https://www.scmp.com/rss/328862/feed On September 24, 2018, Hong Kong's security minister announced that the Hong Kong National Party would be banned, making it the first political party in the city to be declared unlawful under the Societies Ordinance. Officials said the party's advocacy of the city's independence from the rest of China posed a threat to national security and public safety. Critics countered the decision was meant to crack down on free speech and other liberties enjoyed in Hong Kong. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A pair of hour-long lessons at a Hong Kong primary school on freedom of speech and independence are at the centre of a row over limits and relevant concepts in class, following the unprecedented move by authorities to strip a teacher’s registration over the matter. Education officials on Tuesday slammed the lesson plan at Alliance Primary School in Kowloon Tong as “biased and twisted”, and aimed at spreading pro-independence ideas. The teacher involved had prescribed 50 minutes of study on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3104436/freedom-speech-or-hong-kong-independence-more-details?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3104436/freedom-speech-or-hong-kong-independence-more-details?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2020 14:54:22 +0000 On a rainy Saturday at the end of May outside the Wan Chai subway station in Hong Kong, HSBC’s Asia-Pacific chief executive Peter Wong Tung-shun added his name to a petition in support of the Chinese legislature’s plan to enact a national security law for the city. The photograph of Wong, wearing a face mask and clad in his weekend casuals, was shared on the bank’s account on China’s popular Weibo social media network, setting off an uproar in Washington and London. US Secretary of State Mike... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3091718/china-has-hsbcs-taipan-vice-few-options-fall-line-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3091718/china-has-hsbcs-taipan-vice-few-options-fall-line-security?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jul 2020 04:30:11 +0000 Rents on tiny flats in some of Hong Kong’s chic property developments are sliding towards the rates on the city’s notorious subdivided flats as landlords concede more ground in a recession-hit economy, according to property agents. At least 10 such projects completed in recent few years have had flats leased out at or below HK$10,000 (US$1,290) a month since the beginning of this year, as rising unemployment and campus closures hurt demand for housing from young professionals and foreign... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3087164/recession-squeeze-rents-are-converging-hong-kongs-micro-flat-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3087164/recession-squeeze-rents-are-converging-hong-kongs-micro-flat-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2020 00:15:14 +0000 Lost freedoms? What lost freedoms? Hong Kong’s freedoms are as intact as ever. The city even ranks third globally, well above the United States, in a joint Cato and Fraser institutes’ freedom index.  Those are not my words. Uttering them would betray my conscience. They are the boastful mantra of Beijing loyalists. Why they are called loyalists, I don’t know. Many either hold foreign passports or have offspring who do. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s husband and two sons have... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3047133/how-has-hong-kong-lost-its-freedoms-let-me-count-ways?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3047133/how-has-hong-kong-lost-its-freedoms-let-me-count-ways?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jan 2020 22:00:08 +0000 Hong Kong police arrested the founder of a banned pro-independence group during a raid on an industrial building on Thursday while in a separate operation, a family of three was detained after dozens of smoke bombs were found in their home. Andy Chan Ho-tin, founder of the outlawed Hong Kong National Party, was among eight arrested in Haribest Industrial Building on Au Pui Wan Street in Sha Tin. The group comprised seven men and a woman, who were all detained on suspicion of possession of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3021065/andy-chan-founder-banned-hong-kong-national-party-among?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3021065/andy-chan-founder-banned-hong-kong-national-party-among?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2019 17:50:12 +0000 Several Hong Kong activists gathered in Osaka on Friday, calling for world leaders to mention the city’s freedom when meeting President Xi Jinping, as one demonstrator thanked Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for speaking up. Japan’s foreign press secretary and official spokesman for the G20 conference Takeshi Osuga said Abe had raised the issues of Hong Kong and Xinjiang during a meeting with Xi on Thursday. “The prime minister pointed out the importance of [maintaining] a free, open and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3016518/g20-activists-call-world-leaders-osaka-press-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3016518/g20-activists-call-world-leaders-osaka-press-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jun 2019 09:11:13 +0000 The public backlash and mass protests against the Hong Kong government’s now-suspended extradition bill will not be brought up or allowed to be discussed at the G20 summit in Osaka, Beijing made clear on Monday, even as protesters from the city planned to take their case to an international audience there. The stern stance from Beijing’s foreign ministry follows a dramatic week in Hong Kong, during which millions marched and young activists held large protests which crippled government... