The FCC’s lunch discussion on the NatSec Law features Emily Lau and Ronny Tong on the rather-predictable side, and John Burns on the more-interesting side, with Albert Chen doing that studiously neutral pro-Beijing thing. Ronny occasionally lets slip that some NatSec occurrences (like the HK47 trial) have ‘terrible optics’. Albert Chen cautions against overly harsh laws against ‘passive resistance’, and a government spokesman quoted in the SCMP begs to differ.
Which brings us to Gwyneth Ho, giving evidence in that HK47 case…
“I believe that most Hongkongers knew deep down in their hearts that fighting for democracy under the Chinese Communist regime has always been a fantasy,” Ho told the court.
Her speech was stopped by Judge Alex Lee, who told Ho to “calm down” and said the court was not an occasion for her to make political statements. Ho said she wanted to finish her sentence, adding it was “unfair” that the judges did not allow her to respond after raising questions.
Whether or not her comments would be allowed depended on their relevance, Lee said, to which Ho interjected immediately and said the three-judge panel had a “limited understanding” of the Legislative Council and questioned how they could evaluate the relevance of her answer.
Judge Andrew Chan responded by saying he has been sitting as a judge for 25 years and he knew what was relevant and what was not. Ho interjected again and said the judge did not know about the “split-voting” system, and she wanted to point out that Chan’s judgement was “very flawed.”
She also defended her description of China’s system as ‘totalitarian’…
“Although ‘totalitarian’ sounds like a criticism, often times there is a definition. The word ‘total’ in English can be understood as total control. It means… everything could be monitored and controlled by the regime,” Ho said.
Ho’s lawyer Trevor Beel followed up by asking if Ho meant it “as a matter of fact” and was not using “totalitarian” as a derogatory term. Lead prosecutor Jonathan Man Tak-ho objected, saying it was a leading question.
High Court Judge Andrew Chan then asked the former reporter to explain her understanding of the Chinese Communist Party, to which Ho said she “did not know” because she has spent “two and a half years in jail” pending trial.
Beel was asked by the judge to define totalitarianism, which he said meant there was only one political party. Chan followed up by asking if Japan was a totalitarian regime and the lawyer said “no.” The judge then pointed to Russia, and the counsel said Russia was a totalitarian regime.
Why?” Chan asked, adding that Japan only had one party.
Ho interjected and said: “What? No, Japan has a communist Party too.”
In case you wondered why there are no juries in these trials. (The ‘calm down’ alone would have alienated every women on the panel.)
Just in from CMP: the erasure of ex-FM Qin Gang.
Nothing more ugly than a show trial with bent laws, twisted judges, cowed defendants.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ34illEapU&ab_channel=RobertHJacksonCenter
Of course, some show trial judges avoid justice.
On the morning of 3 February 1945, Freisler was conducting a Saturday session of the People’s Court when United States Army Air Forces bombers attacked Berlin, led by the B-17 of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Rosenthal. Government and Nazi Party buildings were hit, including the Reich Chancellery, the Gestapo headquarters, the Party Chancellery and the People’s Court. Hearing the air raid sirens, Freisler hastily adjourned the court and ordered that the prisoners be taken to an air raid shelter, but stayed behind to gather files before leaving. A bomb struck the court-building at 11:08,[causing a partial internal collapse, and a masonry column came loose whilst Freisler was distracted by his documents. The column came crashing down on Freisler, causing him to be crushed and killed instantly. Due to the column collapsing, a large portion of the courtroom also landed on Freisler’s corpse.
Jawohl!
Gwyneth Ho is magnificent. She has been held in jail for 2.5 years and faces life in prison, yet she fights on. She is the epitome of courage.
The quislings are in charge and they are locking up all of the best HK people.
Did you know that Wang Yi’s English name is Ambrose? Ambrose Wang Yi.
Not many people know this.