Barely a month after China foisted new national security law (NSL) upon Hong Kong, Beijing has laid to rest any thoughts the new legislation would be relatively benign or only target a select few.
A coordinated police swoop on Monday August 10 saw 10 people arrested, including media billionaire and long-time Beijing critic Jimmy Lai, and activist leader Agnes Chow. Police have said that the operation is still underway.
Two of Lai’s sons and a number of his executives were also arrested, as well as journalist Wilson Li, a freelancer for Britain’s ITV. Charges for the detainees range from foreign collusion to corruption. Chow was charged on sedition charges.
Lai’s arrest — his second this year after charges were dropped in March over a protest that took place in August 2019 — is just the latest in a series of moves by Beijing that have seen the NSL implemented with brutal speed and intent.
Last week four young political activists were arrested for online posts, a day after 12 pro-democracy candidates for Hong Kong Legislative Council elections were barred from competing. Those barred included Joshua Wong, a leader of the 2014 “umbrella” protests which were a precursor to last year’s street marches.
“The excuse they use is that I describe national security law as a draconian law,” Wong, 23, wrote on Facebook. “Clearly, Beijing shows a total disregard for the will of the Hongkongers, tramples upon the city’s last pillar of vanishing autonomy and attempts to keep Hong Kong’s legislature under its firm grip.”
Beijing promptly “postponed” the city’s September poll under the cover of COVID-19. A group of nations including Australia protested the move, but the die is cast. Many believe the poll will never be held; if it is, it will be a sham event.
Hong Kong professor Benny Tai, one of the organisers of the 2014 umbrella protests, was sacked from Hong Kong university, and the city’s well regarded director of public prosecutions David Leung resigned, triggering fresh fears about the precarious state of Hong Kong’s legal system. Schools have been handed a laundry-list of nationalistic rituals, and Hong Kong’s anthem has been banned in favour of the mainland’s.
Beijing is now very firmly in charge.
While Lai was widely expected to be one of the first targets of the NSL, police raids on the offices of Lai-owned media outlets Apple Daily and Next Digital were nevertheless a reminder that press freedom in Hong Kong is on life support.
Lai is unlikely to be the last person in the media to be scooped up and spirited away to the mainland for trial — probably in secret and with no legal representation.
“The arrests, and the raid on the newsroom are a direct assault on Hong Kong’s press freedom and signal a dark new phase in the erosion of the city’s global reputation,” a statement from the Foreign Correspondents’ Club Hong Kong read. “Today’s events raise worries that such actions are being used to erase basic freedoms in Hong Kong.
“Just as troubling as the arrests was the subsequent police action at the Next Digital offices, where uniformed police entered and set up cordons with orange tape, questioned journalists and took down their identifying information, and were seen rifling through notes and papers on reporters’ desks.”
Following the raid, police blocked a range of international media organisations including newswires Reuters, Agence France Presse and Associated Press from attending a news conference on the arrest.
A major shake-up of media in Hong kong is already underway. The New York Times recently announced it is shifting its Asian HQ to Seoul, while other international media organisations are expected to be well-advanced with their own contingency plans.
Some international journalists have already had trouble gaining visas back to Hong Kong. Expatriate media representatives fear the imposition of the mainland’s system, where journalists must apply each year for fresh working permits.
Contrary to some Pollyanna-esque commentary in the Australia media, notably a piece by John Menadue slamming Australian government travel advice to avoid Hong Kong because of the NSL, the new legislation is widespread cause for concern.
Chinese laws are capricious and used vengefully by the Chinese Communist Party, to which scores of targeted Australian business people can attest. Australian businesses in Hong Kong (as well as any visitors) would do well to be wary.
The NSL is, like all laws from Beijing, very broadly worded open to any interpretation that the Communist Party chooses.
Surveys of American businesses in Hong Kong by the US Chamber of Commerce have already shown that many are planning to leave — most especially those in the technology sector due to the pitched battle for tech supremacy now underway between the US and China.
The situation is only going to get worse, with China yesterday threatening retaliation against American companies for the imposition of US sanctions on officials, including Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
Make no mistake, Australians are just as on the nose in Beijing’s books. As recent history tells us, with China trapped into buying Australian iron ore and other hard and soft commodities, Beijing will let its retribution play out elsewhere.
