Hong Kong man accused of terrorism in first use of new China security law

By Jessie Pang and Anne Marie Roantree

 

Police detain a motorcyclist who crashed into police officers in Wan Chai near Gloucester Road in Hong Kong, China July 1, 2020, in this still image taken from video. Tsang Chi Ho/via REUTERS

 

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A man carrying a "Liberate Hong Kong" sign as he drove a motorcycle into police at a protest against the territory's Chinese rulers became on Friday the first person charged with inciting separatism and terrorism under a new security law.

 

Beijing imposed the legislation on the former British colony earlier this week despite protests from Hong Kongers and Western nations, setting China's freest city and a major financial hub on a more authoritarian track.

 

Critics say the law - which punishes crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison - is aimed at crushing dissent and a long-running campaign for greater democracy.

 

Police say 23-year-old Tong Ying-kit rammed and injured some officers at an illegal protest on Wednesday. A video online showed a motorbike knocking over several officers on a narrow street before the driver falls over and is arrested.

 

Tong, who was hospitalised after the incident, was charged less than 24 hours after the city government said the slogan he was carrying - "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times" - connotes separatism or subversion under the new law.

 

The rallying cry appears on placards, T-shirts, and post-it notes stuck to walls around Hong Kong.

 

China's parliament adopted the security law after sometimes violent protests last year triggered by fears Beijing was stifling freedoms, guaranteed by a "one country, two systems" formula agreed when Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

 

Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong say the law aims at a few "troublemakers" and not wider rights that underpin the city's role as a gateway for capital flows in and out of China.

 

But international anxiety is growing after authorities arrested 10 people under the new law within 24 hours of it taking effect. The European Union (EU) has put Hong Kong high on its agenda while the United Nations' rights office expressed alarm over arrests.

 

"I'M NOT SCARED"

 

At another court, dozens gathered in solidarity with a man charged for stabbing a policeman in the arm during Wednesday's disturbances. They held up blank pieces of paper to show fears for free speech.

 

"I'm not scared. Come what may," said a 25-year-old protester who gave his name only as Wilson.

 

On Wednesday's 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule, police arrested about 370 people, with 10 cases involving violations of the new law.

 

In a further ominous sign for activists, a Communist Party cadre prominent during a 2011 clampdown on land rights protesters in a south China village is to head a newly-empowered national security office in Hong Kong, official news agency Xinhua said.

 

Zheng Yanxiong, 57, most recently served as secretary general of the Communist Party committee of Guangdong province, bordering Hong Kong.

 

Leaked footage during the 2011 dispute showed him berating villagers and calling foreign media "rotten".

 

The new legislation gives the security office greater enforcement action and powers to take suspects onto the mainland, as well as granting privileges for agents, including that Hong Kong authorities cannot inspect their vehicles.

 

Some activists have been keeping a low profile or leaving.

 

Demosisto, a pro-democracy group led by Joshua Wong, disbanded hours after the legislation was passed, while prominent group member Nathan Law left the city.

 

"The protests in Hong Kong have been a window for the world to recognise that China is getting more and more authoritarian," Law told Reuters.

 

Hong Kong's publicly-funded public broadcaster RTHK, which has felt the pressure of government scrutiny, appeared to take heed of the law, reproducing the slogan as "L*******#HongKong" in a comment on Twitter, to the scorn of some social media users.

 

(Reporting by Jessie Pang, Anne Marie Roantree, Donny Kwok and Clare Jim in Hong Kong and Yew Lun Tian in Beijing; Writing by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-04

 

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The end of HK as those who lived and worked there know it.There is going to be a major exodus of companies and people.

The BNO passports are going to be a godsend for many HK citizens.

 

I’m trying to think of something snarky to say but only a deep sense of sadness and mourning comes to mind another light snuffed out

Emperor for life Xi Jinping will not stand for any dissent! OK! Now get in line peasants! 

An off topic trolling post has been removed. 

"Police say 23-year-old Tong Ying-kit rammed and injured some officers at an illegal protest on Wednesday. A video online showed a motorbike knocking over several officers on a narrow street before the driver falls over and is arrested."

 

Surely anyone should be arrested in any civilized country for knocking people over on a narrow street whilst driving a motorbike. That's very bad behaviour. ????

I have been to HK and what i saw most people work all day and spent rest in tiny flats watching youtube, whats the big difference to them if China becomes a real government?

10 minutes ago, VincentRJ said:

"Police say 23-year-old Tong Ying-kit rammed and injured some officers at an illegal protest on Wednesday. A video online showed a motorbike knocking over several officers on a narrow street before the driver falls over and is arrested."

 

Surely anyone should be arrested in any civilized country for knocking people over on a narrow street whilst driving a motorbike. That's very bad behaviour. ????

