woah, Lan Kwai Fong sure looks pretty dead!
Hong Kong registered 112 new Wuhan coronavirus cases today, 100 of which were local transmissions, and also its 111th and 112th deaths of the pandemic. Clearly, this fourth coronavirus wave is not abating. Another scary stat: As of 9am yesterday, there were only 190 units left in Hong Kong's four quarantine centers that are ready and available for use; with 1.897 units being occupied.
Understandably, a number of festive events have been cancelled: not only will there not be a Christmas tree installation at Statue Square in Central this year but the New Year's Eve fireworks display and countdown, and the Chinese New Year parade (originally set for February 12th, 2021) also will be scrapped. Officially, these are because of a need to socially distance. In all honesty though, I think much of Hong Kong is far more in the mood to mourn than to party or celebrate these days.
At the very least, a good number of us are feeling depressed and shell shocked after enduring yet more terrible days this week. As if the bad news barrage on Wednesday was not enough, yesterday -- Agnes Chow's 24th birthday -- brought a number more upsetting developments. Firstly, following his arrest for alleged fraud on Wednesday evening, media mogul Jimmy Lai was denied bail and remanded into custody. He will remain behind bars until at least April 2021, when the court reconvenes to hear this case.
Also ordered to remain behind bars until his next court hearing is People Power's Tam Tak-chi. He's been denied bail since his arrest back in July and is only set to face trial in May of next year. Adding to it all is that a national security judge has been assigned to hear his case even though it's not yet been determined if, in fact, his alleged crimes fall under the national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong back on June 30th.
Then, in the evening, the news came that Ted Hui has resigned from the Democratic Party and gone into exile. A politician who's earned much respect for, among other things, his willingness to put himself in between the police and protestors time and time again (even if it resulted in his being madly mistreated by the riot cops), he continues to have the support of pretty much everyone who cares and wishes for freedom and democracy for Hong Kong.
And it says much about the man that he took pains to emphasize that he was going into exile, but not emigrating. Specifically, "I have a personal belief: going into exile is not emigration. I will never emigrate, Hong Kong is my home and I can never put down roots anywhere else. This is also a reason why I have not applied for asylum in any country."
With so much lawfare being waged against good people in Hong Kong, it really can be hard to believe that the judiciary has not been destroyed and rule of law exists no more. Even when justice does get served against the police (as in today's judgement against a police officer found
guilty of misconduct in public office for failing to stop two colleagues
-- both of whom had pleaded guilty -- from physically and sexually assaulting a man while he was tied down on
a hospital bed), one is moved to wonder if such a judgement would have been handed down without clear video evidence and/or if the victim of assault had been a pro-democracy protestor.
Honestly, it is increasingly hard to not feel despair these days. Or, as one of my favorite people on Twitter, HK Wuliff, put it: it can be really hard to "find the energy to be hopeful about Hong Kong". Yet she managed to produce a series of Tweets that are heartwarming and comforting which ends with the following line: "We are still here".
And while you are here, please consider helping out. More specifically, the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund has reported that its funds are dangerously low and are calling for donations. Wherever you are, please chip in if you can to help pay for such as legal assistance for arrested Hong Kong pro-democracy fighters. Thank you in advance to those of you who do so.
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