Protest in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's leader Tuesday refused to say why the city had denied a visa to a leading Financial Times journalist, despite escalating demands for an explanation of the unprecedented challenge to freedom of the press.

Victor Mallet, the FT's Asia news editor and a British national, angered authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong by hosting a speech at the city's press club by Andy Chan, the leader of a tiny pro-independence political party, in August.

Chan's party was later banned as Beijing cracks down on any pro-independence sentiment in the semi-autonomous city.

An application to renew Mallet's work visa has been refused and on Sunday he was given seven days to leave Hong Kong.

Facing questions for the first time since the visa denial emerged last week, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the decision had been handed down by immigration authorities.

She said linking it to the Chan talk was "pure speculation".

"As a rule — not only locally, but internationally — we will never disclose, the immigration department will not disclose, the individual circumstances of the case or the considerations of this decision," Lam told reporters.

She refused to directly acknowledge the specifics of the speculation over why Mallet was denied the visa, admitting only that she had "noticed there has been some talk on the street".

However Lam said the government "will not tolerate any advocacy of Hong Kong independence and things that harm national security, territorial integrity and developmental interests".

She refused to comment on how Mallet could be linked to any of those potential threats when it was pointed out that he was not an independence advocate but had simply chaired a talk by Chan at the city's Foreign Correspondents' Club, which has also hosted talks by Chinese officials.

Asked whether journalists could now be punished for interviewing independence activists or writing about independence, Lam said she could give no guidance but insisted that freedom of reporting and expression were "still core values".

Britain and the United States have expressed concern over the visa refusal and its impact on press freedom.

On Monday, a group of the city's most influential lawyers also demanded an explanation, while the American Chamber of Commerce warned that curtailing press freedom could damage the city's competitiveness.

A journalists' alliance handed over petitions with more than 15,000 signatures to the government Monday calling for an explanation of its visa rejection.

A group of Hong Kong activists face jail after being convicted Tuesday on colonial-era "public nuisance" charges for their role in organising mass pro-democracy protests that paralysed the city for months and infuriated Beijing.

The convictions followed a trial that has renewed alarm over shrinking freedoms under an assertive China which has rejected demands by Hong Kongers asking for a greater say in how the financial hub is run.

Nine activists were all convicted on Tuesday of at least one charge in a prosecution that deployed rarely-used colonial-era public nuisance laws over their participation in the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests, which called for free elections for the city's leader.

It is the latest blow to strike the beleaguered pro-democracy camp which has seen key figures jailed or banned from standing as legislators since their civil disobedience movement convulsed the city but failed to win any concessions.

Among the most prominent members of the group on trial were sociology professor Chan Kin-man, 60, law professor Benny Tai, 54, and Baptist minister Chu Yiu-ming, 75.

The trio founded the pro-democracy "Occupy Central" movement in 2013, which joined the student-led Umbrella Movement a year later that brought parts of the city to a standstill for months.

All three were found guilty of conspiracy to commit public nuisance. Tai and Chan were also convicted of incitement to commit public nuisance although all three were acquitted of incitement to incite public nuisance.

Of the remaining six defendants — a group of younger protest leaders, including two sitting lawmakers — all were convicted of at least one public nuisance charge.

- 'Can't stop the dawn' -

In an unusual move prosecutors tried the group under Hong Kong's common law system, which carries a much steeper sentence than statutory public nuisance laws.

Each protest leader could now face up to seven years in jail, rather than three months had the charges been brought under statutory law.

Judge Johnny Chan ruled that the 2014 protests, which took over key intersections for many weeks, were not protected by Hong Kong's free speech laws because the demonstrations impinged on the rights of others.

"The unreasonableness of the obstruction was such that the significant and protected right to demonstrate should be displaced," he said. "The act was one not warranted by law."

The defendants remain on bail with the court expected to continue hearing mitigation arguments in the coming days before handing down sentences.

There were emotional scenes on Tuesday afternoon as the oldest defendant, Reverend Chu, delivered a statement in which he described the dock as "the most honourable pulpit of my ministerial career".

He warned Hong Kong's leadership against ignoring youth-led calls for greater democratic freedoms.

"The bell tolls. It gives out a warning sound, that something bad and disastrous is happening," he said.

