Embarrassingly over-eager law-enforcement NatSec idiocy so far… Marking the 1911 Revolution is banned as an expression of Taiwan separatism. Prisons ban hairpins and M&M chocolate for potentially fomenting subversion among inmates. The Customs chief is after lobsters, provocatively waving their nasty anti-China claws round and round.
And now, the police bar runners in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon having shorts (or tattoos) bearing the words ‘Hong Kong Add Oil’ – a slogan used by everyone to encourage local athletes in the Olympics. Indeed, it suggests here that police were stopping anyone displaying just the words ‘Hong Kong’, despite the event’s official title.
Even minor day-to-day activities must be intensely politicized in the name of eradicating an open-ish political system.
A barrister on the government’s move to deny defendants in criminal cases using legal aid the right to choose their own lawyers – thus ‘state-appointed’ defence lawyers. Put this into the context of vaguely drafted NatSec laws, politicized prosecutions, NatSec judges and plans for mega-courts, and you have a 99% conviction rate for people accused of thought crimes.
A not-creepy-at-all extract from a Hong Kong primary school textbook encouraging ethnic consciousness in Mandarin.
And the relentless positive energy continues with an FT (paywall) report suggesting that Hong Kong could continue its extreme quarantine regime for another 13 months…
A significant outbreak in China or Hong Kong would also be politically sensitive, as Beijing prepares to host the Winter Olympics in February and President Xi Jinping seeks to secure a third term in power later next year. Hong Kong will also hold a leadership election in March and mark 25 years since the handover from British to Chinese rule of the city in July.
“We’re effectively deciding Hong Kong will become a Chinese city,” said the Asia-Pacific chief executive of a $60bn asset manager.
Well so much for the non black eyed, black haired, yellow skinned folks born and raised in HK over several generations.
There’s got to be some solution to that, no? Maybe not at first try but an eventual…uh… Final Solution??
And on top of it all, I’m sure Standard Chartered will NOT be allowed to even pull out of sponsoring the marathon in the future as that will be deemed “Anti China” and in violation of NatSec. That is, until a satisfactory enough, truly patriotic mainland company steps up and is deemed worthy of taking the torch. Perhaps Evergrande?
Does anyone with more historical knowledge than me know if there is an actual stage in the erosion of authoritarian control when they start acting so paranoid that each of their successive policies or regulations becomes laughable? I seem to remember countries like Romania and the Soviet Union banning similarly innocuous things for the same reason that Hong Kong is doing so. There was this utter terror that simplistic ideas and even the most sterile phrases would incite the entire country to attack the military or some such.
defence lawyers
Turncoat Tong (called Wong in the SCMP headline – they missed out the “r”) has joined the fray supporting the move. Colour me surprised.
How long before the DoJ announces that they will allocate ALL defence lawyers, Taiwan 12 style, regardless of legal aid or privately paid for?
Looking forward to the Sevens when the Kwis are banned from performing the Haka! Just imagine they would do it to a mainlander team!
BTW, have you noticed that in the allegedly English speaking TVB Pearl, there are more and more subtle ‘inserts’ like ads and financial news in Putonghua??
Ohh and I watched my first, and last, episode of “No Poverty Land” – this about Tibet. Wow!
Watch, behind the cheesy Cultural Revolution style, smiling actor Ding Zhen, in brand-new bright-white, and colored dresses, the grim faced Tibetans. Seemingly also very few cars in Litang (his alleged home town), but lots of Han tourists!
Earlier today I journeyed in to work on the MTR. In Central three coppers got into my carriage and proceeded to stand right next to me. As I was seated, their middle bits (one was rather chubby) were close to my eye line. I then noticed that along the back of the handles of their holstered hand guns was white-coloured Chinese and Roman characters. The latter spelt out “RHKP”. Presumably the “HKP” bit stands for “Hong Kong Police”. Does anyone know what the “R” stands for?
‘Standard Chartered – We’re Here for Good!’
B U L L S H I T AH!
Hong Kong – Asias Stasi City!
Repugnant?
@Reactor #4
Ratfucking, maybe?
Regina’s.
The R was added in expectation of the Security of Security driven Article 23 provision being passed in 1983.
@Reactor $4 – sounds like a breach of the NSL to me. Better call the snitch line to report them.
@Rectum – Surprised you didn’t offer to unzip him and prove your eye-level loyalty and appreciation
While our masters are fixated on NS and Covid, yesterday there were a shocking 6 suicides and 2 thwarted
34 year old mail jumped off footbridge in Tai Po
40 year old female jumped off a MKK building
59 year old male charcoal in vehicle in Sai Kung
24 year old student jumped of a Tuen Mun Estate
?? female jumped off a building in Kennedy Town
?? female took her life in Kwun Tong
?? boy jumped off a school building kn Kwun Tong, multiple fractures
Elderly gent found attempting to take life at a Caritas Centre
Apparently not everyone is buying into the hype
Take me down to the suicide city
Where the grass don’t grow but the girls are pretty
Ooooh ooooooh take me down….
(apologies to Guns N Roses)