People Power's Tam Tak-chi in freer times: specifically,
at the annual pro-democracy rally back on July 1st, 2018
The Hong Kong police kept everyone they arrested on Wednesday behind bars overnight but late yesterday, all bar one of the 53 people arrested were out on bail. Yesterday (Thursday), American human rights lawyer John Clancey was the first to be let out. Following this news, reports trickled in of the others having been released on bail too, including -- after some delay -- Chu Hoi-dick and Leung Kwok-hung, the two Hong Kong pro-democracy political figures who have had been arrested the most since June 9th, 2019 (with seven arrests each).
This morning (Friday), it was confirmed that none of the people arrested over their participation in last July's democratic primaries has been charged with an offence... as yet. But three of them remain behind bars, including two people additionally arrested yesterday, in custody.
The sole member of the 53 people arrested on Wednesday still being held by the police is former Democratic Party leader Wu Chi-wai, who was remanded into custody for the separate offence of violating bail conditions after the police found his British Overseas (National) (BNO) passport when they searched his home. In addition, the powers that be took the unusual step yesterday of arresting two people who are already behind bars.
One of them, veteran political activist Tam Tak-chi, was previously denied bail for a sedition charge under Hong Kong’s Crimes Ordinance that is scheduled to only go to court in May; making it so that by the time he is actually tried, he will already spent a full eight months behind bars. The other is Joshua Wong, who appears to be continuing to be accorded "special treatment" that's quite a bit different from what the likes of Barbara Demick seem to think he is accorded by the Hong Kong Correctional Services.
More specifically, the 24-year-old political activist was brought to the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre for questioning without a lawyer present from the maximum security Shek Pik Prison, where he is serving his 13.5 months sentence for instigating, inciting and participating in an unauthorized assembly, in chains and shackles. Frankly, until I saw Jimmy Lai similarly chained and shackled last month, I don't believe I had seen any arrestees in Hong Kong moving around in more than handcuffs. And to see that of people accused -- but not even actually convicted -- of fraud and guilty of nothing more than involvement in a non-violent protest, never even mind their "celebrity" status, really beggars belief.
My friend over at The Fragrant Harbour entitled her blog post for yesterday "Winter is coming". Actually, like Benny Tai, I tend towards the opinion that winter has already arrived in Hong Kong. (And no, I'm not referring to the weather -- though, coincidentally, another cold snap has arrived in Hong Kong, prompting the Hong Kong Observatory to issue frost as well as cold weather warnings!)
Again, like Benny Tai, I hope -- and do believe that "despite Hong Kong [having] entered a cold winter... many Hongkongers will still use their own way to go against the wind". To be sure, it is looking like our current winter of discontent will be long and hard as well as cold. (And the threats keep on coming from the north: with the latest news this evening involving confirmation that the Great Firewall of China is coming to encircle Hong Kong too).
But I, for one, still am not prepared to give up hope that spring will come again at some point to chase the winter blues away, in Hong Kong as well as elsewhere; this not least because a good number of Hong Kongers remain the most spirited and freedom loving people I know. (And for the record: yes, I reckon they could give many people in such as the USA a lesson or two with regards the valuing of democracy too.)
No comments:
Post a Comment