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3015792/discussion-hong-kong-extradition-bill-will-not-be-allowed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3015792/discussion-hong-kong-extradition-bill-will-not-be-allowed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2019 05:36:22 +0000 An outlawed separatist party in Hong Kong has waived its right to legally challenge an unprecedented ban, a move that could embolden the government in future crackdowns on pro-independence groups in the city. The Hong Kong National Party’s decision came as Tony Chung Hon-lam, a member of another independence group, Studentlocalism, was arrested on Wednesday morning for criminal damage of a national flag during a protest at the Legislative Council complex on May 14. HKNP said it had little faith... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3011266/hong-kong-national-party-waives-right-legally-challenge-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3011266/hong-kong-national-party-waives-right-legally-challenge-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 May 2019 04:41:59 +0000 A proposed change to extradition law threatens the work of journalists and could drag Hong Kong’s press freedom rating to new lows lasting decades, a global media watchdog warned on Thursday. Reporters Without Borders said Hongkongers should do all they could to oppose a government proposal to allow the transfer of fugitives on a case-by-case basis to jurisdictions the city lacks an extradition deal with, including mainland China. The group said the plan posed a threat to the rule of law. “It... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3006796/hong-kongs-fugitive-law-could-put-press-freedom-new-low?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3006796/hong-kongs-fugitive-law-could-put-press-freedom-new-low?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Apr 2019 13:29:39 +0000 Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has vowed to continue the crackdown on the city’s pro-independence movement in a Beijing-requested report which details the government’s efforts in banning a separatist party last year. The 12-page document, submitted to the central government on Tuesday and revealed on Thursday, was the result of an unprecedented state letter issued weeks ago requesting a report from the chief executive on the outlawing of the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) while... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3006751/crackdown-hong-kong-independence-will-continue-citys-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3006751/crackdown-hong-kong-independence-will-continue-citys-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Apr 2019 09:22:20 +0000 The United States has decided to carry on treating Hong Kong separately from the rest of China as a special trading partner, although it raised concerns the city’s autonomy has been “diminished” by what it characterised as increasing interference from Beijing. Washington’s decision, which was outlined in the 2019 Hong Kong Policy Act Report, came against the backdrop of the US-China trade war and amid calls for the US to reassess its policy of exporting sensitive technology when treating Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3002798/us-voices-concern-over-beijings-increased-intervention-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3002798/us-voices-concern-over-beijings-increased-intervention-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Mar 2019 04:14:32 +0000 The amount of money Hong Kong’s justice department spent on hiring outside legal help for major politics-related cases soared 70 per cent to HK$17 million (US$2.2 million) in the last financial year. In all, the Department of Justice (DoJ) spent HK$300 million (US$38 million) on “briefing out” cases in the 2017-18 financial year, including six major politically charged cases related to the 2014 Occupy protests, the Mong Kok riot in 2016, an election petition and constitutional challenges to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3001410/hong-kongs-justice-department-spends-70-cent-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3001410/hong-kongs-justice-department-spends-70-cent-more?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Mar 2019 14:46:36 +0000 Indisputably, the four students who clashed with Polytechnic University officials over a row sparked by pro-independence slogans on a campus message board last year have crossed the line and should be disciplined. But whether they deserve such harsh punishment, which saw one graduate expelled, an undergraduate suspended for a year and two given community service of 120 and 60 hours, is open to debate. While some criticise the university for going too far, others support the tough actions to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2188930/polyu-student-row-lesson-both-sides?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2188930/polyu-student-row-lesson-both-sides?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Mar 2019 14:15:34 +0000 Eyebrows were raised after Beijing had asked Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to submit a report on the banning of a pro-independence party. Even though the central government has legitimate interest over matters of sovereignty, unity and national security, the rare move inevitably triggered concerns in some sectors. What matters is that the Hong Kong government is seen as acting on its own and according to the law; and that any ensuing judicial proceedings are handled by the city’s... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2188444/let-hong-kong-courts-decide-legality-ban-political-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2188444/let-hong-kong-courts-decide-legality-ban-political-party?