Occupy Central
Occupy Central is a civil disobedience movement which began in Hong Kong on September 28, 2014. It calls on thousands of protesters to block roads and paralyse Hong Kong's financial district if the Beijing and Hong Kong governments do not agree to implement universal suffrage for the chief executive election in 2017 and the Legislative Council elections in 2020 according to "international standards." The movement was initiated by Benny Tai Yiu-ting (戴耀廷), an associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, in January 2013.
Umbrella Movement
The Umbrella Movement (Chinese: 雨傘運動; pinyin: yǔsǎn yùndòng) is a loose political movement that was created spontaneously during the Hong Kong protests of 2014. Its name derives from the recognition of the umbrella as a symbol of defiance and resistance against the Hong Kong government, and the united grass-roots objection to the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) of 31 August.
The movement consists of individuals numbering in the tens of thousands who participated in the protests that began on 28 September 2014, although Scholarism, the Hong Kong Federation of Students, Occupy Central with Love and Peace, groups are principally driving the demands for the rescission of the NPCSC decision.
The movement consists of individuals numbering in the tens of thousands who participated in the protests that began on 28 September 2014, although Scholarism, the Hong Kong Federation of Students, Occupy Central with Love and Peace, groups are principally driving the demands for the rescission of the NPCSC decision.
Occupy Central site in an area surrounding the Legislative Council and Central Government Offices at Tamar were cleared 22-06-2015.
Hong Kong reform vote
The Hong Kong government’s political reform proposal for how the city elects its leader by universal suffrage for the first time in 2017 is based on a strict framework set by Beijing. The plan limits the number of candidates to two or three and requires them to win majority support from a 1,200 strong nominating committee. Arguing that this does not constitute genuine universal suffrage, pan-democratic lawmakers have vowed to reject the package, while pro-democracy groups have protested. The government’s resolution was to be put to a vote by the 70-member Legislative Council in June 2015, requiring a two-thirds majority to be passed.
POST OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY 285
POST REFORM VOTE：DAY 100 (26-09-2015)
POST REFORM VOTE：DAY 100 (26-09-2015)
Full coverage of the day’s events
Coconuts HKFrontline
Legal scholar calls for database of false police testimony after Occupy cases reveal unreliability
A legal scholar has called for the establishment of an information database to record instances of false police testimony, after many cases related to the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement have revealed the their unreliability, Ming Pao reports.
Close to one thousand people were arrested in relation to the 79-day Occupy protests. Judgement has been handed down in 140 of the 209 cases to have begun judicial proceedings, resulting in acquittal or the withdrawal of charges in 40 cases.
In cases relating to at least nine defendants, charges have been dropped after video evidence supplied by the defense cast doubt on police testimony.
Forty of these 209 cases have been for the offense of assaulting a police officer, which, at 55 per cent, has the highest rate of “not guilty” verdicts compared to other offenses. In ten per cent of cases, charges have been withdrawn by the prosecution.
The defendant who was accused of jogging towards Police cordon. Photo: Apple Daily.
Earlier this month, a 27-year-old Occupy activist accused of “jogging” towards police cordon lines was acquitted of obstruction charges after video evidence contradicted the account given by police, with the magistrate slamming the officer’s testimony as completely unreliable.
A magistrate has also asked for a case to be referred to the Complaints Against Police Office after another police officer was found to be an unreliable witness.
University of Hong Kong lecturer and Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) member Eric Cheung Tat-ming said that the city’s police force should address this issue and set up an information database to record down all instances in which a judge has criticised the reliability of police testimony.
Eric Cheung Tat-ming. Photo: Apple Daily.
Cheung told Ming Pao that senior police officers write up internal reports when a “not guilty” verdict is handed out, but the IPCC has no authority in the cases unless the relevant parties file a complaint.
How the IPCC handles the cases referred to them will demonstrate their capability to process complaints fairly, Cheung added. He also urged Commissioner of Police Lo Wai-chung to ensure the matter is seriously dealt with, otherwise the public will lose confidence in the police force.
Alvin Yeung.
Defence counsel Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu said that the emerging trend of the defense having to find evidence to disprove police testimony means that defendants are guilty until proven innocent, shifting the burden of proof away from the prosecution.
Other legal professionals have also noted that lying under oath in court of law constitutes perjury, which is a criminal offense.
沒有留言:
張貼留言