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How did the billionaire businessman Jimmy Lai become one of Hong Kong's leading activists for democracy—and China's most famous political prisoner today? Jimmy Lai escaped mainland China when he was 12 years old, at the height of a famine that killed tens of millions. In Hong Kong, he hustled; no work was beneath him, and he often slept on a table in a clothing factory where he did odd jobs. At 21, he was running a factory. By his mid-twenties, he owned one and was supplying sweaters and shirts to some of the biggest brands in the United States, from Polo to The Limited. His ideas about retail led him to create Giordano in 1981, and with it “fast fashion.” A restless entrepreneur, as Giordano prepared to go public, he was thinking about a dining concept that would disrupt Hong Kong's fast-food industry. But then came the Tiananmen Square democracy protest and the massacre of 1989. His reaction to the violence was to enter the media business to push China toward more freedoms. He started a magazine, Next, to advocate for democracy in Hong Kong. Then, just two years before the city was to return to Chinese control, he founded the Apple Daily newspaper. Its mix of bold graphics, gossip, local news, and opposition to the Chinese Communist Party was an immediate hit. For more than two decades, Lai used Apple and Next as part of a personal push for democracy—in weekly columns, at rallies and marches, and, memorably, sitting in front of a tent during the 2014 Occupy Central movement. Lai also took his activism abroad, traveling frequently to Washington, where he was well known in Congress and in political circles. China reacted with fury in 2019 when he met with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. A draconian new security law came into effect in Hong Kong in mid-2020, effectively making free speech a crime and censorship a fact. Lai was its most important target. Apple Daily was raided on August 10, 2020. He was arrested and held without bail before being convicted of trumped-up charges ranging from lighting a candle (“incitement to riot”) to violating a clause in his company's lease (“fraud”). At the end of 2023, a lengthy trial began alleging “collusion with foreign forces” and printing seditious materials. China's most famous political prisoner has been in jail for more than 1,100 days and could spend the rest of his life there. Join us to hear from Mark Clifford, author of The Troublemaker, and learn all about the billionaire behind bars. This program is generously supported by the Ken and Jaclyn Broad Family Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This month, China has been marking the 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong, from British rule back to China. For many Hong Kongers, this was not a day of celebration - including for Samuel Chu, a Hong-Kong born American activist, founder and President of the non-profit group Campaign for Hong Kong. His father, a retired pastor, was one of the leading figures behind the Occupy Central movement, the pro-democracy mass movement that sparked the Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong back in 2014. As the first foreigner wanted by China under China's National Security Law, Samuel joins Julia Macfarlane to discuss how China's actions in Hong Kong may inform Taiwan's future, while Sir Richard Dearlove reveals new details about the negotiations and his scepticism of China during this time.
Six ans après son licenciement de l'université de Tsinghua pour s'être intéressé aux manifestations à Hong Hong, et à la veille du centenaire du Parti communiste chinois, entretien avec le politologue Wu Qiang. Le régime chinois n'a pas attendu la « cancel culture » pour tenter d'effacer celles et ceux qui le dérange. Des avocats privés de leur licence, des personnalités du cinéma ou du monde du sport privés d'écrans et censurés sur les réseaux sociaux ou encore des professeurs interdit d'enseigner. C'est ce qui est arrivé à Wu Qiang en 2015. Ce maître de conférence en sciences politiques a été licencié de la prestigieuse université de Tsinghua après s'être intéressé d'un peu trop près aux manifestations de Hong Kong. Six ans plus tard, monsieur Wu refuse de se taire. À la veille des cérémonies du centenaire du Parti communiste chinois, le politologue est l'un des derniers intellectuels à encore s'adresser aux médias étrangers au sein d'une société civile chinoise bâillonnée ou qui s'autocensure. RFI : En cette veille de célébrations du centenaire du PCC, on a du mal à trouver des universitaires acceptant de se confier à notre micro, merci d'avoir accepté cet entretien… Wu Qiang : Je pense qu'il est très important de continuer d'observer et de commenter la politique chinoise. C'est mon métier et, avec recul, je constate qu'après avoir été contraint de quitter mon université, j'ai gagné en liberté. Je continue de contester et de considérer mon licenciement comme illégal, mais je continue mes recherches et mon travail d'intellectuel en sciences politiques. Cette liberté à un prix évidemment. La police m'invite parfois à « boire le thé ». Mais bon, je me dis qu'ils font juste leur travail et j'ai finalement peu à redire. En revanche, je ne peux pas exercer mon métier et la pression concerne aussi pour ma famille. Mon épouse a été empêchée de travailler pour une entreprise étrangère. Je travaille pour différentes publications étrangères, mais je n'ai plus de revenus stables. S'attaquer à la source de revenus des opposants, n'est-ce pas une répression qui ne dit pas son nom ? C'est une grande purge en réalité. Une grande purge silencieuse qui a commencé il y a neuf ans et qui continue aujourd'hui. J'ai vu disparaître bon nombre de mes amis ces dernières années. J'ai