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Mar 2019 13:55:32 +0000 A Polytechnic University student has been expelled and another suspended for one year after they clashed with school officials over the covering of a student bulletin board, known as the “democracy wall”, that had independence posters placed on it. The ruling on Friday was the result of disciplinary hearings against four students who arrived at school management offices on October 4 to seek a meeting with then-president Timothy Tong Wai-cheung about the disputed message board, with its... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2188320/polyu-fallout-nursing-student-expelled-others-punished-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2188320/polyu-fallout-nursing-student-expelled-others-punished-role?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Mar 2019 16:32:59 +0000 Beijing has for the first time requested a report from Hong Kong’s leader on the banning of a separatist party, as it officially backed the tough action taken by her government. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Tuesday revealed the unprecedented state letter detailing the central government’s formal request, sent days after she and her cabinet turned down the Hong Kong National Party’s (HKNP) appeal against the ban. Lam stressed she had never received any direct order from Beijing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2187744/beijing-backs-city-governments-ban-hong-kong-national-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2187744/beijing-backs-city-governments-ban-hong-kong-national-party?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Feb 2019 08:44:43 +0000 The Hong Kong National Party’s appeal against an unprecedented ban has been turned down by the city’s leader and her cabinet, with officials saying they believed the outlawed party could “resort to violence or advocate violence” in pursuit of a “Republic of Hong Kong”, the Post has learned. In a three-page response to party founders Andy Chan Ho-tin and Jason Chow Ho-fai, officials said the primary objective of the party, an independent Hong Kong, was unlawful. While Chan has always maintained... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2187174/hong-kong-national-party-ban-upheld-panel-which-says-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2187174/hong-kong-national-party-ban-upheld-panel-which-says-it?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Feb 2019 13:33:57 +0000 The leader of the outlawed pro-independence Hong Kong National Party refused to take any questions during his appeal against its ban on Monday, in protest against the rejection of his lawyers’ request to postpone the hearing, the Post has learned. Andy Chan Ho-tin appeared before a three-member panel of the Executive Council without barrister Gladys Li and lawyer Mark Daly, who had prior engagements. The review hearing was arranged after Chan decided to appeal against the Secretary for Security... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2181972/leader-outlawed-hong-kong-national-party-refuses-answer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2181972/leader-outlawed-hong-kong-national-party-refuses-answer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jan 2019 07:26:26 +0000 The leaders of the outlawed Hong Kong National Party will get to appeal against the ban before a three-member committee of Executive Council members on January 14, the Post has learned. It was earlier expected that Andy Chan Ho-tin and Jason Chow Ho-fai would make written submissions to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her de facto cabinet, with Lam having the final say. But Exco has decided to hold a hearing, following protests by the party that the appeal process was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2177525/leaders-banned-hong-kong-national-party-face-three-man-exco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2177525/leaders-banned-hong-kong-national-party-face-three-man-exco?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Dec 2018 22:31:23 +0000 Some future historian writing a thesis on “The Death of Hong Kong” may stumble across the old 1995 Fortune Magazine cover of the same name. It may seem prescient, but premature. Instead, the late summer and early fall of 2018 will likely be deemed the turning point, when the demise of a once-great open and liberal city really began. That turning point started in July, when local police served notice on the Hong Kong National Party that it was considering a ban, accusing the obscure group of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/keith-richburg-expelling-foreign-correspondent-marks-beginning-hong-kongs-demise/article/2167594?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/keith-richburg-expelling-foreign-correspondent-marks-beginning-hong-kongs-demise/article/2167594?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Oct 2018 09:00:15 +0000 A week after the Hong Kong National Party was outlawed on the grounds of national security, activists were not afraid to test the limits of the ban, waving the Catalonian flag and banners calling for independence during a protest march on Monday. Chanting “Hong Kong is not China”, a 30-strong group marched on government headquarters, carrying the flag of the Spanish region a year after its referendum on independence. The move came as police officers from the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2166460/organised-crime-unit-hong-kong-turns-its-attention-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2166460/organised-crime-unit-hong-kong-turns-its-attention-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Oct 2018 06:18:03 +0000 Localist group Demosisto should be banned in the same way as the separatist Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) for advocating self-determination, according to a member of the Basic Law Committee, which advises the Chinese government on the city’s mini-constitution. The group, co-founded by Occupy movement icon Joshua Wong Chi-fung, said it would not be deterred by such calls. Speaking after a televised forum on Sunday, Priscilla Leung Mei-fun said promoting the city’s self-determination was no... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2166376/demosisto-should-be-outlawed-hong-kong-national-party-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2166376/demosisto-should-be-outlawed-hong-kong-national-party-its?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Sep 2018 11:00:45 +0000 Hong Kong’s Education Bureau has warned secondary schools and universities to make sure their students do not associate with a recently banned pro-independence party, as it could constitute a criminal offence. A two-page letter issued this week to all supervisors at more than 500 secondary schools said staff should advise students not to promote Hong Kong independence, join illegal societies, take part in their activities or offer them assistance, to avoid criminal liability. Hong Kong students... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2165839/national-party-ban-essential-and-legally-sound-says-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2165839/national-party-ban-essential-and-legally-sound-says-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Sep 2018 09:45:30 +0000 Facebook is keeping quiet on whether it will agree to Hong Kong police’s request for the social media giant to take down the page of a local separatist party outlawed by the government on Monday. A day after police’s call, all eyes are now on how Facebook will respond to the call to shut down the page for the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP), the first party to be banned by authorities since the city’s handover to Chinese rule in 1997, and the ramifications of its decision on other take-down... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2165730/will-facebook-agree-hong-kong-polices-request-take-down-page?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2165730/will-facebook-agree-hong-kong-polices-request-take-down-page?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Sep 2018 14:03:38 +0000 Hong Kong has outlawed a small, fringe pro-independence party on the grounds of national security. Monday’s ban on the Hong Kong National Party was based on the Societies Ordinance, a rarely invoked law introduced in 1911 when the city was still under British rule. It has never previously been used to ban a political party. The ban is contentious. Supporters say it is an effective way to tackle unacceptable advocacy for independence in the city, while critics see it as a rolling back of civil... https://www.scmp.com/politics/controversy-behind-ban-pro-independence-hong-kong-national-party/article/2165474?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/controversy-behind-ban-pro-independence-hong-kong-national-party/article/2165474?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Sep 2018 11:00:00 +0000 China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday issued a stern rebuke to other countries for criticising the Hong Kong government’s unprecedented ban of a separatist party, urging foreigners to stop interfering in the nation’s internal affairs “under the guise” of freedom of speech and association. “To the irresponsible comments made by some countries and organisations on the Hong Kong government’s decision to ban the Hong Kong National Party, we are in strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition,” ministry... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2165617/china-warns-other-countries-respect-hong-kong-national-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2165617/china-warns-other-countries-respect-hong-kong-national-party?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Sep 2018 03:51:23 +0000 The basis for the ban on the Hong Kong National Party: ● Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu has decided to officially ban the Hong Kong National Party on grounds of national security, public safety, public order and the protection of the rights and freedoms of others ● Lee said the party had taken actions in the past two years to build support for its cause to break away from China, and spread hatred and discrimination against mainland Chinese people in Hong Kong ● Noting the separatist... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2165598/threat-citys-freedom-or-necessary-step-security-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2165598/threat-citys-freedom-or-necessary-step-security-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Sep 2018 23:45:00 +0000 The government officially banned the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party on Monday, making it the first political party to be declared unlawful under the Societies Ordinance. Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu said there was “a compelling case to take preventive action”, describing the ban as “necessary and proportional” in the interests of national security, public safety and order, and the protection of the rights and freedoms of others. The Post obtained Lee’s 20-page letter to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2165592/ban-hong-kong-separatist-party-was-compelling-grounds-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2165592/ban-hong-kong-separatist-party-was-compelling-grounds-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Sep 2018 14:31:30 +0000 Ever since the Societies Ordinance was invoked against the Hong Kong National Party two months ago, there was never any doubt that the government would eventually ban the separatist faction. What matters is that the outcome is fully justified by local laws and in line with the principle of “one country, two systems”. The message is clear. The advocacy of the city breaking away from China will not be tolerated. The police and Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu have so far followed the steps... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2165588/basic-law-must-allay-any-uncertainty-over-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2165588/basic-law-must-allay-any-uncertainty-over-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Sep 2018 12:33:56 +0000 A Hong Kong separatist party was officially banned by the government on Monday on national security grounds, with Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu saying its willingness to use force meant its pro-independence calls could not be regarded as mere “political rhetoric”. Instead, the Hong Kong National Party’s (HKNP) statements could potentially motivate followers to “cause violence and public disorder”, and this was a “compelling” reason to take preventive action against them, he said. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2165439/hong-kong-issues-unprecedented-ban-separatist-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2165439/hong-kong-issues-unprecedented-ban-separatist-party?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Sep 2018 01:45:15 +0000 A Hong Kong separatist party facing an unprecedented ban missed a government deadline of 5pm on Friday to submit written arguments on why it should not be outlawed, eventually doing so almost four hours late. Hong Kong National Party convenor Andy Chan Ho-tin said the delay was down to the city’s Companies Registry not providing documents critical to the case. The pro-independence party, which had already been handed three extensions, said the registry had on Thursday promised they could provide... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2164311/hong-kong-national-party-fails-justify-its-separatist-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2164311/hong-kong-national-party-fails-justify-its-separatist-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Sep 2018 12:27:42 +0000 A separatist whose party is facing a government ban has dropped his appeal against the decision to ban him from running in 2016 Legislative Council election, because he cannot afford to fight on. Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) founder Andy Chan Ho-tin told the Post on Wednesday he had withdrawn his application to bring his case to the city’s top court, over the High Court’s ruling on his election petition in February. The ruling, by Justice Thomas Au Hing-cheung, affirmed the position that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2163953/hong-kong-national-partys-andy-chan-drops-appeal-against?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2163953/hong-kong-national-partys-andy-chan-drops-appeal-against?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Sep 2018 23:03:24 +0000 The United States’ top envoy in Hong Kong has brushed aside a local separatist party’s call for the country to apply its China-targeted tariff and trade policies to the city. Kurt Tong, the US consul general in Hong Kong, reaffirmed the “very good relationship” between Washington and the city’s government. His remarks came after the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) wrote to the US Department of State calling on Washington to suspend the differential treatment on trade between the city and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2162862/us-consul-general-kurt-tong-denies-hong-kong-national-partys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2162862/us-consul-general-kurt-tong-denies-hong-kong-national-partys?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Sep 2018 07:30:30 +0000 A Hong Kong separatist party will fight a proposed ban by arguing the city’s leader has already made up her mind on any appeal it might launch, the Post has learned. The Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) would focus on anti-independence comments Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her advisers made before the unprecedented ban was finalised, a source familiar with the matter said. However, the party – which on Monday was given its third extension, until September 14, to register its... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2162601/hong-kong-separatist-party-will-focus-city-leader-carrie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2162601/hong-kong-separatist-party-will-focus-city-leader-carrie?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Sep 2018 23:31:15 +0000 A Hong Kong separatist’s defiant speech two weeks ago and subsequent call for the US to extend its trade war with China to Hong Kong have been used as new evidence by police to justify their proposed ban on his party. Assistant Commissioner of Police Rebecca Lam Hiu-tong, in a report to Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday, said the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP), through remarks made by its convenor Andy Chan Ho-tin, showed it “remained firmly committed to achieving its objective... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2161916/separatist-leader-andy-chans-fcc-talk-and-call-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2161916/separatist-leader-andy-chans-fcc-talk-and-call-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Aug 2018 16:45:15 +0000 Mr Andy Chan Ho-tin, in openly begging US President Donald Trump to revoke the World Trade Organisation membership of China and Hong Kong, is sadly mistaken (“Andy Chan rebuked after asking Trump to have China kicked out of WTO”, August 19). The WTO is an intergovernmental organisation dealing in trade issues and disputes. And the US, much less Donald Trump, has no right to the management of the WTO. It is impossible to fathom what could be the motive behind such a move by Mr Chan, the convenor... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2161692/chinese-have-risen-world-thanks-rise-china-andy-chans-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2161692/chinese-have-risen-world-thanks-rise-china-andy-chans-call?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Aug 2018 15:45:24 +0000 Your reader Peter Forsythe suggested that Hong Kong should “take a collective deep breath and ignore Andy Chan. And let Beijing know that we are ignoring him” (“Breathe in and ignore inanities of Andy Chan”, August 22). He also said that “government officials, both past and present, bear responsibility for needlessly giving oxygen to Chan and the Foreign Correspondents’ Club”. As secretary general between 1988 and 1990 of the Basic Law Consultative Committee, which took part in the intense... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2161678/andy-chan-not-one-and-he-not-alone-thats-why-hong-kong-must-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2161678/andy-chan-not-one-and-he-not-alone-thats-why-hong-kong-must-act?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Aug 2018 09:00:17 +0000 Beijing’s reactions around Hong Kong National Party convenor Andy Chan Ho-tin’s controversial comments advocating democracy/independence for Hong Kong could have been more measured and mature (“Chinese foreign ministry brands separatist Andy Chan deplorable”, August 21). Such strong responses only provide more fodder to critics of China in the United States and other countries to spread negativity about China and affect its public perception. It is a fact that most Hongkongers treat their city... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2161510/why-china-must-treat-separatists-andy-chan-tolerance-if-it-wants-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2161510/why-china-must-treat-separatists-andy-chan-tolerance-if-it-wants-be?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Aug 2018 21:02:06 +0000 The storm over a minor Hong Kong political party’s calls for independence has renewed demands from Beijing loyalists for a national security law, although observers do not expect such legislation to be proposed before 2020, or even 2022. Since Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) leader Andy Chan Ho-tin repeated his party’s calls for independence when he addressed the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) earlier this month, the demand for the law to be made tougher has also heightened. Up until now... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2161419/why-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-must-plan-national-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2161419/why-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-must-plan-national-security?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Aug 2018 23:30:00 +0000 It is with great reluctance that I return to the subject of Hong Kong independence as promulgated by the so-called Hong Kong National Party, and its convenor Andy Chan Ho-tin. Too much attention has already been paid to the shallow and immature thinking recently on display at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club. But some important things need to be said. I attended the FCC event. As I have written in a previous column, I think independence for Hong Kong is impossible and would anyway be against our... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2161227/how-andy-chans-call-hong-kong-independence-fails?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2161227/how-andy-chans-call-hong-kong-independence-fails?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Aug 2018 18:00:30 +0000 Hong Kong’s Security Bureau has given a pro-independence party facing a possible ban an extra week to submit arguments against the move. The Hong Kong National Party now has until September 11, which is almost one month earlier than the date in early October that it requested. On Friday evening, the bureau said a legal representative for the party’s spokesman, Jason Chow Ho-fai, had written to it requesting an extension for making written representations in accordance with the Societies... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2161300/hong-kong-national-party-given-extra-week-submit-arguments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2161300/hong-kong-national-party-given-extra-week-submit-arguments?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Aug 2018 16:15:45 +0000 Let’s have tough national security legislation that jails anyone who uses the word “independence”. And let’s kick the Foreign Correspondents’ Club out of its historic building for fomenting sedition. Turn it into a shopping centre instead. Beijing loyalists want the FCC out and Article 23 legislation in, never mind that such a double whammy could spark another local uprising and global outrage.  Not that they care. China’s growing clout has emboldened its leaders to scorn international opinion.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2160791/andy-chans-hong-kong-independence-hot-air-will?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2160791/andy-chans-hong-kong-independence-hot-air-will?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Aug 2018 21:00:45 +0000 Alex Lo is spot on (“We pay the price of Andy Chan’s free speech”, August 18). People often say that death and taxes are the only two certainties in life. To these we can add a third: that Beijing will never, ever, ever allow Hong Kong to be independent. This is not a free speech hill to die on. This is a hill on which free speech will die – unless we ignore Andy Chan Ho-tin and his provocative inanities. Please Hong Kong, before it’s too late, let’s take a collective deep breath and ignore Andy... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2160607/hong-kong-independence-activist-andy-chan-must-not-become-altar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2160607/hong-kong-independence-activist-andy-chan-must-not-become-altar?