The magistrate rules that there is sufficient evidence for a trial of Cardinal Zen and five others accused of failing to register a legal defence fund. Some more details here. As a taste of how things are likely to go…
…the lawyer representing the cardinal asked a senior police inspector whether the funeral committee for the late Macau tycoon Stanley Ho and Chief Executive John Lee’s election office were registered societies.
However, the line of cross-examination was stopped by the prosecution and the magistrate, who questioned the relevance of whether other groups were registered societies.
She said that funeral-related groups formed ‘not because of an aim, but to complete something’.
Isn’t completion an aim? Whatever. Expect more extreme nitpicking over what sort of group needs registration under the Societies Ordinance, including prosecution emphasis on the political – as in sinister- or conspiratorial-sounding – nature of the fund (a la Wen Wei Po). The trial for a minor (max HK$10,000 fine) and little-used charge could turn into a neat example of ‘rule by law’, in which government opponents commit offenses while loyalists doing the same thing do not.
The Catholic News Agency quotes various Catholics and others in support of Cardinal Zen. The Guardian’s coverage of the proceedings.
Another weird moment in NatSec: police film worshipers leaving the Anglican cathedral after a memorial service for the Queen. Given the use of this tactic to dissuade crowds from jeering the national anthem at sports events, the logic is presumably that expressions of mourning for the late sovereign (as outside the British consulate) are a disguised form of anti-Beijing protest. No exceptions for the church of which she was Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor by convention dating back to 1531 (Henry VIII, etc).
More bucket list items for Hemmers:
1. Spend three entire days in the South Stand
2. Dance on the bar at Carnegies
3. Pose for photos at that swimming pier in K Town
4. Attend a Mirror concert
Didn’t Carnegie’s close 5 years ago?
5. Visit the observation deck in the Bank of China Building.
6. Visit one of those ancient fortress villages in the NT. Take pictures with old Hakka ladies with big black hats @ $ 20-
7. Have a pint at Bobby London in Tai Po. Take picture with Derek Currie @ $ 20-
8. Check out China Coast Home. Take picture with Ted Thomas @ $ 10-
9. Buy egg tarts in that place where Fat Pang used to go.
10. Swing with the jazz band in Waltzing Matilda.
11. Have a baby at Matilda Hospital.
12. Have a “baby” at Makati II.
Why not something a bit more challenging?
1. Walk the entire McLehose Trail.
2. Complete the Hong Kong Marathon.
3. Compete in the Cross-Harbour Swimming Race.
4. [This is the tough one} Wear a black T-shirt and carry a lighted candle in Victoria Park on June 4th.
@Joe Blow – I thought the jazz band was in Ned Kelly’s? WM was more of a gay hangout in the old days.
@Joe Blow ref: 8. Check out China Coast Home. Take picture with Ted Thomas @ $ 10-
The Venerable Thomas moved to a British run care home near Chiang Mai a couple of years ago. Own villa, 24 hour care, full board, visiting massage ladies not discouraged.
@Low Profile: you are right. The Aussie theme got me mixed up.
@Din Gao: I wonder how Walking Ted can afford that.
and here’s #13: visit the wax museum on the Peak and take a selfie with Elsie Tu.
@Joe Blow
A man earned a pension for serving Queen & country.
Do you begrudge him that as well?
Give the old man a break, man.
@ Joe Blow you’d be lucky to find Derek Currie (Puff) anywhere in HK, as he decamped to Thailand over 15 years ago.
> Didn’t Carnegie’s close 5 years ago?
No, Carnegie’s is still at the same address: between the Pizza Bar and the Wharney Hotel on Lockhart Road.