News » Politics » Hong Kong Residents March for Freedom of Speech

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• Hong Kong Residents March for Freedom of Speech
• China NPC 2013: The Reports
• Leather or suede: shoe-sporting patrol dogs in Beijing
• Increased Home Sale Tax Curbs Raising Property Price in China
• China's 'new blue-collar' workers unhappy despite rising salaries
• A packed year ahead for the Dalai Lama
• China jail Tibetan self-immolator’s uncle
• China hikes defence budget to $115.7 billion
• China hikes defence budget to $115.7 billion
• Jockeying starts for berths in new coterie
• Jockeying starts for berths in new coterie
• North Korea lists 28 hairstyles to keep capitalism at bay
• North Korea lists 28 hairstyles to keep capitalism at bay
• Worst market crash in 3 years signals bumpy ride ahead
• Worst market crash in 3 years signals bumpy ride ahead
• Stricter controls to hit China's property market
• 'Surf music' pioneer Dean Torrence to ride around Taiwan
• Taiwan's companies in Bangladesh affected by unrest
• CPPCC celebrity watch and Chen Guangbiao's empty gesture
• China’s Military Budget Bump: What it Means

Hong Kong Residents March for Freedom of Speech Posted: 04 Mar 2013 08:47 PM PST Falun Gong practitioners demonstrate one of the discipline's exercises at an information site at Causeway Bay in Hong Kong, while Hong Kong police protect them from the green-shirted members of the Hong Kong Youth Care Association, on March 3 near the Sogo department store. (Pan Zaishu/Epoch Times) HONG KONG—Over 100 Hong Kong residents marched to defend freedom of speech on Sunday, March 3, taking to the streets in response to banners targeting the spiritual practice of Falun Gong. Over the past eight months a group called the Hong Kong Youth Care Association has inundated the city with banners bearing the Chinese Communist Party's propaganda slogans attacking Falun Gong. Often nine feet in height, the banners line some of Hong Kong's busiest and most fashionable streets and are erected at sites where Falun Gong adherents tell passersby about their practice and how it is persecuted in China. While the Youth Care Association has a Hong Kong address, it also shares office space and personnel with the branch of the Communist Party organization tasked with eradicating Falun Gong that is based in the mainland China city of Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong. The head of the Association is a Communist Party official in Jiangxi Province. The green-shirted Association members made their presence felt Sunday afternoon outside the department store Sogo, a landmark in Hong Kong and a popular tourist destination. The march was scheduled to start at Sogo at 2 p.m. Near Sogo is a Falun Gong information site. According to Falun Gong practitioners at the scene, members of the Association showed up at around noon and began attempting to interfere with the information site, surrounding it and shouting insults. Beginning in June, 2012, the Association has attempted to completely cover up or wall off Falun Gong sites with banners, making them invisible or inaccessible to the mainland tourists who frequent the sites. At around 2 p.m. the Hong Kong police assigned to the march showed up. The Hong Kong police have taken a hands-off attitude toward the activities of the Association, refusing to protect the practitioners from its interference. On this day, however, the police interposed themselves between the Association and the practitioners. At 3 p.m. the marchers departed, wending their way through Hong Kong to the city's government building. The Association members stayed behind and at one point attempted to break through the police barricade using bamboo poles. They shouted at the police that the police were showing favoritism toward Falun Gong, and then gave the police an ultimatum. The police had to take down the practitioners' banners or the Association members would do the job themselves. The police stood their ground and 30 minutes later the Association members departed. 'Core Values' The organizer of the march, Mr. Xiong Li, said that the actions of the Association have not been covered by Hong Kong's media and the march was a way to draw Hong Kongers' attention to the Youth Care Association's abusive behavior. Participants in the march included members of civil rights groups, Internet users, and ordinary citizens. Hong Kong resident Mr. Yang Zeming took part in the march. "[The Association members] say that it's freedom of speech, but in reality it's a kind of violence," Yang said. "You may publicize your message on one side. But they don't. They surround [Falun Gong practitioners] and provoke." "This is simply a kind of violence and it shouldn't be tolerated," Yang said. "It has deviated from the norm in all the world's peaceful societies." The founder of the organization Friends of Conscience, Ms. Cai Shufang, also joined the march. She said that the situation in Hong Kong is becoming worse and worse. "We need to protect our core values," Cai said. "If we people of Hong Kong give up our own rights, we will have no hope." Yang also saw the Association as a threat to Hong Kong's basic values. Yang said "[the Hong Kong government] is carrying out the will of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and is making this kind of behavior seem reasonable, trashing the relationship between the Hong Kong police and the Hong Kong people; it has seriously damaged the core values of Hong Kong." Among those taking part in the march were individuals who have organized themselves through the Internet to oppose the Association's activities. Danny Chan, the spokesperson of the Facebook group We Are Hongkongians not Chinese, said, "I think every association has the freedom to express itself, but it cannot prevent other organizations or people from expressing freedom of speech. "What the Youth Care Association has done recently has interfered with other people or even associations to express their own freedom of speech." Mr. Huang was an onlooker to the march. He said the Association's banners are dangerous. "They put large banners everywhere that block the normal street view. A small kid might be killed if a bus driver could not see him or her" Related Articles Hong Kongians Plan March Against Banner Invaders Communist Front Group Seeks to Silence Hong Kong Falun Gong Mr. Leung Yiu-chung, a Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, said the Hong Kong government had never fixed the problem presented by the Association but connived with the Association's activities instead. "That makes them [the Association members] go further beyond the line." He called on the Hong Kong government to "stop these intrusions and arrest the related people." Related Articles Hong Kongians Plan March Against Banner Invaders Communist Front Group Seeks to Silence Hong Kong Falun Gong Translated by Maria Zhou. Written in English by Sonya Bryskine. chinareports@epochtimes.com The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

China NPC 2013: The Reports Posted: 04 Mar 2013 08:38 PM PST In keeping with tradition, China Real Time has uploaded English and Chinese versions of all three major reports from the opening day of the National People's Congress as text-searchable PDFs (official reports typically aren't posted online until much later).