même écrit un livre sur les avocats auxquels on a retiré leur licence. Il y a aussi les intellectuels privés du droit à s'exprimer, des professeurs qui ne peuvent plus enseigner et même des proches d'opposants qui ont perdu leur activité commerciale. Certains se sont fait expulser de chez eux… Tout cela alimente un sentiment de terreur. Une terreur silencieuse dont l'opinion n'a pas conscience. Vous avez été licencié il y a six ans, est-ce que certains de vos collègues vous ont soutenu ? Aucun. Personne n'a réagi, personne ne m'a appelé, ni apporté le moindre témoignage de soutien au cours des six années qui viennent de s'écouler. J'ai été expulsé deux ans après la révélation du « document numéro 9 » (document interne au parti demandant à la direction des universités de lutter contre « les idéologies biaisées », ndlr). J'avais effectué des recherches à l'époque sur le mouvement « Occupy Central » à Hongkong, j'avais aussi travaillé sur la révolution du Jasmin et sur d'autres mouvements sociaux. Sur ces sujets comme sur d'autres, la plupart des intellectuels chinois se retrouvent devant le choix de parler ou de se taire. J'ai réalisé qu'il y avait une baisse de niveau dans les sciences politiques ces dernières années, comme dans d'autres secteurs d'ailleurs. C'est malheureusement une tendance de fond et c'est inquiétant. Les capacités d'analyse sur la politique locale et étrangère de nombre de mes ex-collègues en sciences politiques sont en recul. La pensée des élites chinoise est en déclin. L'intelligentsia a choisi de se taire à quelques exceptions près, comme mon ami le professeur Xu Zhangrun, également licencié de l'université Tsinghua (pour avoir critiqué la gestion de la pandémie de Covid à ses débuts, ndlr). Pour cette raison, des amis m'ont surnommé « le dernier samouraï à Pékin. » Avez-vous d'autres exemples de ce cercle des intellectuels disparus et privés de pouvoir exercer leur métier ? J'ai vu beaucoup de mes amis disparaître ces dernières années. Certains sont partis à l'étranger, d'autres ont été arrêtés, comme le professeur Ilham Tohti (condamné à la prison à vie après avoir été accusé de « séparatisme », ndlr). La société civile s'est évanouie et maintenant, c'est au tour des entrepreneurs d'être visés. Les chefs d'entreprises chinois paniquent, car ils voient des gens comme Jack Ma (Alibaba) et Zhang Yiling (ByteDance) être contraints de prendre leur retraite prématurément. Les entreprises chinoises sont toutes confrontées à ce dilemme. Si vous sortez du rang, vous êtes sanctionné en Chine. Et si au contraire vous êtes trop dans le rang comme Huawei, vous risquez d'être sanctionné par les États-Unis. Le problème, c'est que les entrepreneurs ne connaissent pas la politique et ne savent pas quoi faire. On constate aussi qu'une partie des jeunes sont à plat et manquent de motivation pour aller au travail, ce qu'on a appelé le syndrome « tanging ping ». Il y aussi les chiffres du dernier recensement, qui montrent que les Chinois ne souhaitent plus d'enfants et aussi qu'ils manquent de confiance dans l'avenir. Comment se fait-il que vous puissiez encore vous exprimer, alors que tant de gens ont été réduits au silence ? Mes parents ont appartenu au corps médical de l'armée, ce qui explique peut-être cette relative indulgence. Je pense aussi qu'ils ont besoin de lire des analyses autres que celles de la propagande. Je participe toutes les semaines à un débat sur le site Mingjing News hébergé aux États-Unis. Par ailleurs, je suis autorisé à voyager. Qu'avez-vous à dire sur les célébrations du centenaire du Parti communiste chinois en juillet ? Le 100e anniversaire du Parti est très important pour Xi Jinping, à titre personnel. C'est un événement crucial avant le XXe Congrès qui lui permettra de se prolonger dans un troisième mandat. C'est aussi un moyen de renforcer sa position au sein du parti, en particulier sa position de nouveau chef et successeur après un siècle d'histoire. C'est un geste de propagande majeur : les médias d'État travaillent sur un nouveau récit du socialisme à la chinoise servant à la fois de légitimer le rôle du parti et de ses dirigeants ainsi que la position de leader. S'achemine-t-on vers un troisième mandat pour Xi Jinping ? Ce qui est sûr, c'est que les tensions entre la Chine et l'Occident bénéficient à Xi Jinping. Il peut compter sur ces tensions internationales pour faire un troisième mandat. Mais si cela va trop loin, cette stratégie pourrait se retourner contre lui en entraînant une montée des critiques au sein de la communauté internationale et de l'opinion chinoise, en cas de performances économiques moindres, par exemple. Le contexte international conflictuel le sert, mais trop de tensions risqueraient de le faire perdre.
In this episode, Vivian Wong joins Philipp to share why she started a Mexican food truck in Hong Kong and the challenges she faced during Occupy Central in 2014 and COVID-19 in 2020 as the owner of an F&B establishment.For past guests, visit stashaway.com/podcastIf you enjoy what you've heard, we'd really appreciate it if you'd even consider leaving a quick but thoughtful review. It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really helps us make the show even better for you so that we can convince great guests to join us.Have feedback for us? Is there someone you want us to have on the show? Is there a topic you want covered? Shoot us an email at podcast@stashaway.com. We'd love to hear your thoughts!Find StashAway on FacebookFind StashAway on InstagramFind StashAway on LinkedInFind StashAway on TwitterAlso, our lawyers would want us to tell you that the opinions of our guests are not necessarily shared by StashAway, that past performance is no guarantee of future results, and that what you heard is not investment advice.
