in district councils.
6:19AM
Power for Democracy candidate takes DAB scalp in Kennedy Town
Cherry Wong Kin-ching of Power for Democracy has beaten the DAB’s Chan Hok-fung in the Kennedy Town and Mount Davis constituency in Central and Western district.
6:00AM
Pro-democracy camp takes control of at least five councils
As of 6am, the pro-democracy camp has won majorities in at least five district councils: Wong Tai Sin, Tsuen Wan, Wan Chai, Central and Western, and Southern.
5:37AM
21 wins, 156 losses so far for DAB
As of 5.30am, the city’s largest pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, has won 21 seats while 156 of its candidates have been defeated.
On the other side of the political divide, the Democratic Party has secured 54 seats with only two candidates confirmed to have lost their bids.
4:44AM
Winning Civic Party members to head to PolyU
Civic Party leader Alvin Yeung has announced that all members elected in Sunday’s poll will go to Polytechnic University in support of protesters who barricaded themselves inside the Hung Hom campus after intense clashes with police last week.
They will go there at some point on Monday.
4:40AM
Seven out of seven for Labour Party
The Labour Party, which is in the pro-democracy camp, says all seven of its candidates in Sunday’s polls have won, including Yip Wing, who has secured a second term in the Chung On constituency of Sha Tin district.
Yip is the only district councillor who uses a wheelchair.
4:36AM
Emotions still running high at Kennedy Town polling station
Emotions at the Kennedy Town and Mount Davis polling station are still running high as angry campaigners and community members are unhappy with staff over their handling of three votes from a ballot box designated for those with physical disabilities.
The counting started after polling station personnel reached an agreement on how to handle the three votes. But community members, who did not agree with the decision, called for an election re-run.
4:14AM
Pan-democrat Leung Yiu-chung re-elected in Kwai Tsing district
Veteran pan-democrat Leung Yiu-chung, of the Neighbourhood and Worker’s Service Centre, has been re-elected with 4,766 votes, defeating two competitors in the Kwai Fong constituency in Kwai Tsing district.
The lawmaker says he is very pleased with the result. He says his major concern is to help those protesters still staying put in Polytechnic University.
He also says it is too early to talk about his plan for next year’s Legislative Council elections.
“The views of the public are very clear. The government should launch an independent probe into police brutality,” Leung says.
4:00AM
Defeated lawmaker Alice Mak points finger at Carrie Lam
Lawmaker Alice Mak, of the pro-Beijing Federation of Trade Unions, speaking of her defeat, says the Carrie Lam administration is partly to blame.
“The government’s poor governance has given rise to many public grievances. In the election campaign, pro-government candidates have been unfairly treated. This is a very important reason,” she says.
Mak was defeated in the Wai Ying constituency of Kwai Tsing district by the Civic Party’s Henry Sin Ho-fai.
3:52AM
Another DAB incumbent loses out
Another DAB incumbent has lost as Chris Ip Ngo-tung loses out to Chan Tsz-wai of Power for Democracy in Jordan South in Yau Tsim Mong district.
Ip confesses it was a “difficult battle” and believes his defeat was partly due to his party’s support of the extradition bill.
“But I have no regrets for having supported the bill,” he says.
Chan, meanwhile, admits he has no experience in district council work but he will work very hard to serve the residents.
3:32AM
DAB’s Bill Tang loses out in bid for Sha Tin seat
The DAB’s Bill Tang Ka-piu, a former lawmaker, has lost to independent democrat Lo Tak-ming in the Shui Chuen O constituency in Sha Tin district.
Tang previously sat on Islands District Council but this year opted to run in Sha Tin instead.
3:25AM
Sai Kung District Council chairman George Ng loses seat
Sai Kung District Council chairman George Ng Sze-fuk, of the DAB, has lost his seat.
3:21AM
Rural incumbent holds off challenge from Eddie Chu
Pro-democracy candidate Eddie Chu Hoi-dick has failed in his bid to unseat pro-establishment Lai Wing-tim in Pat Heung South, a rural constituency which has always been occupied by members of the influential rural body, the Heung Yee Kuk.
Lam wins by 364 votes.
3:14AM
FTU lawmaker Alice Mak beaten by Civic Party candidate
Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Alice Mak Mei-kuen has been defeated in the Wai Ying constituency of Kwai Tsing district by the Civic Party’s Henry Sin Ho-fai by a margin of 1,714 votes.
Mak, who was returned uncontested in 2015, becomes the seventh pro-establishment lawmaker to lose a district council seat tonight. She had been a district councillor for more than 20 years.
She says her defeat is more about her stance than her district service.
“In such a divided society, I have to thank my supporters and I also respect the voters’ decision. I think we need to review our work to regain public trust in our work. I also hope peace can return to Hong Kong after election day,” she says.
Sin, meanwhile, says he represents the voice of the public. “My winning shows that the public will not give up our five demands until we achieve our goal.”
Alice Mak. Photo: Edward Wong
Alice Mak. Photo: Edward Wong
3:10AM
Election not about district work this time, says defeated DAB lawmaker
DAB lawmaker Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, who lost in the Sai Wan constituency of Central and Western District Council, says the elections were different this time.
“We all understand that this time the results are not much to do with local district work,” says Cheung, who is also an Executive Council member.
The DAB vice-chairman says the party will have a meeting soon to analyse the defeat.
3:03AM
Holden Chow the fourth DAB lawmaker to be beaten
Holden Chow Ho-ding has become the fourth DAB lawmaker to be defeated in the district council elections after losing his seat to pro-democracy candidate Wong Chun-yeung in Tung Chung South by a margin of 1,430 votes.
Chow is one of five “super district councillors”, a lawmaker returned from the district council (second) constituency of the legislature. Candidates must be district councillors and nominated by 15 other council members, before being able to enter the citywide elections.
Chow’s defeat gives his party a headache as he will not be able to enter the legislature through the same constituency in 2020.
Holden Chow. Photo: Edmond So
Holden Chow. Photo: Edmond So
2:53AM
Democratic Party vice-chairman Lo Kin-hei secures third term
