Jimmy Lai pleads not guilty to collusion with foreign forces and publishing ‘seditious’ materials. In a move guaranteed to provoke anger – or at least derision – overseas…
The prosecution … displayed a chart labelled “Lai Chee-ying’s external political connections,” showing headshots of overseas figures that Lai was said to be in communication with. Among them were Benedict Rogers and Luke de Pulford, both UK-based human rights activists, as well as James Cunningham, the former consul general in Hong Kong.
Jack Keane, a former US army general and Paul Wolfowitz, a former US deputy secretary of defence, were also named.
More from the Committee for Freedom in HK on overseas co-conspirators…
On the fourth day of the trial, the court was also given a list of people named as “co-conspirators” on trumped up charges of “collusion with foreign forces” with Jimmy Lai and named several foreign citizens – including James Cunningham, former U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong, and Chairman of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, Luke de Pulford, Executive Director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), Bill Browder, founder of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, Benedict Rogers, founder of Hong Kong Watch and former Japanese MP Shiori Kanno.
From HK Watch (VPN or similar needed in Hong Kong)…
“The naming of Benedict Rogers and several other international campaigners for democracy in Hong Kong in the trial of Jimmy Lai shows this charade of a trial has nothing to do with justice. It is simply an assertion of CCP authoritarianism. It makes a mockery of the rule of law.
…“This simply shows [Rogers says], as we have said all along, that this is a show trial and has absolutely nothing to do with genuine national security. The ‘crime’ Mr Lai is accused of is talking with foreign politicians and activists, including myself, and engaging in journalism – which, as the publisher of a major newspaper in Hong Kong, ought to be regarded as entirely normal legitimate activity.
“Furthermore, much of this activity pre-dates the National Security Law, which means the law is being applied retroactively – something the Hong Kong government gave assurances would not happen when it was imposed on 1 July 2020…”
Safeguard Defenders.calls the process ‘an unacceptable infringement of national sovereignty ‘ and demands that overseas jurisdictions scrap extradition and mutual police assistance agreements with Hong Kong.
(The Standard notes that Lai, along with legal assistant Chan Tsz-wah and private assistant Mark Simon, are accused of ‘calling on US, New Zealand, UK, Japan, Czech and Ireland to suspend extradition agreements with Hong Kong’ as part of the alleged collusion with external forces.)
Bill Browder says…
Hong Kong authorities have named me as a “co-conspirator” in the trial against Jimmy Lai. Although I’ve never met or spoken to him, they’re accusing him of being a part of my global campaign for Magnitsky sanctions against human rights violators.
Also from Benedict Rogers…
People who simply campaigned for democracy deemed “co-conspirators” with #JimmyLai
People who simply spoke with him are “collaborators”
Who next? Everyone who bought Apple Daily?
Video by Luke de Pulford on being named as a co-conspirator along with Jimmy Lai: ‘The idea that 2 million people took to the streets because Jimmy told them to is risible’.
A Bloomberg op-ed…
Lai has spent more than 1,000 days in pre-trial detention, and has been denied his choice of legal representation. Instead of a jury, his fate will be determined by a selection of judges handpicked by Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee. The courts have, so far, a 100% conviction rate for anyone charged under the law.
…A devout Christian, Lai has said in the past that he was willing to “pay the price” for his beliefs, to save the city that brought him his fame and fortune. Tragically, though, Hong Kong is no longer the place Lai once lauded for its freedom and called heaven. His trial will serve as a reminder of just how far Beijing will go to crush any opposition to its rule, in what was once one of Asia’s most storied cities.
After 80 days of such BS from the HKSARG, the entire planet is going to know just how ridiculous the CCP and their illegitimate puppets really are. Hong Kong vibes at their finest.
Wow! Imagine THAT! A newspaper publisher rubbing elbows and having occasional chats with the movers and shakers and policy makers!!
“Who next? Everyone who bought Apple Daily?”
Don’t put it past the vengeful little pricks that look like they were never picked until last for school sports.
The funny thing is, most people living in HK right now do not give a flying fig. Those who didn’t fancy their futures here have buggered off, mainly to colder climes where they are now being taxed, heating-bill strangled, and woke-bullied to death. The ones I know personally are miserable as 4ck, but are too proud to admit they have made the worst decision of their lives. The cnut in me would really like to stick it to them, but some are relatives and/or closish friends, so any conversational inputs on the matter are a drizzled with faux empathy.
Reactionary #4: Your anecdotal bile is predictably mean-spirited, and equally predictably ignorant of the social dynamics of exile. In any case, your continuing support of Hong Kong’s occupation by a hostile foreign power will bite you on the ass when the tables are turned.
As always, fuck off with extreme prejudice.
Last time I was in the UK, I read an interview with a HK Chinese family who had happily settled in Crewe. If people from HK are happy to settle for Crewe, then their home city has fallen indeed.
Of course it’s not just about the leavers, the SCMP reported this week that there’s no visitors either and home sales are at a 33 year low. I haven’t noticed any ‘bounce back’ from expats who moved to Singapore either.
The big exodus HK needs to worry about is when all the kids who go out in Shenzhen decide to move there. After all, if you have to live in a police state, why not live in a city famous for entrepreneurial activity and where decent housing is available at half the price?
In 10 years, there may be only elderly patriots left. The expats who’d shill for Stalin if they made a few quid out of his misrule will be long gone.
@Reactor#4: I moved in 2021, but for reasons unrelated to the NSL. Can’t say I’m worse off. I have three times as much space which I bought for six times my annual rent in HK so no rent or mortgage., live on a lake with jet skis, paddleboards, etc. and gorgeous sunsets. Hiking trails less than 2 miles away. Joined a golf club less than 10 miles away – something completely unaffordable in HK. Utility bill no different than in HK, live in a red-state where wokeism is disdained, and as a US citizen, my tax bill basically unchanged vs. living in Hong Kong. I do miss my friends that I developed over 30 years – but many of them have left as well. So your survey of a few may not be the results of most.
Should it not be ‘the so-called ‘Jimmy’ Lai Chee-Ying’?
The “cnut” in you is alive and well.
If Jimmy has 5 gwailo friends, there’s little hope for him.
I called my hairdresser for the past 7 years to make an appointment. Got a message back: “Solly, can’t help you. I moved to Zhongshan.”