“Imagine you live in a freewheeling city like New York or London – one of the world's leading financial, educational, and cultural centres. Then imagine that one of the world's most infamous authoritarian regimes makes direct control over your city, introducing secret police, warrant less surveillance and searches, massive repression and the arrest of protestors, and aggressive prosecution… This is what just happened in Hong Kong” --Michael C. Davis It is difficult to understand the pace or extent of the changes in Hong Kong since the protests began in June 2019, however in his latest book, Michael C. Davis breaks down for both the uninitiated and expert alike, the political, legal and informal events that have shaped Hong Kong under China's ever expanding controls. In recent years, Beijing's increasing interference with Hong Kong's autonomy has begun to erode the promised “one country, two systems” model. The tension between one country and two systems came to a head in 2019; the world watched Hong Kong's widespread protests demanding the maintenance of Hong Kong's autonomy, rule of law and basic freedoms. In an attempt to quell the resistance movement, in 2020 Beijing introduced a National Security Law which has had a chilling effect on society. In Making Hong Kong China: The Rollback of Human Rights and the Rule of Law (Columbia UP, 2020), Professor Davis contextualizes these events in Hong Kong's political history, giving the reader unique understandings about the events of 2019 and 2020. Professor Michael C. Davis has taught human rights and constitutional law in Hong Kong for over three decades. Through that time, he has witnessed first-hand the changes from the period before the handover in 1997 under British Colonial Rule, including the events after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. He was instrumental in the organisation of the massive 2003 and 2004 protests, and witnessed first-hand the protests of the 2014 Occupy Central movement. He brings his unique insights to this book. Davis is the author of a number of books and his scholarship engages a wide range of issues relating to human rights, the rule of law and constitutionalism in emerging states. He is widely published in both academic circles and also popular news media. In 2014 he was awarded the 2014 Human Rights Press Award for his commentary by the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club. Jane Richards is a doctoral candidate in Human Rights Law at the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include disability, equality, criminal law and civil disobedience. You can find her on twitter @JaneRichardsHK where she avidly follows the Hong Kong's protests and its politics.
“Imagine you live in a freewheeling city like New York or London – one of the world's leading financial, educational, and cultural centres. Then imagine that one of the world's most infamous authoritarian regimes makes direct control over your city, introducing secret police, warrant less surveillance and searches, massive repression and the arrest of protestors, and aggressive prosecution… This is what just happened in Hong Kong” --Michael C. Davis It is difficult to understand the pace or extent of the changes in Hong Kong since the protests began in June 2019, however in his latest book, Michael C. Davis breaks down for both the uninitiated and expert alike, the political, legal and informal events that have shaped Hong Kong under China's ever expanding controls. In recent years, Beijing's increasing interference with Hong Kong's autonomy has begun to erode the promised “one country, two systems” model. The tension between one country and two systems came to a head in 2019; the world watched Hong Kong's widespread protests demanding the maintenance of Hong Kong's autonomy, rule of law and basic freedoms. In an attempt to quell the resistance movement, in 2020 Beijing introduced a National Security Law which has had a chilling effect on society. In Making Hong Kong China: The Rollback of Human Rights and the Rule of Law (Columbia UP, 2020), Professor Davis contextualizes these events in Hong Kong's political history, giving the reader unique understandings about the events of 2019 and 2020. Professor Michael C. Davis has taught human rights and constitutional law in Hong Kong for over three decades. Through that time, he has witnessed first-hand the changes from the period before the handover in 1997 under British Colonial Rule, including the events after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. He was instrumental in the organisation of the massive 2003 and 2004 protests, and witnessed first-hand the protests of the 2014 Occupy Central movement. He brings his unique insights to this book. Davis is the author of a number of books and his scholarship engages a wide range of issues relating to human rights, the rule of law and constitutionalism in emerging states. He is widely published in both academic circles and also popular news media. In 2014 he was awarded the 2014 Human Rights Press Award for his commentary by the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club. Jane Richards is a doctoral candidate in Human Rights Law at the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include disability, equality, criminal law and civil disobedience. You can find her on twitter @JaneRichardsHK where she avidly follows the Hong Kong's protests and its politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Imagine you live in a freewheeling city like New York or London – one of the world’s leading financial, educational, and cultural centres. Then imagine that one of the world’s most infamous authoritarian regimes makes direct control over your city, introducing secret police, warrant less surveillance and searches, massive repression and the arrest of protestors, and aggressive prosecution… This is what just happened in Hong Kong” --Michael C. Davis It is difficult to understand the pace or extent of the changes in Hong Kong since the protests began in June 2019, however in his latest book, Michael C. Davis breaks down for both the uninitiated and expert alike, the political, legal and informal events that have shaped Hong Kong under China’s ever expanding controls. In recent years, Beijing’s increasing interference with Hong Kong’s autonomy has begun to erode the promised “one country, two systems” model. The tension between one country and two systems came to a head in 2019; the world watched Hong Kong’s widespread protests demanding the maintenance of Hong Kong’s autonomy, rule of law and basic freedoms. In