Democratic Party vice-chairman Lo Kin-hei has comfortably secured his third term in the Lei Tung II constituency of Southern district by bagging 4,737 votes, beating his DAB rival Tan Jin-jie, who got 2,801.
2:51AM
Pan-democrats equal number of seats held previously
The pro-democracy camp has already won as many seats as it held before the election, with the results for less than 150 constituencies of the 452 in.
2:44AM
Double whammy in Whampoa
Two pro-democracy candidates Kwan Ka-lun and Kwong Po-yin have won both the Whampoa East and Whampoa West constituency.
Kwong has been dubbed one of the Occupy soldiers by winning her seat four years ago as a pro-democracy new face. This will be her second term.
2:40AM
Bad night for DAB with more than 100 candidates losing
As of 2.30am, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong says more than 100 of the 182 members it sent to the district council polls have lost.
2:39AM
Victim of police assault takes Ma Tau Wai
Ken Tsang Kin-chiu, widely known as the victim of an assault by seven Hong Kong police officers during the 2014 Occupy protests, has won in Ma Tau Wai, beating his key rival Siu Tin-hung.
Ken Tsang. Photo: Sam Tsang
Ken Tsang. Photo: Sam Tsang
2:34AM
DAB lawmaker Edward Lau beaten by NeoDemocrats candidate
Another DAB lawmaker, Edward Lau Kwok-fan, who represents the district council functional constituency in the legislature, has been defeated in North district’s Yan Shing constituency by Lam Shuk-ching, of the NeoDemocrats.
2:31AM
‘Voice of the public is loud and clear,’ Roy Kwong says
Democrat Roy Kwong Chun-yu, winner in the Pek Long constituency in Yuen Long district, has thanked voters for their support.
He says local district work is important and he will not forget residents’ support.
“The voice of the public is loud and clear. Five demands, not one less. We hope the government can heed the protesters’ demands,” Kwong says.
He beat pro-Beijing rival August Tam Wai-lam of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.
2:26AM
Junius Ho defeat celebrated by some in Tuen Mun
Some people have celebrated the defeat of controversial pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu by placing bottles of beer and several cigarettes outside his office in Tuen Mun.
Ho lost his re-election bid for the Lok Tsui constituency to the Democratic Party’s Lo Chun-yu by more than 1,000 votes.
2:24AM
Democrats unbeaten, with DAB losing more than 80 seats
At 2am, 24 out of 25 Democratic Party members have won, with one result still unannounced. The pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong lost more than 80 seats, with just six members elected.
2:23AM
Tai Po District Council chairwoman Wong Pik-kiu loses to pan-democrat
Tai Po District Council chairwoman Wong Pik-kiu, who has been a district councillor since 2000, has lost her seat in Kwong Fuk and Plover Cove to Dalu Lin Kok-cheung, a new face from the pro-democracy camp.
2:21AM
Victory shows Hong Kong people determined to fight for freedoms: Democrat Andrew Chiu
Democrat Andrew Chiu Ka-yin, re-elected in the Tai Koo Shing West constituency in Eastern district, says the pro-democracy camp’s victory in the poll sends a clear signal to Beijing, the Hong Kong government, and the international community that Hongkongers are determined to fight for democracy and their freedoms.
Chiu, whose ear was bitten off in an attack early this month, beat Kacee Ting Wong of the pro-government Business and Professional Alliance for Hong Kong.
2:17AM
Democrat Roy Kwong successfully defends Yuen Long seat
Democratic Party lawmaker Roy Kwong Chun-yu has successfully secured another term as district councillor for the Pek Long constituency in Yuen Long.
2:16AM
Pro-Beijing ‘king of votes’ in Tsuen Wan falls
In Lai To constituency in Tsuen Wan, pro-democracy candidate Ronald Tse Man-chak also unseats his Beijing-friendly rival Wong Wai-kit, one of the so-called kings of votes in the last polls.
Tse received 5,907 votes, beating Wong’s 3,599.
2:15AM
Pro-democracy activist Tommy Cheung hails results as ‘tsunami’
Young activist Tommy Cheung Sau-yin, who defeated incumbent Wilson Wong Wai-shun in the Yuen Lung constituency in Yuen Long, describes tonight’s results as a “tsunami”.
He calls on his allies in the pro-democracy camp to keep up their coordination in both the council and on the streets so they can get closer to their goals of achieving universal suffrage.
2:12AM
DAB’s ‘triple councillor’ Horace Cheung ousted in Sai Wan
The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong’s Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, who was previously a “triple councillor”, having held positions in the district council, Legislative Council and Executive Council, has lost his seat in the Sai Wan constituency of Central and Western District Council.
2:09AM
Attacked activist Stanley Ho wins Sai Kung seat
Stanley Ho Wai-hong, of the Labour Party, has won the Pak Sha Wan seat in Sai Kung by bagging 2,805 votes.
He was attacked by four white-clad men in Sai Kung in September.
Stanley Ho.
Stanley Ho.
2:07AM
Junius Ho says loss of seat is ‘strange’
Writing on social media, Junius Ho (below, centre) describes the loss of his Tuen Mun district council seat as “strange”.
The controversial lawmaker says he got over 500 more votes than in the 2015 polls, but still lost to his pro-democracy opponent by about 1,200 votes.
“I’m moved, the opposition overwhelmed me with congratulations,” Ho says. “It is not a bad thing to transform their brutality to harmony.”
Junius Ho. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
Junius Ho. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
2:02AM
We need to keep up the fight for the future of Hong Kong, says Lester Shum
Former Occupy student activist Lester Shum, who unseated incumbent Chow Ping-tim in the Tsuen Wan constituency of Hoi Bun, has just given his victory speech.
“The government must respond our five demands as soon as possible,” he says.
“We can be happy tonight and take a rest tomorrow, but the day after we will need to keep up our fight for the future of Hong Kong.
1:56AM
Results show Carrie Lam not accepted by most people, says democrat who unseated Junius Ho
Democrat Lo Chun-yu, who unseated pro-Beijing politician Junius Ho Kwan-yiu in the Lok Tsui constituency in Tuen Mun, says the poll was a referendum on Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam’s administration.
“The fact that so many non-establishment candidates have won shows that Carrie Lam is not accepted by most people,” he says.
Lo won 3,474 votes, while Ho netted 2,278. The third candidate, Chiang Ching-man, only got 49 votes.
1:56AM
Starry Lee secures seat in To Kwa Wan North
Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the city’s largest pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, has secured her seat in To Kwa Wan North, Kowloon City district. Lee faced former lawmaker “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung of the pro-democracy camp (in pic).
Leung urges Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to review the results of the elections and respond to the demands of protesters.
“I think [Lee] is the only one who can survive the de facto referendum,” he says.
“Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung. Photo: Sam Tsang
“Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung. Photo: Sam Tsang
1:52AM
Pro-establishment lawmaker Vincent Cheng loses seat in Sham Shui Po
Another pro-Beijing lawmaker, Vincent Cheng Wing-shun, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, has lost to the Civic Party’s Lao Ka-hang in Nam Cheong North.
He had been serving on Sham Shui Po District Council since 2007.
1:43AM
‘Hongkongers have spoken clearly and sent signal to authorities ’
In South Horizons West, the crowd breaks into applause as the officer formally announces that Kelvin Lam has beaten Judy Chan by 4,164 to 3,236. Chan soon leaves to jeers, without speaking to the media.
Lam, a backup candidate for Joshua Wong, says his victory, as well that as others from the camp, sends a strong signal to the authorities.
“Hongkongers regard the election as a referendum and have clearly spoken that they are unhappy with how Hong Kong and Beijing have dealt with the ongoing protests in the last six months,” Lam says.
“It is particularly clear in middle-class constituencies like South Horizons. I believe Hongkongers can leverage this to ask for more democracy from the authorities.”
Kelvin Lam. Photo: Edmond So
Kelvin Lam. Photo: Edmond So
1:34AM
Pro-establishment lawmaker Michael Tien loses Discovery Park seat
Pro-establishment lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun has lost his district council seat in Discovery Park, Tsuen Wan, to pro-democracy candidate Lau Cheuk-yu.
“I respect the electorate’s decision,” Tien says, adding he received a similar number of votes as the last time, meaning people are satisfied with his work.
He puts the loss down to an increase in the number of young voters.
“If that’s true, it means young people are no longer insensitive to politics,” Tien says, adding the government needs to listen to the voice of the youth.
Lau got 4,498 votes to Tien’s 3,804.
1:33AM
Police chief heaps praise on officers for peaceful elections
Just after polls closed at 10.30pm on Sunday, new police commissioner Chris Tang Ping-keung thanked frontline officers for their efforts in ensuring the election was conducted peacefully.
In a short speech through police radio communication channels, he said: “Quite a number of colleagues have had to work for more than 30 hours [in a shift] these days. Many have had to use video calls to contact their families. I’m really sad. But we should be proud of such commitment to our mission.
“Our efforts are earning more and more recognition from the public ... Today many citizens at polling stations said they supported Hong Kong police,” he added.
1:29AM
Controversial politician Junius Ho loses Tuen Mun seat
Controversial pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, who landed in hot water for shaking hands with white-clad men on the night a mob attacked protesters and other passengers in Yuen Long station, lost his re-election bid in the Lok Tsui constituency in Tuen Mun.
The Democratic Party’s Lo Chun-yu won the seat by more than 1,000 votes.
1:28AM
Civic Party member Wong Man-huen wins City One seat
Civic Party member Wong Man-huen, an election first-timer, grabbed the City One seat in Sha Tin after more than 81 per cent of the electorate showed up to cast ballots.
Wong beat her pro-establishment rival Wong Ka-wing by close to 2,000 votes. Wong held the position since 2007.
1:22AM
Civil Human Rights Front’s Jimmy Sham wins in Sha Tin
Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front, which has organised several record-breaking rallies since June, has won his seat in Lek Yuen in Sha Tin.
Sham urges Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to listen to the people’s voice and address their five key demands, which include ordering an independent probe into police’s handling of protests.
“I hope the pro-democracy bloc can win more than half of the seats in the district council elections,” Sham says.
He also hopes his allies can try their best to carry out their duties to prove that “supporters of democracy are more outstanding than those who support the establishment”.
Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit. Photo: AP
Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit. Photo: AP
1:20AM
Democrat Ramon Yuen secures second term in Lai Chi Kok Central
Democrat Ramon Yuen Hoi-man has successfully secured a second term in Lai Chi Kok Central by bagging more than 4,500 votes and beating his rival Bruce Li Ki-fung.
More than 81 per cent of voters cast their ballot in this middle-class constituency.
1:14AM
League of Social Democrats’ Tsang Kin-shing takes Lok Hong constituency
In the Lok Hong constituency of Eastern district, “Bull” Tsang Kin-shing of the League of Social Democrats has unseated incumbent Jenny Li Chun-chau, by 3,563 votes to 2.800.
He regains the seat after losing it to Li in 2011.
1:10AM
Democratic Party’s Lam Cheuk-ting says he has been re-elected in Sheung Shui
Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting has announced on his Facebook page that he has been re-elected in Sheung Shui’s Shek Wu Hui constituency.
He got 3,926 votes, while the New People’s Party’s Hung Wing-yip took 2,684.
Leung Kam-shing, convener of the North District Parallel Imports Concern Group, received 469 votes.
1:06AM
6,540 complaints received over elections, commission chief says
Electoral Affairs Commission chairman Mr Justice Barnabas Fung says 6,540 complaints were received. Of them, 1,875 were related to voting arrangements such as long queues and inconvenient locations of polling stations.
There were 1,184 complaints about election advertisements and 505 about canvassing activities.
He says many of the complaints were dealt with on the spot. The large number of complaints was largely due to the record turnout and keen competition, he says.
1:00AM
Occupy student leader Tommy Cheung another winner
Another former Occupy student leader, Tommy Cheung Sau-yin, won the Yuen Lung seat in Yuen Long district, beating Business and Professionals Alliance’s Wong Wai-shun, who formerly held the position.
12:56AM
Kelvin Lam wins South Horizons West constituency
Kelvin Lam Ho-por, the substitute candidate for Joshua Wong, who was banned from running in the poll, has won the South Horizons West constituency, beating the New People’s Party’s Judy Chan Kapui.

