#HONGKONG: Former Student Leader Arrested For Sharing Facebook Post

[world politics news]

Former Hong Kong student leader Owen Au was arrested by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) at 7 a.m. on Tuesday for allegedly violating the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance, according to HKFP sources.

Over seven months ago, Au shared a post by self-exiled democrat and former lawmaker Ted Hui on Facebook, which encouraged the public to cast blank votes in the first “patriots only” Legislative Council election last December.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#HONGKONG: Exiled Democracy Activist Strikes Back At Gov't Official's Criticism

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Self-exiled activist Nathan Law has hit back after the city’s security chief said he was “extremely furious” that the ex-lawmaker accepted an invitation to speak at the upcoming Summit for Democracy in the US.

Law, who left Hong Kong just before the enactment of the Beijing-imposed national security law last June, announced on Monday that he had been invited by US President Joe Biden to speak at the summit, to be held on Friday.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang wrote in a blog post published on Tuesday that Law was attempting to “slander the Central and SAR governments, spreading political lies” by accepting an invitation to speak at the summit, “using ‘democracy’ as a façade.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Teacher's Union Disbanded After Attacks By Pro-Beijing Forces

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The Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union announced its disbandment on September 11. Established in 1973, the group has been the largest and oldest teachers' union in the city.

The group's pro-democracy stance has been attacked by pro-Beijing media funded by the Chinese Communist Party government and attacks were picked up by the Hong Kong government.

Source: Stand News

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Seven 2019 Anti-Gov't Protest Organizers Convicted

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Hong Kong newspaper owner Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and six former opposition lawmakers have been convicted of organising and taking part in an unauthorised anti-government protest in 2019.

The ruling followed a four-week trial that centred on an unauthorised procession on August 18, 2019, during the social unrest of that year sparked by the since-withdrawn extradition bill.

Prosecutors accused the seven of turning an approved assembly in Victoria Park into an illegal march to Central under the pretext of crowd control.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#EU: Angered By Crackdown, Parliament Calls For Sanctions Against Hong Kong's Leaders

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The European Parliament has condemned the crackdown on the democratic opposition in Hong Kong, calling member states to introduce targeted sanction against Hong Kong and Chinese mainland officials.

The European Parliament has passed a resolution by the lopsided vote of 597-17, demanding an “immediate and unconditional release” of the democratic opposition and activists arrested and detained on “politically motivated charges,” during the recent political crackdown, including Joshua Wong, Ivan Lam, and Agnes Chow.

Members of Parliament also expressed regrets about the text of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, stating that it did not reflect the Parliament’s desire to preserve Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy it negotiated under the one country/two systems policy agreed to when Britain handed over the city to mainland China in 1997.

It further warned that, “by rushing to reach this agreement and not taking concrete action against the serious and ongoing human rights violations, the EU risks undermining its credibility as a global human rights actor.” 

In addition, the Parliament urged EU member states to consider introducing targeted sanctions against individuals in Hong Kong and China, including Hong Kong Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, under the EU Human Rights Global Sanction Regime.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Rules May Be Changed To Keep Pro-Democracy Candidates Out Of HK Legislature

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The mainland Chinese Communist Party may radically change the election methods of the Hong Kong Legislative Council in an attempt to bar pro-democracy candidates from entering the legislature, according to lawmaker Cheng Chung-tai, reports the HK Apple Daily newspaper.

Speaking on a RTHK radio talk show, pro-Beijing lawmaker Priscilla Leung said she has yet to hear anything about the speculated changes, but agreed that the changes may help excluding “low quality” people from entering politics, to ensure the implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle.

Since pro-democracy lawmakers have proven they can win at least 117 members in the 1,200-member legislative body, Beijing was rushing to implement the reforms to stop the opposition from using the elections to mobilize, said Cheng, a lawmaker from the Civic Passion Party.

Pro-Beijing officials disqualified nearly all pro-democracy candidates in the last regional elections last year, and this month, more than 60 dissidents have been rounded up by police in Hong Kong in a crackdown on pro-democracy activists.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Over 600,000 Cast Ballots In Pro-Democracy Primary Election

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Over 600,000 Hong Kongers cast their ballot in the democratic camp primaries elections over the weekend, despite the authorities claiming the exercise may be illegal.

Co-organiser and law professor Benny Tai told the press after the polls closed that they recorded over 590,000 electronic ballots and more than 20,000 paper ballots throughout the two-day vote.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Court Forbids Pro-Democracy Activist's European Trip

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Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung has been banned by the Hong Kong court from travelling to London to receive a human rights award from the British parliament, as he faces a charge of inciting anti-government protesters to besiege the police headquarters.

Justice Esther Toh Lye-ping of the High Court on Tuesday refused Wong’s application to vary his bail conditions and lift a travel ban, citing heightened risk of absconding.

On his Twitter page, Wong said he was disappointed with the Court's decision.

"High court banned me from traveling to European Parliaments today, claiming a risk of absconding. By depriving of my right to freedom of movement, the court has imposed an extra punishment before I was proven guilty."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Four Leaders Of 2014 Pro-Democracy Demonstrations Jailed

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Hong Kong reopened one of the most emotional and divisive chapters in its history as four of nine democracy leaders and key activists convicted on public nuisance charges over the 2014 Occupy protests were jailed for up to 16 months.

Two founders of the city’s biggest civil disobedience movement, academics Benny Tai Yiu-ting, 54, and Dr Chan Kin-man, 60, were both given the longest jail terms, at 16 months, while legislator Shiu Ka-chun, 49, and League of Social Democrats vice-chairman Raphael Wong Ho-ming, 30, received eight months each. Two others' sentences were delayed over health issues. Former lawmaker Lee Wing-tat, 63, had his eight-month term suspended for two years in light of his years of public service.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.