an attempt to quell the resistance movement, in 2020 Beijing introduced a National Security Law which has had a chilling effect on society. In Making Hong Kong China: The Rollback of Human Rights and the Rule of Law (Columbia UP, 2020), Professor Davis contextualizes these events in Hong Kong’s political history, giving the reader unique understandings about the events of 2019 and 2020. Professor Michael C. Davis has taught human rights and constitutional law in Hong Kong for over three decades. Through that time, he has witnessed first-hand the changes from the period before the handover in 1997 under British Colonial Rule, including the events after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. He was instrumental in the organisation of the massive 2003 and 2004 protests, and witnessed first-hand the protests of the 2014 Occupy Central movement. He brings his unique insights to this book. Davis is the author of a number of books and his scholarship engages a wide range of issues relating to human rights, the rule of law and constitutionalism in emerging states. He is widely published in both academic circles and also popular news media. In 2014 he was awarded the 2014 Human Rights Press Award for his commentary by the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club. Jane Richards is a doctoral candidate in Human Rights Law at the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include disability, equality, criminal law and civil disobedience. You can find her on twitter @JaneRichardsHK where she avidly follows the Hong Kong’s protests and its politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Imagine you live in a freewheeling city like New York or London – one of the world's leading financial, educational, and cultural centres. Then imagine that one of the world's most infamous authoritarian regimes makes direct control over your city, introducing secret police, warrant less surveillance and searches, massive repression and the arrest of protestors, and aggressive prosecution… This is what just happened in Hong Kong” --Michael C. Davis It is difficult to understand the pace or extent of the changes in Hong Kong since the protests began in June 2019, however in his latest book, Michael C. Davis breaks down for both the uninitiated and expert alike, the political, legal and informal events that have shaped Hong Kong under China's ever expanding controls. In recent years, Beijing's increasing interference with Hong Kong's autonomy has begun to erode the promised “one country, two systems” model. The tension between one country and two systems came to a head in 2019; the world watched Hong Kong's widespread protests demanding the maintenance of Hong Kong's autonomy, rule of law and basic freedoms. In an attempt to quell the resistance movement, in 2020 Beijing introduced a National Security Law which has had a chilling effect on society. In Making Hong Kong China: The Rollback of Human Rights and the Rule of Law (Columbia UP, 2020), Professor Davis contextualizes these events in Hong Kong's political history, giving the reader unique understandings about the events of 2019 and 2020. Professor Michael C. Davis has taught human rights and constitutional law in Hong Kong for over three decades. Through that time, he has witnessed first-hand the changes from the period before the handover in 1997 under British Colonial Rule, including the events after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. He was instrumental in the organisation of the massive 2003 and 2004 protests, and witnessed first-hand the protests of the 2014 Occupy Central movement. He brings his unique insights to this book. Davis is the author of a number of books and his scholarship engages a wide range of issues relating to human rights, the rule of law and constitutionalism in emerging states. He is widely published in both academic circles and also popular news media. In 2014 he was awarded the 2014 Human Rights Press Award for his commentary by the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club. Jane Richards is a doctoral candidate in Human Rights Law at the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include disability, equality, criminal law and civil disobedience. You can find her on twitter @JaneRichardsHK where she avidly follows the Hong Kong's protests and its politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day
“Imagine you live in a freewheeling city like New York or London – one of the world’s leading financial, educational, and cultural centres. Then imagine that one of the world’s most infamous authoritarian regimes makes direct control over your city, introducing secret police, warrant less surveillance and searches, massive repression and the arrest of protestors, and aggressive prosecution… This is what just happened in Hong Kong” --Michael C. Davis It is difficult to understand the pace or extent of the changes in Hong Kong since the protests began in June 2019, however in his latest book, Michael C. Davis breaks down for both the uninitiated and expert alike, the political, legal and informal events that have shaped Hong Kong under China’s ever expanding controls. In recent years, Beijing’s increasing interference with Hong Kong’s autonomy has begun to erode the promised “one country, two systems” model. The tension between one country and two systems came to a head in 2019; the world watched Hong Kong’s widespread protests demanding the maintenance of Hong Kong’s autonomy, rule of law and basic freedoms. In an attempt to quell the resistance movement, in 2020 Beijing introduced a National Security Law which has had a chilling effect on society. In Making Hong Kong China: The Rollback of Human Rights and the Rule of Law (Columbia UP, 2020), Professor Davis contextualizes these events in Hong Kong’s political history, giving the reader unique understandings about the events of 2019 and 2020. Professor Michael C. Davis has taught human rights and constitutional law in Hong Kong for over three decades. Through that time, he has witnessed first-hand the changes from the period before the handover in 1997 under British Colonial Rule, including the events after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. He was instrumental in the organisation of the massive 2003 and 2004 protests, and witnessed first-hand the protests of the 2014 Occupy Central movement. He brings his unique insights to this book. Davis is the author of a number of books and his scholarship engages a wide range of issues relating to human rights, the rule of law and constitutionalism in