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“Five demands, not one less,” supporters chant. They celebrate the likely victory of pan-democrat Kelvin Lam Ho-por over New People's Party's Judy Chan Ka-pui in the South Horizons West as they wait for the results.

Video: SCMP/Kimmy Chung

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12:54AM
Civic Party’s Cheng Tat-hung re-elected in Tanner constituency of Eastern district
The Civic Party’s Cheng Tat-hung has been re-elected in the Tanner constituency of Eastern district, beating rival Tsang Cheuk-yi by more than 1,000 votes.
12:51AM
Former student leader Lester Shum wins Tsuen Wan seat
Occupy student activist Lester Shum has won in the Hoi Bun constituency in Tsuen Wan, beating incumbent Timmy Chow Ping-tim and Mok Yuen-kwan of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.
Shum was one of the student leaders who co-led the Occupy movement in 2014 with activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung and legal academic Benny Tai Yiu-ting.
12:49AM
Turnout hits 71.2 per cent, elections chief says
Electoral Affairs Commission chairman Mr Justice Barnabas Fung Wah says more than 2.94 million people voted on Sunday, representing a turnout of 71.2 per cent.
The turnout in the 2015 elections was 47 per cent.
The three districts with the highest turnout were Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Sai Kung, according to Fung.
12:45AM
South Horizons West looking good for pan-democrats
In the South Horizons West constituency of Southern district, officials are still counting but it appears pan-democrat Kelvin Lam has already pocketed more than 4,000 votes, out of the 7,400 ballots cast.
The crowd breaks into applause.
12:21AM
Civic Party member expects to win in Mei Foo North
Civic Party member Joshua Li Chun-hei reveals on his Facebook page that he is likely to win the race in Mei Foo North after bagging 4,153 votes, while his rivals Virginia Lee Wing-cheung and Law Siu-yin received 1,347 votes and 1,294 votes respectively. Counting is still going on, he says.
12:20AM
Former student activist Eddie Chan wins in Yuen Long
Former student activist Eddie Chan Shu-fai, members of pro-democracy lawmaker Eddie Chu Hoi-dick’s team, has won the race in Hung Fuk in Yuen Long.
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21 Nov 2019 - 10:44AM

Hong Kong district council elections
Hong Kong elections: pro-democracy camp wins 17 out of 18 districts
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READ FULL ARTICLE
25 Nov 2019 - 5:47PM
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Opinion
Alice Wu

Hong Kong’s protest crisis rages on and judicial independence is under fire, but where is our justice minister?
Apart from the irony of controversy-prone Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng touting Hong Kong as a dispute resolution centre while the city burns, she has missed important court rulings and their fallout
Alice Wu
Alice Wu
Published: 7:30am, 25 Nov, 2019


TOP PICKS

Comment

Once again, Hong Kong’s justice chief is missing in action

25 Nov 2019

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng at the Court of Final Appeal in Central on June 22. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Comment

Why won’t Carrie Lam allow an independent inquiry?

21 Nov 2019

Anti-government protesters start a fire on a flight of steps leading to the Hong Kong Polytechnic University on November 19. Photo: AFP
Comment

Who should replace Carrie Lam? Or rather, who would want to?

15 Dec 2019

Chief Executive Carrie Lam briefs President Xi Jinping on Hong Kong affairs in Beijing in December 2018. Beijing’s surprise at the district council election results indicates that Lam and other Hong Kong officials have not provided adequate intelligence. Photo: ISD
This Week in Asia

China’s nightmare is coming true. It’s Nato’s new communist target

15 Dec 2019

President Donald Trump leaves the White House on Dec. 2, 2019, on his way to a NATO meeting in London. MUST CREDIT: Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford
Comment

The year the Chinese propaganda machine failed

16 Dec 2019

Illustration: Craig Stephens
Comment

Move over, Carrie Lam: here are two candidates to lead Hong Kong

16 Dec 2019

Former Legco president Jasper Tsang has established a reputation as both a loyalist and a conciliator. Photo: Edmond So
Comment

How Carrie Lam has been hurting Hong Kong politics since 2016

16 Dec 2019

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam steps through a police barrier as she arrives for a news conference at the Office of the Chief Executive on December 10. Photo: AP
Comment

A political lesson from Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen for HK protesters

11 Dec 2019

Voicing support for Hong Kong protesters costs Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and her government nothing. But letting them in as political refugees? That’s a big can of worms to risk opening. Photo: EPA-EFE
Comment

Transparency can cure weaknesses in public health care system

1 Dec 2019

Outgoing Hospital Authority chairman Professor John Leong Chi-yan has sounded a warning about the burden on the system if anti-government protests continue. Photo: Felix Wong
Comment

Do Hong Kong protesters have the right to make everyone pay?

19 Nov 2019

Local residents argue with an anti-government protester outside the University of Hong Kong, in Pok Fu Lam on November 16. Photo: Reuters
Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng at the Court of Final Appeal in Central on June 22. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng at the Court of Final Appeal in Central on June 22. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Alice Wu
Alice Wu

Alice Wu fell down the rabbit hole of politics aged 12, when she ran her first election campaign. She has been writing about local politics and current affairs for the Post since 2008. Alice's daily needs include her journals, books, a multi-coloured pen and several lattes.

Cliff Buddle
SCMP Columnist

Cliff Buddle

China’s top legislative body’s comments on the power of Hong Kong courts strike at the heart of ‘one country, two systems’
By calling into question Hong Kong courts’ power to declare laws unconstitutional if they breach the Basic Law, Beijing threatens the city’s legal system and the local judiciary’s ability to protect human rights
Cliff Buddle
Cliff Buddle
Published:


TOP PICKS

382
Cliff Buddle
Cliff Buddle

A journalist for more than 30 years, Cliff began his career as a court reporter in London and moved to Hong Kong in 1994 to join the SCMP. Specialising in court reporting and legal affairs, he has held a variety of editorial positions, including Deputy Editor and Acting Editor-in-Chief.

China / Politics
Chinese police release Simon Cheng Man-kit ‘confession’ tape amid accusations of torture
Shenzhen authorities claim Cheng ‘engaged in prostitution’ but former British consulate trade officer said earlier that he did nothing regrettable
Echo Xie
Echo Xie
Published: 10:32pm, 21 Nov, 2019


TOP PICKS

Shenzhen police released a video on Thursday purportedly showing Simon Cheng “confessing” to “wrongdoings”. Photo: Weibo
Shenzhen police released a video on Thursday purportedly showing Simon Cheng “confessing” to “wrongdoings”. Photo: Weibo
Echo Xie
Echo Xie

Echo is a Beijing-based Chinese politics and policy reporter. Before joining the SCMP, she worked for Jiemian news and the CSMonitor Beijing Bureau. She has a master's in journalism from Shantou University.

