Hong Kong media mogul Lai Chi-ying, who just celebrated his 73rd birthday, has been remanded in custody after being denied bail on charges of fraud. The Hong Kong Police Force announced on Friday (11) that he was charged with “collusion with foreign powers and endangering national security”, the first defendant to be charged with this crime after the implementation of the “Hong Kong National Security Law”, the maximum penalty can be sentenced to life imprisonment. The news said, involving Lai Chi-ying in Twitter and interviewed, called for sanctions related to Hong Kong. The incident raised concerns about Hong Kong’s freedom of expression and international economic status.
The case is still being remanded in Lai Chi Kok remand home, the founder of Next Media, Lai Chi-ying, was charged with “collusion with foreign forces and endangering national security” under the Hong Kong National Security Law, and was arraigned on Saturday (12). This makes Lai Chi-ying become the fourth person to be formally prosecuted after the implementation of the “Hong Kong National Security Law”, is also the first “collusion with foreign forces” defendant. Some Hong Kong media reported that the charges and Lai Chi-ying in Twitter and interviews, such as calling people to sanction Hong Kong related.
Lai Chi-ying became the first “collusion with foreign powers” defendant can be sentenced to a maximum of life imprisonment
Article 29 of the Hong Kong National Security Law states that collusion with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security, including requesting foreign or foreign institutions, organizations, personnel, sanctions against Hong Kong or China, the crime is punishable by more than 3 years of imprisonment for up to 10 years; and the crime is significant, more can be sentenced to life imprisonment or more than 10 years in prison.
Legal scholars: Hong Kong’s unprecedented worry about the actual implementation of the retroactive period
The University of Hong Kong School of Law Principal Lecturer Zhang Daming interviewed by this station, said the “Hong Kong National Security Law” is a new crime, and the Chinese legal system to draft, in the absence of precedents, it is difficult to predict the judge’s sentencing and considerations.
Zhang Daming said: “In fact, it is difficult to say, because this is a very new crime, at the end of June this year, suddenly the NPC Standing Committee passed this “Hong Kong National Security Law”, not our local legislation, are not using our “common law” to draft this law, is the use of Chinese legal system, plus it indicates that the power of interpretation in the NPC Standing Committee, and for the time being there is no case. “
Zhang Daming is concerned about whether there is a retrospective period when the Hong Kong National Security Law is actually enforced, including the charges against Lai Chi-ying involved in which time period of conduct, whether it is before or after the end of June. This is because Hong Kong has always had criminal offences that are not retroactive and are protected by human rights law. He was concerned about whether there would be exceptions when Chinese law is transposed to Hong Kong.
Article 39 of the Hong Kong National Security Law expressly provides that acts committed after the implementation of the law, the statutory offence is applicable to the penalty, that is, not retroactive, but the outside world is worried that the Hong Kong government will pursue the actual implementation of the legislation before the act.
Lai Chi-ying, Chairman of Next Media Hong Kong
Lai has been talking to overseas people on social media platforms for the past six months.
According to online information and media reports, Lai Chi-ying has talked to many overseas people and former officials on social media platforms. In the middle of last month, a talk show between Lai and the late Governor Chris Patten, “Patten-Lai Talk: The Future of Hong Kong,” was broadcast on Twitter, in which Patten said that what is happening in Hong Kong proves that the world can no longer trust Beijing and that countries must cooperate to counter China.
Lai also spoke last month with former Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Sharansky, former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Bo Ruiguang, and former U.S. Army four-star general and deputy chief of staff Jack Keane to discuss the situation and circumstances in Hong Kong. In the conversation between Lai Chi-ying and Jack Keane, he asked what else Hong Kong people could do to attract the attention of the next U.S. administration, and Jack Keane thought it was important for Lai Chi-ying and others to speak out for Hong Kong.
In mid-October, Lai and Paul Wolfowitz, a former deputy secretary of defense, called on the international community to pay attention to the 12 Hong Kong people who attempted to smuggle themselves into Taiwan and are currently detained in Shenzhen’s Yantian Detention Center, and to put pressure on China through international pressure to be released or returned to Hong Kong for trial as soon as possible.
In September, Lai Chi-ying had a Twitter conversation with Benedict Rogers, deputy chairman of the Conservative Human Rights Committee, about the issue of British national (overseas) passports.
NGOs fear blame at every turn
Former Amnesty International China researcher Poon Ka-wai was interviewed by this station, arguing that under the Hong Kong National Security Law, it is up to the regime to decide whether to break the law or not, without any specific explanation, and that the current crimes of “subversion of state power” and “collusion with foreign powers” in Hong Kong are similar to China’s crackdown on human rights activists. The charges of “subversion of state power” and “collusion with foreign powers” in Hong Kong are the same as those used to suppress human rights activists in China. He said there are a large number of NGOs in Hong Kong that maintain close ties with foreign countries and even make appeals to the international community, making it easier to take the blame.
Calling for sanctions is an action, an action to express freedom of expression, and the government concerned will not sanction an organization just because it calls for it,” Poon said. I think it’s ridiculous to call for collusion or violate national security laws just because of an appeal. All NGOs can be targeted in the future, so people are not in suspense and feel it is dangerous.”
Poon Ka Wai, who has been working on human rights for more than 20 years, described Hong Kong people under the state security law as being in the same situation as the Chinese human rights activists he has been following. Still, he continued to speak out for the human rights situation in Hong Kong by participating in video talks sponsored by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democratic Human Rights and Labor on International Human Rights Day. He said that under the current regime, human rights are not protected and that it is necessary for Hong Kong people to protect themselves, but they must not give up speaking out completely, and called on the international community to continue to pay attention to Hong Kong.
Poon Ka-wai said, “People should overcome their fears and be more insistent on expressing their freedom of expression, and I, as a citizen, one of my identities is a researcher of an organization, a staff member of an organization, definitely don’t be afraid to speak out because of that.”
Hong Kong stock market plunge sets off new wave of withdrawals (AP)
Or accelerate the withdrawal of foreign capital Hong Kong go back to become a closed city
Hong Kong economist Luo Jiacong interviewed by this station, he said from the data, Hong Kong’s foreign direct investment (FDI) has fallen in successive years since 2015, and in 2019, even more significantly halved, coupled with a series of Beijing’s actions in Hong Kong in the past six months, is bound to accelerate the withdrawal of foreign capital from Hong Kong.
The foreign investment will definitely accelerate to leave, not only Hong Kong itself, but the Chinese Communist Party’s external posture is xenophobic, and the outside also excludes him,” said Luo Jiacong. In fact, the relationship between the Greater China region, not counting Taiwan, and the West has deteriorated. Foreign investment into the Chinese market, Hong Kong must have been the preferred springboard before, if you want to go, of course, the fastest can go is here, so it will go more obvious.”
Luo Jiacong said that the data to be updated in 2020 to reflect the scale of foreign capital withdrawal this year. He lamented that Hong Kong will go backwards from a free and open city to a closed city with far-reaching implications. And originally in the very international city life of Hong Kong people, suddenly beaten back, will be very difficult to adapt, many people thus immigrate.
On August 10 this year, the police National Security Division officers on suspicion of violating the National Security Law and other charges, the arrest of Lai Chi-ying, his two sons and four One Media Group senior, and a large number of One Media building search.
By the 2nd of this month, Lai Chi-ying and two company executives were formally charged with fraud, and the case was postponed until April next year. Only Lai Chi-ying among the three was rejected by the judge for the risk of absconding on the grounds of its application for bail, immediately remanded in custody, spending his birthday in the remand home.
Recent Comments