Get back to me, if any of the treatment dished out to the those arrested in Hong Kong starts to resemble the treatment handed out to Julian Assange, by 3 members of the 5 eyes now bleating about China’s ‘security law’ – including Assange’s own country!
I really don’t expect to hear from you, given the length of time Assange has been enduring this torture (as documented by the UN Special Rapporteur, Nils Melzer, ‘speshal subject – International Human Rights law’).
Whataboutery, look over there, two wrongs don’t make a right etc.
Instead of ‘whataboutery’, try rampant hypocrisy!
Also, which ‘precedes’?!
Spot on with rampant hypocrisy.
The treatment of dissidents by China is at least as bad as the treatment of Assange.
And Crikey does/has criticised the treatment of Assange so where is the hypocrisy?
Why do journalists still refer to the Chinese Communist Party? It doesn’t appear to be communist any more if it ever was. These regimes are more truly Stalinist, Maoist and now in China perhaps corporatist/ totalitarian.???
(1) Would you say that the government of ScoMo is ‘Liberal’ in the strict sense of the word?
(2) Were the politics of Hillary (or Bill) ‘Democratic’ in any sense?
(3) What is your definition of “Stalinist”?
There is NOTHING remotely “Maoist” in terms of administration from Deng (40+ years ago) and quite different again from Jiang Zemi onward.
If the regime in the PRC (China) is “corporatist/ totalitarian” what is your assessment of Putin’s Russia or Trump’s USA?
Because that is the party’s name.
One of your colleagues, Michael, over the last week or so, has incurred a fair measure of stick for expressing his less than coherent perspectives as to a best-practice to confront the current lurgie but you, for the same crime, have escaped with only five remarks as I write.
Despite BEING TOLD (repeatedly) you failed to interpret correctly ANY of the motivations regarding the protests in HK from June to November last year. But no matter. Let’s analyse what you have assembled today.
> Beijing has laid to rest any thoughts the new legislation would be relatively benign or only
> target a select few.
Frankly, I’m a tad surprised that Lai has put his head into the noose; I actually took him to be a tad more “together” despite the sensationalism that his media organisations produce. Nevertheless, he of ALL people, knew what he was doing and, prima facie, he has effected an infraction (or transgression : take your pick).
> Beijing promptly “postponed” the city’s September poll under the cover of COVID-19.
On the one hand, time will tell Michael, but on the other hand, (for the nth time – and for your own sake if you insist on reporting on the events of the PRC and surrounds) do get your head into vol.1 of “Governance of China” by Xi. It *is* available in Australia because I have given people copies.
Some notables in Australia, of late, have described the USA as a responsible influence in the region or sentiments to that effect. The facts, if any, that support that assertion, post 1962, would be fascinating to read. The PM, at uncle Sam’s clear bidding, has endorsed the Indo-Pacific alliance. It ought to be noted that India, over the last decade (on account of excessive navel gazing) has lost all control of the Indian ocean when respective Indian PM’s ought to have been gazing on the navy.
> Hong Kong professor Benny Tai […] was sacked from Hong Kong university
But NOT for the 2014 protests.
> Schools have been handed a laundry-list of nationalistic rituals
True. Would have occurred in 2047 in any event.
> and Hong Kong’s anthem has been banned in favour of the mainland’s.
Not banned but both systems are to be merged and learnt.
> Beijing is now very firmly in charge.
Really Michael? You don’t say! As an aside, do you know any HK secondary teachers or people associated with HK university? A few of my former students are graduates of that university.
> Lai is unlikely to be the last person [..to be scooped up and spirited away — probably in
> secret and with no legal representation].
Now, qua your colleague – mentioned above – you’re an “instant” authority on the Chinese legal system! Do you know anyone who has been through the process? I know a yank who was an ex army sergeant who got some dosh from the gov and undertook a BSc in Chemistry. Having married someone in the USA bolted to Asia to escape alimony payments and married someone in the Philippines and, just to make sure, yet again in Hangzhou (200km south of Shanghai). The fellow was not above the odd bit of identity theft in regard to his fellow ex-pats.
