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| The new Hong Kong, where activists vow to defy 'rule by fear' | The new Hong Kong, where activists vow to defy 'rule by fear' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Atmosphere in city has changed dramatically as newly imposed security laws loom large | Atmosphere in city has changed dramatically as newly imposed security laws loom large |
| On a Saturday afternoon in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong’s bustling shopping district, everything looked as though it was business as usual. | On a Saturday afternoon in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong’s bustling shopping district, everything looked as though it was business as usual. |
| Amid swathes of shoppers in the area, flags emblazoned with images of pro-democracy politicians fluttered in the hot summer air. Politicians yelled into microphones, urging people to vote for them in an unofficial poll to choose candidates to run in the Legislative Council (LegCo) election in September. | Amid swathes of shoppers in the area, flags emblazoned with images of pro-democracy politicians fluttered in the hot summer air. Politicians yelled into microphones, urging people to vote for them in an unofficial poll to choose candidates to run in the Legislative Council (LegCo) election in September. |
| A closer inspection showed things were not quite the same as before. | A closer inspection showed things were not quite the same as before. |
| Gone from the streets were the anti-government banners and graffiti. The wall outside a small tea shop that used to be covered in colourful sticky notes with protest slogans had been stripped bare. | Gone from the streets were the anti-government banners and graffiti. The wall outside a small tea shop that used to be covered in colourful sticky notes with protest slogans had been stripped bare. |
| Under a tree, a young volunteer for one of the candidates spoke through a loud hailer: “Precisely because of the national security law, we need to make use of the freedom we still have.” | Under a tree, a young volunteer for one of the candidates spoke through a loud hailer: “Precisely because of the national security law, we need to make use of the freedom we still have.” |
| “Let’s not forget those eight characters!” he said, euphemistically referring to a popular protest slogan now banned by the government as “secessionist” under the national security law, which was enacted two weeks ago on 1 July. | |
| A police van was parked a few metres away from the street booths– a stark reminder for the campaigners that they are under the watchful eye of the authorities. | |
| Welcome to the new Hong Kong. | Welcome to the new Hong Kong. |
| The atmosphere in the city that took pride in its tradition of rule of law and civil liberties has changed dramatically in the days since the enactment of the Beijing-imposed national security law. It punishes crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. | The atmosphere in the city that took pride in its tradition of rule of law and civil liberties has changed dramatically in the days since the enactment of the Beijing-imposed national security law. It punishes crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. |
| Several young political groups disbanded. A 26-year-old opposition politician, Nathan Law, has fled to the UK, becoming Hong Kong’s first dissident-in-exile under the new law. The government declared the protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times” pro-independent, secessionist, subversive, and therefore illegal under the new law. | |
| Ten people have been arrested in a protest for possessing materials deemed “subversive”. The authorities ordered schools to pull books that might “endanger” national security. Public libraries suspended books by opposition figures. Police no longer need search warrants and can restrict suspects’ movements, freeze their assets and intercept communications for national security cases. The national security headquarters began to operate last week from a building converted from a hotel. | Ten people have been arrested in a protest for possessing materials deemed “subversive”. The authorities ordered schools to pull books that might “endanger” national security. Public libraries suspended books by opposition figures. Police no longer need search warrants and can restrict suspects’ movements, freeze their assets and intercept communications for national security cases. The national security headquarters began to operate last week from a building converted from a hotel. |
| Fear has kicked in, but the mood of defiance is still strong. Colourful pro-democracy messages on “Lennon walls” across Hong Kong have mostly been torn down after police warnings, but have been replaced in many places by blank notes. Instead of displaying slogans now seen as “sensitive” during protests, people hold up blank pieces of paper. Euphemistic expressions are being invented everyday online to express discontent. | Fear has kicked in, but the mood of defiance is still strong. Colourful pro-democracy messages on “Lennon walls” across Hong Kong have mostly been torn down after police warnings, but have been replaced in many places by blank notes. Instead of displaying slogans now seen as “sensitive” during protests, people hold up blank pieces of paper. Euphemistic expressions are being invented everyday online to express discontent. |
