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Hong Kong protesters demonstrate against extradition bill


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HK polyU is not like NTU.

NTU behind got forest, got fruit, got wild animals, got reservoir. If dig in,  can survive for months..... hahaha.... 

OK, joking only

TGIF

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https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/China-up-close/Xi-s-elite-soldiers-clean-the-streets-of-Hong-Kong?utm_campaign=RN%20Subscriber%20newsletter&utm_medium=one%20time%20newsletter&utm_source=NAR%20Newsletter&utm_content=article%20link&del_type=3&pub_date=20191122003000&seq_num=2&si=%%user_id%%

9ydkZcf.jpg

Xi's elite soldiers 'clean the streets' of Hong Kong
Advertised as voluntary, the choreography was hard to miss
KATSUJI NAKAZAWA, Nikkei senior staff writer
November 21, 2019 12:27 JST

TOKYO -- When the gates abruptly opened at the People's Liberation Army barracks in Hong Kong on Nov. 16, and about 100 shaven-headed and powerfully built men sprang out to clean the streets, a senior soldier made sure to tell the media there that it was a spontaneous act.

"We volunteered!" the plain-clothed unit spokesman, believed to be the commander, said. "Stopping violence and ending chaos is our responsibility." He was wearing a blue shirt.

The troops, many wearing matching gray shirts and black shorts, moved quickly to Hong Kong Baptist University, a stronghold of anti-government activities. They did so in a military manner before beginning to remove bricks and other obstacles left on the streets by demonstrators. They were ostensibly helping Hong Kongers clean things up.

But there was nothing spontaneous to what the PLA, the military of the Chinese Communist Party, did that day.

Among the servicemen, brooms and buckets in hand, were some members clad in sleeveless sports uniforms, in eye-catching blue or orange.

Emblazoned on the back of the uniforms were the words "Xuefeng Special Operations Brigade," or "Special Forces, Eighth Company."

In a secretive military where unit assignments are hardly ever made public, it was a daring move to so blatantly flaunt associations in front of TV cameras.

ikVi44b.jpg
Among the servicemen were some members in sleeveless sports uniforms, in eye-catching blue or orange. They were from the elite "Xuefeng Special Operations Brigade" and "Special Forces, Eighth Company."  (Photo by HKFP/AFP/Jiji)

The "Xuefeng" special forces are an elite unit of the 76th Group Army, which belongs to the Western Theater Command and boasts a glorious 81-year history, Chinese media reported.

Under the Western Theater Command's jurisdiction are the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region and the Tibet Autonomous Region, areas with smoldering ethnic resentment.

The Xuefeng special forces' biggest mission is to spy on terrorists, take them out and quickly wipe out their strongholds. Now the world knows these troops are in Hong Kong.

And the "we volunteered" soldier gave away that the whole event was staged.

"Stopping violence and ending chaos," were the exact words used by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Brazil on Nov. 14 when referring to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Speaking during a summit of leaders from the BRICS countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- Xi demonstrated to the world his support for the Hong Kong government and police.

Shortly before Xi's remarks, Hong Kong police burst onto the campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, relentlessly firing tear gas canisters.

The university, which is supposed to have autonomy under the premise of academic freedom, turned into a battlefield.

Xi also called for ending violence and chaos and for restoring order when he met with Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam in Shanghai on Nov. 4. It was a strict order to the top Hong Kong official, following decisions made in October at the fourth plenary session of the Communist Party's 19th Central Committee.

zNtnlbH.jpg
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping show a unified front. (Xinhua/ Kyodo)

Although this is a point that is likely to be overlooked, a communique issued after the fourth plenary devoted a considerable amount of text to the building of the PLA under the party's "absolute leadership."

The communique stresses that the chairman of the Military Commission, currently Xi, has "unified leadership and command" of the military, and vows to "implement the party's absolute leadership over the people's army in all fields of army building."

It would be highly unusual if the military, operating in a politically sensitive area such as Hong Kong, did not report to the party's Central Committee and the military commission, and did not receive the green light in advance.

