寧為玉碎.不為瓦全 | “Those who 'abjure' violence can do so only because others are committing violence on their behalf.” — George Orwell “Notes on Nationalism” (1945)
“Power worship blurs political judgement because it leads, almost unavoidably, to the belief that present trends will continue. Whoever is winning at the moment will always seem to be invincible.”
https://t.co/WWmsEdMYVK
Breaking WaPo:
The Trump Justice Department took the extraordinary step of seeking to force reporters for The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal to testify before a federal grand jury — but withdrew the subpoenas after they were challenged by the news organizations. https://t.co/SIiM8y8koW
#BREAKING: Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for national security crimes.
18 of those 20 years will add on top of Lai's existing jail term. More to follow.
BREAKING: Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in jail following his conviction on foreign collusion and sedition charges.
In full: https://t.co/sNpsILXBTf
Live blog: https://t.co/xOLHVkBVIm - trusted reporting from @HKFP.
Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP.
1/ #HongKong’s government-funded broadcaster has stopped publishing ALL of its podcasts, with dozens of shows – in English & Chinese – grinding to a halt on Spotify and RTHK’s self-hosted Podcast One platform.
https://t.co/pcSkcpBBRi
The final podcasts were published in early October last year, leaving the audience with no options to listen to shows offline or transfer them to portable audio players.
The persecution of Jimmy Lai reminds us that China's so-called "1 country 2 systems" formula for HK involves repressive deprivation of freedom and basic rights. The formula has no attraction for Taiwan & must be rejected. #FreeJimmyLai
Authoritarian regimes benefit from the Western insistence on using free world terminology, like trials and charges (or elections and polls) in their coverage. There are no independent courts in China—or Russia or Iran. They do the bidding of the regime.
New @NikkeiAsia
“It signifies a Hong Kong that is no longer run by logic and rationality, a government that is spiteful and hateful,” said Sebastien Lai.
“There's nothing that incriminates him. They can write 800 pages, 1,000 pages if they want.”
https://t.co/G6rzS9Ojca
Notably absent, again, is any acknowledgment by the Foreign Office that Jimmy Lai is a UK citizen. Why does the UK continue to stop short of treating this as the detention of one of its own? Because it might compel them to act?
For anyone following commentary on Jimmy Lai's verdict, two recurring Chinese disinformation/propaganda claims need correcting.
First, the “nuclear weapons” allegation: Lai was plainly using “nuclear weapons” as a metaphor for a decisive argument, referring to the moral force of freedom and democracy, not literal violence. The transcript makes this unambiguous.
https://t.co/CGe0AWbTrM
Second, false equivalence on sedition laws: In the UK and US, sedition requires intent to incite violence or the use of force, reflecting international legal standards. Hong Kong’s sedition offense criminalizes speech itself. These laws share a name, not a meaning.
Hong Kong’s sedition law is a relic of colonial-era common law that democratic systems have long since abandoned. Invoking it today is not a defense of rule of law, but of repression.
I post this is for the benefit of fair-minded readers, not to debate the user below or others that exist to spread falsehoods.
That dozens of media outlets and NGOs were able to post thousand-word pieces minutes after Jimmy Lai’s conviction says all one needs to know about the sham of a trial that led to it. The judges were putting on a play, but we’d already read the script. https://t.co/anGT5sG5yh
I spoke to @EmilyZFeng@NPR on the Hong Kong government’s action to clamp down on calls for a transparent investigation, including arresting a student for making mild demands.
A key issue: The investigative committee formed after doesn’t have full legal power to investigate.
Another sign @crystalpher_ and I are on the same wavelength:
We independently wrote op-eds for Canada’s two largest newspapers, arguing that inequality and lack of safe housing contributed to the Tai Po fire’s heavy losses.
A social worker has been assigned to everyone suffered from the Tai Po Wang Fuk Court Fire.
One of the key item that they have to follow up with us besides funding is asking us to vote for the legislative council today, even providing round trip coach.
I did not vote.
Happening now: A young man seen handing out fliers with the "4 demands" asking for government accountability and continued support for residents after the Tai Po fire is being questioned by police officers.
Emily Lau, former legislator and chair of the Democratic Party:
“The whole city is still so sad that there is no use predicting the results and turnout. People will justify the turnout in their own way, and we all know the truth inside.”
https://t.co/gyHKEQC2L6