 

In "civilized countries", people are generally free to protest, express grievances, criticism and disagreement with the government. Surely you're aware of that, and then there's the PRC.

8 minutes ago, VincentRJ said:

"Police say 23-year-old Tong Ying-kit rammed and injured some officers at an illegal protest on Wednesday. A video online showed a motorbike knocking over several officers on a narrow street before the driver falls over and is arrested."

 

Surely anyone should be arrested in any civilized country for knocking people over on a narrow street whilst driving a motorbike. That's very bad behaviour. ????

Charged with assault yes; charged with political crimes, absolutely not. From the OP:

 

“...became on Friday the first person charged with inciting separatism and terrorism under a new security law.”

 

The problem with these new laws is that they can and will be used to stifle free speech and political dissent and that is why there has been such vehement opposition (including this young man’s).

2 minutes ago, TacoKhun said:

I have been to HK and what i saw most people work all day and spent rest in tiny flats watching youtube, whats the big difference for them if China is a real government?

 

Most people anywhere around the globe do not partake in protests, riots and civil disorder. It does not mean the issues do not concern then. If you're having trouble figuring out what's the difference between current situation and the previous setup, maybe try reading the OP, or some of the other stories appearing on this forum.

Can't help but feel the 3 million proposed HK nationals that could come here to the UK, will take one look at places like Bradford, Birmingham, Rochadale, London, Slough, Rotherham, etc and decide life in HK looks better after all

So China made the covid19 virus for Hong Kong.

To crush mass gatherings while they get it back under their wings.

Something did not go as planned...

15 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

In "civilized countries", people are generally free to protest, express grievances, criticism and disagreement with the government. Surely you're aware of that, and then there's the PRC.

They are free to protest peacefully. Knocking people down and causing injury, whether they are police or not, is never allowed.

2 minutes ago, VincentRJ said:

They are free to protest peacefully. Knocking people down and causing injury, whether they are police or not, is never allowed.

 

Yes, as posted by another member, "knocking people down and causing injury" is not acceptable. The right to protest, generally is. I kinda doubt the latter part reflects PRC policy.

21 minutes ago, Hank Gunn said:

Charged with assault yes; charged with political crimes, absolutely not. From the OP:

 

“...became on Friday the first person charged with inciting separatism and terrorism under a new security law.”

 

The problem with these new laws is that they can and will be used to stifle free speech and political dissent and that is why there has been such vehement opposition (including this young man’s).

They were free to protest peacefully. Knocking people down and causing injury, whether they are police or not, is never allowed.
If the protests in Hong Kong had always been peaceful, I doubt that this new law would have been considered necessary.

5 hours ago, Thailand said:

The end of HK as those who lived and worked there know it.There is going to be a major exodus of companies and people.

The BNO passports are going to be a godsend for many HK citizens.

 

The response from the UK government and others is forcing the Chinese government into a corner where restricting the travel rights of BNO passport holders and possibly others may be their only option.  Quite apart from the loss of face for China, the likelihood is that a significant proportion of those who will choose (try) to leave will be traders and business people who will take their assets, or at the very least their contacts and trading relationships, with them so diminishing the value of Hong Kong as it stands.

Post Brexit, I suspect the City of London would welcome them warmly.

27 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

In "civilized countries", people are generally free to protest, express grievances, criticism and disagreement with the government. Surely you're aware of that, and then there's the PRC.

Don’t see that in Lafayette Square where peaceful protestors were manhandled and tear gassed. 

2 minutes ago, VincentRJ said:

They were free to protest peacefully. Knocking people down and causing injury, whether they are police or not, is never allowed.
If the protests in Hong Kong had always been peaceful, I doubt that this new law would have been considered necessary.

 

They were not free to protest. They protested anyway. And, indeed, it was peaceful to begin with. As for the "I doubt that this new law would have been considered necessary" bit, you are aware how and why these protests started, right?

32 minutes ago, TacoKhun said:

I have been to HK and what i saw most people work all day and spent rest in tiny flats watching youtube, whats the big difference to them if China becomes a real government?

Beijing might block Youtube in HK!

2 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Don’t see that in Lafayette Square where peaceful protestors were manhandled and tear gassed. 

 

Yes, there are always incidents like that. But you'd be hard pressed to claim that the right to protest is not the norm in the West. That's why there's often public outrage and media attention when authorities apply too much force. That's not the case with regard to the PRC.

26 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Can't help but feel the 3 million proposed HK nationals that could come here to the UK, will take one look at places like Bradford, Birmingham, Rochadale, London, Slough, Rotherham, etc and decide life in HK looks better after all

Funny  how  you  never  see  problems with them in the UK, they knuckle  down and work  hard

8 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

Yes, there are always incidents like that. But you'd be hard pressed to claim that the right to protest is not the norm in the West. That's why there's often public outrage and media attention when authorities apply too much force. That's not the case with regard to the PRC.

