Today’s NatSec developments: Albert Ho in jail; four former HKCTU members ‘taken to assist in an investigation’; and a martial arts coach appeals against his five-year sentence for ‘inciting subversion’. The No Rioters installation gets taken down (of course). The BBC reports the disappearance of the Winnie the Pooh Chainsaw Massacre movie. And the government complains again about Google search results on anthems (‘the blunder has upset every single Chinese person’).
The Hong Kong government hits back, at great length, at the US State Dept’s ‘so-called’ annual human rights reports…
The spokesperson stressed, “…By issuing the so-called annual report, the US again made despicable tricks, which override law by politics, with an attempt to undermine the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong by politicising human rights issues and slandering the human rights situation and rule of law in the city. It will only expose its own weakness and faulty arguments and be doomed to fail. The HKSAR Government again strongly urges the US to immediately stop using human rights as an excuse to interfere into the internal affairs of the HKSAR of the PRC.”
You might think that the more someone says in this situation, the less convincing they will sound. But the government can’t resist rebutting in detail every main allegation in the report, under such headings as the ‘improved electoral system’, ‘rule of law’, ‘freedom of assembly’, etc…
Trade union rights in Hong Kong are strong and intact as ever, which is evidenced by the marked increase in the number of registered trade unions from 2019 to 2022. It is crystal clear that the free exercise of the right and freedom of association in the Hong Kong has not been jeopardised in any way.
On the subject of excessive rhetoric, Beijing calls a visit by Germany’s education minister to Taiwan ‘vile’. Another word for the Outraged Press Release Bingo.
No connection or anything – just Carrie Lam buying food at Fairwood. I mean ‘so-called food’…
Yep, just read this on the MTR and I could tell that every Chinese person was upset.
As far as the so called ‘improved electoral system’ goes, I’d have to agree. ONE pre-approved candidate with no opposition is indeed a sort of improvement.
Been noticing more than a few pundits at various outlets of the “Lamestream” media are zeroing in on the central tenet of Pooh-bah’s “stand by your man” tour in Russia: Shore up and reinforce the wall against western “liberal/democratic” hegemony aiming to contain us and standing in the way of our taking over. The wagons are circling and with NorKo, tinpot Africans, South Americans, Middle Easterners, India(?!) the brotherhood grows…
That’s not trash in front of the Fairwood…it’s how poor Curry has to haul her cash these days.
the blunder has upset every single Chinese person.
Who would not otherwise have heard about it had the so-called administration not kicked up a fuss. Streisand Lives.
Very ungentlemanly of Carrie’s escort making her carry her own bag.
“made despicable tricks”, “vile …..”
These are petty and petulant expressions that any seasoned correspondent would recognize as being totally inappropriate in the context of an official government press release and merely underline the absence of savoir faire within the administration.
If the administration had warned the United States in advance that all of its efforts were doomed to fail, it could have saved everyone involved a lot of trouble.
@wmjp: Curry’s escort’s excuse would be “I have to have my hands free to shoot any child or granny that gets too close to you with a menacing look…”
Poor Carrie.
Fairwood grub (essentially McDonalds with Chinese characteristics) is a very far cry from the tasty and nourishing bangers and mash she’d now be tucking into beside a roaring fire in the snug of the Lamb and Flag had her fondly anticipated retirement to the bosky bowers of Beechy Bucks come off.
My heart bleeds.
She could at least have picked Cafe de Coral – I get dividends from them.