Hong Kong
Hong Kong democracy activist Agnes Chow released from jail
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow was released from jail Saturday after serving more than six months for taking part in unauthorized assemblies during massive 2019 anti-government protests that triggered a crackdown on dissent in the former British colony.
Chow, 24, was greeted by a crowd of journalists as she left the Tai Lam Center for Women. She transferred from a prison van to a private car without making any remarks.
Only a small group of supporters were on the scene, an apparent reflection of the government’s threats to jail those it deems in violation of a sweeping national security law that Beijing imposed on the territory a year ago.
READ: Hong Kong vigil organizer arrested on Tiananmen anniversary
The legislation has resulted in the arrests of leading democracy activists including Joshua Wong and Jimmy Lai, who are serving prison terms. Others have sought asylum abroad. Critics say China is now routinely violating commitments it made to preserve freedoms promised to Hong Kong for 50 years following the handover to Chinese rule in 1997.
Chow came to prominence while still a student during the 2014 “umbrella movement” calling for universal suffrage, alongside Wong and Nathan Law, who was granted political asylum in Britain in April.
She has a large following in Japan, frequently visiting the country and posting on Twitter in her fluent Japanese.
The 2019 protests began as peaceful marches against proposed legislation that could have seen criminal suspects sent to China to face possible mistreatment and unfair trials. Though the legislation was withdrawn, protests swelled to demand universal suffrage and an investigation into police abuses, becoming increasingly violent as demonstrators responded to harsh police tactics.
China fought back with the national security law, which has snuffed out dissent in the semi-autonomous territory. Defenders say it intends to ensure those running the city are Chinese patriots committed to public order and economic development.
China also overhauled Hong Kong’s Legislative Council to give pro-Beijing delegates an overwhelming majority. Hong Kong’s media outlets are now almost completely dominated by pro-Beijing business groups and even independent booksellers have become rare. The national security law has also given authorities broad powers to monitor speech online, making it difficult to organize opposition gatherings or even express views critical of the government or Beijing.
An annual candlelight vigil for victims of the bloody suppression of the 1989 pro-democracy movement centered on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square was canceled for the second time this year. Hong Kong censors this week were also given the power to ban films that endanger national security, prompting concerns that freedom of expression is being further curtailed in a city once known for its vibrant arts and film scene.
READ: China may buckle down to reunify Taiwan after crackdown on Hong Kong
Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who is under U.S. sanctions, has been the face of the crackdown on dissent, although she is believed to be acting entirely on orders from Beijing, whose Communist Party leaders have long regarded Hong Kong as a potential incubator of opposition that could spread through the country.
China’s children may be next in line for COVID-19 vaccines
If China is to meet its tentative goal of vaccinating 80% of its population against the coronavirus by the end of the year, tens of millions of children may have to start rolling up their sleeves.
Regulators took the first step last week by approving the use of the country’s Sinovac vaccine for children aged 3 to 17, and on Friday announced the same for the Sinopharm vaccine. No date has been set for the shots to start.
Children have been largely spared the worst of the pandemic, becoming infected less easily than adults and generally showing less severe symptoms when they do catch the virus. But experts say children can still transmit the virus to others and some note that if countries are going to achieve herd immunity through their vaccination campaigns, inoculating children should be part of the plan.
“Vaccinating children is an important step forward,” said Jin Dong-yan, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong’s medical school.
Read: Senators say US donating vaccines to Taiwan amid China row
Doing so, however, may be easier said than done for reasons ranging from vaccine hesitancy to vaccine availability.
Even in countries with enough vaccines to go around, some governments are having problems convincing adults that the shots are safe and necessary despite studies demonstrating they are. Such concerns can be amplified when dealing with society’s youngest.
There’s also the issue of approval. Few regulators around the world have evaluated the safety of COVID-19 shots in kids, with the majority of shots approved only for adults right now. But the approvals are starting. The United States, Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong are all allowing the use of the Pfizer vaccine in children as young as 12.
The Sinovac and Sinopharm announcements could open the way for the vaccines, already in use in dozens of countries from Brazil to Indonesia, to be given to children across the world.
