POST OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY 34 (18-01-2015)

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  ...

POST OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY 34: 

Full coverage of the day’s events

Education is the great leveller, rather than democracy

As expected, a major theme in the chief executive's policy address this year is support for youth.

Two writs allege police violence during Mong Kok Occupy clearance

Two pedestrians have filed the city's first two writs complaining of police violence in the aftermath of the force's clearance of the Occupy site in Mong Kok in late November.

Hong Kong tourist arrivals jump 12pc despite Occupy uncertainty

Tourist arrivals in Hong Kong increased 12 per cent to 60.8 million last year - up on an estimate made last February that there would be 59 million visitors and despite uncertainty created by the Occupy protests.

HK diplomat seeks to deflect US lawmakers' efforts to sanction city over democracy row

Hong Kong’s top official in the United States says he has been lobbying US Congress to tread carefully on pushing for democratic reforms in the autonomous Chinese territory.

Chalk Girl who drew on Occupy ‘Lennon Wall’ released as court refuses to put her in children's home

A 14-year-old girl who was arrested for scribbling graffiti with chalk on the “Lennon Wall” outside government headquarters did not need a child protection order, a magistrate ruled.

Exco convener in plea to pan-dems


It's not clear if "one man, one vote" will become a reality if the pan- democrats veto the government's political reform, the Executive Council convener has warned.
Lam Woon-kwong encouraged more rational thinking from the pan-democratic camp and asked them not to focus on the interests of their political parties.

He asked the public to express their views to lawmakers if they wanted to "take a step forward."

Lam said: "We don't know when [Hong Kong] will get another chance ... if we give up this time."


He said if no changes are made for the 2017 chief executive election, the SAR will not experience genuine universal suffrage in order to fine-tune it for future polls.

Meanwhile, University of Hong Kong legal scholar Albert Chen Hung-yee said discussion on political reform had already become less rational and pragmatic.


But University of Hong Kong economics professor Richard Wong Yue-chim said he believes pan-democratic lawmakers will subsequently support the reforms with the current opposition just a gesture against the government.


Cadet group swings into action with CY wife in lead



The chief executive's wife is taking the helm of a controversial new group launched yesterday to educate Hong Kong youths about the responsibilities and duties of a Chinese citizen.

The opening ceremony for the Hong Kong Army Cadets Association was held at the People's Liberation Army's naval base on Stonecutters Island.

While Regina Tong Ching-yee was named as head of the association, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying was made an honorary patron, along with central government liaison office director Zhang Xiaoming People's Liberation Army Garrison commander Tan Benhong.


The board of directors include Commission on Youth chairman Bunny Chan Chung-bun and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Standing Committee member Stephen Tai Tak-fung, who has organized military training camps for mainland youth.

Hong Kong Columns (Translated)

We are here to pick certain columns, and translate them into another language. We are voluntary, and if you are interested in translating and editing, please contact us.

Julian Yip: That's how our next generation grows

That's how our next generation grows

Translated by Chen-t'ang 鎮棠, Written by Julian Yip
Original: http://www.passiontimes.hk/article/01-17-2015/20621 

In a district consultation forum back in 2013, 689 (Translator's note: nickname of CY Leung, as he only gained 689 votes) said, "If a four-or-five-year-old kid asks CY, where should he live after marrying...." The kid popped up.

In the Policy Address 2014, the kid popped up again. 689 again said, "A kindergarten kid asked, 'CE, where should I live when I am grown?'" In Polict Address 2015, there goes the kid again, "A five-year-old kid once asked me 'CE, where should I live when I am grown? Are there sufficient land in HK?'"

When kids in Hong Kong have grown to five, besides thinking about the land and housing problem, they need to learn how to "love China", according to the Our Lady's Kindergarten in Wong Tai Sin.

When the kids do not even know how to love their parents, you need to learn the concept of "nationalities are based on countries". When the kids might not know how to write their own names properly, they have to write "I am Chinese". You are what the teachers said - Concept of "Hongkongers"? Excluded.

CY Leung has supported the establishment of "HK Army Cadets Association" as an honorary sponsor. His wife, Regina Tong, will be the chief commander of the army cadets. A secondary school has issued a notice, urging Form 1 students to attend this activity. In Hong Kong, after you have understood the concept of "nationalities are based on countries" and thought about land and housing problems in Hong Kong, you now have to participate in activities of New Red Guards. Selfish adults earn piles of Renminbi by messing Hong Kong around, but they are not satisfied yet. They turn kids into victims, and ruin their childhood by sending them on the way to flatter the Communist Party.

It is already bad when these adults do not prepare a better growing environment for the kids, why are they so brazen-faced to take advantage of the kids and curry flavour to China? They are utterly not ashamed. How will our next generation grow in a world where adults can be so unprincipled, selfish and immoral?

Adults who are counting Renminbi notes will say, "The most important thing is that I can earn money."