Hong Kong / Politics
As it happened: pro-Beijing camp licks wounds after hammering in Hong Kong district council elections
Huge surge of support for pro-democracy camp, which has already taken more seats than it had before
Shock defeats for Junius Ho, Michael Tien and Holden Chow, while Starry Lee holds on against ‘Long Hair’
SCMP Reporters
SCMP Reporters
Published: 12:22am, 25 Nov, 2019


Supporters of pro-democracy candidate Angus Wong celebrate his victory. Photo: AP
Supporters of pro-democracy candidate Angus Wong celebrate his victory. Photo: AP
7:38AM
Coverage closes
7:01AM
Good night for pro-democracy lawmakers seeking re-election to councils
6:22AM
Civic Party more than doubles number of councillors
6:19AM
Power for Democracy candidate takes DAB scalp in Kennedy Town
6:00AM
Pro-democracy camp takes control of at least five councils
5:37AM
21 wins, 156 losses so far for DAB
4:44AM
Winning Civic Party members to head to PolyU
4:40AM
Seven out of seven for Labour Party
4:36AM
Emotions still running high at Kennedy Town polling station
4:14AM
Pan-democrat Leung Yiu-chung re-elected in Kwai Tsing district
4:00AM
Defeated lawmaker Alice Mak points finger at Carrie Lam
3:52AM
Another DAB incumbent loses out
3:32AM
DAB’s Bill Tang loses out in bid for Sha Tin seat
3:25AM
Sai Kung District Council chairman George Ng loses seat
3:21AM
Rural incumbent holds off challenge from Eddie Chu
3:14AM
FTU lawmaker Alice Mak beaten by Civic Party candidate
3:10AM
Election not about district work this time, says defeated DAB lawmaker
3:03AM
Holden Chow the fourth DAB lawmaker to be beaten
2:53AM
Democratic Party vice-chairman Lo Kin-hei secures third term
2:51AM
Pan-democrats equal number of seats held previously
2:44AM
Double whammy in Whampoa
2:40AM
Bad night for DAB with more than 100 candidates losing
2:39AM
Victim of police assault takes Ma Tau Wai
2:34AM
DAB lawmaker Edward Lau beaten by NeoDemocrats candidate
2:31AM
‘Voice of the public is loud and clear,’ Roy Kwong says
2:26AM
Junius Ho defeat celebrated by some in Tuen Mun
2:24AM
Democrats unbeaten, with DAB losing more than 80 seats
2:23AM
Tai Po District Council chairwoman Wong Pik-kiu loses to pan-democrat
2:21AM
Victory shows Hong Kong people determined to fight for freedoms: Democrat Andrew Chiu
2:17AM
Democrat Roy Kwong successfully defends Yuen Long seat
2:16AM
Pro-Beijing ‘king of votes’ in Tsuen Wan falls
2:15AM
Pro-democracy activist Tommy Cheung hails results as ‘tsunami’
2:12AM
DAB’s ‘triple councillor’ Horace Cheung ousted in Sai Wan
2:09AM
Attacked activist Stanley Ho wins Sai Kung seat
2:07AM
Junius Ho says loss of seat is ‘strange’
2:02AM
We need to keep up the fight for the future of Hong Kong, says Lester Shum
1:56AM
Results show Carrie Lam not accepted by most people, says democrat who unseated Junius Ho
1:56AM
Starry Lee secures seat in To Kwa Wan North
1:52AM
Pro-establishment lawmaker Vincent Cheng loses seat in Sham Shui Po
1:43AM
‘Hongkongers have spoken clearly and sent signal to authorities ’
1:34AM
Pro-establishment lawmaker Michael Tien loses Discovery Park seat
1:33AM
Police chief heaps praise on officers for peaceful elections
1:29AM
Controversial politician Junius Ho loses Tuen Mun seat
1:28AM
Civic Party member Wong Man-huen wins City One seat
1:22AM
Civil Human Rights Front’s Jimmy Sham wins in Sha Tin
1:20AM
Democrat Ramon Yuen secures second term in Lai Chi Kok Central
1:14AM
League of Social Democrats’ Tsang Kin-shing takes Lok Hong constituency
1:10AM
Democratic Party’s Lam Cheuk-ting says he has been re-elected in Sheung Shui
1:06AM
6,540 complaints received over elections, commission chief says
1:00AM
Occupy student leader Tommy Cheung another winner
12:56AM
Kelvin Lam wins South Horizons West constituency
12:54AM
Civic Party’s Cheng Tat-hung re-elected in Tanner constituency of Eastern district
12:51AM
Former student leader Lester Shum wins Tsuen Wan seat
12:49AM
Turnout hits 71.2 per cent, elections chief says
12:45AM
South Horizons West looking good for pan-democrats
12:21AM
Civic Party member expects to win in Mei Foo North
12:20AM
Former student activist Eddie Chan wins in Yuen Long
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7:38AM
Coverage closes
As it stands, the pro-democracy camp has gained control of at least 12 of the 18 district councils, winning 278 seats. The pro-Beijing camp has managed to secure just 42 seats so far.
Independents, who are not endorsed by either camp, have won 24 seats.
Our live coverage is now closing. For a full wrap of events, please click here.
7:01AM
Good night for pro-democracy lawmakers seeking re-election to councils
All six pro-democracy lawmakers who stood for re-election as district councillors were successful in Sunday’s vote.
6:22AM
Civic Party more than doubles number of councillors
The Civic Party, of the pan-democratic bloc, says 32 of the 36 candidates it sent into Sunday’s polls have won. Before the elections, it had 12 members in district councils.
6:19AM
Power for Democracy candidate takes DAB scalp in Kennedy Town
Cherry Wong Kin-ching of Power for Democracy has beaten the DAB’s Chan Hok-fung in the Kennedy Town and Mount Davis constituency in Central and Western district.
6:00AM
Pro-democracy camp takes control of at least five councils
As of 6am, the pro-democracy camp has won majorities in at least five district councils: Wong Tai Sin, Tsuen Wan, Wan Chai, Central and Western, and Southern.
5:37AM
21 wins, 156 losses so far for DAB
As of 5.30am, the city’s largest pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, has won 21 seats while 156 of its candidates have been defeated.
On the other side of the political divide, the Democratic Party has secured 54 seats with only two candidates confirmed to have lost their bids.
4:44AM
Winning Civic Party members to head to PolyU
Civic Party leader Alvin Yeung has announced that all members elected in Sunday’s poll will go to Polytechnic University in support of protesters who barricaded themselves inside the Hung Hom campus after intense clashes with police last week.
They will go there at some point on Monday.
4:40AM
Seven out of seven for Labour Party
The Labour Party, which is in the pro-democracy camp, says all seven of its candidates in Sunday’s polls have won, including Yip Wing, who has secured a second term in the Chung On constituency of Sha Tin district.
Yip is the only district councillor who uses a wheelchair.
4:36AM
Emotions still running high at Kennedy Town polling station
Emotions at the Kennedy Town and Mount Davis polling station are still running high as angry campaigners and community members are unhappy with staff over their handling of three votes from a ballot box designated for those with physical disabilities.
The counting started after polling station personnel reached an agreement on how to handle the three votes. But community members, who did not agree with the decision, called for an election re-run.
4:14AM
Pan-democrat Leung Yiu-chung re-elected in Kwai Tsing district
Veteran pan-democrat Leung Yiu-chung, of the Neighbourhood and Worker’s Service Centre, has been re-elected with 4,766 votes, defeating two competitors in the Kwai Fong constituency in Kwai Tsing district.
The lawmaker says he is very pleased with the result. He says his major concern is to help those protesters still staying put in Polytechnic University.
He also says it is too early to talk about his plan for next year’s Legislative Council elections.
“The views of the public are very clear. The government should launch an independent probe into police brutality,” Leung says.
4:00AM
Defeated lawmaker Alice Mak points finger at Carrie Lam
Lawmaker Alice Mak, of the pro-Beijing Federation of Trade Unions, speaking of her defeat, says the Carrie Lam administration is partly to blame.
“The government’s poor governance has given rise to many public grievances. In the election campaign, pro-government candidates have been unfairly treated. This is a very important reason,” she says.
Mak was defeated in the Wai Ying constituency of Kwai Tsing district by the Civic Party’s Henry Sin Ho-fai.
3:52AM
Another DAB incumbent loses out
Another DAB incumbent has lost as Chris Ip Ngo-tung loses out to Chan Tsz-wai of Power for Democracy in Jordan South in Yau Tsim Mong district.
Ip confesses it was a “difficult battle” and believes his defeat was partly due to his party’s support of the extradition bill.
“But I have no regrets for having supported the bill,” he says.
Chan, meanwhile, admits he has no experience in district council work but he will work very hard to serve the residents.
3:32AM
