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China Enacts Security Law, Asserting Control Over Hong Kong
Beijing's top legislative body has unanimously passed a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong, a controversial move that could effectively criminalize most dissent in the city and risks widening the rift between China and western countries who have criticized the law.
The news was first reported by local Hong Kong media: cable televsion station NOWNews; the city's public broadcaster; and a slew of newspapers, including Wei Wen Po and Ta Kung Pao, two pro-Beijing outlets which often signal official Chinese policy.
Hours later, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported President Xi Jinping had already signed the measure into law. Xinhua said it will be incorporated into Hong Kong's Basic Law, the city's mini-constitution, and become effective Wednesday, the anniversary of Hong Kong's 1997 handover from British to Chinese Rule.
Hong Kong security law: Anger as China's Xi signs legislation
One key pro-democracy group said it was now ceasing all operations. Demosisto announced the move on Facebook after Joshua Wong, one of Hong Kong's most prominent activists, said he was leaving the group, which he had spearheaded.
[...] Demosisto said several members had asked to be delisted and it had decided to "dissolve and stop all meetings". It said that the fight against "totalitarian oppression" would have to continue in a "more flexible manner". Joshua Wong said the law marked "the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before".
Also at NYT, Reuters, and Hong Kong Free Press.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 01 2020, @10:02AM (17 children)
and now you can see the lack of determination of China: the US will even do its best to extradite you for breaking their laws, even if you don't break any laws in the country where you live.
well, I expect that China will grow up soon and learn how to follow through properly.
(Score: 2, Disagree) by EJ on Wednesday July 01 2020, @10:17AM (16 children)
The United States does not extradite people for saying bad things about it.
(Score: 5, Touché) by MostCynical on Wednesday July 01 2020, @10:44AM (11 children)
say what? [theguardian.com]
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Freeman on Wednesday July 01 2020, @03:45PM (10 children)
That's not "saying bad things about the government" that's leaking classified documents. Which is really mixing up two separate issues.
One government cracks down on you, if you voice an opinion (China). The other cracks down on you, if you release classified data to the public (USA).
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Thexalon on Wednesday July 01 2020, @05:13PM (1 child)
Under US law, it isn't illegal to release classified information to the public [wikipedia.org] if you aren't somebody with a US security clearance. The alleged crime of Julian Assange wasn't publishing classified information, but his supposed role in causing the US intel agencies to be hacked.
And it should be pointed out that he's been held under conditions considered torturous by some international observers for over a year and hasn't been tried for anything. This violates the US Bill of Rights, the EU Conventions on Human Rights, and the UK Human Rights Act. So let's just say this really isn't about the law, is it?
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Freeman on Wednesday July 01 2020, @06:33PM
He hasn't actually been detained by anyone other than the UK police at this point, so everything is of his own making atm. From what I gather, UK prisons are much nicer than the USA prison system. Which itself isn't a very nice system. Better than lots of places, but still not so good.
Personally, I think he's gone through enough. I just don't think the USA will stop trying to get it's hooks into him. I've got conflicting feelings about all the leaks going on, but in some instances it was something that the people needed to know about.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday July 01 2020, @05:25PM (7 children)
Obama's DOJ considered him a reporter and protected by the First Amendment.
As the Obama DOJ Concluded, Prosecution of Julian Assange for Publishing Documents Poses Grave Threats to Press Freedom [theintercept.com]
So you can thank the Trump Admin for that bit of authoritarianism.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Freeman on Wednesday July 01 2020, @06:36PM (6 children)
Ahh.., is that why Obama / the Obama DOJ came out and said that the USA was going to drop all charges against Julian Assange. Oh, he/they didn't? Nevermind, then.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 5, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday July 01 2020, @07:54PM (5 children)
The US never charged him with anything until Trump was elected.
You can't drop charges that were never brought...
WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Charged in 18-Count Superseding Indictment - Thursday, May 23, 2019 [justice.gov]
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Wednesday July 01 2020, @08:56PM (3 children)
A mere formality, when it became convenient to do so.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indictment_and_arrest_of_Julian_Assange [wikipedia.org]
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday July 01 2020, @09:04PM (2 children)
You understand that those quotes prove me correct, right?
2012/2013: No indictment, AKA no charges.
2018: An indictment, AKA charges.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Freeman on Wednesday July 01 2020, @09:15PM (1 child)
The point I was trying to get across is that he may not have been officially charged until then, but the moment it looked like or that he did step out of the embassy, is when charges would have been filed. Obama just didn't have to deal with it, because of how long he remained in asylum. Obama could have nipped it in the bud, but he didn't. Trump could have too, but it seems unlikely that he will.
Assange's only hope has always been that the place he is at, won't extradite him.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday July 01 2020, @09:59PM
He left the embassy over a year AFTER that indictment. (Apr 11, 2019) [cnet.com]
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday July 02 2020, @01:57AM
How do you know charges were never brought? They didn't have to make them public until they're trying to extradite Assange.
(Score: 5, Touché) by SpockLogic on Wednesday July 01 2020, @11:57AM (3 children)
Correct, they use a Hellfire missile from a drone to execute them.
Overreacting is one thing, sticking your head up your ass hoping the problem goes away is another - edIII
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 01 2020, @02:41PM
If if if if...
(Score: 3, Offtopic) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday July 01 2020, @09:07PM (1 child)
Or just block the publication before it happens.
Judge blocks release of book by Trump's niece [politico.com]
Resulting in crickets from all the avowed Free Speech Warriors on SN...
(Score: 3, Informative) by khallow on Thursday July 02 2020, @02:26AM