emerging states. He is widely published in both academic circles and also popular news media. In 2014 he was awarded the 2014 Human Rights Press Award for his commentary by the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club. Jane Richards is a doctoral candidate in Human Rights Law at the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include disability, equality, criminal law and civil disobedience. You can find her on twitter @JaneRichardsHK where she avidly follows the Hong Kong’s protests and its politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Imagine you live in a freewheeling city like New York or London – one of the world’s leading financial, educational, and cultural centres. Then imagine that one of the world’s most infamous authoritarian regimes makes direct control over your city, introducing secret police, warrant less surveillance and searches, massive repression and the arrest of protestors, and aggressive prosecution… This is what just happened in Hong Kong” --Michael C. Davis It is difficult to understand the pace or extent of the changes in Hong Kong since the protests began in June 2019, however in his latest book, Michael C. Davis breaks down for both the uninitiated and expert alike, the political, legal and informal events that have shaped Hong Kong under China’s ever expanding controls. In recent years, Beijing’s increasing interference with Hong Kong’s autonomy has begun to erode the promised “one country, two systems” model. The tension between one country and two systems came to a head in 2019; the world watched Hong Kong’s widespread protests demanding the maintenance of Hong Kong’s autonomy, rule of law and basic freedoms. In an attempt to quell the resistance movement, in 2020 Beijing introduced a National Security Law which has had a chilling effect on society. In Making Hong Kong China: The Rollback of Human Rights and the Rule of Law (Columbia UP, 2020), Professor Davis contextualizes these events in Hong Kong’s political history, giving the reader unique understandings about the events of 2019 and 2020. Professor Michael C. Davis has taught human rights and constitutional law in Hong Kong for over three decades. Through that time, he has witnessed first-hand the changes from the period before the handover in 1997 under British Colonial Rule, including the events after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. He was instrumental in the organisation of the massive 2003 and 2004 protests, and witnessed first-hand the protests of the 2014 Occupy Central movement. He brings his unique insights to this book. Davis is the author of a number of books and his scholarship engages a wide range of issues relating to human rights, the rule of law and constitutionalism in emerging states. He is widely published in both academic circles and also popular news media. In 2014 he was awarded the 2014 Human Rights Press Award for his commentary by the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club. Jane Richards is a doctoral candidate in Human Rights Law at the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include disability, equality, criminal law and civil disobedience. You can find her on twitter @JaneRichardsHK where she avidly follows the Hong Kong’s protests and its politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Imagine you live in a freewheeling city like New York or London – one of the world’s leading financial, educational, and cultural centres. Then imagine that one of the world’s most infamous authoritarian regimes makes direct control over your city, introducing secret police, warrant less surveillance and searches, massive repression and the arrest of protestors, and aggressive prosecution… This is what just happened in Hong Kong” --Michael C. Davis It is difficult to understand the pace or extent of the changes in Hong Kong since the protests began in June 2019, however in his latest book, Michael C. Davis breaks down for both the uninitiated and expert alike, the political, legal and informal events that have shaped Hong Kong under China’s ever expanding controls. In recent years, Beijing’s increasing interference with Hong Kong’s autonomy has begun to erode the promised “one country, two systems” model. The tension between one country and two systems came to a head in 2019; the world watched Hong Kong’s widespread protests demanding the maintenance of Hong Kong’s autonomy, rule of law and basic freedoms. In an attempt to quell the resistance movement, in 2020 Beijing introduced a National Security Law which has had a chilling effect on society. In Making Hong Kong China: The Rollback of Human Rights and the Rule of Law (Columbia UP, 2020), Professor Davis contextualizes these events in Hong Kong’s political history, giving the reader unique understandings about the events of 2019 and 2020. Professor Michael C. Davis has taught human rights and constitutional law in Hong Kong for over three decades. Through that time, he has witnessed first-hand the changes from the period before the handover in 1997 under British Colonial Rule, including the events after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. He was instrumental in the organisation of the massive 2003 and 2004 protests, and witnessed first-hand the protests of the 2014 Occupy Central movement. He brings his unique insights to this book. Davis is the author of a number of books and his scholarship engages a wide range of issues relating to human rights, the rule of law and constitutionalism in emerging states. He is widely published in both academic circles and also popular news media. In 2014 he was awarded the 2014 Human Rights Press Award for his commentary by the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club. Jane Richards is a doctoral candidate in Human Rights Law at the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include disability, equality, criminal law and civil disobedience. You can find her on twitter @JaneRichardsHK where she avidly follows the Hong Kong’s protests and its politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Imagine you live in a freewheeling city like New York or London – one of the world’s leading financial, educational, and cultural centres. Then imagine that one of the world’s most infamous authoritarian regimes makes direct control over your city, introducing secret police, warrant less surveillance and searches, massive repression and the arrest of protestors, and aggressive prosecution… This is what just happened in Hong Kong” --Michael C. Davis It is difficult to understand the pace or extent