DAB’s Bill Tang loses out in bid for Sha Tin seat
The DAB’s Bill Tang Ka-piu, a former lawmaker, has lost to independent democrat Lo Tak-ming in the Shui Chuen O constituency in Sha Tin district.
Tang previously sat on Islands District Council but this year opted to run in Sha Tin instead.
3:25AM
Sai Kung District Council chairman George Ng loses seat
Sai Kung District Council chairman George Ng Sze-fuk, of the DAB, has lost his seat.
3:21AM
Rural incumbent holds off challenge from Eddie Chu
Pro-democracy candidate Eddie Chu Hoi-dick has failed in his bid to unseat pro-establishment Lai Wing-tim in Pat Heung South, a rural constituency which has always been occupied by members of the influential rural body, the Heung Yee Kuk.
Lam wins by 364 votes.
3:14AM
FTU lawmaker Alice Mak beaten by Civic Party candidate
Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Alice Mak Mei-kuen has been defeated in the Wai Ying constituency of Kwai Tsing district by the Civic Party’s Henry Sin Ho-fai by a margin of 1,714 votes.
Mak, who was returned uncontested in 2015, becomes the seventh pro-establishment lawmaker to lose a district council seat tonight. She had been a district councillor for more than 20 years.
She says her defeat is more about her stance than her district service.
“In such a divided society, I have to thank my supporters and I also respect the voters’ decision. I think we need to review our work to regain public trust in our work. I also hope peace can return to Hong Kong after election day,” she says.
Sin, meanwhile, says he represents the voice of the public. “My winning shows that the public will not give up our five demands until we achieve our goal.”
Alice Mak. Photo: Edward Wong
Alice Mak. Photo: Edward Wong
3:10AM
Election not about district work this time, says defeated DAB lawmaker
DAB lawmaker Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, who lost in the Sai Wan constituency of Central and Western District Council, says the elections were different this time.
“We all understand that this time the results are not much to do with local district work,” says Cheung, who is also an Executive Council member.
The DAB vice-chairman says the party will have a meeting soon to analyse the defeat.
3:03AM
Holden Chow the fourth DAB lawmaker to be beaten
Holden Chow Ho-ding has become the fourth DAB lawmaker to be defeated in the district council elections after losing his seat to pro-democracy candidate Wong Chun-yeung in Tung Chung South by a margin of 1,430 votes.
Chow is one of five “super district councillors”, a lawmaker returned from the district council (second) constituency of the legislature. Candidates must be district councillors and nominated by 15 other council members, before being able to enter the citywide elections.
Chow’s defeat gives his party a headache as he will not be able to enter the legislature through the same constituency in 2020.
Holden Chow. Photo: Edmond So
Holden Chow. Photo: Edmond So
2:53AM
Democratic Party vice-chairman Lo Kin-hei secures third term
Democratic Party vice-chairman Lo Kin-hei has comfortably secured his third term in the Lei Tung II constituency of Southern district by bagging 4,737 votes, beating his DAB rival Tan Jin-jie, who got 2,801.
2:51AM
Pan-democrats equal number of seats held previously
The pro-democracy camp has already won as many seats as it held before the election, with the results for less than 150 constituencies of the 452 in.
2:44AM
Double whammy in Whampoa
Two pro-democracy candidates Kwan Ka-lun and Kwong Po-yin have won both the Whampoa East and Whampoa West constituency.
Kwong has been dubbed one of the Occupy soldiers by winning her seat four years ago as a pro-democracy new face. This will be her second term.
2:40AM
Bad night for DAB with more than 100 candidates losing
As of 2.30am, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong says more than 100 of the 182 members it sent to the district council polls have lost.
2:39AM
Victim of police assault takes Ma Tau Wai
Ken Tsang Kin-chiu, widely known as the victim of an assault by seven Hong Kong police officers during the 2014 Occupy protests, has won in Ma Tau Wai, beating his key rival Siu Tin-hung.
Ken Tsang. Photo: Sam Tsang
Ken Tsang. Photo: Sam Tsang
2:34AM
DAB lawmaker Edward Lau beaten by NeoDemocrats candidate
Another DAB lawmaker, Edward Lau Kwok-fan, who represents the district council functional constituency in the legislature, has been defeated in North district’s Yan Shing constituency by Lam Shuk-ching, of the NeoDemocrats.
2:31AM
‘Voice of the public is loud and clear,’ Roy Kwong says
Democrat Roy Kwong Chun-yu, winner in the Pek Long constituency in Yuen Long district, has thanked voters for their support.
He says local district work is important and he will not forget residents’ support.
“The voice of the public is loud and clear. Five demands, not one less. We hope the government can heed the protesters’ demands,” Kwong says.
He beat pro-Beijing rival August Tam Wai-lam of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.
2:26AM
Junius Ho defeat celebrated by some in Tuen Mun
Some people have celebrated the defeat of controversial pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu by placing bottles of beer and several cigarettes outside his office in Tuen Mun.
Ho lost his re-election bid for the Lok Tsui constituency to the Democratic Party’s Lo Chun-yu by more than 1,000 votes.
2:24AM
Democrats unbeaten, with DAB losing more than 80 seats
At 2am, 24 out of 25 Democratic Party members have won, with one result still unannounced. The pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong lost more than 80 seats, with just six members elected.
2:23AM
Tai Po District Council chairwoman Wong Pik-kiu loses to pan-democrat
Tai Po District Council chairwoman Wong Pik-kiu, who has been a district councillor since 2000, has lost her seat in Kwong Fuk and Plover Cove to Dalu Lin Kok-cheung, a new face from the pro-democracy camp.
2:21AM
Victory shows Hong Kong people determined to fight for freedoms: Democrat Andrew Chiu
Democrat Andrew Chiu Ka-yin, re-elected in the Tai Koo Shing West constituency in Eastern district, says the pro-democracy camp’s victory in the poll sends a clear signal to Beijing, the Hong Kong government, and the international community that Hongkongers are determined to fight for democracy and their freedoms.
Chiu, whose ear was bitten off in an attack early this month, beat Kacee Ting Wong of the pro-government Business and Professional Alliance for Hong Kong.
2:17AM
Democrat Roy Kwong successfully defends Yuen Long seat
Democratic Party lawmaker Roy Kwong Chun-yu has successfully secured another term as district councillor for the Pek Long constituency in Yuen Long.
2:16AM
Pro-Beijing ‘king of votes’ in Tsuen Wan falls
In Lai To constituency in Tsuen Wan, pro-democracy candidate Ronald Tse Man-chak also unseats his Beijing-friendly rival Wong Wai-kit, one of the so-called kings of votes in the last polls.
Tse received 5,907 votes, beating Wong’s 3,599.
2:15AM
Pro-democracy activist Tommy Cheung hails results as ‘tsunami’
Young activist Tommy Cheung Sau-yin, who defeated incumbent Wilson Wong Wai-shun in the Yuen Lung constituency in Yuen Long, describes tonight’s results as a “tsunami”.
He calls on his allies in the pro-democracy camp to keep up their coordination in both the council and on the streets so they can get closer to their goals of achieving universal suffrage.
2:12AM
DAB’s ‘triple councillor’ Horace Cheung ousted in Sai Wan
The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong’s Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, who was previously a “triple councillor”, having held positions in the district council, Legislative Council and Executive Council, has lost his seat in the Sai Wan constituency of Central and Western District Council.
2:09AM
Attacked activist Stanley Ho wins Sai Kung seat
Stanley Ho Wai-hong, of the Labour Party, has won the Pak Sha Wan seat in Sai Kung by bagging 2,805 votes.
He was attacked by four white-clad men in Sai Kung in September.
Stanley Ho.
Stanley Ho.
2:07AM
Junius Ho says loss of seat is ‘strange’
Writing on social media, Junius Ho (below, centre) describes the loss of his Tuen Mun district council seat as “strange”.
The controversial lawmaker says he got over 500 more votes than in the 2015 polls, but still lost to his pro-democracy opponent by about 1,200 votes.
“I’m moved, the opposition overwhelmed me with congratulations,” Ho says. “It is not a bad thing to transform their brutality to harmony.”
Junius Ho. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