In Thailand, where Sinovac makes much of the country’s vaccine supply, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul welcomed the news that China had approved emergency use for children.
“Once it gets approved, we are ready to provide the vaccine to cover all ages,” Anutin said Monday.
Read:Asia welcomes US vaccine donations amid cold storage worries
Other vaccine makers are also working to expand access to younger people. Moderna is seeking permission to use its shot in children as young as 12, like Pfizer. Both companies have studies underway in even younger children, down to age 6 months.
Another obstacle to vaccinating children is that many countries are still struggling to get enough doses to inoculate their higher-risk adult populations. Thailand, for example, has vaccinated only 4% of its population so far and adult demand for vaccines far outweighs supply.
“Right now given the shortages of vaccines, any available vaccine should be placed in age-based prioritization and risk-based prioritization,” said Jerome Kim, head of the International Vaccine Institute in Seoul. “It’s really important to get this vaccine out in the places it’s needed now.”
In many places there are also concerns among the public about the efficacy of the Chinese vaccines versus Western rivals. While efficacy rates cannot be compared directly, owing to the trials being conducted under different conditions, the Western vaccines have shown to be very effective in preventing infection in real world tests. Sinovac’s shot has been shown to be effective in preventing severe disease and hospitalization. Sinopharm’s shot has revealed comparatively less data.
The World Health Organization have approved both vaccines for emergency use in adults aged 18 and older, paving the way for its use in global programs aiming to distribute vaccines to low- and middle-income countries. The WHO has given no indication of when it might approve it for those younger.
Vaccines are often approved separately for adults and children because younger immune systems may react differently to the doses. Experts say inactivated vaccines are generally considered safe for children, as the technology has been in use for a long time, such as in mandatory childhood immunization programs, and have shown low risk.
Nikolai Petrovsky, a vaccine expert at Flinders University in Australia, said that while it is reasonable to assume the vaccines would safe for children, he questioned the necessity of vaccinating them against a virus they are relatively protected from using a vaccine that has yet to show it blocks transmission.
Read:Asia-Pacific trade ministers mull vaccine access, supply
“As far as I am aware there is no data to suggest the Sinovac vaccine will block transmission in children,” he wrote in an email. “Without such evidence we need to ask why we are immunising the children.”
China has a population of 1.4 billion, meaning it needs to inoculate 560 million people to reach its goal of 40% vaccination by June and 1.12 billion people to get to the 80% goal. It will be hard to do the latter without vaccinating many of its 254 million children who are younger than 14.
When China starts inoculating children will be determined by the government’s National Health Commission in accordance with the epidemic situation, Sinovac CEO Yin Weidong told state broadcaster CCTV last week.
A spokesperson for Sinovac did not respond to a call requesting comment. China’s National Health Commission directed the AP to a news report that summarized Yin’s comments.
From the Beatles to Elton John: Oldest DJ’s storied career
Ray Cordeiro considers himself the luckiest radio DJ in the world.
In a storied career spanning over 70 years in Hong Kong, Cordeiro has interviewed superstars including the Beatles and Elton John, and even received an MBE — an order of the British empire for outstanding achievement or service to the community — from Queen Elizabeth.
Cordeiro, who holds the Guinness world record for the world’s longest-working DJ, retired last month at the age of 96.
“I’ve been talking all my life about music and all, and I’d never thought that I would retire. I never thought that I was getting older,” he said.
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Cordeiro was born in 1924 in Hong Kong and is of Portuguese descent. His musical tastes as a child were influenced by his brother who was 10 years older and collected records from groups like the Mills Brothers and the Andrews Sisters.
Back then records were breakable, Cordeiro said.
“When he’s not home and I played his records, I had to be very, very careful, because if I broke it he would get awfully angry,” Cordeiro said. “I grew up with his music.”
In his youth, Cordeiro worked as a warden at a local prison and a clerk at an HSBC bank. His love for music eventually led him to pursue a career in radio, where he joined public broadcaster Radio Hong Kong, now known as Radio Television Hong Kong.
It was during a three-month study course in London with the BBC in 1964 that Cordeiro landed the interview that kickstarted his career — with the Beatles, the biggest band in the world at the time.
