Bookseller Lam Wing-kee Dead at 70

Lam was the owner of Causeway Bay Books 

Lam Wing-kee, the Hong Kong bookseller who was in the news for being abducted and detained on the Chinese mainland in 2015, has died at the age of 70 following a years-long battle with cancer in Taipei.

Before then it was an open secret that books critical of Chinese leaders were sold in Hong Kong, and those curious to learn more would head to Causeway Bay Books, as these kinds of publications were banned on the mainland.

His press conference in 2016 attracted attention

However, on October 24, 2015, he and four others related to the bookstore had disappeared, and it wasn't until February 4, 2016 that the provincial authorities in Guangdong confirmed Lam was in their custody, along with two others.

Eight months after he was detained, Lam was allowed to return to Hong Kong to fetch more information on the customers of the bookstore, but instead of returning to the mainland as instructed by the authorities, he held an unprecedented press conference with legislator Albert Ho Chun-yan.

Lam claimed he was abducted by mainland officials at the Hong Kong-China border in Shenzhen in October 2015, and that he was blindfolded and handcuffed, and transported to Ningbo. He recounted being held in solitary confinement, interrogated and accused of illegally sending banned books to the mainland, that his confession on mainland TV was scripted, and the Hong Kong government didn't help him at all.

That press conference really made Hongkongers worried about their safety -- they were used to rule of law, knowing their rights, having access to a lawyer and an unbiased judge. But what happened to Lam could happen to anyone. And then what? What legal protections did they have if the Hong Kong government didn't assist them?

It seemed their greatest fears about China were actually happening.

Lam moved to Taiwan in 2019

In April 2019 Lam was in the news again for relocating to Taiwan, following the proposal of the extradition bill in Hong Kong. Opposition to that bill later morphed into the biggest protest marches for months in the city's history that were later quelled by the end of the year.

Lam started his life again in Taipei, crowdfunding to open his bookstore, Causeway Bay Books in 2020. When he opened it, Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen sent flowers and a congratulatory note. She later came in person.

Two years later, Lam revealed he had stage one lung cancer, and was receiving chemotherapy treatment. But by last July, he told the media that his cancer had already progressed to stage four, with some cancer cells close to his heart.

He slowly wound up his business and it was suspended last month.

Many will remember his courageousness in revealing what happened to him as a warning to others.

In a BBC interview last year, Lam said: "Everyone has their own values. You can't go against your values, nor can you betray others.

"If you believe something is right, you should continue to stick to it. It's not like you're harming anyone. If everyone could do that, this would of course be a better place."

Still Remembering June 4, 36 Years Later

Lighting a candle to remember June 4

The 36th anniversary marking the June 4th massacre did not go unnoticed in Vancouver. This evening a few hundred people converged on David Lam Park in the downtown area to mark the event with speeches, songs and candles.

There were stalls presenting information about what happened to Hong Kong, in particular the 2019 protests, what happened in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, a bust of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, and a poster showing pictures of the candlelight vigil in Hong Kong's Victoria Park every year from 1990 to 2020. There was also a mini Zunzi exhibition featuring his political cartoons.

Speakers including Chow and Giggs hold candles

When the vigil this evening began, organisers spoke about not only remembering the victims who died in Beijing in 1989, but also Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho Chun-yan, and Chow Hang-tung, former organisers of the Hong Kong vigil, who have been in jail for over 1,000 days.

Organisers also said since the vigil was declared illegal in Hong Kong since 2020, it was even more important to be able to mark it in Canada.

People like Dr Diana Lary, professor of Emerita of History at the University of British Columbia spoke about being in Beijing in June 1989 and how she safely returned to Vancouver and pretty much every year since has commemorated the event. 

During her speech she felt most for the Tiananmen Mothers who are in their 80s and don't have any grandchildren, let alone children. Lary also noted how there were many authoritarian governments around the world, and worried about the Canadian government possibly doing more business with China because of our economic situation these days.