[TonyGosling]

HK$70m funds backing protesters seized, four arrested
Local | 19 Dec 2019 6:15 pm
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news.php?id=138837&sid=4

The police say the Spark Alliance HK, has been raising money to support protesters.
Police said today they arrested four people on suspicion of money laundering, freezing HK$70 million in donations. The police claimed the funds could have been spent on paying youngsters to join anti-government protests, RTHK reports.

Those arrested, aged between 17 and 50 years, were members of Spark Alliance HK, which has been raising money to support protesters who get into difficulties.

The group said donations would be spent on legal and medical fees, as well as food for protesters.

But acting senior superintendent Chan Wai-kei said police had found some "pretty suspicious" financial activity linked to the group.


TS Channel

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"Our police action today was based on suspicious financial transactions conducted by a shell company. In the past six months, we found there were large cash deposits. Pretty suspicious deposits into this shell company which were incommensurate with its business nature," Chan said.

"Furthermore, we found that a large amount of money has been used to purchase personal insurance products of which an individual was the beneficiary. Again, it is incommensurate with his personal income."

Chan said that during their operation, the police confiscated HK$130,000 in cash and found receipts for supermarket coupons worth HK$165,000.

"We seized receipts mentioning that 3,300 coupons had been purchased. We also seized some arrows, some weapons. We do not exclude the possibility that the fund was used as a reward to encourage teenagers to come out and join in the civil unrest," he said.

Last month, local media reported that HSBC was to close a corporate account the group was using to collect the donations, because its activities did not match the business purposes stated by the client.

[TonyGosling]

China security law 'could be end of Hong Kong'
2 hours ago
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-52762291

Tanya Chan (C) said this was "the saddest day in Hong Kong history"
Pro-democracy activists say they fear "the end of Hong Kong", after China announced plans for a new security law.

The US said the move could be "highly destabilising" and undermine China's obligations on Hong Kong's autonomy.

China's National People's Congress will on Friday debate the law, aimed at banning sedition and subversion.

Supporters say it is needed to tackle the violence in political protests that erupted last year. Opponents fear it will be used to remove basic freedoms.

Why has the move caused such a furore?
Hong Kong has observed a "one country, two systems" policy and a "high degree of autonomy" since Britain returned sovereignty to China in 1997.

But activists, and the pro-democracy movement, feel that this is being undermined by Beijing.

What is the Basic Law and how does it work?
Why are there protests in Hong Kong? All the context you need
Last year, millions took to the streets over seven months to protest against a bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. Many of the protests turned violent. The bill was eventually paused, and then withdrawn.


Media captionThe BBC's Helier Cheung on Hong Kong's 2019 protests
The security law is more controversial still. According to the Basic Law, the territory's mini-constitution, Hong Kong's government is required to pass national security legislation. However, an attempt in 2003 failed after 500,000 people took to the streets in opposition.