Given that the apparent military commander used the same phrase as Xi in front of Hong Kong Baptist University, it is clear that his troops' "volunteer" activities were actually in accordance with instructions from the Central Committee and Xi.

The whole cleanup spectacle, therefore, was likely aimed at achieving the upper hand in the war of public opinion.

China's "three warfares" strategy consists of public opinion warfare, psychological warfare and legal warfare.

Beijing is now testing the reactions of ordinary Hong Kongers, pro-democracy forces and foreign governments. 

The volunteer operations in front of Hong Kong Baptist University sent contradictory messages, one of appeasement and one of menace.

Watching campuses devolve into battlegrounds, especially due to the liberal firing of tear gas, Hong Kong citizens in their 40s and older cannot help but recall the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protests at Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The indiscriminate shooting of student protesters by the Chinese military remains vivid in their minds.

One aim of the PLA's volunteer mission was to dispel the image of the Chinese military as chilling and intimidating. And next to Hong Kong police in full riot gear, the gentle faces of men in T-shirts and gym shorts pushing brooms came off as good-neighborly.

The volunteer cleanup was also probably meant to give a sense of security to Hong Kong's pro-China forces, who have been suffering from a sense of isolation over the past five months, by demonstrating the presence of reinforcements.

PiK4kws.jpg
A fire is seen at Hong Kong Polytechnic University during an anti-government protest on Nov. 18.   © Reuters

In addition, there are legal questions about the PLA's volunteer street duty. The Hong Kong government had given no prior explanation about it.

Article 14 of Hong Kong's Basic Law stipulates that the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison "shall not interfere in local affairs."

Unless they are requested to do so by the Hong Kong government, the troops cannot move for the purpose of maintaining social order or engage in disaster relief operations.

When Hong Kong was hit by a powerful typhoon last year, PLA soldiers set a precedent by engaging in volunteer activities without a request from the local government. But this is an altogether different situation.

The act of removing bricks and other obstacles abandoned by fleeing demonstrators can be said to be politically tinged interference in the local affairs of Hong Kong.

If PLA troops stationed in Hong Kong were indeed going to "stop violence and end chaos," they would need to wait for a request from the local government.

On Nov. 16, the day of the street-sweeping operation, 24 pro-democracy lawmakers immediately issued a statement criticizing the deployment as a violation of Hong Kong's Basic Law and the law concerning the stationing of military forces in the city.

In Hong Kong, a fierce war to sway public opinion is being waged by pro-government forces and the pro-demonstrator camp, each side fighting to win over the wait-and-see moderates.

The situation is under intense international scrutiny, partly thanks to the ubiquity of smartphones. As such, it has been extremely difficult to insert China's military or armed police into the fray.

Recently, police besieged the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, determined to round up activists. These operations were launched precisely because Beijing cannot directly deploy military forces.

YQXw32a.jpg
The U.S. Senate passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act on Tuesday.   © Reuters

In other recent events, Hong Kong's High Court on Monday ruled that a ban on face masks is unconstitutional, and police tentatively suspended their enforcement of the ban, sending shock waves across the city.

Lam had earlier invoked the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, which allows her to bypass Hong Kong's parliament and invoke bans and other measures. The face mask ban was her first such end-around.

In a surprise ruling, the court decided that the ban violates Hong Kong's Basic Law, which is equivalent to a constitution, on the grounds that it infringes on individuals' basic rights.

The Hong Kong judiciary's move to put the brakes on tough government measures came as police have gone on an unprecedented offensive. It shows that the "one country, two systems" formula is working, at least to a certain degree. It also comes as a blow to Lam's government.

In the U.S., the Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.

The battle to sway public opinion is now global, and it rages on.

Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff writer and editorial writer at Nikkei. He has spent seven years in China as a correspondent and later as China bureau chief. He is the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize for international reporting.

Edited by steveluv
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2 hours ago, Jman888 said:

sounds like 7th month, so sad  [sweatdrop]  left about 50 people in the campus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXAsswKUySI

They cornered themselves by going into the Uni....   :=B:

On the street they can run and regroup again easily but in a confine building, you are asking for trouble.   :ignoring:

Police just need to surround the building and wait ... :we-all-gonna-die:

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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/black-shadows-in-hong-kongs-devastated-campus

We have more than a hundred...not telling.

