POST REFORM VOTE：DAY 75 (01-09-2015)

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.

Occupy Central site in Causeway Bay was cleared as police moved in  ...

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 260

POST REFORM VOTE：DAY 75 (01-09-2015)

Full coverage of the day’s events  

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Beijing bought 62 new flats in HK, report says


The central government has reportedly spent over HK$542 million buying property in Hong Kong over the past year, fuelling speculation that Beijing is expanding its presence here.

Reuters news agency said land registry records show the Liaison Office has bought at least 62 new flats since December.

This includes a new block of 48 flats for HK$480 million. Three sources close to Beijing officials say the move reflects the central leadership's desire to tighten its grip in Hong Kong after the pro-democracy Occupy Central movement last year posed one of the biggest political challenges to the government in decades.

The Liaison Office has declined to comment on the purchases, which appear to mostly house staff. Reuters couldn't confirm whether it had increased the size of its staff in Hong Kong.

Leung leads delegation to Beijing military parade


Chief Executive, Leung Chun-ying will lead a delegation to Beijing tomorrow to attend the commemorative activities of the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war to be held on the following day. 

The activities include a commemorative rally and military parade in the morning and a cultural gala in the evening. 

Leung will also attend a reception at noon.

He will leave for Beijing tomorrow morning and return to Hong Kong in the afternoon of September 4. 

Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, will be Acting Chief Executive tomorrow morning and the Financial Secretary, John C Tsang, will be Acting Chief Executive from tomorrow afternoon to the morning of September 4.

Ex-bar chief joins fray on HKU post

A former Bar Association chairman has urged the University of Hong Kong Council to explain to the public its decision on the delayed appointment of a pro vice chancellor.
Paul Shieh Wing-tai made the call in a speech to new students of the university's law school yesterday, on the eve of the HKU convocation extraordinary general meeting, to be held tonight at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, to discuss the appointment.

Johannes Chan Man-mun, the candidate recommended by a selection committee for the pro vice chancellor (academic staffing and resources) post, also encouraged the new law students not to be afraid of controversial issues.

Chan, speaking for the first time since he was penalized over a donations scandal, said he would not withdraw from an appointment.

Pro-democracy alumni had moved a motion to urge the council to make a decision within 30 days whether it is going to appoint Chan, a former HKU law dean and pro-democracy academic, while the pro-establishment camp called for support of the school's autonomy.

Shieh said the council can either send the matter back to the selection committee for reconsideration, or decline to accept the recommendation, but back that up by good, substantive reasons.

Shieh was also angry that Chan and the law faculty were "snipped" in the whole issue.

If the post remained vacant, Chan asked when it will be filled, adding that the continued vacancy will hurt the university's operation.


Dems linked to `loyal opposition'

Beijing hopes to turn Hong Kong's moderate pan-democrats into a "loyal opposition" group after the political reform proposal was voted down, according to a China expert.

Lau Siu-kai, vice chairman of think-tank National Association of Study on Hong Kong and Macau, said the central government seeks to improve ties with moderate pan-democrats and is looking for grounds for cooperation.

The former head of the Central Policy Unit said this thrust is worth pursuing even if moderates might come under fire from radical democrats in the short term.

"After political reform was vetoed down, the central government is trying to lead pan- democrats toward cooperation amid hopes they can be turned into a `loyal opposition' camp," Lau said in a radio interview yesterday.

On Wednesday, Democratic Party chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing and four other young leaders had lunch with Feng Wei, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. Lau failed to inform the party's central committee ahead of the meeting as Feng sought to keep the meeting low-profile.

Although Lau gave an explanation to the central committee and the public a day after the surprise meeting, she was still criticized by central committee members Au Nok-hin and Hui Chi-fung.

Lau Siu-kai believes there is special meaning in Feng meeting the Democratic Party ahead of other pan democrats as it has been pursuing a moderate route in the pursuit of democracy and it has recognized Chinese nationalism.

"The central government thinks the DP has more recognition of Chinese nationalism, and it is a party it can work with," he said. "Recently, some radical voices have come out of the DP, and the central government wishes to encourage more moderates to emerge."

Lau also weighed in on comments by Ng Hong-mun, a former deputy of NPC, that the next chief executive should come from the civil service. Ng has named Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah as possible candidates.

Lau believes Ng is not against Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying seeking a second term, but said Leung "still has a long way to go" before he can unite different sectors of society.


Judge throws out contempt of court case involving 17 Occupy activists

A judge has thrown out a contempt of court case involving 17 activists in last year’s pro-democracy Occupy protests on Tuesday after the Department of Justice failed to follow procedures.

High Court judge Anderson Chow Ka-ming said on Tuesday morning that no extension of time will be granted for the Department of Justice’s failure to submit documents for fixing a hearing date within the deadline of 14 days after permission was given to charge the activists in March.

The 17 protesters were arrested on charges of contempt for failing to comply with a court injunction after obstructing bailiffs on Argyle Street in Mong Kok last November during Occupy protests. The Department of Justice failed meet the deadline for filing the “notice of appointment to hear the originating summons” on April 4, as required under The Rules of the High Court.

The Department of Justice has been ordered to pay the costs of the proceedings. It will have to bring a fresh claim if it wishes to press charges again.

Among the 17 protesters, 26-year-old Alvin Cheng Kam-mun was found guilty last month of obstructing police officers during a protest in Mong Kok in December shortly after the Occupy protests ended.