| An estimated 600,000 people turned out to vote in the primary elections for the pro-democracy camp over the weekend, hoping to capture a majority in the legislature, despite officials’ threats that the exercise may violate the national security law and candidates who oppose the law may be disqualified. | An estimated 600,000 people turned out to vote in the primary elections for the pro-democracy camp over the weekend, hoping to capture a majority in the legislature, despite officials’ threats that the exercise may violate the national security law and candidates who oppose the law may be disqualified. |
| China declared the primaries illegal on Monday and the city authorities launched an investigation into the vote. Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, warned they might have “fallen into the category of subverting state power” if the democrats’ aim was to obstruct government policies. | China declared the primaries illegal on Monday and the city authorities launched an investigation into the vote. Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, warned they might have “fallen into the category of subverting state power” if the democrats’ aim was to obstruct government policies. |
| The owner of the tea shop in Causeway Bay said even though she and her partners decided to remove the display of pro-democracy messages out of fears of breaching the law, she resented it deeply. | The owner of the tea shop in Causeway Bay said even though she and her partners decided to remove the display of pro-democracy messages out of fears of breaching the law, she resented it deeply. |
| “I feel despondent, heartbroken, distraught and utterly helpless,” said Ms Liu, who declined to give her full name. “But even without the display, the spirit is in everyone’s hearts.” | “I feel despondent, heartbroken, distraught and utterly helpless,” said Ms Liu, who declined to give her full name. “But even without the display, the spirit is in everyone’s hearts.” |
| A day after the law was enacted, a number of eateries were warned by police that political posters and flyers had to be removed. | A day after the law was enacted, a number of eateries were warned by police that political posters and flyers had to be removed. |
| Lawrence Lau, the defence lawyer for the first national security case in a Hong Kong court, said the government’s interpretation of certain slogans as breaching the national security law has no legal grounds. | |
| His client, a 23-year-old motorcyclist who ran into police officer while carrying a flag saying “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our times” during the 1 July protest, is the first person charged with inciting secession and terrorism under the new law. Bail was denied under the new law, which says judges would not grant it unless they have grounds to believe the defendant will not continue to endanger national security. | His client, a 23-year-old motorcyclist who ran into police officer while carrying a flag saying “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our times” during the 1 July protest, is the first person charged with inciting secession and terrorism under the new law. Bail was denied under the new law, which says judges would not grant it unless they have grounds to believe the defendant will not continue to endanger national security. |
| Lau said this goes against the common law’s principle of the presumption of innocence which Hong Kong has always practised. | Lau said this goes against the common law’s principle of the presumption of innocence which Hong Kong has always practised. |
| “The law fails to inform us what is and what isn’t allowed. People are uncertain when they’d touch the red line,” he said. “This is the rule by fear.” | “The law fails to inform us what is and what isn’t allowed. People are uncertain when they’d touch the red line,” he said. “This is the rule by fear.” |
| Lam, has argued otherwise. She said the law was needed because protesters have posed national security threats and residents were “living in fear.” Officials hailed the law for “restoring stability to Hong Kong” after months of sometimes violent pro-democracy protests. | Lam, has argued otherwise. She said the law was needed because protesters have posed national security threats and residents were “living in fear.” Officials hailed the law for “restoring stability to Hong Kong” after months of sometimes violent pro-democracy protests. |
| Pro-democracy politicians say they have little choice but to carry on, even if this means being disqualified and going to jail. | Pro-democracy politicians say they have little choice but to carry on, even if this means being disqualified and going to jail. |
| “Hong Kong has become really abnormal over the past two weeks. The government has been spreading fear. Whatever you do, they say it’s illegal, be it voting, posting online, being on the streets,” said Ted Hui, a legislator who has staged protests in LegCo meetings, acts that could now amount to subversion under the new law and possibly lead to his disqualification. | |
| “Yes they might disqualify us all. We have to tread a fine line in everything we do now, but our goal of fighting for democracy is unchanged,” said Hui, who emerged as the candidate with the top number of votes in his constituency. | “Yes they might disqualify us all. We have to tread a fine line in everything we do now, but our goal of fighting for democracy is unchanged,” said Hui, who emerged as the candidate with the top number of votes in his constituency. |
| Some say even if they have to go silent for the time being, their longing for democracy will not be crushed and believe things will eventually turn around. | |
| “I look forward to that day,” Liu said. “History doesn’t lie.” | “I look forward to that day,” Liu said. “History doesn’t lie.” |