No, we are not tired. Fridges and freezers full of food. Last for a month..oops...

1000 rooms...how can the police find us? 

😂they are the "braves". Frontline kiddos. 

Not sure if HKPF bring in the dogs to sniff them out, they will be as confident of staying hidden.

Think police correct to just stay put n wait. Have a feeling won't be too long.

Hoping for a peaceful resolution. These are probably the really violent ones. U know they are "innocent" right? 😜

Yada-ing 

Safe ride 

Cheers 

 

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40 minutes ago, Jellandross said:

好人难做. Help kena don't help also kena. Easiest is NATO use mouth no need use hands. 

救人反被斥「吃人血饅頭」 曾鈺成灑淚:慚愧未能給年輕人找出路
https://www.hk01.com/article/401114

 

there we have it … (courtesy of steveluv)

image.png.3b097d706e3108fca0db5319471945e9.png

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9 hours ago, steveluv said:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/China-up-close/Xi-s-elite-soldiers-clean-the-streets-of-Hong-Kong?utm_campaign=RN%20Subscriber%20newsletter&utm_medium=one%20time%20newsletter&utm_source=NAR%20Newsletter&utm_content=article%20link&del_type=3&pub_date=20191122003000&seq_num=2&si=%%user_id%%

9ydkZcf.jpg

Xi's elite soldiers 'clean the streets' of Hong Kong
Advertised as voluntary, the choreography was hard to miss
KATSUJI NAKAZAWA, Nikkei senior staff writer
November 21, 2019 12:27 JST

TOKYO -- When the gates abruptly opened at the People's Liberation Army barracks in Hong Kong on Nov. 16, and about 100 shaven-headed and powerfully built men sprang out to clean the streets, a senior soldier made sure to tell the media there that it was a spontaneous act.

"We volunteered!" the plain-clothed unit spokesman, believed to be the commander, said. "Stopping violence and ending chaos is our responsibility." He was wearing a blue shirt.

The troops, many wearing matching gray shirts and black shorts, moved quickly to Hong Kong Baptist University, a stronghold of anti-government activities. They did so in a military manner before beginning to remove bricks and other obstacles left on the streets by demonstrators. They were ostensibly helping Hong Kongers clean things up.

But there was nothing spontaneous to what the PLA, the military of the Chinese Communist Party, did that day.

Among the servicemen, brooms and buckets in hand, were some members clad in sleeveless sports uniforms, in eye-catching blue or orange.

Emblazoned on the back of the uniforms were the words "Xuefeng Special Operations Brigade," or "Special Forces, Eighth Company."

In a secretive military where unit assignments are hardly ever made public, it was a daring move to so blatantly flaunt associations in front of TV cameras.

ikVi44b.jpg
Among the servicemen were some members in sleeveless sports uniforms, in eye-catching blue or orange. They were from the elite "Xuefeng Special Operations Brigade" and "Special Forces, Eighth Company."  (Photo by HKFP/AFP/Jiji)

The "Xuefeng" special forces are an elite unit of the 76th Group Army, which belongs to the Western Theater Command and boasts a glorious 81-year history, Chinese media reported.

Under the Western Theater Command's jurisdiction are the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region and the Tibet Autonomous Region, areas with smoldering ethnic resentment.

The Xuefeng special forces' biggest mission is to spy on terrorists, take them out and quickly wipe out their strongholds. Now the world knows these troops are in Hong Kong.

And the "we volunteered" soldier gave away that the whole event was staged.

"Stopping violence and ending chaos," were the exact words used by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Brazil on Nov. 14 when referring to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Speaking during a summit of leaders from the BRICS countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- Xi demonstrated to the world his support for the Hong Kong government and police.

Shortly before Xi's remarks, Hong Kong police burst onto the campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, relentlessly firing tear gas canisters.

The university, which is supposed to have autonomy under the premise of academic freedom, turned into a battlefield.