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Aug 2018 15:32:13 +0000 The Chinese foreign ministry has called a Hong Kong separatist “deplorable” for sending a letter to US President Donald Trump, calling for the city and China to be kicked out of the World Trade Organisation. “The letter... fully exposed [Andy Chan Ho-tin’s] true face, colluding with external forces to stir up trouble in China and Hong Kong,” said the office’s spokesman in Beijing on Tuesday, adding that such plan would have no chance to succeed. Hong Kong National Party leader Chan last Saturday... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2160624/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-struggles-words-convey-anger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2160624/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-struggles-words-convey-anger?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Aug 2018 04:30:45 +0000 A vice-chairwoman of the Basic Law Committee said on Monday there was not enough evidence to prosecute separatist party leader Andy Chan Ho-tin for sedition as spelled out in the Crimes Ordinance, rejecting the recommendation of a top mainland Chinese official. In her remarks, the first by a pro-Beijing heavyweight to differ from that of Zhang Xiaoming, director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Maria Tam Wai-chu said using the Societies Ordinance still made the most... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2160447/not-enough-evidence-prosecute-hong-kong-separatist-andy-chan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2160447/not-enough-evidence-prosecute-hong-kong-separatist-andy-chan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Aug 2018 05:45:30 +0000 A Hong Kong separatist party felt a fresh wave of condemnation from the government on Sunday, after calling on the United States to have both the city and China kicked out of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), citing an erosion of the city’s autonomy and freedom. The open letter penned by Andy Chan Ho-tin, convenor of Hong Kong National Party (HKNP), to US President Donald Trump came days after the young advocate’s defiant speech at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC), which drew immediate... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2160359/hong-kong-national-party-leader-andy-chan-rebuked-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2160359/hong-kong-national-party-leader-andy-chan-rebuked-after?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Aug 2018 06:17:13 +0000 The “sensible” pan-democrat politicians in Hong Kong should steer clear of “the stupid force” of separatists and support calls for a long-overdue national security law before it is too late, a group of lawyers has said. While Hong Kong is allowed to enact the law on its own – as stated in Article 23 of the city’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law – Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, who is a member of the Basic Law Committee, warned Beijing might lose patience if the city does not stop separatists calling... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2160252/pan-democrats-should-cut-ties-stupid-hong-kong-separatists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2160252/pan-democrats-should-cut-ties-stupid-hong-kong-separatists?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Aug 2018 12:30:45 +0000 Beijing and its political allies in Hong Kong like to castigate the foreign press for its biased anti-China reports. It’s not always true. Some Western publications do get it right, sometimes. In its profile of Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) boss Andy Chan Ho-tin, Time magazine has his number. I couldn’t have put it better. “Charisma-free, [Chan] was unable to describe the road map by which Hong Kong could achieve independence or defend itself against China,” it wrote. “He offered no picture of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2160234/we-pay-price-andy-chans-free-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2160234/we-pay-price-andy-chans-free-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Aug 2018 10:33:26 +0000 I am writing to respond to your reports on the talk by Andy Chan Ho-tin at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (“Separatist leader Andy Chan denounces China as ‘threat to all free peoples’”, August 14) and (“Hong Kong pro-independence leader defies Beijing to speak at FCC”, August 14). There were protests both for and against Chan outside the FCC. Pro-Beijing demonstrators waved the Chinese flag and warned of a conspiracy to split Hong Kong from China, urging “zero tolerance for Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2160012/what-hong-kong-independence-activist-andy-chans-fcc-talk-revealed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2160012/what-hong-kong-independence-activist-andy-chans-fcc-talk-revealed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Aug 2018 09:03:48 +0000 Legal experts interviewed in Hong Kong on Thursday were unanimous in expressing doubts over whether a law covering sedition could be used against separatist party leader Andy Chan Ho-tin and the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, which hosted his speech, as proposed by a top Beijing official. The heads of the barristers’ and solicitors’ bodies and an adviser to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor were among those who gave this view, after Chan’s fiery speech on Tuesday – denouncing China and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2160084/separatist-leader-andy-chan-cannot-be-charged-under-current?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2160084/separatist-leader-andy-chan-cannot-be-charged-under-current?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Aug 2018 23:00:45 +0000