Hong Kong's steady descent into a police state

mucaari · 25-06-2021, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by aw451:

The first honest government appointment in years.

Nonetheless it’s tragic. A year ago, they still tried to promote HK as a business hub among all this. Now, they are not even promoting it anymore, it’s clear that HK remaining a business hub is not relevant to policy, and if it stays like that for a few years, 80% of expats will leave, and of those locals who can, a big chunk as well.

East_coast · 26-06-2021, 05:02 AM

Originally Posted by mucaari:

Nonetheless it’s tragic. A year ago, they still tried to promote HK as a business hub among all this. Now, they are not even promoting it anymore, it’s clear that HK remaining a business hub is not relevant to policy, and if it stays like that for a few years, 80% of expats will leave, and of those locals who can, a big chunk as well.

Not true

Still peddling round-tripped money as FDI. Where's the one country?

https://www.news.gov.hk/eng/2021/06/...ml?type=ticker

Coolboy · 26-06-2021, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by mucaari:

Nonetheless it’s tragic. A year ago, they still tried to promote HK as a business hub among all this. Now, they are not even promoting it anymore, it’s clear that HK remaining a business hub is not relevant to policy, and if it stays like that for a few years, 80% of expats will leave, and of those locals who can, a big chunk as well.

I think we should put it this way: Promoting HK as a business hub is still...how should I put it..."nominally" important to the HK government, I mean they still go through the motions to do that as Yau does. BUT, the priority clearly is national security...if that conflicts with HK as a business hub, then security takes precedence. If that hurts HK's status as an international finance centre, who cares, according to the government, the Greater Bay Area is the future. How? How dare you ask on the specifics, I'll report you to national security hotline? What the government says cannot be challenged! (I'm mocking the government obviously, but its not a stretch to imagine that given the worsening political climate).

In short, international business concerns can take a hike, according to the government:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/25/b...hnk/index.html

MatthieuTofu · 26-06-2021, 12:07 PM

Some nice new kit to replace the Unimogs and further enhance community policing
https://twitter.com/galileocheng/sta...377107462?s=21

Tom007 · 26-06-2021, 04:25 PM

https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/compone...abChangeable=0

FrancisX · 26-06-2021, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by Tom007:

https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/compone...abChangeable=0

why do I get the felling that ultimately that legal definition will be along the lines of “things we don’t like”?

Coolboy · 26-06-2021, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by FrancisX:

why do I get the felling that ultimately that legal definition will be along the lines of “things we don’t like”?

That's precisely the point of this "fake news" law. Its really unnecessary if you look at it objectively. There are already defamation laws in place that one can sue the media for, if they publish factually untrue statements that damages the reputation and credibility of someone. This is just more censorship under the guise of controlling "fake news".

Now some suggest because of the speed of the spread of fake news through social media, traditional defamation laws are too slow to halt these kind of disinformation. And some jurisdictions in the West are indeed contemplating some kind of fake news law.

But of course, the big difference is that in those jurisdictions, such proposed laws really are intent on tackling fake news. They are also in jurisdictions with a democratic form of government with check and balances, both of which are absent in HK. It is all too easy to conclude this fake news law is just another instrument to control the media in HK.