The Lafayette protestors were against an domestic issue and they still got mishandled. The protests in Hong Kong have elements of pro independence movement. The man arrested has a sign that read ‘liberate Hong Kong’. Any countries will be non tolerable to movement that lead to civil unrest. 

5 hours ago, Thailand said:

The end of HK as those who lived and worked there know it.There is going to be a major exodus of companies and people.

The BNO passports are going to be a godsend for many HK citizens.

 

Thats what china wants. They are building a new city on the mainland to take over from hong kong. Simply, they want it gone.

22 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Beijing might block Youtube in HK!

now i understand, i would riot too

1 hour ago, VincentRJ said:

"Police say 23-year-old Tong Ying-kit rammed and injured some officers at an illegal protest on Wednesday. A video online showed a motorbike knocking over several officers on a narrow street before the driver falls over and is arrested."

 

Surely anyone should be arrested in any civilized country for knocking people over on a narrow street whilst driving a motorbike. That's very bad behaviour. ????

You may well be right, but I seem to remember a similar movement aimed at freedom and democracy somewhere around 244 years ago that did involve a little of what might be called 'bad behavior'.

 

See this:

 

"When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them,.....whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it........ when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government"

 

More powerful, liberating and beautiful words were never written, and those who wrote them then did then engage in 'bad behavior' against their oppressors. Those who stand in the way of freedom and liberty sometimes have to be swept aside by whatever means are available, particularly when 'more civil' means simply do not exist. The people of Hong Kong were never given a choice. Maybe now some are finally daring to make a choice as to how they wish to be governed. They are exercising a basic human right...for freedom, self-governance and individual dignity.

 

More than half of the entire population of Hong Kong marched against beijing's oppression on a few of the big protest days. That kind of looks like a majority, and in the glorious concept of democracy---vs a self-appointed, answerable-to-no-one govt---majority rules.

 

Sometimes patience is not a virtue. Sometimes methods are required which, under normal circumstances, would seem uncivilized. That proved true in 1776, and may be as true today.

 

Sometimes, and for some people, it is preferable to die standing than serve on one's knees.

 

26 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

The Lafayette protestors were against an domestic issue and they still got mishandled. The protests in Hong Kong have elements of pro independence movement. The man arrested has a sign that read ‘liberate Hong Kong’. Any countries will be non tolerable to movement that lead to civil unrest. 

 

I think some countries allow more room for protests than others, with the PRC not featuring at the top of the list. If you imagine that the new rules will not be put to good (ab)use by the PRC, that's totally up to you.

 

So Boris has his first immigrant,,,,,,one of many stirrers.

If you drive your motorcyce knowingly into a group of people to attempt to maim or kill 

you deserve to be arrested in any country.

The majority of HK residents who had peaceful protests actually achieved getting the law rescinded & 

just want to get back to business.

These new laws introduced now are only because of the proffessional antagonists who have gone overboard, damaging property & Beijing has had enough

8 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Emperor for life Xi Jinping will not stand for any dissent! OK! Now get in line peasants! 

But throughout the Dynasties , Chinese Emperors have fallen!!!!

 

4 hours ago, Morch said:

 

They were not free to protest. They protested anyway. And, indeed, it was peaceful to begin with. As for the "I doubt that this new law would have been considered necessary" bit, you are aware how and why these protests started, right?

As I understand, the protests began as a result of an Extradition Bill which would have allowed Hong Kong to detain and transfer people to Taiwan and China who were wanted in those countries because they had supposedly committed a crime, and who were taking refuge in Hong Kong.

 

The legislation was proposed because of the then current situation of a Hong Kong man who was wanted in Taiwan for the murder of his girlfriend, but Hong Kong had no formal extradition agreement with Taiwan.

 

It was this proposed legislation that sparked the riots because critics of the legislation suggested that the law would allow virtually anyone in Hong Kong who had committed any sort of crime to be arrested and sent to China, if China requested that.

 

However, after several months of protests against this Extradition Bill, Carrie Lam eventually withdrew the bill, on 23 October. This would have been an opportunity for the protesters to accept a success, and stop rioting. But they didn't. They wanted more. They wanted Carrie Lam to resign.
 

These laws not only effect all the good Hong Kong people, but all foreigners who are there or go for a holiday. It only takes one gesture or one word to get you in trouble. Just think if they heard you on the phone (eavesdropping) talking about how bad they are or that Hong Kong needs to be its own country. 

 

I for one have already boycotted Chinese products and will always talk openly about how Evil they are as you will never catch me flying through Hong Kong or going to China ever ever again. XI and his people are evil and if he dropped over dead tomorrow I might just have a party.