That is why an attempt now to force through national security legislation - which one legislator on Thursday called "the most controversial [issue] in Hong Kong since the handover" - has caused such outrage.

The BBC's China correspondent, Robin Brant, says that what makes the situation so incendiary is that Beijing can simply bypass Hong Kong's elected legislators and impose the changes.

China can place them into Annex III of the Basic Law, which covers national laws that must then be implemented in Hong Kong - either by legislation, or decree.

Pro-democracy activists fear the law will be used to muzzle protests in defiance of the freedoms enshrined in the Basic Law, as similar laws in China are used to silence opposition to the Communist Party.

What have opponents of China's move said?
A number of pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong, including Democratic Party leader Wu Chi-wai, said the announcement was the death of "one country, two systems".

Civic Party lawmaker Dennis Kwok said "if this move takes place, 'one country, two systems' will be officially erased. This is the end of Hong Kong."

His colleague Tanya Chan added that this was the "saddest day in Hong Kong history".

Student activist and politician Joshua Wong tweeted that the move was an attempt by Beijing to "silence Hong Kongers' critical voices with force and fear".

Meanwhile, the US state department said that "any effort to impose national security legislation that does not reflect the will of the people of Hong Kong would be highly destabilising, and would be met with strong condemnation".

President Donald Trump said the US would react strongly if China followed through with its proposals, without giving details.

The US is currently considering whether to extend Hong Kong's preferential trading and investment privileges. It must decide by the end of the month.


Media captionFormer Hong Kong governor Chris Patten: "UK should tell China this is outrageous"
The last British governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, called the move a "comprehensive assault on the city's autonomy".

A spokesperson for the British Foreign Office said that the UK expected China "to respect Hong Kong's rights and freedoms and high degree of autonomy".

What is China's position?
Sources at the National People's Congress (NPC) have said that Beijing can no longer wait for Hong Kong to pass its own law, nor can it continue to watch the growth of what it sees as a violent anti-government movement.

One source told the South China Morning Post: "We can no longer allow acts like desecrating national flags or defacing of the national emblem in Hong Kong."

Image copyrightAFP
Image caption
Zhang Yesui announces the move ahead of the opening of the NPC
Beijing may also fear September's elections to Hong Kong's legislature. If last year's success for pro-democracy parties in district elections is repeated, government bills could potentially be blocked.

Announcing the move on Thursday, spokesman Zhang Yesui gave little away, saying the measure would "improve" on one country, two systems.

Mr Zhang said: "National security is the bedrock underpinning the stability of the country. Safeguarding national security serves the fundamental interest of all Chinese, our Hong Kong compatriots included."

Profile: Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong
Hong Kong's year in seven intense emotions
After debating the issue, the NPC - generally a rubber stamp - will vote on it next week. The matter would then not advance until June, when it goes before the Standing Committee.

An editorial in the state-run China Daily said the law meant that "those who challenge national security will necessarily be held accountable for their behaviour".

In Hong Kong, the pro-Beijing DAB party said it "fully supported" the proposals, which were made "in response to Hong Kong's rapidly worsening political situation in recent years".

Pro-Beijing lawmaker Christopher Cheung told Reuters: "Legislation is necessary and the sooner the better."

What is Hong Kong's legal situation?
Hong Kong was ruled by Britain as a colony for more than 150 years up to 1997.

The British and Chinese governments signed a treaty - the Sino-British Joint Declaration - that agreed Hong Kong would have "a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs", for 50 years.

This was enshrined in the Basic Law, which runs out in 2047.

As a result, Hong Kong's own legal system, borders, and rights - including freedom of assembly and free speech - are protected.

But Beijing has the ability to veto any changes to the political system and has, for example, ruled out direct election of the chief executive.


Media captionUproar on Monday in Hong Kong's legislature
Hong Kong saw widespread political protests in 2019 but these became much smaller during the coronavirus outbreak.

However, there were chaotic scenes in Hong Kong's legislative chamber on Monday, when a number of pro-democracy lawmakers were dragged out during a row about a bill that would make it illegal to disrespect the national anthem.

A group of 15 prominent pro-democracy activists also appeared in court on Monday charged with organising and taking part in unlawful assemblies related to last year's protests.

[TonyGosling]

Estate residents ordered to show Covid test results
2020-12-24 HKT 09:08
https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1566902-20201224.htm

Estate residents ordered to show Covid test results
Timmy Sung reports
Officials have set up checkpoints at a virus-hit block on a Sha Tin housing estate, ordering residents to show proof that they've complied with a mandatory testing notice or immediately take a test.

Queues formed on Thursday morning as residents of Ming Yan House in the Jat Min Estate suddenly found themselves forced to show SMS notification or other certification of a test before they were allowed to go to work.

Police officers and officials from the Sha Tin District Office, the Auxiliary Medical Service and the Housing Society moved in at 6am. Home Affairs Secretary Caspar Tsui, who was on site before 6am, said residents were not given advance notice because there were concerns some would try to flee. He said about 400 people were checked in the first two and a half hours.

Government and Housing Society officials will also go door to door in the block to ask for proof of testing. People have to show the SMS notification on their mobile phone or other certification of a test between December 17 and 21.

"Taking into account the fact that since the government requires testing through compulsory testing notices, members of the public have generally been compliant, the government will first issue verbal warnings in the enforcement operation today, and will allow the residents to undergo immediate testing in the mobile testing station near Ming Yan Lau," a spokesman said.

"Before the testing results are available, residents must stay at home to reduce the risk of community infection."

One resident, who claimed to have already taken a test, told RTHK he had never received an official notification about the result and has been ordered by authorities to take another test.

“It’s previously been said that if we didn’t receive a notification after four to five days it means the result was negative. But now they’re demanding to see some sort of confirmation. It’s really confusing”, said he said.

Officials have the power to issue people who ignore a mandatory testing order with a fine of HK$5,000 and a compulsory testing order. Failure to comply with the order could result in a fine of up to HK$25,000 and a six-month jail term.

Officials ordered the evacuation of the 32nd floor at Ming Yan House on December 16 after cases were found in four separate flats. They also ordered anyone who had spent at least two hours in the building between December 1 and 16 to take a test.

The Centre for Health Protection shows five cases in the building in the past two weeks.

Compulsory testing orders have been issued for about half a dozen public housing blocks as well as numerous other venues, including dance clubs linked to the city's biggest cluster of coronavirus cases.