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.
POST OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY 154:
Full coverage of the day’s events on 19-05
APD touts 1.2 mln signatures for reform proposal
A pro-Beijing group said it has collected 1.21 million signatures in support of the government’s political reform proposal.
The figure represents nearly a quarter of all eligible voters, Ming Pao Daily reported Tuesday, citing the Alliance for Peace and Democracy (APD).
But convenor Robert Chow would not comment if the number is good enough, merely saying the turnout rate in the nine-day effort was “basically quite good”.
Last year, APD gathered 1.8 million signatures against the Occupy Central movement.
Wong Kwan-yu, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, which helped organize the new initiative, said the result reflects the opinion of the silent majority.
However, he said the number is not “absolutely large”, adding he had expected four million signatures.
Chow dismissed accusations APD used children to bump up the numbers after photos emerged showing campaign volunteers asking them for their signatures.
He said he will only discount one signature — that of a primary school student who was reported to have been coaxed into signing the petition by Executive Councilor Fanny Law.
Chow also challenged the authenticity of the photos.
The result, which outstrips the 800,000 votes for establishment candidates in the last election, shows they are capable of mounting a stronger performance in the upcoming district and legislative polls, Chow said.
Meanwhile, state news agency Xinhua said in a commentary that the tide of public opinion “cannot be reversed” and lawmakers must accept it.
It said most Hong Kong people want them to make the right historical choice, referring to an upcoming vote on the proposal in the legislature.
Law Society head asserts neutral stand on political reform
Stephen Hung Wan-shun, the Law Society’s president, said the group is a politically neutral body, Ming Pao Daily reported Tuesday.
Hung said the society made its views clear in the past two years in its statements on constitutional reform.
At a news conference Monday, Hung focused his presentation on the future tasks of the group.
He refused to take a stand in the ongoing debate on electoral reform or to answer related questions.
While admitting he had encouraged the members of the group to voice their opinions on political reform, as he believes everyone has the right to express their views on it, he said no member’s view can represent that of the group.
The society should not and has no need to express its opinion on whether legislators should support the government’s reform package, which is based on a decision made by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, he said.
Asked about his personal views, Hung only replied it does not matter.
Ta Kung Pao reported Thursday that Hung and Melissa Kaye Pang, a vice president of the society, had added their signatures to a campaign launched by the Alliance for Peace and Democracy in support of the government’s proposal.
Hung denied he was avoiding sensitive questions after what happened to his predecessor, Ambrose Lam San-keung, last year.
Lam, who had publicly supported a central government white paper on Hong Kong, resigned as president in August after losing a vote of confidence.
Hung said a delegation from the group is due to visit Beijing later this year or early next year and meet with officials in the Ministry of Justice and other departments.
Activist teacher vows to fight ‘political pressure’
An award-winning teacher is defying the school administration and vowing to “teach until I die” after accusing her employer of relentless political pressure.
Alpais Lam Wai-sze, who teaches in Pui Ling School of the Precious Blood in Hong Kong’s Fanling district, issued a statement in which she accused the school of suppressing her freedom of speech, Apple Daily reported Tuesday.
She said she will not cave to political pressure and reached out to Cardinal Joseph Zen, an outspoken Hong Kong bishop, for help.
Lam has had discussions with her employer at least 10 times, none of which was job-related, the report said.
She said the meetings centered on her participation in the Occupy Central movement, a key player in last year’s democracy protests, and on a speech she made to protesters.
Lam, a 2010 recipient of the Chief Executive Award for Teaching Excellence and an 18-year teaching veteran, said that if she quits under pressure, other teachers in similar situations could be targeted by their employers.
She criticized the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union (HKPTU), saying it did not contact her or investigate the matter.
In a recent Facebook post, Lam said unrelenting pressure from the school and apathy from her colleagues nearly drove her to commit suicide.
She said she will file a formal complaint to HKPTU on Wednesday and might bring her case to anti-discrimination authorities.
Meanwhile, Lam said she will “continue teaching until I die”.
On Monday a group of 20 supporters held a protest outside the school as several plainclothes policemen watched and school staff videotaped the rally.
Lam was involved in an incident on July 14, 2013 where she was seen shouting profanity at police officers.
She accused them of standing back while a pro-communist group attacked members of Falun Gong, a Chinese spiritual organization opposed to religious repression in the mainland.