Former radio host Giggs, Edmund Wan Yiu-sing also took to the stage in a spirited speech. He encouraged people listening to close their eyes and for 10 seconds think of people in Hong Kong who previously attended the candlelight vigil and imagine them here. 

People place candles in holders

He relayed that Lee recently had surgery, while Ho's health wasn't very good. He told them and Chow that they were not forgotten.

There was also a voice recording of one of the Tiananmen Mothers, who was pleased that others outside China were remembering what happened 36 years ago today.

The big draw of the evening was Alex Chow Yong-kang, who is currently studying his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley. He said June 4th was not only China's history, but the world's history, and Canada's history, as we have marked the event for the past 36 years. 

Chow urged people to not only remember the victims, but also create connections. "We are not here merely to mourn, but to reaffirm our humanity and dignity. The candlelight of memory may eventually dim, but our commitment never will," he said in English.

As he spoke, white candles were handed out, and while the sun was still setting, it wasn't pitch dark yet. Nevertheless, candles were lit and then attendees were encouraged to place them in a candle holder near the stage.

Yes we still remember, and we will continue to do so.

 

Star Prisoner get Paparazzi Treatment

AP has captured Lai's movements in Stanley Prison

The Associated Press has released an exclusive series of pictures documenting Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying at Stanley Prison.

The 75-year-old is in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, and is allowed 50 minutes of exercise per day -- by himself. This punishment is for a Category A prisoner, a status usually reserved for those who have committed serious crimes like murder.

In the pictures Lai wears prison-mandated short-sleeved shirt, shorts and his own sandals. He looks like he has lost some weight. The government is making it harder for the media to take pictures of inmates, even during court appearances, where the prisoners must go through a covered walkway to and from the prison vehicle.

Lai is in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day

Lai is a British national, who is accused of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security, and conspiring to call for sanctions or blockades against Hong Kong or China. He also faces a charge of conspiracy to print seditious publications under a colonial-era law.

He was scheduled to go to trial last December, but it was postponed to next month, while the Hong Kong government appealed to Beijing to block his attempt to hire a British defense lawyer.

Each month, Lai is allowed two 30-minute visits by relatives or friends where they are separated by a piece of glass and they speak on a phone.

Meanwhile his son Sebastien is traveling to democratic countries, advocating for his father's release. Even though he is not in Hong Kong, Sebastien is very cautious about his movements.

"My father is in prison because he spoke truth to power for decades," Sebastien said in May in a statement to a US government panel, called the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

Lee doesn't speak to reporters after verdict

"He is still speaking truth to power and refusing to be silenced, even though he has lost everything and he may die in prison," he said. "I am very proud to be his son."

How his father, a diabetic who is also suffering from high blood pressure continues to keep his head up high is a result of his strong will and Christian faith.

Today Lai and six others were cleared of instigating the 2019 protests, though their convictions and sentences are upheld. 

The others are barristers Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, Martin Lee Chu-ming, labour activists, Lee Cheuk-yan, Leung Kwok-hung, and former lawmakers Cyd Ho Sau-lan and Albert Ho Chun-yan.

A Crime to Remember June 4

The last candlelight vigil in Victoria Park on June 4, 2019

In Hong Kong it is the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, a tragic anniversary that used to be marked with tens of thousands of people descending on Victoria Park for the candlelight vigil.

Upon entering the Causeway Bay park, attendees passed by a small statue of the Goddess of Democracy and received a white candle and a conical paper cup with a small hole cut at the bottom as a candle holder, and a program.

The Goddess of Democracy statue

People sat on football pitches and quietly waited for the event to start, where every year the same songs were played, the same kind of speeches made, calling for the Chinese government to be accountable for the deaths of Beijing residents in and around Tiananmen Square. 

There would be a voice recording from one of the Tiananmen Mothers, whose son or daughter died during the bloody crackdown, continuing to mourn their loss without recognition from the government, and a survivor or witness would also give a speech, telling the assembled crowd what they had heard and seen.