In a submission sent to journalists fellow defendant Shiu Ka-chun added: "I want to warn the authoritarian government, even if you kill all the roosters, you cannot stop the dawn's arrival."

- 'Appallingly divisive' -

Human rights groups and critics hit out at the convictions, saying the use of the vaguely worded public nuisance laws — and wielding the steeper common law punishment — would have a chilling effect on free speech in Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong courts, by labelling peaceful protests in pursuit of rights as public nuisance, are sending a terrible message that will likely embolden the government to prosecute more peaceful activists," said Maya Wang, a senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, said it was "appallingly divisive to use anachronistic common law charges in a vengeful pursuit of political events which took place in 2014."

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang fired back at those criticisms, saying other countries would also have brought such a prosecution to "maintain order".

"The central government resolutely supports (Hong Kong) in punishing the main organisations and planners of the illegal Occupy Central movement in accordance with the law," he told reporters.

Hong Kong enjoys rights unseen on the Chinese mainland, which are protected by the 50-year handover agreement between Britain and China, but fears are growing that those liberties are being eroded as Beijing flexes its muscles.

At the trial, prosecutors argued that the mass protests had caused a "common injury done to the public", who had been affected by the blockage of major roads, and that the leaders of the movement deserved to be punished.

In his verdict Judge Chan denied his ruling would impact the ability of Hong Kongers to protest.

The Occupy movement highlighted widespread frustration, especially among the young, over Hong Kong's direction but failed to win any reforms from Beijing.

Scores of Hong Kong businesses have vowed to shut down as anger builds over government plans to push through a law allowing extraditions to China, despite a huge weekend protest.

The financial hub was rocked by a huge rally on Sunday — the largest since the city's 1997 return to China — as vast crowds called on the city's leaders to scrap the Beijing-backed plan.

Many are fearful that the proposal will tangle people up in the mainland's opaque courts and hammer Hong Kong's reputation as an international business hub.

Organisers said more than a million hit the streets but the record crowds have failed to sway chief executive Carrie Lam who has rejected calls to withdraw or delay the bill.

On Wednesday the proposed law will have its second and third readings in the city's parliament, which is dominated by Beijing loyalists, making its passing all but assured.

Protest groups have vowed to stage a fresh rally outside parliament that day and have urged people to join or to go on strike.

Business owners have taken to social media using a hashtag that translates as "#612strike" to announce solidarity closures, allowing staff to join the protest.

A large chunk are mom-and-pop style stores and small businesses that are a key part of the city's economy, but which often eschew the city's raucous street politics.

By Tuesday morning, more than 100 businesses had declared plans to strike, ranging from coffee shops and restaurants to camera stores, toy shops, nail salons, yoga studios and even an adult entertainment store.

"Hong Kong was built by our various generations with hard work," wrote Meet Yoga studio on its Instagram account. "A Hong Kong without freedom — how about we just wipe it off the map entirely and call it China?"

One owner of a floral accessories store added: "I’m a Hong Kong girl who doesn’t know politics and finds pleasure in the small things of life. But even I know politics actually affects all aspects of our lives."

Lawyer Michael Vidler said he would allow his 12 employees to "act in accordance with their conscience" and go on strike.

The proposed law would allow extraditions to any jurisdiction with which it does not already have a treaty — including mainland China.

Hong Kong's leaders say it is needed to plug loopholes and to stop the city being a sanctuary for fugitives.

They say safeguards are in place to ensure human rights standards are upheld and that political critics of Beijing will not be targeted.

But many Hong Kongers have little faith in those assurances after years of political unrest caused by heightened fears a resurgent Beijing is trying to quash the city's unique freedoms and culture.

Three police officers were injured when handling the unlawful assembly at the vicinity of Legislative Council Complex today (2019-06-10). Commissioner of Police LO Sir paid a visit to the hospital for the injured officers, wishing them a speedy recovery.

Encrypted messaging service Telegram suffered a major cyber-attack that appeared to originate from China, the company’s CEO said Thursday, linking it to the ongoing political unrest in Hong Kong.

Many protesters in the city have used Telegram to evade electronic surveillance and coordinate their demonstrations against a controversial Beijing-backed plan that would allow extraditions from the semi-autonomous territory to the mainland.