The incident, which was caught in a viral video, sparked protests by Lam’s supporters and opponents.
A pro-Beijing group said it has collected 1.21 million signatures in support of the government’s political reform proposal.
The figure represents nearly a quarter of all eligible voters, Ming Pao Daily reported Tuesday, citing the Alliance for Peace and Democracy (APD).
But convenor Robert Chow would not comment if the number is good enough, merely saying the turnout rate in the nine-day effort was “basically quite good”.
Last year, APD gathered 1.8 million signatures against the Occupy Central movement.
Wong Kwan-yu, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, which helped organize the new initiative, said the result reflects the opinion of the silent majority.
However, he said the number is not “absolutely large”, adding he had expected four million signatures.
Chow dismissed accusations APD used children to bump up the numbers after photos emerged showing campaign volunteers asking them for their signatures.
He said he will only discount one signature — that of a primary school student who was reported to have been coaxed into signing the petition by Executive Councilor Fanny Law.
Chow also challenged the authenticity of the photos.
The result, which outstrips the 800,000 votes for establishment candidates in the last election, shows they are capable of mounting a stronger performance in the upcoming district and legislative polls, Chow said.
Meanwhile, state news agency Xinhua said in a commentary that the tide of public opinion “cannot be reversed” and lawmakers must accept it.
It said most Hong Kong people want them to make the right historical choice, referring to an upcoming vote on the proposal in the legislature.
Law Society head asserts neutral stand on political reform
Stephen Hung Wan-shun, the Law Society’s president, said the group is a politically neutral body, Ming Pao Daily reported Tuesday.
Hung said the society made its views clear in the past two years in its statements on constitutional reform.
At a news conference Monday, Hung focused his presentation on the future tasks of the group.
He refused to take a stand in the ongoing debate on electoral reform or to answer related questions.
While admitting he had encouraged the members of the group to voice their opinions on political reform, as he believes everyone has the right to express their views on it, he said no member’s view can represent that of the group.
The society should not and has no need to express its opinion on whether legislators should support the government’s reform package, which is based on a decision made by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, he said.
Asked about his personal views, Hung only replied it does not matter.
Ta Kung Pao reported Thursday that Hung and Melissa Kaye Pang, a vice president of the society, had added their signatures to a campaign launched by the Alliance for Peace and Democracy in support of the government’s proposal.
Hung denied he was avoiding sensitive questions after what happened to his predecessor, Ambrose Lam San-keung, last year.
Lam, who had publicly supported a central government white paper on Hong Kong, resigned as president in August after losing a vote of confidence.
Hung said a delegation from the group is due to visit Beijing later this year or early next year and meet with officials in the Ministry of Justice and other departments.
Activist teacher vows to fight ‘political pressure’
An award-winning teacher is defying the school administration and vowing to “teach until I die” after accusing her employer of relentless political pressure.
Alpais Lam Wai-sze, who teaches in Pui Ling School of the Precious Blood in Hong Kong’s Fanling district, issued a statement in which she accused the school of suppressing her freedom of speech, Apple Daily reported Tuesday.
She said she will not cave to political pressure and reached out to Cardinal Joseph Zen, an outspoken Hong Kong bishop, for help.
Lam has had discussions with her employer at least 10 times, none of which was job-related, the report said.
She said the meetings centered on her participation in the Occupy Central movement, a key player in last year’s democracy protests, and on a speech she made to protesters.
Lam, a 2010 recipient of the Chief Executive Award for Teaching Excellence and an 18-year teaching veteran, said that if she quits under pressure, other teachers in similar situations could be targeted by their employers.
She criticized the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union (HKPTU), saying it did not contact her or investigate the matter.
In a recent Facebook post, Lam said unrelenting pressure from the school and apathy from her colleagues nearly drove her to commit suicide.
She said she will file a formal complaint to HKPTU on Wednesday and might bring her case to anti-discrimination authorities.
Meanwhile, Lam said she will “continue teaching until I die”.
On Monday a group of 20 supporters held a protest outside the school as several plainclothes policemen watched and school staff videotaped the rally.
Lam was involved in an incident on July 14, 2013 where she was seen shouting profanity at police officers.
She accused them of standing back while a pro-communist group attacked members of Falun Gong, a Chinese spiritual organization opposed to religious repression in the mainland.
The incident, which was caught in a viral video, sparked protests by Lam’s supporters and opponents.
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