Songs were sung, slogans chanted, and candles lit -- with people in awe of the magical sight of these small lights that shone so brightly in the dark. The candles were a powerful reminder of why it was important to gather and remember.

This ritual happened for 30 consecutive years until suddenly overnight it has become a crime to remember June 4 after the national security law was implemented in July 2020.

Some of the organisers of the vigil, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, including Chow Hang-tung, Albert Ho Chun-yan, and Lee Cheuk-yan were arrested and charged with violating the national security law. They are now remanded in custody.

Kwan and Lau (middle) surrounded by police

The subsequent anniversaries were "cancelled" due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and this year is the first one free of restrictions.

However, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu refused to clearly state if people could commemorate June 4, saying they should obey the law.

But some people were undeterred yesterday and there are reports that up to eight people were arrested for publicly marking the anniversary of the crackdown.

Two people, Kwan Chun-pong and Lau Ka-yee wore black T-shirts and a red cross painted on their mouths, stood by Victoria Park and planned to stage a 24-hour hunger strike. But they were taken away by the police.

Meanwhile two artists outside the Sogo Department Store in Causeway Bay were taken away by the police too. One of them, Sanmu Chan shouted, "Do not forget June 4! Don't be afraid of them, Hongkongers!" as two police held each arm and escorted him away. He was even verbally warned by another officer to shut up, but the artist continued chanting.

Chan (middle) told Hongkongers not to forget 6/4

Another couple in white who held chrysanthemum flowers were taken away. When asked if they were being arrested, the young man said he didn't know why.

After people could not go to Victoria Park, the Tiananmen Square Museum in Mong Kok became the next pilgrimage spot, but then it too was unceremoniously shut down just before June 4, 2021. Police raided the museum and took away all of the artefacts that had been collected over the years.

Now Hongkongers can only remember the anniversary in their hearts, and also reflect on how much the city has changed in such a short period of time.

While the authorities are trying very hard to make people forget June 4, they cannot succeed. And the diaspora outside of Hong Kong are even more determined to keep the memory alive, ensuring the candles continue to shine brightly.

Pillar of Shame Confiscated as Evidence

The Pillar of Shame when it stood in the HKU campus

The saga of the sculpture paying homage to the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre continues with it being confiscated by the police yesterday, apparently related to a national security case.

The Pillar of Shame, which had been taken apart, wrapped up and hidden in the University of Hong Kong's Kadoorie Centre in Yuen Long, was taken by the police as evidence for a subversion case.

Since 1997, the eight-metre tall sculpture featuring people in an organic pyramid, was standing at the HKU campus until it was dismantled in the middle of the night by a crew in hard hats in December 2021.

It was removed late one night in December 2021

When Jens Galschiot, the artist who made the sculpture heard about the latest development from the media, he slammed the operation as "outrageous", as he said he was the owner of the artwork and no one had consulted him on the matter.

He wrote a message on his newsletter which read in full:

I just got the news from the media about the removing of the Pillar of Shame from Hong Kong University. This is outrageous. This is my sculpture and nobody has consulted or informed me about anything.

I have heard that the sculpture will be used as evidence under the national security law, but this makes no sense to me.

The pillar was placed in Hong Kong, before Hong Kong was handed over by the British. It is an art piece made and exhibited by a Danish artist (me) as his personal project. The initiative has been mine, nobody has incited me to put it there, and I personally paid all expenses for it. 

I cannot see how they can use the sculpture under the national security law. The Democratic Alliance and many Hongkongers have been assisting me putting the sculpture in Hong Kong, but so has shipping companies, crane firms and University of Hong Kong. Even Hong Kong authorities has given permission for me to put it up and move it around.