of the changes in Hong Kong since the protests began in June 2019, however in his latest book, Michael C. Davis breaks down for both the uninitiated and expert alike, the political, legal and informal events that have shaped Hong Kong under China’s ever expanding controls. In recent years, Beijing’s increasing interference with Hong Kong’s autonomy has begun to erode the promised “one country, two systems” model. The tension between one country and two systems came to a head in 2019; the world watched Hong Kong’s widespread protests demanding the maintenance of Hong Kong’s autonomy, rule of law and basic freedoms. In an attempt to quell the resistance movement, in 2020 Beijing introduced a National Security Law which has had a chilling effect on society. In Making Hong Kong China: The Rollback of Human Rights and the Rule of Law (Columbia UP, 2020), Professor Davis contextualizes these events in Hong Kong’s political history, giving the reader unique understandings about the events of 2019 and 2020. Professor Michael C. Davis has taught human rights and constitutional law in Hong Kong for over three decades. Through that time, he has witnessed first-hand the changes from the period before the handover in 1997 under British Colonial Rule, including the events after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. He was instrumental in the organisation of the massive 2003 and 2004 protests, and witnessed first-hand the protests of the 2014 Occupy Central movement. He brings his unique insights to this book. Davis is the author of a number of books and his scholarship engages a wide range of issues relating to human rights, the rule of law and constitutionalism in emerging states. He is widely published in both academic circles and also popular news media. In 2014 he was awarded the 2014 Human Rights Press Award for his commentary by the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club. Jane Richards is a doctoral candidate in Human Rights Law at the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include disability, equality, criminal law and civil disobedience. You can find her on twitter @JaneRichardsHK where she avidly follows the Hong Kong’s protests and its politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Imagine you live in a freewheeling city like New York or London – one of the world’s leading financial, educational, and cultural centres. Then imagine that one of the world’s most infamous authoritarian regimes makes direct control over your city, introducing secret police, warrant less surveillance and searches, massive repression and the arrest of protestors, and aggressive prosecution… This is what just happened in Hong Kong” --Michael C. Davis It is difficult to understand the pace or extent of the changes in Hong Kong since the protests began in June 2019, however in his latest book, Michael C. Davis breaks down for both the uninitiated and expert alike, the political, legal and informal events that have shaped Hong Kong under China’s ever expanding controls. In recent years, Beijing’s increasing interference with Hong Kong’s autonomy has begun to erode the promised “one country, two systems” model. The tension between one country and two systems came to a head in 2019; the world watched Hong Kong’s widespread protests demanding the maintenance of Hong Kong’s autonomy, rule of law and basic freedoms. In an attempt to quell the resistance movement, in 2020 Beijing introduced a National Security Law which has had a chilling effect on society. In Making Hong Kong China: The Rollback of Human Rights and the Rule of Law (Columbia UP, 2020), Professor Davis contextualizes these events in Hong Kong’s political history, giving the reader unique understandings about the events of 2019 and 2020. Professor Michael C. Davis has taught human rights and constitutional law in Hong Kong for over three decades. Through that time, he has witnessed first-hand the changes from the period before the handover in 1997 under British Colonial Rule, including the events after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. He was instrumental in the organisation of the massive 2003 and 2004 protests, and witnessed first-hand the protests of the 2014 Occupy Central movement. He brings his unique insights to this book. Davis is the author of a number of books and his scholarship engages a wide range of issues relating to human rights, the rule of law and constitutionalism in emerging states. He is widely published in both academic circles and also popular news media. In 2014 he was awarded the 2014 Human Rights Press Award for his commentary by the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club. Jane Richards is a doctoral candidate in Human Rights Law at the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include disability, equality, criminal law and civil disobedience. You can find her on twitter @JaneRichardsHK where she avidly follows the Hong Kong’s protests and its politics. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies
In this episode, we try and understand the formula used by the CCP to manage and quell the roughly 180,000 local protests that spring up across the territory every year. What does the resolution of the demonstrations in Wukan village in 2011 tell us about the Chinese Communist Party's methods of control and appeasement? Can this model be applied to the situation currently unfolding in Hong Kong?This is the final episode in the Hong Kong Extradition Protests mini-series. Don't forget to listen to the previous episode if you haven't already in order to understand the full context of the protests!
In this week's episode I speak to a local Hong Kong protester and a friend from mainland China to gain a wider perspective on the meaning behind the protests and the future of Hong Kong.This conversation was recorded two weeks ago, so it focuses mainly on the July 1st stroming of the legislative council and the impact that it has had on the movement as a whole. Hopefully in the next episode I can focus a bit more on the more recent developments with a bit more nuance as to how the Chinese Communist Party deals with unrest in general, by comparing the situation in Hong Kong with that of another protest with which I'm quite familiar, that of Wukan.I will get back to covering the history of China as soon as I can, however I feel that as I live in Hong Kong I am quite well placed to give some explanation as to what's happening here. Don't forget to listen to the previous episode if you haven't already in order to understand the full context of the protests!