He had some free time after the end of the course before he had to return to Hong Kong and didn’t want to “sit around for two weeks doing nothing.”
“So I said, why don’t I grab the chance of finding some peeps, some pop groups or singers that I can interview and bring back (tapes) to Hong Kong,” he said.
During those two weeks, Cordeiro traveled to venues where groups were performing and interviewed them afterward.
The Beatles had become wildly popular and Cordeiro wanted to interview them the most. Armed with a notebook and a pen, he went to the offices of the band’s record label, EMI, to ask for an interview with the group.
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By a stroke of luck, he was told to return the next day for an interview, with EMI loaning him a tape recorder for it. He bought a magazine with a picture of the Beatles on the cover and took it with him to the interview, and got all the members to autograph it.
“Altogether I have some 26 signatures of all the Beatles, and it’s probably worth a fortune,” he said.
Hong Kong vigil organizer arrested on Tiananmen anniversary
A member of the committee that organizes Hong Kong’s annual candlelight vigil for the victims of the Tiananmen Square crackdown was arrested early Friday on the 32nd anniversary.
The arrest and a ban on the vigil for a second year comes as Beijing attempts to crush pro-democracy activism in Hong Kong, which has been the last place on Chinese soil where the June 4, 1989, event was publicly commemorated.
Read: China may buckle down to reunify Taiwan after crackdown on Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China said its vice chair, Chow Hang Tung, was arrested by police Friday morning. It is not clear why Chow was arrested, and police have yet to comment on the matter.
The alliance organized the vigil and ran the June 4 Museum dedicated to remembering Tiananmen. The museum was closed this week.
After police warned that marking the anniversary in the vigil’s usual Victoria Park venue may be illegal, Chow has continued her activism, urging people to commemorate the event privately by lighting a candle wherever they are.
Read: Hong Kong democracy leaders given jail terms amid crackdown
Last year, thousands went to Victoria Park to light candles and sing songs in remembrance despite the ban. Police later charged more than 20 activists including Chow for their participation in the unauthorized assembly.
Two other key members of the Hong Kong Alliance — Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho — are behind bars for their participation in separate unauthorized assemblies in 2019, during a period when Hong Kong saw massive anti-government protests.
Chow said in an earlier interview with The Associated Press that she was expecting to be imprisoned at some point for her activism.
Read: Hong Kong democracy leaders given jail terms amid crackdown
“I’m already being persecuted for participating and inciting last year’s candlelight vigil,” she said.
“If I continue my activism in pushing for democracy in Hong Kong and China, surely they will come after me at some point, so it’s sort of expected.”
Hong Kong democracy leaders given jail terms amid crackdown
A Hong Kong court on Friday sentenced five leading pro-democracy advocates, including media tycoon Jimmy Lai, to up to 18 months in prison for organizing and participating in a massive march during 2019 anti-government protests that triggered an overwhelming crackdown from Beijing.
A total of nine advocates were given jail terms, but four of them, including 82-year-old lawyer and former lawmaker Martin Lee, had their sentences suspended after their age and accomplishments were taken into consideration.
They were found guilty earlier this month of organizing and participating in a massive protest in August 2019, where an estimated 1.7 million people marched in opposition to a bill that would have allowed suspects to be extradited to mainland China. The march was not authorized by the police.
Their convictions and sentencing are another blow to the city’s flagging democracy movement, which is facing an unprecedented crackdown by Beijing and Hong Kong authorities.
Also read: Hong Kong democracy leaders given jail terms amid crackdown
“The sentences handed down are incompatible with the non-violent nature of their actions,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. He accused Chinese and Hong Kong authorities of trying to eliminate “all forms of dissent” and undermining protected rights and fundamental freedoms promised to the city at its handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997.
The court suspended the 11-month prison sentence of Lee, who is known for his advocacy for human rights and democracy, for two years because of his age.
Lai, the founder of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily tabloid, was sentenced to a total of 14 months in prison Friday for charges related to demonstration on Aug. 18, 2019, and a separate unauthorized march on Aug. 31, 2019.
Lai was also slapped with two additional charges Friday, one under the national security law accusing him of conspiring to collude with foreign powers and another accusing him of helping local activists to escape the city.