Though I am deeply touched that the Pillar is used this way in Hong Kong, the events confirm the that symbolic language of art cannot be crushed, and only gets stronger when attacked. The Pillar of Shame and talks about the June 4th massacre hasn’t been more present than now. Hong Kong (China!) took down the pillar but got a 1000 back. It appears as 3D prints all over the world, as AI and as banners.

 

Galschiot continues to demand sculpture back

Sincerely yours,
Jens Galschiot, May 5^th, 2023

 

The security bureau released a statement replying to Galschiot in part: "Some organisations attempted to mislead the public in the name of artistic freedom and requested to return the evidence, smearing the police's legal action with insensible blame, undermining law and the rule of law."

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said the removal of the statue had nothing to do with the upcoming June 4 anniversary, and that the operation was done according to the ongoing investigation.

"The legal proceedings are still ongoing. I cannot reveal any details... We will continue to search for more evidence to support the prosecution work," he said.

The organiser of Hong Kong's annual Tiananmen Square candlelight vigil -- the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriot Democratic Movements of China -- together with three of its leading members, Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho Chun-yah, and Chow Hang-tung have been charged with inciting subversion under the national security law.

The chances of Galschiot retrieving his sculpture have dimmed significantly now that it has been confiscated as "evidence"...

National Security Law at Work in the Courts

Chow and two others were sentenced to 4.5 months in prison

What happened today?

Three members of the group that organised the Tiananmen Square candlelight vigil for 30 consecutive years, were jailed for 4.5 months for refusing to assist police in an investigation into the group's alleged breaches of the national security law.

The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China former vice-chairwoman Chow Hang-tung, and ex-standing committee members Tsui Hon-kwong and Tang Ngok-kwan were convicted earlier this month.

During the trial the trio maintained the alliance was not a foreign agent, and thus had no obligation to cooperate with the authorities, but the court found "reasonable grounds" to believe otherwise, saying the group had "close" interactions with local and overseas organisations that shared "common objectives".

Tsui and Tang were also alliance members

In sentencing today, Chow, who is also a lawyer, gave a speech in court that was interrupted several times by Magistrate Peter Law for only wanting to hear points in "pure legal sense".

She said in part: "With the notice and the degrading designation as foreign agent, the government was effectively saying to us -- bend your knees, betray your friends, betray your cause, accept an absolute authority to know all and decide all and you shall have peace.

"What we are saying with our actions is simply one word -- never. Never will we surrender our independence from the state. Never will we illegitimise our movement by endorsing the government's false narrative. Never will we treat ourselves and our fellow friends as criminals just because the government says we are.

"We will fight this injustice wherever we must, be it in the streets, or in the courtroom, or in the prison cell. This is a battle we will fight on and here in this city we call home for our freedom to be ourselves is at stake here."

Chow is now waiting to face another trial for allegedly inciting subversion of state power under the national security law with the alliance's former chairman Lee Cheuk-yan and vice-chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan.

Tang was arrested outside Stanley Prison

Speaking of Lee, his wife Elizabeth Tang Yin-ngor had just visited him in Stanley Prison when the police arrested her on suspected collusion with foreign forces under the national security law.

Two days later she was granted bail of HK$200,000 two days later and surrendered her travel documents. She had recently returned to Hong Kong after being in the United Kingdom since 2021.

When Tang was released she spoke to reporters about not understanding why she was arrested in the first place.

"I don't understand. My work has always been for labour rights and workers organising unions. I don't know why that would be considered unlawful, not to mention endangering national security," Tang said.

Another person on trial for sedition is Chung Pui-kuen, a former editor of the now defunct Stand News. 

Chung was questioned over an op-ed that compared Hong Kong to the fictional totalitarian regime in George Orwell's dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Chung had to explain novel Nineteen Eighty-Four

The judge presiding over the trial asked whether Nineteen Eighty-Four was a book and what it was about.

Towards the end of questioning about the op-ed, Judge Kwok Wai-kin interrupted the lead prosecutor and asked Chung if Nineteen Eighty-Four was a book, adding: "I have never read it, can you tell me a bit more about the book?"

