NatSec regime finds new charge for Benny Tai

Let the fencing memes begin.

In the NatSec horror du jour, the graft-buster-turned-CCP-enforcer ICAC concocts an election-related charge against jailed law professor and pro-dem activist Benny Tai and two others. Do citizens have a basic free-speech right to publicly endorse particular election candidates? Does this include buying advertising space in newspapers? If not, why wasn’t Tai charged in 2016, when the alleged offence took place?

Some mid-week reading…

An English translation of allegedly seditious children’s cartoon book The Defenders of Sheep Village, which few would have heard of if the CCP’s NatSec enforcers had but ignored it.

852 Spirit have been uploading RTHK Hong Kong Connection episodes on YouTube. The government seems to be trying to get them taken down.

Kevin Carrico on why ‘sanctions are great’

Prior to the implementation of sanctions on Hong Kong officials, there was officially no downside to obeying the orders of the Liaison Office and its enablers in the city. Sanctions change that forever.

Who really wants to work in the national security office, knowing that one may never be able to open a bank account or travel internationally?

Who really wants to be the next Chief Executive of Hong Kong (other than Leung Chen-ying, Regina Ip, and the already sanctioned incumbent) knowing that the policies one has to enact in this position will lead to the implementation of global sanctions against oneself and one’s family?

The Hong Kong government’s handling of pandemic/travel is a mess (the conference crowd are the latest to complain), but it looks like the aim is to emphasize ‘one country’ and prioritize inbound Mainland tourism over outbound international travel. Of course, Mainland tourists have never been hugely popular in Hong Kong. 

Which brings us to Thought for the Day: Once the number of Mainland visitors goes back above ‘noticeable nuisance’ levels (say 10-20 million a year), what sort of special post-NatSec reception will they get when their Hello Kitty wheeled suitcases trundle over local residents’ toes?

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10 Responses to NatSec regime finds new charge for Benny Tai

  1. donkey says:

    1. the mainland visitors will be accosted, no doubt about that.

    2. if they are prioritising mainland travel, then why do the public service announcements proclaim that if we all get herd immunity we’ll be able to travel and come back to hong kong quickly.

  2. YTSL says:

    Not a meme but going viral:
    https://twitter.com/Ley_520hk1314/status/1419660122264006659

    Particularly sweet when one realizes that the chants of “We are Hong Kong” drowned out the playing of “The March of the Volunteers”.

    I wish I could hold on to that moment. But, alas, we’ve got the verdict re Tong Ying-kit coming up this afternoon and, well, I hope for the best but am expecting the worst. 🙁

  3. Chinese Netizen says:

    @YTSL: tacit approval of mall owners? Surprised the goon squad didn’t show up unusually quickly to beat, gas and grope the rebels.

  4. Ping Che says:

    As was to be expected:

    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1602765-20210727.htm

    Will they lock him away for life?

  5. where's my jet plane says:

    first person to stand trial found guilty of secession, terrorism

    With that bunch of so-called judges the poor bugger never stood a chance. It’s a pretty good indication of the result of any future trials.

  6. Frank Bough says:

    Those Hong Kong Olympic sports in full:

    Pushin’ an’ Shovin’
    Wheelin’ an’ Dealin’
    Moanin’ an’ Groanin’
    Er…
    That’s it.

  7. Gromit says:

    Is it still ok for the HK Olympic Committee to continue to promote HK participating separately from China?
    Just looking for some clarification here.
    Surely the government should be snuffing out this avenue for separatists to demonstrate their erroneous thinking?
    What do Regina, Junius, Holden and the rest say? I think we should be told to help the rest of us find the path to correct thinking.

  8. Mary Melville says:

    DAB chairman Starry Lee said Muk had questions when he saw the athlete without a jersey with HKSAR flag, and Lee said Muk’s tone and approach was a bit too heavy. Asked will she ask him to apologise or explain in public, she said DAB has made such request, and one has to be responsible for their own remarks and actions. She stressed that when such a big controversy caused many discussions in the community, he should shoulder such responsibility.
    Its election year so DAB has figured that a sacrificial lamb approach is the least damaging.

  9. Chinese Netizen says:

    @Gromit: With HK as a separate sporting entity, CCPChina gets MORE entrants into games events which equals MORE opportunities to pad the medal count (always the end all…not actual sportsmanship and all that silliness).

    I don’t actually watch these things so help me out here – if the HKer wins gold, do they play the motherland’s anthem?

  10. YTSL says:

    @ Chinese Netizen —

    1) Don’t know about tacit approval of mall owners but am already reading about possible prosecution of people for chanting “We are Hong Kong”. You’d think they’d be happy that at least they weren’t booing “March of the Volunteers”.

    2) And yes, if Hong Kongers win gold, they play THAT anthem. Which is one reason why people were chanting “We are Hong Kong” so loudly at that point.

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