Also read: Hong Kong court puts off release of pro-democracy activists
Prior to sentencing, Lai was already being held on other charges, including foreign collusion to intervene in the city’s affairs — a new crime under a sweeping national security law that Beijing imposed on the city in 2020.
Lee Cheuk-yan, a pro-democracy activist and former lawmaker who helped organize annual candlelight vigils in Hong Kong on the anniversary of the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989, was sentenced to a total of 14 months in prison.
Lawyers Albert Ho and Margaret Ng both had their 12-month jail sentences suspended for two years. Former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung was sentenced to 18 months, while another former legislator, Cyd Ho, was given eight months.
Two other former lawmakers, Au Nok-hin and Leung Yiu-chung, who previously pleaded guilty, were also given jail sentences. Au got 10 months while Leung’s eight-month jail term was suspended for one year.
In a separate case, former lawmaker Yeung Sum was sentenced alongside Lai and Lee Cheuk-yan to eight months suspended for a year.
“I’m ready to face the penalty and sentencing and I’m proud that I can walk with the people of Hong Kong for this democracy,” Lee Cheuk-yan said ahead of the court session, as supporters held up signs condemning political persecution. “We will walk together even in darkness, we will walk with hope in our hearts.”
Hong Kong had enjoyed a vibrant political culture and freedoms not seen elsewhere in China during the decades it was a British colony.
Beijing had pledged to allow the city to retain civil liberties for 50 years after it was handed to China, but recently has ushered in a series of measures, including the national security legislation and electoral reforms that many fear are a step closer to making Hong Kong no different from mainland cities.
Under the new rules, Hong Kong residents can be held liable for any speech or action deemed secessionist, subversive, terrorist or perceived as colluding with hostile foreign political groups or individuals. Electoral changes mean just 20 out of 90 Legislative Council members will be directly elected and Beijing will retain even tighter control over the body that picks Hong Kong’s future chief executives.
Hong Kong’s last British governor, Chris Patten, said that the Chinese Communist Party’s “comprehensive assault” on freedoms of Hong Kong and its rule of law remains relentless.
“This week, we have witnessed some of the most distinguished of the city’s peaceful and moderate champions of liberty and democracy placed in Beijing’s vengeful sights,” he said in a statement. “The CCP simply does not understand that you cannot bludgeon and incarcerate people into loving a totalitarian and corrupt regime.”
Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific regional director, Yamini Mishra, said the sentences handed down Friday underlined the government’s intention to “eliminate all political opposition” in Hong Kong.
“Having arrested the majority of Hong Kong’s most prominent dissidents using the repressive national security law, the authorities are now mopping up remaining peaceful critics under the pretext of bogus charges related to the 2019 protests,” Mishra said
Hong Kong democracy leaders given jail terms amid crackdown
A Hong Kong court on Friday sent five leading pro-democracy advocates, including media tycoon Jimmy Lai, to up to 18 months in prison for organizing a march during the 2019 anti-government protests that triggered an overwhelming crackdown from Beijing.
A total of nine advocates were given jail terms, but four of them, including 82-year-old lawyer and former lawmaker Martin Lee, had their sentences suspended after their age and accomplishments were taken into consideration.
They were found guilty earlier this month of organizing and participating in a massive protest in August 2019, where an estimated 1.7 million people marched in opposition to a bill that would have allowed suspects to be extradited to mainland China. The march was not authorized by the police.
Also read: Hong Kong court puts off release of pro-democracy activists
Their convictions and sentencing are another blow to the city’s flagging democracy movement, which is facing an unprecedented crackdown by Beijing and Hong Kong authorities.
The court suspended the 11-month prison sentence of Lee, an 82-year-old lawyer and former lawmaker known for his advocacy for human rights and democracy, for two years because of his age.
Lai, the founder of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily tabloid, was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He was already held on other charges, including collusion with foreign forces to intervene in the city’s affairs — a new crime under a sweeping national security law that Beijing imposed on the city in 2020.