Xi also called for ending violence and chaos and for restoring order when he met with Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam in Shanghai on Nov. 4. It was a strict order to the top Hong Kong official, following decisions made in October at the fourth plenary session of the Communist Party's 19th Central Committee.

zNtnlbH.jpg
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping show a unified front. (Xinhua/ Kyodo)

Although this is a point that is likely to be overlooked, a communique issued after the fourth plenary devoted a considerable amount of text to the building of the PLA under the party's "absolute leadership."

The communique stresses that the chairman of the Military Commission, currently Xi, has "unified leadership and command" of the military, and vows to "implement the party's absolute leadership over the people's army in all fields of army building."

It would be highly unusual if the military, operating in a politically sensitive area such as Hong Kong, did not report to the party's Central Committee and the military commission, and did not receive the green light in advance.

Given that the apparent military commander used the same phrase as Xi in front of Hong Kong Baptist University, it is clear that his troops' "volunteer" activities were actually in accordance with instructions from the Central Committee and Xi.

The whole cleanup spectacle, therefore, was likely aimed at achieving the upper hand in the war of public opinion.

China's "three warfares" strategy consists of public opinion warfare, psychological warfare and legal warfare.

Beijing is now testing the reactions of ordinary Hong Kongers, pro-democracy forces and foreign governments. 

The volunteer operations in front of Hong Kong Baptist University sent contradictory messages, one of appeasement and one of menace.

Watching campuses devolve into battlegrounds, especially due to the liberal firing of tear gas, Hong Kong citizens in their 40s and older cannot help but recall the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protests at Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The indiscriminate shooting of student protesters by the Chinese military remains vivid in their minds.

One aim of the PLA's volunteer mission was to dispel the image of the Chinese military as chilling and intimidating. And next to Hong Kong police in full riot gear, the gentle faces of men in T-shirts and gym shorts pushing brooms came off as good-neighborly.

The volunteer cleanup was also probably meant to give a sense of security to Hong Kong's pro-China forces, who have been suffering from a sense of isolation over the past five months, by demonstrating the presence of reinforcements.

PiK4kws.jpg
A fire is seen at Hong Kong Polytechnic University during an anti-government protest on Nov. 18.   © Reuters

In addition, there are legal questions about the PLA's volunteer street duty. The Hong Kong government had given no prior explanation about it.

Article 14 of Hong Kong's Basic Law stipulates that the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison "shall not interfere in local affairs."

Unless they are requested to do so by the Hong Kong government, the troops cannot move for the purpose of maintaining social order or engage in disaster relief operations.

When Hong Kong was hit by a powerful typhoon last year, PLA soldiers set a precedent by engaging in volunteer activities without a request from the local government. But this is an altogether different situation.

The act of removing bricks and other obstacles abandoned by fleeing demonstrators can be said to be politically tinged interference in the local affairs of Hong Kong.

If PLA troops stationed in Hong Kong were indeed going to "stop violence and end chaos," they would need to wait for a request from the local government.

On Nov. 16, the day of the street-sweeping operation, 24 pro-democracy lawmakers immediately issued a statement criticizing the deployment as a violation of Hong Kong's Basic Law and the law concerning the stationing of military forces in the city.

In Hong Kong, a fierce war to sway public opinion is being waged by pro-government forces and the pro-demonstrator camp, each side fighting to win over the wait-and-see moderates.

The situation is under intense international scrutiny, partly thanks to the ubiquity of smartphones. As such, it has been extremely difficult to insert China's military or armed police into the fray.

Recently, police besieged the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, determined to round up activists. These operations were launched precisely because Beijing cannot directly deploy military forces.

YQXw32a.jpg
The U.S. Senate passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act on Tuesday.   © Reuters

In other recent events, Hong Kong's High Court on Monday ruled that a ban on face masks is unconstitutional, and police tentatively suspended their enforcement of the ban, sending shock waves across the city.

Lam had earlier invoked the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, which allows her to bypass Hong Kong's parliament and invoke bans and other measures. The face mask ban was her first such end-around.

In a surprise ruling, the court decided that the ban violates Hong Kong's Basic Law, which is equivalent to a constitution, on the grounds that it infringes on individuals' basic rights.