I also know of a few foreign (read white) monkeys who have been rumbled for weed and other substances. A murder trial in the PRC might last six to 18 hours of court time. The offenses mentioned above were dealt with in under 40 minutes. The thru-put is amazing and similar to that of the hospitals where there is a good deal of multi-tasking.
I’ll put my neck on the line, Michael, and predict that the trial of Lai and the other nine will be a public as all hell because (to appeal to a Chinese adage) “one has to kill a chicken to teach the monkey”.
> Contrary to some Pollyanna-esque commentary .. [regarding an article by Menadue .. etc]
It seems that you don’t think your article qualifies similarly Michael. As for a few Australians being screwed over in the PRC try reading (e.g.) Bob Ansett when he tried to establish a business in the USA and in Oz; enlightening to say the least. Yet there are a heap of businesses that are operated by (white & black) expats in any of the major cities. At the local watering holes they will tell you that running a business in the PRC is easier than in (e.g.) Oz.
“The situation is only going to get worse, with China yesterday threatening retaliation against American companies for the imposition of US sanctions on officials, including Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.”
I had to read this sentence twice Michael just to be assured of its existence. Just for giggles, take a look at the legislation passed by the US Senate in regard to Chinese companies operating in the USA. Until a few months ago there was “no problem”. Now, Trump want’s them booted out. Freedom – the Milton Freedman version – do I hear?
> Australians are just as on the nose in Beijing’s books.
What an insight Michael. With the tongue of ScoMo in Trumps ear I’d say that you are probably correct! Trump is history either come November or November 2024 but the current crew of Libs assume that Trump will be around for as long as Xi.
> China trapped into buying Australian iron ore
Sorry Michael : wrong. Take a look (as I did about a year ago) at the countries of lower Central and upper South America.
When I recommended to Bernie (yesterday) that someone take a look at the arrest of Lai I did NOT expect yards of emotional clap-trap. I did expect a critical review of the inclusion of HK with the other (copious) objectives of the PRC in terms of what could be a likely displacement of USA influence given the current zero sum game that Trump has imposed upon the region. The displacement (I admit) is debatable but an essay on that topic would have been the more edifying approach. Lai is just the ham in the sandwich – which, I thought, would have been obvious (and to which Thompson refers).
As an aside, the PRC is a really easy place to live. I prefer Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shenzhen (not necessary in that order) and the larger cities are ok to visit. Same as anywhere, Michael; keep ya toes within the White line and there will never be a problem. For even basic research, unless one’s Mandarin is adequate (mine is terrible) a VPN is necessary. Although technically illegal one is left alone if the internet and the VPN are used for “sensible” purposes. If you intend to bang on about surveillance have a chat with Snowden (or similar) first.
” vol.1 of “Governance of China” by Xi. It *is* available in Australia because I have given people copies.”
Kyle, I thought you were in Vietnam. Howdja manage to get back? Hope you didn’t bring the Da Nang virus back with you.
I am in Vietnam Oldie and I’ll be here for a while; cheap, relatively sane and safe. It will be a while before international flights become reliable in terms of booking.
I have purchased “Governance” in Oz on-line over the last three years. Vol2 appeared about 15 months ago. For a while it was available from Amazon dot oz but I haven’t looked recently.
Da Nang : yeah. Classic virus behavour. Initially it was considered that its origin was external but it seems that it has mutated and reappeared which is typical of viruses.
Officially “for the new strain, each infected person may infect about 5-6 people compared to 1.8-2.2 people in the previous period”. In other words the Ro has increased (with this strain – there are five in total) from circa 2.0 (bad enough) to circa 5.5 (quite serious in terms of transmission).
I would not be at all surprised to see a revised strain pop its head up in NZ AND WA prior to Xmas.
Prophetic, huh, Oldie. I’ve just set my watch for WA.
Actually, its not at all prophetic at all; merely a characteristic of any virus
What ever happened to the “Iron Ricebowl”?
Smashed by Deng ‘Little Bottles’ Xiaoping who proclaimed “to become rich is glorious!”