Lee Cheuk-yan, a pro-democracy activist and former lawmaker who helped organize annual candlelight vigils in Hong Kong on the anniversary of the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989, was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
Lawyers Albert Ho and Margaret Ng both had their 12-month jail sentences suspended for two years. Former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung was sentenced to 18 months, while another former legislator, Cyd Ho, was given a jail sentence of eight months.
Two other former lawmakers, Au Nok-hin and Leung Yiu-chung, who previously pleaded guilty, were also given jail sentences. Au got 10 months while Leung’s eight-month jail term was suspended for one year.
“I’m ready to face the penalty and sentencing and I’m proud that I can walk with the people of Hong Kong for this democracy,” Lee Cheuk-yan said ahead of the court session, as supporters held up signs condemning political persecution. “We will walk together even in darkness, we will walk with hope in our hearts.”
Also read: Thousands flee Hong Kong for UK, fearing China crackdown
Hong Kong had enjoyed a vibrant political culture and freedoms not seen elsewhere in China during the decades it was a British colony.
Beijing had pledged to allow the city to retain civil liberties for 50 years after it reverted to Chinese rule in 1997, but recently has ushered in a series of measures, including the national security legislation and electoral reforms that many fear are a step closer to making Hong Kong no different from mainland cities.
Under the new rules, Hong Kong residents can be held liable for any speech or action deemed secessionist, subversive, terrorist or perceived as colluding with hostile foreign political groups or individuals. Electoral changes mean just 20 out of 90 Legislative Council members will be directly elected and Beijing will retain even tighter control over the body that picks Hong Kong’s future chief executives.
Hong Kong’s last British governor, Chris Patten, said that the Chinese Communist Party’s “comprehensive assault” on freedoms of Hong Kong and its rule of law remains relentless.
“This week, we have witnessed some of the most distinguished of the city’s peaceful and moderate champions of liberty and democracy placed in Beijing’s vengeful sights,” he said in a statement. “The CCP simply does not understand that you cannot bludgeon and incarcerate people into loving a totalitarian and corrupt regime.”
Carrie Lam expects more prosperous Hong Kong with improved electoral system
With legislative changes on improving Hong Kong's electoral system adopted by China's top legislature, Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), expects a more peaceful and prosperous Hong Kong under "one country, two systems."
She also expects stronger confidence among people at home and abroad in the prospects of the global financial hub.
During her first exclusive interview after the amendments at the state level, Lam explained to Xinhua her work agenda ranging from local electoral legislation to tackling deep-seated social problems.
FOR A BETTER HONG KONG
The National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on Tuesday adopted the amended Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law of the HKSAR, which concerns the method for the selection of the HKSAR chief executive and the method for the formation of the HKSAR Legislative Council (LegCo) and its voting procedures, respectively.
"It marks an important step forward in improving the electoral system of Hong Kong," Lam told Xinhua.
As Hong Kong has embarked on the relevant local legislation, Lam and the HKSAR government will have a busy schedule in the next 12 months, including revising local laws and holding elections of the Election Committee, the LegCo and the HKSAR chief executive.
Also Read: China legislature endorses reducing public vote in Hong Kong
Lam met with LegCo President Andrew Leung to discuss the work ahead on Tuesday, shortly after the passage of the amended annexes to the Basic Law at the session of the NPC Standing Committee.
The LegCo had been plunged into chaos and could hardly perform its constitutional functions in its first three years since 2016. The legislature has now resumed normal operation after the exit of LegCo members engaged in repeated filibusters and legislative violence.
But it does not mean the LegCo will become an echo chamber. "They (lawmakers) can criticize us and oppose what we put forward," Lam said, adding that the "one country, two systems" principle and national security must be respected and protected.
With the improved electoral system, she believed more capable and responsible talents, who might have been frustrated by the political disorder in the past, will present themselves in the future.
Looking ahead, Lam promised intensified efforts to improve education, media, and the training and management of civil servants. "With these work being done, people will have more confidence in 'one country, two systems,' no matter they are local residents, people from the mainland or foreigners."
"PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST"
With the improved electoral system, Lam believed it is high time for the global financial hub to refocus on the economy, raise people's living standards, and tackle entrenched social problems.
Also Read: HK leader says bill withdrawal own decision, not Beijing's
The HKSAR government will place more emphasis on "putting people first" and more earnestly tend to grassroots issues, Lam said. "We will certainly do more to reach out to the people, understand their concerns and respond directly and positively."
