Current Events > Hong Kong pop star arrested for singing at rally over 3 years ago

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https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Hong-Kong-pop-star-Anthony-Wong-arrested-for-singing-at-rally

Hong Kong pop singer Anthony Wong Yiu-ming was arrested on Monday as local authorities continue their crackdown on opposition figures.

Officers from the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) arrested Wong in relation to his performance at a by-election campaign rally on March 3, 2018, with the agency saying his singing of two songs at the event on behalf of candidate Au Nok-hin violated an ordinance barring anyone from providing food, drink or entertainment to influence voters.

Au beat three rivals to win that Legislative Council election, but was later removed from office after the courts queried the government's handling of the disqualification of Agnes Chow, the opposition camp's original nominee for the seat.

Already in custody on national security law charges over his participation in a 2019 opposition primary, Au was also arrested in the new case on Monday.

Wong, a 59-year-old Cantopop singer-songwriter known for supporting the city's democracy movement and advocating for LGBT rights, sang his popular tune of "A Forbidden Fruit A Day" during Au's rally.

The song, which debuted in 1996, referenced the now-closed pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily.

"It's a song about Hong Kongers. We should not disqualify ourselves from making our own choices," Wong said then. "We need to choose the fruit we want to eat."

Wong was released on bail later Monday and he and Au are due to enter pleas in court on Thursday. If convicted, he faces a potential seven-year prison term and 500,000 Hong Kong dollar fine ($64,333).

An ICAC spokesperson said in a statement on Monday that providing others with entertainment at an election is "a serious offense."

"Candidates, election agents, helpers and members of the public are reminded to refrain from offering food, drinks or entertainment during an election in exchange for votes," the spokesperson said, adding that the commission has commenced a series of "multifaceted education and publicity programs to promote a clean election culture."

Hong Kong is set to hold its next legislative election in December after a Beijing-driven overhaul slashed the proportion of democratically elected seats and gave the government and security officials powers to vet candidates for disloyalty to the local or national government.

Benny Tai, a former University of Hong Kong law professor, and two others were arrested by the ICAC last week in relation to advertisements they placed in local newspapers ahead of a 2016 election, as part of a "strategic voting" campaign by pro-democracy groups. The anti-graft agency said the trio had illegally incurred election expenses which are supposed to be paid for only by candidates or their campaigns.

Tai, like Au, is in detention in relation to the opposition bloc's 2019 primary.

Many opposition figures have been charged with protest or national security offenses in the wake of anti-government protests in 2019. Some, including former lawmakers Nathan Law and Ted Hui, have gone into exile abroad to continue their advocacy work.

In another case involving the 2018 by-elections, Wong Wai-ha, a former assistant to Starry Lee, chairperson of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, was sentenced to eight months imprisonment in May for distributing gift bags to residents to encourage votes for a candidate from the DAB, the largest pro-government party and the biggest in the legislature.

Lee was not charged in the case. She claimed that neither she nor her office were aware of the gift distribution.

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Lame

CCP is evil.

To the reeducation center!

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TheRadiant posted...

To the reeducation center!

where he'll mysteriously disappear...

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@Shablagoo thoughts?

I thought it was an utopia ran by Athena herself?

you too @au_gold

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Isn't that a fucking kick in the balls? The world doesn't respect freedom like it used to. Thanks Trump.

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Insane. The CCP is overcome with insanity. They can no longer be permitted to govern.

Thaumaturge posted...

Insane. The CCP is overcome with insanity. They can no longer be permitted to govern.

This right here is the problem with Americans.

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Wong, a 59-year-old Cantopop singer-songwriter



Wait, this mf is 59 years old? Looks like your average 30 year old American

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The degree to which they gave up on the illusion of one country two systems is pretty staggering. There was a time when it was seen as a viable path to get Taiwan to rejoin China. They would get the relative freedom Hong Kong had. This was under the more relaxed pre-Xi era where the Chinese internet was far less censored and criticism of the government was far more tolerated. Xi seems to have decided that isn't a viable path and opted for dealing with everything forcefully. The Wolf Warrior diplomacy, the Hong Kong crackdown, the renewed threats to invade Taiwan. This is the new Xi approach. It's debatable how well it will work, it seems to only be having a negative effect, but the anti-Xi faction of the CCP has been purged or silenced leaving no viable pushback. Certainly it will be interesting to see if Xi is followed by a Deng like figure as Mao was who basically gradually undoes the worst policies and tries to reign power back in (reintroduce term limits, allow factionalism in the party, make it easier to join the party again, etc.).

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@Shablagoo

ssjevot posted...

It's debatable how well it will work

Its going to get everyone on the planet killed.
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Maybe when shabla shows up he can finally explain something to us about the word 'tankie'.

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LeoRavus posted...

Wong, a 59-year-old Cantopop singer-songwriter



Wait, this mf is 59 years old? Looks like your average 30 year old American

Yes and the guy next to him is 60 because that is how Chinese biology works.

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Why was I tagged in this?

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au_gold posted...

Why was I tagged in this?

Based on the context of when they tagged you, because you support the CCP?

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But I dont.

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au_gold posted...

But I dont.

Take it up with the one that tagged you then I guess.

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Yeah I don't know where you got the idea au_gold is a tankie. He isn't.

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I dont understand how China can just casually threaten to nuke other countries knowing if they do theyll be nuked in kind. North Korea does this too, telling other countries theyll be destroyed knowing if they do its suicide.
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IfGodCouldDie posted...

Yes and the guy next to him is 60 because that is how Chinese biology works.

Must be why the guy on the left looks so ashamed.

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the CCP must be stopped

ssjevot posted...

Yeah I don't know where you got the idea au_gold is a tankie. He isn't.

He acknowledged that the life expectancy is higher in Cuba than the U.S. and that Fidel Castro was far more intelligent and well-spoken than Donald Trump.

Basic facts, but for whatever reason that was enough for limp-bizkit to bestow the label.

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Shablagoo posted...

He acknowledged that the life expectancy is higher in Cuba than the U.S. and that Fidel Castro was far more intelligent and well-spoken than Donald Trump.

Basic facts, but for whatever reason that was enough for limp-bizkit to bestow the label.

You post here yet you cant comment on the content of OP?


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limp-bizkit-89 posted...

You post here yet you cant comment on the content of OP?

What sort of comment would I make? Article says the singer broke the law and got arrested for it, is out on bail and not convicted yet.

Not much to comment on.

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Shablagoo posted...

What sort of comment would I make? Article says the singer broke the law and got arrested for it, is out on bail and not convicted yet.

Not much to comment on.

lmao

the CCP can do no wrong huh? Hahaha


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Tankies love licking boot. As soon as you tell them the cops belong to one of their authoritarian regimes of choice (doesn't even need to claim to be socialist, Iran and Russia are fine too) ACAB turns into I support the police.

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