Archive for the ‘Politics: Full Lowdown’ Category
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POLITICS – Full Lowdown: Thousands of Bigoted Christian Homophobes Gather for Demo
Thousands of Hong Kong Christians were unified in intolerance yesterday as they demonstrated against homosexuality at government headquarters…
Hatefest 2013, via Ray Chan Chi Chuen on FB
The South China Morning Mouthpiece and Sub-Standard reported today that the dreadful Evangelical Free Church of China Yan Fook organised the “Inclusive Love Praying Concert” – which clearly was neither inclusive nor loving.
The right-wing bi-lingual ‘megachurch’ has a 10,000-strong congregation and was founded in the mid-80s. Ultra-wacky conservative Christian pressure/hate group, the Society for Truth and Light, were also in attendance. The group previously spent HK$1million to educate the HK public about the “scientific and social research” which proves homosexuals are ‘invalid’ purveyors of STDs. Quite.
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POLITICS – Full Lowdown: Battle of the Bullshit – Falun Gong Edition
For many years, displaced and local members of the Falun Gong have attempted to get their message across to mainland visitors at key tourist sites around the city. Whilst some of their claims are said to be exaggerated, the suppression of their movement and persecution of those who practice the spiritual discipline is very much real.
In fact, Beijing has an extra-constitutional body dedicated to the “eradication” of the group, via extra-judicial sentencing, coercive ‘re-education’ and torture. The New York Times reported that 2,000 Falun Gong adherents have been tortured to death since the persecution campaign began in 1999. Today, the Falun Gong diaspora sport their own newspaper and TV channel, having established themselves as one of the main voices of opposition to China’s one-party rule…
Recently, fellow HK blogger BadCanto reported on a sudden spate of anti-Falun Gong banners featuring crude slogans normally seen north the border. The banners are so prolific in Yau Tsim Mong district that it sparked a debate regarding the line between free speech and littering. Slogans spotted in Kowloon, Tung Chung, Yuen Long and Causeway Bay include:
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POLITICS – Full Lowdown: Election Aftermath. Protests Continue, Albert Ho Quits & Racist Candidate Loses
Click here and here for the full lowdown on the Scholarism anti-National Education protests. Scholarism’s latest statement is at the bottom of this page.
As the international news misreported CY Leung’s supposed ‘withdrawal’ of HK’s National Education farce, Hong Kongers went to the polls in record numbers (a 53% turnout) after months of protest.
A class boycott planned for tomorrow will go ahead, it was announced today. Their Facebook events invites protesters to gather once more at 2pm. With a handful of schools already implementing the ‘patriotism classes’ (and those funded by the University Grants Committee or under the School-based Management Programme exempt from ‘opting out’), there was no sign of the programme actually being cancelled. Only the 2015 deadline for implementation was shelved in Leung’s last-minute announcement on the eve of Sunday’s election.
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POLITICS – Full Lowdown: Small Victory for Scholarism as 170,000+ Protest National Education
Last night (Friday), organisers estimated that 170,000+ people surrounded LEGCO – police put the figure at 36,000. For the full lowdown explaining the demonstrations, click here. Latest:
- CY Leung, Carrie Lam and Anna Wu called a press conference and announced today (Saturday) that the government will give schools full autonomy on whether to introduce National Education. Originally, schools had to implement the programme by 2015 – the deadline has now been scrapped as he asked for protests, boycotts and hunger strikes to end. He claimed the instructions came directly from Beijing and that he will also re-examine curriculum guidelines.
- Protesters are cautious, saying Leung owes them an apology, that schools can still receive tax-payer’s money for the subject and that not all schools (such as those funded by the University Grants Committee or under the School-based Management Programme) will have autonomy to decide. Click for a live stream of continuing protests tonight as thousands continue to call for a full cancellation of the programme.
Yesterday, hunger strikers hit 140 hours, ATV were welcomed with protest signs and banners and Tamar Park, LEGCO and Connaught Rd were packed…
Kin Cheung, AP
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POLITICS – Full Lowdown on HK’s National Education Protests
The summer’s protests against government plans for patriotic ‘National Education’ come amidst a perfect storm of anti-China sentiment ahead of the 2012 Legislative Council Election on September 9th. Suspicion of Beijing and disdain for new leader CY Leung are both at an all-time high. Earlier this year we saw a record turnout at the annual 6/4 rally, housing scandals, dozens of ‘anti-locust’ and mainland mother protests and widespread anger against the crackdown on Chinese dissidents. It appears the new Chief Executive has forgotten what became of Tung Chee Hwa, who lost all imperative to rule following similar large-scale protests and property scandals in 2003.
Art by Siukit Suen
The new ‘Moral and National Education’ subject was set to be implemented in primary schools this week with secondary schools following next year. There are concerns that it paints a glossy picture of the Communist Party whilst ignoring important historical events such as the Tiananmen crackdown (which, emotionally and politically, is to Hong Kongers what 9/11 is to the Americans.) The SCMP reported that “In a school teaching guide for primary two pupils, teachers are instructed to ask students to say loudly, “I am happy to be a Chinese” if they agree.”
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POLITICS – Full Lowdown of HK Political Shit-storm Ahead of July 1st
Below is a piece adapted from an article I wrote for foreign audiences. There is a deeper analysis of HK after Handover over at National Geographic.
Two defining features of present-day Hong Kong are destined to dampen this Sunday’s celebrations as the city marks 15 years since its handover to China. Despite coming tops as the world’s freest economy with the rule of law and civil liberties relatively preserved under the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ agreement, the ex-British colony is plagued with political turmoil and is now home to one of the widest poverty gaps in the developed world.
Preparations for the weekend’s “celebrations”.
Today, Chinese premier Hu Jin Tao will visit the city to help lead the Special Administrative Region’s ‘Establishment Day’ festivities. On the surface, it appears the SAR’s 7 million citizens have much to celebrate. At a time of deep cuts and austerity in Europe and the US, booming Hong Kong is enjoying such a surplus that – in the past year alone – the government offered personal US$700 bail-outs to all residents, subsidised electricity bills and allowed families in public housing free rent for 2 months. However, these handouts have done little to heal more fundamental problems and discontent brewing beneath the Tiger Economy’s glittering skyline.
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POLITICS – Full Lowdown & Photos from HK’s Tiananmen Vigil & Protests
Tonight, an estimated 180,000 Hong Kongers gathered in Victoria Park with candles to mark the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre…
…As usual, the vigil is about more than simply paying respects to the dead and remembering the peaceful protesters who were killed by PLA troops 23 years ago…
…The annual event has also become a time to reflect upon the city’s relationship with the mainland, as well as a chance to take another look at Beijing’s democratic progress and human rights record…
…This year, the mainland’s stock markets took a surprise tumble on the anniversary. Taiwan called upon Beijing to re-evaluate their stance on the massacre and the BBC reported on how the US has urged China’s leaders to release activists arrested during the protests. The were also some small demonstrations in the mainland and a press release by activist Liu Xiaobo’s Support Committee…
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