The protests in Hong Kong escalated on the 1st of July when a small group of protesters broke away from the larger, main protest, and chose to storm the legislative council building on Hong Kong Island. For me, this change in the nature of opposition to the extradition bill brought to mind the following question: do the people who are denouncing the protests have a point?In the previous episode on the Hong Kong Extradition protests, I gave the historical background to both the protests and the general anti-mainland sentiment that exists in Hong Kong society, and that has arguably been growing as Beijing’s influence continues to grow. If you haven’t listened to that episode yet I highly suggest you do so, as it provides a lot of the context for this episode. I tried to maintain an objective stance and stick to the facts, but even I noticed that there was probably more of a pro-protest lean throughout the podcast, largely due to the sources that I used to help me put it together. In this episode, we're turning to the other side of the isle to answer a different set of questions. What does Beijing have to say about the recent Hong Kong Protests? Do mainlanders support the Hong Kong people, or do they think they're ungrateful? What does local support for the amendment bill look like?In this week's episode we talk about opposition to the protests in Hong Kong. We look at three perspectives: Beijing government, mainland Chinese people, and local Hong Kongers. There is a lot more disagreement than meets the eye, especially if you only read Western or English language news sources. Don't forget to listen to the previous episode if you haven't already in order to understand the full context of the protests!Al Jazeera video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY_SpMS8Mwg
On Sunday 9th June 2019 at 2:30pm starting at Victoria Park between the neighbourhoods of Tin Hau and Wan Chai, around 1 million Hong Kong residents took to the streets in possibly the biggest protest the territory had ever seen. They were protesting the implementation of an amendment to the preexisting Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance, known as the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill, but it’s mostly commonly known as the extradition bill for short. They objected to what they saw as an overreach by the mainland Chinese government, a threat to human rights and freedom of speech in Hong Kong, and they demanded that the bill be retracted and the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam, step down.After a silent march of thousands of lawyers opposing the bill took place on the 6th of June, public outrage finally reached boiling point on sunday 9th June, and after much planning and speculations of a turnout in the 100s of thousands, an all day march down the main roads of the Island saw families, students, old and young turn out to protest the bill.Why is it that this particular bill has caused such feelings to rise up in the people of Hong Kong, and caused events to escalate to where they are now? Why are people in the international community seeking to protect Hong Kong’s special status, and clamouring to show their solidarity with Hong Kong protesters both online and in person? In truth, the protests over the extradition bill cannot be viewed in isolation, but must be understood within the context of Hong Kong’s relationship with China, and the development of an independent and unique Hong Kong identity that can be traced back to the 1840s. In this episode, I’d like to try and trace the roots of that identity, and try and explain why protests over the extradition bill reflect not only the fears of so many Hong Kong people, but also their determination to fight for what remains of their freedom and independence. To do that we’re first going to go back in time one hundred years or so, to see how Hong Kong became so unique in its identity and character, and how relations with the mainland have been shaped by what happened leading up to 1997.
In April, nine Hong Kong activists were convicted for participating in the pro-democracy Occupy Central and Umbrella Movement protests. One of those was a Baptist pastor, Chu Yiu-Ming. In the courtroom, he painted a vivid picture of the faith that had transformed his life and inspired his activism: “We have no regrets. We hold no grudges, no anger, no grievances. We do not give up,” he said, speaking on behalf of fellow activists striving to bring universal voting rights to Hong Kong. “In the words of Jesus, ‘Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; The Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!’” (Matt. 5:10) Our coverage of Chu’s sermon was one of CT’s most popular news stories of the year so far, with many on social media praising his bravery. Chu was not the only leader known for his faith. Earlier this month, Joshua Wong, a 22-year-old Hong Kong pro-democracy activist, was returned to prison. Earlier he told World Magazine: As Christians, we are not only responsible for preaching the gospel and then waiting to go to heaven when we die. We need to be bringing heaven down to earth. That seems like a totally idealistic dream, but if we want that dream to come true, how should we let people know that as Christians we don’t focus only on trying to increase our salaries and better our careers? We ask, how can we do more for the people around us?” The Umbrella Movement and Occupy Central Protests have not been welcomed by all Christians. Several years ago, Archbishop Paul Kwong at the Anglican St. John’s Cathedral angered many Hong Kong Christians after saying that pro-democracy activists should remain silent, as Jesus did while being crucified more than 2,000 years ago. “I would like to ask for Christians in the world to pray for Hong Kong—especially for Hong Kong church and Christians—for hearts of love and peace, because I think in the division, we have a lot of hatred and anger in ourselves,” said Wai Luen “Andrew” Kwok, associate professor in the department of religion and philosophy at Hong Kong Baptist University. This week on Quick to Listen we’ll explore what’s at stake in the Umbrella Movement, how Christians have influenced it, but also why it’s divided the church.
Hate mail, death threats and shadowy surveillance are facts of life for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists, five years after the Umbrella movement brought a million people onto the streets calling for greater democracy. Since then, 48 legal cases have been brought against 32 different activists, often on colonial-era public order offences. Louisa and Graeme are joined by two leaders of the Umbrella Movement to talk about jail, democracy and political repression. They are Chan Kinman, one of the co-founders of Occupy Central, who faces a verdict in his trial with eight others on 8 April, and Nathan Law, the disqualified lawmaker from the Demosisto Party, who is also one of Hong Kong’s first political prisoners. Photo credit: AFP/JIJISee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the turbulent 1960s until today, Hong Kong has been a city shaped by civil disobedience. The latest wave of protests in Hong Kong’s long history of public dissent culminated in the Occupy Central movement of 2014. What emerges from these grassroots movements is a unique Hong Kong identity, one shaped neither by Britain nor China. Guest: Antony Dapiran (author of City of Protest: A Recent History of Dissent in Hong Kong) Follow Antony Daparin on Twitter: @antd Follow La Trobe Asia on Twitter: @LaTrobeAsia
Despite a potential prison term for his role in the Occupy Central with Love and Peace civil disobedience, HKU Law Prof. Benny Tai continues to speak out. In an interview conducted 19 October 2017 at his law school office, Tai addresses legal issues such as retroactivity and double jeopardy as well as what he will do should he get sent to prison. He is interviewed by show host Daniel C. Tsang. Copyright c Daniel C. Tsang.