After Chung gave a brief overview of Orwell's novel, the lead prosecutor said: "Wait -- so this is a rewrite? What are the original lines?"

Chung told her he could give her the original lines later. The judge has never read the book, and to prepare for the case the lead prosecutor didn't read the novel either?

This is what is happening in Hong Kong's law courts these days. 

Chow Hang-Tung Acquitted in Appeal

Chow won appeal against conviction for inciting ppl to gather

Just in the last few hours, democracy activist Chow Hang-tung won an appeal against her conviction and sentence for inciting people to gather at Victoria Park for the June 4th anniversary.

The ex-vice-chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China was convicted for inciting others to take part in an unauthorised assembly and was sentenced for 15 months in jail in January. 

Up until 2020, the June 4 vigil held annually

She has almost finished serving that sentence almost 12 months later...

In the ruling Justice Judianna Barnes wrote that while Chow appealed to the public to come to Victoria Park to gather, it was not a crime because the police ban on the candlelight vigil was not legally sound.

Justice Barnes also found the police did not properly and fully exercise their responsibility to explore measures to facilitate a peaceful and safe public gathering before issuing a ban on the vigil.

Not only that but Justice Barnes has given Chow the green light to launch a parallel trial the police ban's legality in her criminal trial because she was not the applicant for police permission for the vigil, and yet she was prosecuted for it.

Is this for real? Is there still some rule of law left in Hong Kong?

Chow has been determined from the beginning and methodical in her approach, taking down the prosecution's arguments point by point.

Chow still faces NSL charges with Lee and Ho

But she still faces national security law charge of inciting subversion of state power together with Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho Chjn-yan, the chair and vice chair of the Hong Kong Alliance. The trio are alleged to have incited others to subvert state power between July 1, 2020 and September 8, 2021.

Albert Ho Out on Bail

Ho greeted upon his release on bail

It was a nice surprise to see former pro-democratic lawmaker Albert Ho Chun-yan released on bail yesterday. He was jailed in May 2021 for 18 months for illegal assembly related to June 4, but then recently had a national security charge laid against him too for allegedly inciting others to subvert state power.

The 70-year-old looked like he lost some weight, as his colleague Emily Lau Wai-hing and and ex-district councillor Tsang Kin-shing came to pick Ho up.

Ho was serving an 18-month sentence

Lau posted a picture of Ho on her social media accounts, letting people know he was released.

He has a series of conditions he must follow, including: a cash bail of HK$700,000, reporting to the Wan Chai Police Station three times a week (where he could be re-arrested again anytime), he must surrender travel documents, observe nighttime curfews, and not contact any foreign officials directly or indirectly.

Ho has had cancer before, and had undergone surgery for lung cancer several years ago, but there are concerns the cancer has returned in an X-ray taken recently.

"He wanted to conduct a full body check... as we were worried that [he] may relapse," Lau said. "I am overjoyed [his bail was granted], as we did not have many expectations since there has been too much bad news recently."

Pelosi's Taiwan Trip, HK Media Victory on NSL

Pelosi received a medal of honour from Tsai this morning

As expected the raging threats did not stop US Speaker Nancy Pelosi from arriving in Taiwan, meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen and even receiving a medal of honour for standing firm in safeguarding freedom, democracy and human rights.

PLA have surrounded the island doing live drills

Nevertheless, China is retaliating by holding live military drills surrounding Taiwan, more than it did in 1996. The live-fire drills will apparently continue until Thursday, though it is not clear how much longer Pelosi will be in Taiwan.

And as usual the Taiwanese people are cool as cucumbers, unmoved by the latest fiasco, but for the most part pleased to see such public support for their country.

Meanwhile a very important ruling happened yesterday in Hong Kong with regards to national security law cases.

In a landmark ruling, reporting restrictions regarding the transfer of criminal cases to the High Court must be lifted if the defendant makes such a request.