The chief executive stressed in particular the shortage of housing.
The government has made providing affordable housing to Hong Kong people a top policy priority, Lam said. "Housing is not just a commodity but a pillar to social stability... (making) people have a sense of belonging to a place."
An array of favorable policies have been carried out for residents from different walks of life, and the share of new land used for public housing has been significantly increased to 70 percent.
Lam highlighted land reclamation as the major solution to the undersupply of land.
The chief executive proposed a land reclamation project to build a large artificial island in 2018 but waited for one year and a half for the LegCo to approve the funding on related studies. "How many 'year and a halfs' does Hong Kong have to waste? If it takes 18 months for the LegCo to pass a study and seven months to elect a (committee) chair, I would be very pessimistic about Hong Kong's development."
But Lam sees hopes now. "In the future, we will definitely make more efforts in land development," she said.
Another task high on Lam's work agenda is the vaccination campaign against COVID-19.
"Getting the vaccine is the most important and effective means (to control the epidemic). While there is a lack of vaccine doses elsewhere, Hong Kong is very lucky to have a sufficient and stable supply thanks to the central authorities' support," Lam said.
Also Read: About 50 Hong Kong activists arrested under new security law
As the vaccination ratio was still comparatively low, she promised more efforts to encourage the public to receive the jabs and pointed out that a 70-percent ratio will lead to a herd immunity and facilitate the resumption of cross-border travel.
"NOT INTIMIDATED BY SANCTIONS"
"Having been a chief executive for almost four years, especially in the past two years, I have first-hand experience of how overseas governments and politicians have exploited Hong Kong to achieve their agenda," Lam said.
She said the free and diverse society of Hong Kong without a national security law in place gave anti-China forces the room to step in, including appointing their agents to go into Hong Kong's political structure, disrupting the Hong Kong-mainland relationship and using Hong Kong to attack the People's Republic of China.
Lam said three words and phrases would perfectly describe the external interference in Hong Kong affairs over the past years: "double standards," "hypocrisy," and "lies."
National security legislation is a common practice globally, but the law being adopted in China's Hong Kong was smeared and slandered, she said.
"Every country requires public servants to be patriotic. But when we ask our civil servants to take an oath ... swearing allegiance to the HKSAR and upholding the Basic Law, they said that we are stifling freedom of speech," Lam said.
Some overseas governments and media alleged police brutality in Hong Kong despite the violent situation the police faced, but when the police were attacked in their countries, they, on the contrary, said the violence is "disgusting," Lam said.
"There are a lot of examples where they are just displaying double standards in a very blatant way without shame," she said.
Referring to the hypocrisy of some foreign politicians, Lam pointed out that "they said they want to stand with Hong Kong people. Did they ever ask Hong Kong people what we want? We want peace and stability."
When innocent people were attacked and even set on fire during the social unrest for different political views, "did they (foreign politicians) say anything about these Hong Kong people? No," Lam said.
Lam believed the biggest lie by some Western countries is that China has breached the Sino-British Joint Declaration. "If you ask them which article in the declaration (China has violated), they are silent. They can't quote which article."
While Hong Kong has resumed peace and stability since the national security legislation, the United States has repeatedly imposed so-called sanctions against Lam and many other officials working to bring Hong Kong back to life.
Regarding such sanctions, Lam said she was fearless. "We will not be intimidated. We will continue to do what is right to defend the country and to defend the HKSAR."
China legislature endorses reducing public vote in Hong Kong
China’s ceremonial legislature on Thursday endorsed the ruling Communist Party’s move to tighten control over Hong Kong by reducing the role of its public in picking the territory’s leaders.
Chinese citizens support Xi's hard-line policy against Hong Kong
Many Chinese citizens on the mainland have apparently provided positive support for the Communist Party's hard-line policy against Hong Kong, further jeopardizing democracy, freedom and human rights in the former British colony.
Hong Kong court puts off release of pro-democracy activists
A group of 11 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists accused of subversion will stay in jail for at least another five days while judges consider whether to release them on bail, a court said Saturday.