On the sixth day of the year 2021, Hong Kong once again saw a major arrest. The police used more than 1,000 police officers to arrest 53 people on suspicion of “subversion of state power”, this time involving not only social activists, but also restaurant owners, media organizations and pollsters. The owner of the yellow store, who ran for the Legislative Council on behalf of the democratic camp, said that some people spread unconfirmed news and maliciously created panic. He said he was “psychologically prepared to go to jail at any time in the eye of the storm” and hoped that the yellow stores would unite to fight against tyranny.
On Wednesday morning, the police served four media companies with a “material submission order” signed by a High Court judge. Police state security officers went to the offices of Independent Media and asked editor-in-chief Wong Chun-bong to sign a document containing a “material document order” that the police had applied to the court for, requiring him to hand over documents related to the primary election within seven days.
The police officers went to the office of Standpoint News and showed the court document to Editor-in-Chief Chung Pui-kuen, claiming that it was a “material document order” involving a National Security Law case. The whole process was broadcast live on Standpoint News.
On Wednesday morning, four plainclothes police officers came to the office of Standpoint News and showed the court documents to Editor-in-Chief Chung Pui-kuen. (Live clip from Standpoint News)
Police officer: You have to submit these documents within 7 days, I will give you this document, you can study it with your lawyer.
Zhong Peiquan: So your purpose is just to send this document to me?
Officer: Yes, of course you have to sign for it.
Zhong Peiquan: You will not search our office now?
Constable: Yes.
After that, Zhong Peiquan told the police officer that he would follow up with his lawyer. The “Standpoint News” then said that the “material submission order” document requires that the content should not be disclosed to the public, and is currently consulting with lawyers, and will later issue a statement to explain.
The police also went to the Apple Daily office and asked to sign court documents, requesting the other side to submit specified documents to assist in the investigation of a national security law case within the deadline. Apple Daily editor-in-chief Luo Weiguang believes that media organizations are only reporting news about the primary election, and that the National Security Police’s visit to a number of media today for information will have a deterrent effect, with the intention of exerting pressure on the media.
Police claim that the search for evidence and freedom of the press has nothing to do with the journalist association questioned the threat to journalists
Police National Security Division Senior Superintendent Li Guihua met with reporters in the afternoon, said the submission of the order signed by a High Court judge, which does not involve interview information, and freedom of the press has nothing to do. Asked whether the media will have criminal liability for co-organizing the primary election forum, he said, so far will only regard them as witnesses.
Li Guihua: “Not to ask for interview information, just to ask media organizations with some of their transactions, the details can not say, just part of the investigation, we just want to know what the transaction is.”
The Hong Kong Journalists Association expressed extreme concern about the police’s National Security Division visit. Although the police stressed that they were not seeking journalistic material from media organizations, the information involved in the operation of the media undoubtedly poses a substantial and psychological threat to journalists, causing a chilling effect and accelerating the deterioration of the industry’s problems of self-censorship and guessing the bottom line.
Yellow store owners, academics, lawyers and others also arrested
Among the 53 arrested persons, many are incumbent or former legislators, but there are also yellow store owners, academics and lawyers arrested, including the yellow store “ABOUTHAI Abu Thai Life Department Store” founder Lin Jingnan. Once the news of his arrest came out, more than 5,000 netizens have left messages of solidarity, hoping that he “cheer, to come back safely”.
Lin Jingnan, a former customs officer, was unreasonably dismissed from his job in 2015 because he was interviewed by a TV station at the site of the “Restoration of Shatin” demonstration. He then founded the Abu Thai Lifestyle Department Store and opened a number of branches throughout Hong Kong. He often speaks out for the pro-democracy movement as a yellow store, and is well known in the yellow store community. He ran in the 2020 Hong Kong Legislative Council election in the democratic primary last year.
Lam King Nam, the founder of “ABOUTHAI Abu Thai Lifestyle Department Store”, was arrested and participated in last year’s pan-democratic “primary election”. (Facebook photo)
The yellow store will be arrested to investigate the yellow store owner: someone malicious to create panic
In the primary election held last year, the organizers of the democratic power in all districts throughout the territory with 253 polling stations, most of which are district councilor offices, there are also yellow stores lend stores to voters to vote. It was once widely rumored that stores promoting primary elections, Hong Kong independence or secessionist propaganda would be arrested and investigated. The owner of the “616 Hot Pot”, Mr. Lam Shui Wah, was interviewed by the station and believed that the news was unconfirmed and that someone was maliciously creating panic, hoping that the yellow circle would remain united against the tyranny.
The company’s main business is to provide a wide range of services to the public. The reason is that the National Security Law has no retroactive period, we all dealt with the propaganda before the implementation of the National Security Law, it should not be affected by the National Security Law. I am very angry that someone is trying to create panic when Hong Kong people are facing all the former white terror. I all want to say to the yellow store, do not worry too much.”
However, Lam Sui Wah frankly said, as a member of the yellow circle, most of the circle are psychologically prepared to face suppression, “in the eyes of the wind at any time psychologically prepared to go to jail.” He also criticized the Secretary for Security Lee Ka-chiu’s comments on the raid, is “completely unreasonable”, but also predicted that the future of Hong Kong will not have a fair and impartial election.
Lam Sui Wah: “We are in the center of the eye of the storm, at any time have the awareness, in this time have this psychological preparation. But also will not be particularly afraid, we have only been doing what Hong Kong people want us to do. In fact, the Basic Law gives us the Legislative Council the power to veto the budget and the power to remove the Chief Executive, and now they (officials) have moved the dragon indiscriminately so that a large number of former (Legislative Council) members were arrested, I am very angry. The future of Hong Kong still has a fair election, is very doubtful. But we should not all give up our ideas.”
Li Guihua said that this enforcement action is mainly aimed at people who have a strategy and systematically want to paralyze the SAR government, there is no evidence of participation, for example, more than 600,000 voters, the police will not launch a criminal investigation, but there is no mention of the yellow store in charge of the lending of polling venues, to assist the primary election volunteers, whether there is a violation of the law.
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