This came about after lawyer and activist Chow Hang-tung challenged a magistrate's decision to retain reporting restrictions on national security law cases.

Chow was arrested for her part in the June 4 vigil

On Tuesday, High Court Judge Alex Lee said that magistrates had no say in whether to lift reporting restrictions on committal hearings if the accused had applied to do so.

Chow is facing charges of inciting and taking part in illegal assembly of the 2020 June 4 candlelight vigil, and for organising the vigil the following year, as she is the then vice-chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China.

She along with the group's other leaders, Albert Ho Chun-yan, and Lee Cheuk-yan were charged with incitement to subversion under the national security law.

She filed the judicial review in May after Principal Magistrate Peter Law's decision in April to reject her request to lift reporting restrictions.

This ruling is significant in terms of press freedom, but also in helping people understand what happens in the court proceedings for a national security law case. It also gives some transparency and accountability with regards to the judicial system.

High Court Judge Lee allows reporting NSL cases

The government will not be pleased, especially Beijing. But hey -- if they want people to know more about the national security law, watching the cases through reports from the media -- gives people a better idea of what it's all about. 

Chow Continues Legal Fight Behind Bars

Chow has applied for a judicial review to allow open reporting

Chow Hang-tung, a former leader of the group that organised the annual June 4 candlelight vigil is still fighting to the end.

A barrister herself, Chow is using the law to fight in the public interest even though she herself is in the dock for charges that the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China incited subversion, a violation of the national security law.

It has been difficult for journalists to report on everything that occurs in a national security law case, and Chow wants to blow it open for public record. Today she handed in an application for a judicial review on Monday against a magistrate's decision not to lift reporting restrictions on national security cases.

She is one of the organisers of the candlelight vigil

The application was made against the decision of Principal Magistrate Peter Law, who is also a hand-picked national security judge, not to lift reporting restrictions on committal proceedings for the Alliance's national security case.

When a magistrate restricts reporting of a national security case, written and broadcast reports are limited to only including the names of the defendants, magistrates and lawyers, the alleged offence, the court's decision, whether legal aid was granted, and future court dates.

In the application, Law denied Chow's application to lift reporting restrictions on committal proceedings on April 25. The principal magistrate ruled that the court had discretion to reject such applications. 

Law also said if restrictions were lifted, it would lead to "widespread critical discussion or even attack" of the case because the whole proceedings could be reported.

"Further, due to the disruptive behaviour of the public, the lifting of reporting restrictions will give immense mental pressure or even fear to potential witnesses. This is damaging to a fair trial," said Law, according to the application.

Ho has also been charged with inciting subversion

But Chow refutes back: "The risk of intimidating potential witnesses is neither real, nor linked to whether reporting restrictions are lifted or not," she wrote on the application.

"More detrimentally, the Principal Magistrate gave no consideration at all of the importance of maintaining public confidence in the administration of justice, both locally and internationally," the application continued.

"It is precisely when a case has attracted widespread attention that the court should be doubly careful to ensure that justice is seen to be done. Banning reporting because of public interest would only fuel distrust and suspicion."

Chow, along with two other Alliance leaders, Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho Chun-yan are charged for allegedly inciting subversion. 

On Tuesday they appeared at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, where the case will be transferred to the Court of First Instance, where the maximum penalty for inciting subversion is 10 years in prison.

As Chow stepped out of the dock, she shouted, "Never forget June 4th, resist to the end."

Lee is also one of the Alliance leaders

However her fellow colleagues Lee and Ho only waved to the gallery, as people who have clapped before have been arrested and charged for "causing a nuisance".

This is what attending court has come to -- no outward expression is allowed.

Nevertheless, Chow is not giving up without a fight -- and thinking of any legal means to retain some kind of rule of law.

On June 4, there will be no public remembrances -- Victoria Park is apparently closed for repairs. The last two years no one was allowed to gather because of the pandemic.

What will the authorities think of next year?