Director Evans Chan (陳耀成) talks about his latest documentary “Raise the Umbrellas,” the politicization of Hong Kong identity and media, and the city's democratic future and implications for Greater China. (Trailer: https://youtu.be/Q2kxtQW-nAA) Chan is an independent filmmaker, who has been described by critics as one who "has made a singular contribution to Hong Kong cinema and at the same time a major contribution to the whole spectrum of contemporary film-making." He draws on everything from literature and political studies to journalism and social-activist campaigns for his subjects – and on everything from film history to performance art for his images. This episode was recorded at UC San Diego Studio Ten300 Host: Samuel Tsoi Editors: Mike Fausner, Anthony King Production Support: Lei Guang, Susan Shirk, Amy Robinson, Sarah Pfledderer, Michelle Fredricks Music: Dave Liang/Shanghai Restoration Project Photo Credit: NYHK Productions, Ltd.
Benny Tai, the Hong Kong University Law Professor who co-founded Occupy Central, spoke 28 April 2015 to a graduate political seminar (Solinger) at University of California, Irvine. Here's his reflections on the protests in Hong Kong that grabbed world attention in Fall, 2014.
1-Debito Greco: Appello di Mario Draghi per un accordo...Ieri l'ennesimo fallimento delle trattative. ..2-Siria: Tal Abyad la nuova Kobane. Le milizie curde hanno riconquistato la città occupata dall'Isis. ..3-Ciad: doppio attentato nel cuore della capitale Ndjamena. Almeno 23 i morti. L'attacco sarebbe il gesto disperato di boko haram che ha subito numerose sconfitte...4-Honk Kong: al voto la riforma elettorale. ..Atteso il ritorno in piazza del movimento Occupy Central. 5-Gran Bretagna: diventata simbolo della democrazia, la carta magna compie 800 anni. ..6-Romanzo a fumetti: “ Agatha, i misteri di una vita” di Anne Martinetti e Guillaume Lebeau. 7-Rubrica sportiva: nella finale nba i “ golden state “ a una vittoria dal titolo nonostante un immenso Lebron.
1-Debito Greco: Appello di Mario Draghi per un accordo...Ieri l'ennesimo fallimento delle trattative. ..2-Siria: Tal Abyad la nuova Kobane. Le milizie curde hanno riconquistato la città occupata dall'Isis. ..3-Ciad: doppio attentato nel cuore della capitale Ndjamena. Almeno 23 i morti. L'attacco sarebbe il gesto disperato di boko haram che ha subito numerose sconfitte...4-Honk Kong: al voto la riforma elettorale. ..Atteso il ritorno in piazza del movimento Occupy Central. 5-Gran Bretagna: diventata simbolo della democrazia, la carta magna compie 800 anni. ..6-Romanzo a fumetti: “ Agatha, i misteri di una vita” di Anne Martinetti e Guillaume Lebeau. 7-Rubrica sportiva: nella finale nba i “ golden state “ a una vittoria dal titolo nonostante un immenso Lebron.
1-Debito Greco: Appello di Mario Draghi per un accordo...Ieri l'ennesimo fallimento delle trattative. ..2-Siria: Tal Abyad la nuova Kobane. Le milizie curde hanno riconquistato la città occupata dall'Isis. ..3-Ciad: doppio attentato nel cuore della capitale Ndjamena. Almeno 23 i morti. L'attacco sarebbe il gesto disperato di boko haram che ha subito numerose sconfitte...4-Honk Kong: al voto la riforma elettorale. ..Atteso il ritorno in piazza del movimento Occupy Central. 5-Gran Bretagna: diventata simbolo della democrazia, la carta magna compie 800 anni. ..6-Romanzo a fumetti: “ Agatha, i misteri di una vita” di Anne Martinetti e Guillaume Lebeau. 7-Rubrica sportiva: nella finale nba i “ golden state “ a una vittoria dal titolo nonostante un immenso Lebron.
Andrea Diener verreist, schreibt über ihre Reisen in der FAZ und ist so freundlich, mir von ihren Reisen zu erzählen. Diesmal geht es nach Hongkong und wir reden über Occupy Central, das Fischerdorf Tai O, das Solo Cafe (Blick in die Küche), die Fähre nach Kowloon, die New Territories, Lantau, das Mandarin Oriental Hotel (und […]
Andrea Diener verreist, schreibt über ihre Reisen in der FAZ und ist so freundlich, mir von ihren Reisen zu erzählen. Diesmal geht es nach Hongkong und wir reden über Occupy Central, das Fischerdorf Tai O, das Solo Cafe (Blick in die Küche), die Fähre nach Kowloon, die New Territories, Lantau, das Mandarin Oriental Hotel (und […]