CNA Staff, Apr 23, 2021 / 03:00 am (CNA).
A British human rights activist has said that it would make a “big difference” if the Vatican publicly expressed its concerns about the actions of the Chinese Communist Party.
Benedict Rogers told CNA April 21 that even a small gesture would be meaningful for those suffering as a result of Beijing’s actions both in mainland China and Hong Kong.
“I would say, you don’t have to speak out in a directly political way. For example, I think it would go a long way if the pope were simply to pray for the Uyghurs, and Christians in China, and the people of Hong Kong, as he does for so many other parts of the world, perhaps during the Sunday Angelus or on some other occasion,” he said.
RFA
An investigative journalist arrested and tried after she made a documentary exposing the Hong Kong police force s handling of the July 21, 2019 mob attacks on train passengers in Yuen Long was found guilty of improper searches of an online car license database on Thursday.
Journalist Bao Choy, whose documentary 7/21: Who Owns The Truth? tracked the movements of suspected attackers on the night of the attacks, had pleaded not guilty to two counts of knowingly making a false statement to access number plate ownership records.
Choy, 37, was fined H.K.$6,000 by the judge at West Kowloon Magistrates Court, who said the public interest aspect of her work on the film had been taken into account. The charges carry a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment.
Photo: RFA
A court in Hong Kong on Friday handed down sentences to several prominent pro-democracy figures including media mogul Jimmy Lai, international barrister Margaret Ng, and Democratic Party founder Martin Lee, while prosecutors brought two additional charges under the national security law against Lai.
Lai, 72, and veteran trade unionist Lee Cheuk-yan, 64, were jailed for 12 months under the Public Order Ordinance (POO) after the court found them guilty of taking part in an illegal assembly on Aug. 18, 2019.
Veteran rights campaigner and former opposition lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung, 65, was sentenced to 18 months, with former lawmaker and rights activist Au Nok-hin getting 10 months and former Labour Party lawmaker Cyd Ho eight months.
Media mogul Jimmy Lai, others sentenced for 2019 Hong Kong mass protests upi.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from upi.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
CHINA / POLITICS
By Cui Fandi Published: Apr 01, 2021 06:58 PM
Jimmy Lai Photo: VCGJimmy Lai Chee-ying, Hong Kong s media tycoon and a notorious anti-government figure, together with six former lawmakers were found guilty of organizing and attending an unauthorized assembly in 2019.
The verdict shows the independence of the Hong Kong judiciary in being able to withstand pressure to make the right decision based on laws, and that major forces in Hong Kong are coming together to secure the region s stability instead of bowing to foreign intimidation and interference, observers said.
Lai was convicted on Thursday morning alongside six ex-lawmakers, including Martin Lee Chu-ming, another mastermind behind Hong Kong riots in 2019.