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posted by martyb on Wednesday July 01 2020, @08:00AM   Printer-friendly
from the security-for-whom? dept.

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.


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  • (Score: 5, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday July 01 2020, @07:54PM (5 children)

    by DeathMonkey (1380) on Wednesday July 01 2020, @07:54PM (#1015128) Journal

    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]

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +3  
       Informative=3, Total=3
    Extra 'Informative' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   5  
  • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Wednesday July 01 2020, @08:56PM (3 children)

    by Freeman (732) on Wednesday July 01 2020, @08:56PM (#1015146) Journal

    A mere formality, when it became convenient to do so.

    Following the 2010 and 2011 Manning leaks, authorities in the US began investigating Assange and Wikileaks. Specifically, the investigations were being done by the Grand Jury in Alexandria, Virginia as of November 2011.[14] Assange broke bail to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning, and became a fugitive.
    [...]
    In 2012 and 2013, US officials indicated that Assange was not named in a sealed indictment.[28][29] On 6 March 2018, a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Virginia issued a sealed indictment against Assange.[30]

    In November 2018, US prosecutors accidentally revealed that Assange had been indicted under seal in US federal court; the revelation came as a result of an error in a different court filing, unrelated to Assange.[31][32][33][34][35]

    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)

      by DeathMonkey (1380) on Wednesday July 01 2020, @09:04PM (#1015149) Journal

      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)

        by Freeman (732) on Wednesday July 01 2020, @09:15PM (#1015154) Journal

        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: 1) by khallow on Thursday July 02 2020, @01:57AM

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Thursday July 02 2020, @01:57AM (#1015242) Journal

    You can't drop charges that were never brought...

    How do you know charges were never brought? They didn't have to make them public until they're trying to extradite Assange.