HK Police uncover a Special Occasion gunpowder plot. (No ‘bang’ here – but you probably guessed that. Maybe a few dozen beer bottles.) This comes after the sleuths tracked down dangerous stickers, and as they prepare to put 10,000 cops on the streets tomorrow to help us celebrate this extra special Handover Day.
Remember Apple Daily? Or maybe it never existed. For proof it was once a big deal – the second part of Lee Yee’s series on the paper is here.
As we all know, there’s a major anniversary taking place right now – congratulations to Hong Kong Free Press for making it to year seven.
From AFP: how the NatSec Law overrides defendants’ rights…
Defending the accused “is an impossible task,” one lawyer told AFP.
“This is presumption of guilt.”
For a mega-read on the subject, Georgetown Law has just released a briefing – Hong Kong National Security Law and the Right to a Fair Trial.
Will the NatSec Regime manage to co-opt a splinter de-facto pro-Beijing Democratic Party to play the role of fake opposition? I’m betting a few of these nonentities will turn quisling. If so, it will simply remind all right-thinking people that there will be nothing to vote for in the forthcoming LegCo ‘election’.
Reuters on how China’s state-owned companies are boycotting HSBC.
Vehemently denying you are insecure is a sure sign of insecurity – discuss. Anyway, the Diplomat notes the festivities surrounding the CCP’s 100th birthday party, and detects a bit of uncertainty…
…the campaign seems infused with insecurity.
…the reality of party history is much more unsavory than leaders are willing to acknowledge.
But! The gala was all in the best possible taste! No, really!
And (if the videos didn’t spell it out) an idea of where this might be heading…
In April this year, a man is believed to have been publicly executed by firing squad in front of approximately 500 people for illegally selling CDs and USBs containing South Korean video and music content…
The article goes on to say…
South Korea has installed loudspeakers that can be used to can blast propaganda into North Korea. In 2016, as a response to nuclear tests from the North, K-pop was blasted loud and clear in a show of defiance. K-pop hits such as Big Bang’s Bang Bang Bang were chosen as a way to irritate the regime…
You too can share Kim Jong-un’s suffering.
Maybe our gweilo bomb expert could tell us more precisely what substances he found, and for what other purposes such substances might be used in a household.
Can I buy a kitchen fan and a pound of corn starch without getting arrested? And remember, sugar can also be used in „bomb“ making.
Whatever happened to all the other „bomb maker terrorists“ they conveniently found before big events since 2014?
In a way, isn’t this sweet Karma for HSBC? I remember many years ago in my brief experience as a (small time) customer, they were such pricks.
HSBC may find themselves taking over DB’s business lending to the Trumps!
RE: bomb making, I made enquires with those who actually know about such things, about the previously discovered substance called TATP. It is so unstable, I was authoritatively told, that for rank amateurs to have produced such large quantities without having an accident, whilst not impossible, was the equivalent of someone having never baked anything before, creating 3 perfect souffles in a row. Perhaps gunpowder has been chosen this time with the hope that the fib will be that much more believable?
Be Careful
Things are strange this week.
Be careful how you speak.
Today and every day
Be careful what you say.
At home, relaxed, tonight
Be careful what you write.
The Shadow’s on the watch.
Be careful how you search.
Wait. Don’t be too quick.
Be careful what you click.
Google may mislead.
Be careful what you read.
The Shadow always knows.
Be careful what you post.
The time may not be ripe.
Be careful what you type.
A most peculiar time.
Be careful how you rhyme.
As well as appearing rather insecure and uncertain as it celebrates its centenary, the Party is still seriously worried about corruption. That is the implication of Xi’s words, reported by RTHK:
“We must aim to be clean people and do clean deeds. We must devote ourselves to public duties and maintain the political nature of the party to be clean.”
@Chinese Netizen – in my experience, when it comes to being total pricks, Standard Chartered and DBS are even worse than HSBC.
From the “Unstoppable Storm” NSL article Hemlock posted:
“Hong Kong University law professor Simon Young said the approach taken by the courts so far is “a wise strategic decision” to preserve judicial independence, as they avoid the risk of challenges that could see final arbiter Beijing further erode the city courts’ powers.”
Total BS and I disagree professor. I would rather see the judiciary have a backbone and then be crushed by the CCP than rollover like the judiciary did in Fascist Italy. The latter gives trappings of legitimacy to a completely unconstitutional law and turns the judiciary into a useless ornament that merely has the illusion of judicial independence.
And something to mull over when you are trapped on public transport today by OTT security. Take a large plastic bag with you.
“Seven people were awarded on Thursday the Grand Bauhinia Medal – the top prize in the government’s Honours List this year.
The highest award went to Chief Justice Andrew Cheung, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng, Executive Councillors Regina Ip and Chow Chung-kong, the chairman of the Kowloon Federation of Associations, Bunny Chan, as well as pro-Beijing businessmen Jonathan Choi and Lo Man-tuen.
Eighteen people were awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star, including a number of judges, senior civil servants and pro-establishment politicians.
Pro-Beijing legal scholar Albert Chen and former Director of Public Prosecutions Grenville Cross were also among the recipients.
Meanwhile, eight police officers were awarded the Medals for Bravery. The government said six of them were seriously injured during the anti-government protests in 2019 and 2020, while two of them defused bombs during the protests.
In all, 746 awards were given out this year, the highest number ever.
A total of 500 people were awarded the Chief Executive’s Commendation for Community Service and Public Service, with the government saying many of them were recognised for their involvement in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in the past year.
I guess ours will arrive in the post on Friday!
@Mark Bradley
Prof Young reckons the only way to “preserve” judicial independence is to not exercise it, but hasn’t the wit to work out that his position is basically a stark admission that judicial independence has already disappeared.
@Mary: Participation trophies, nothing more. When participation trophies go to only those allowed to participate then it all goes unnoticed or with a collective shrug.
Pretty soon the HKPD will be looking like North Korean generals.
@Contempt of Court
So true!!!
Contempt of Court
Mark Bradley
et al
If there was ever any doubt it was eliminated by the Rt Hon Geoffrey Ma’s final judgement on 31st December 2020. He conceded on every single ground he could including on points (eg revocation of Jimmy Lai’s bail) that pro china lawyers I know say could quite reasonably have gone the other way.
Sent a very strong message: accommodate, do not fight.
Disgraceful.