The Hong Kong judiciary's move to put the brakes on tough government measures came as police have gone on an unprecedented offensive. It shows that the "one country, two systems" formula is working, at least to a certain degree. It also comes as a blow to Lam's government.

In the U.S., the Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.

The battle to sway public opinion is now global, and it rages on.

Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff writer and editorial writer at Nikkei. He has spent seven years in China as a correspondent and later as China bureau chief. He is the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize for international reporting.

Jap guy obviously wanna china to burn. KNN... always remember Nanjing

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Many concerts and shows cancelled,  who still dare to come?

萬眾期待一票難求的陳奕迅(Eason)也沉重宣布取消原定12月跨年舉行的25場紅館演唱會,震驚20萬歌迷。

日韓歐美藝人演唱會取消列表

韓國藝人

《GOT7香港演唱會2019》

《2019 NU'EST REN SPECIAL LIVE SHOW IN HONG KONG》

《金賢重Bio-Rhythm世界巡迴演唱會香港站》

《與神同行》男星朱智勛《2019 Asia Tour All About JUJIHOON in Hong Kong》

《PENTAGON香港演唱會》

EXO中國成員張藝興香港演唱會2019

姜丹尼爾《Kang Daniel FAN MEETING:COLOR ON ME IN HONG KONG》

A Pink成員初瓏、普美、hoRong & BoMi Hong Kong Fan Meeting「夏日的初春」

日本藝人

KAT-TUN《THE MUSIC DAY Beautiful Harmony香港演出》

三上悠亞《Honey Popcorn Fan Meeting In Hong Kong 2019》

水樹奈奈《NANA MIZUKI LIVE EXPRESS 2019+ HONG KONG》

Ena Fujita藤田 名《「猛烈襲來」香港演唱會2019》

《世界末日SEKAI NO OWARI"The Colors"巡迴演唱會2019香港站》

《小野麗莎"Unchain My Heart"香港演唱會2019》

《The Gospellers亞洲巡迴演唱會2019香港站》

《SKY-HI x SALU"Say Goodbye to the System"聯合巡迴演唱會2019香港站》

歐美藝人

蘇格蘭流行電音樂團《CHVRCHES LOVE IS DEAD ASIA TOUR 2019 HONG KONG》

英國樂隊《The 1975 Live in Hong Kong》

英國騷靈組合《Lighthouse Family香港演唱會2019》

加拿大歌手《Carly Rae Jepsen "The Dedicated Tour"巡迴演唱會2019香港站》

西班牙男高音《Jose Carreras世界巡迴告別演唱香港站》

《An Evening with Alaska棟篤笑2019香港站》

■葉振棠、李龍基、陳浩德的《三生有幸經典再現演唱會2019》,昨日臨時宣布改期。

■張敬軒忍痛腰斬演唱會計畫。

■周杰倫亦取消來港開騷。

■王力宏不能來港開騷,令不少粉絲失望。

■台灣文青女神陳綺貞的20周年香港騷無法開唱。

■粉絲寄望張藝興的個唱可以盡快排期舉行。

■每年11月在戶外空間舉行的Clockenflap 音樂節亦宣布取消。

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13 hours ago, Neost said:

HK polyU is not like NTU. NTU behind got forest, got fruit, got wild animals, got reservoir. If dig in,  can survive for months..... hahaha.... 

OK, joking only TGIF

NTU is next to SAF training ground while HK PolyU is next to a PLA garrison.

Thank goodness SG is not HK.[flowerface]

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3 hours ago, t0y0ta said:

Jap guy obviously wanna china to burn. KNN... always remember Nanjing

Katsuji Nakazawa works for the Jap paper well known to be supportive of Taiwan independence and conservative pro-military factions within Japan.

He also authored another article which Nikkei published during the early months of HK protest titled "Taiwan's Tsai shoots down Xi's unification road map"

https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/China-up-close/Taiwan-s-Tsai-shoots-down-Xi-s-unification-road-map

So there is nothing new nor surprising coming out from Nikkei editorial team... [sleeping]

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