Leather or suede: shoe-sporting patrol dogs in Beijing Posted: 05 Mar 2013 04:54 AM PST The guard dogs patrolling the ongoing annual meetings of the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference look all the more intimidating in shoes, reports state-ow...

Increased Home Sale Tax Curbs Raising Property Price in China Posted: 04 Mar 2013 08:46 PM PST China – On March 1, Chinese State Council announced a "Notice of continue the work on real estate market", saying regional branches of The People's Bank of China may further raise the down payment and mortgage rates to those buying a second home. And a 20% capital-gains tax will also be applied to the transaction when selling properties. The latest notice asks regional banks to implement new systems to stable property prices and developing new target price control of new homes; to further improve existing restrictions when purchase new property, where buyers' qualification review shall be moved before signing contracts; take measures when there's restriction of home purchase and differential house credit. The implement to continue curb investment home buyers includes: the restriction of who can buy a home will be expanded from downtown to city limits; property types include both new and second-hand; non-local buyers are obligated to provide proofs of continuous tax information or social security certificate when purchasing a second home or more. In areas with soaring estate prices, regional banks may raise the portion in down payment and mortgage intents rates to control targeted housing price. owners will pay for a 20% tax, according to the housing registration and original value, when selling homes. Previously, home buyers should pay 20% of the difference between current and original price during the sale. However, not all sellers can provide the original data. Instead, many would choose to pay 1% tax of the total sale value when purchasing a new property in reality. Since the tax money is passed down onto buyers, it would cost more when purchasing a new property. Chinese economist Shi Hanbing also commented on the raising property sale tax. "For the government, there are two aspects considered: to ease the discontent from public with soaring price of new homes; and try not to hurt the sustainable economic development in China. Which one is more important to our government, the new homes or existing property? New homes. A second-hand property already sold once, which already completed its contribution to the government. From land purchase, real estate development to buying new homes, the government  received taxes related to both land and real estate.  However, when a property is resold, the only continuous profit is property tax. While new homes are quite different. Banks are afraid of risks from real estate developers; local government can be frightened by a falling price of land market as well as declination of related taxes. Developers too, they are afraid when the property won't sell and all come to naught. Therefore, existing properties have minimum risks for government regulatory while the profit can be maximum. FMN The post Increased Home Sale Tax Curbs Raising Property Price in China appeared first on Free More News.

China's 'new blue-collar' workers unhappy despite rising salaries Posted: 05 Mar 2013 04:06 AM PST The majority of China's "new blue-collar" workers remain unhappy despite rising salaries, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Want Daily. New blue-collar workers refer to those offering basic s...

A packed year ahead for the Dalai Lama Posted: 04 Mar 2013 07:48 PM PST Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who will be turning 78 this year, has a packed schedule ahead of him in 2013. According to his official website, the Dalai Lama, in the first nine months of the year will be traveling across three continents

China jail Tibetan self-immolator’s uncle Posted: 04 Mar 2013 07:45 PM PST An uncle of a Tibetan self-immolator has been sentenced to 15 months in jail for his "crime" of carrying a photo of his nephew during the latter's funeral procession in Rebkong, eastern Tibet. After a month-long detention

China hikes defence budget to $115.7 billion Posted: 04 Mar 2013 06:57 PM PST China today hiked its defence budget by 10.7 per cent to USD 115.7 billion, well above this year's Indian defence spending of USD 37.4 billion.

China hikes defence budget to $115.7 billion Posted: 04 Mar 2013 06:57 PM PST China today hiked its defence budget by 10.7 per cent to USD 115.7 billion, well above this year's Indian defence spending of USD 37.4 billion.

Jockeying starts for berths in new coterie Posted: 04 Mar 2013 05:07 PM PST Even as Xi Jinping gets ready to assume the presidency of China this month, jockeying has begun for 2017 when rising stars of the ruling Communist Party move into top leadership posts.

Jockeying starts for berths in new coterie Posted: 04 Mar 2013 05:07 PM PST Even as Xi Jinping gets ready to assume the presidency of China this month, jockeying has begun for 2017 when rising stars of the ruling Communist Party move into top leadership posts.

North Korea lists 28 hairstyles to keep capitalism at bay Posted: 04 Mar 2013 05:02 PM PST Hair-dos and hair-don'ts! North Koreans are now allowed to choose only from a state-approved list of 28 hairstyles to "ward off the corrupting effects of capitalism".

North Korea lists 28 hairstyles to keep capitalism at bay Posted: 04 Mar 2013 05:02 PM PST Hair-dos and hair-don'ts! North Koreans are now allowed to choose only from a state-approved list of 28 hairstyles to "ward off the corrupting effects of capitalism".

Worst market crash in 3 years signals bumpy ride ahead Posted: 04 Mar 2013 04:48 PM PST China's stock market saw the worst crash in three years on Monday, led by the biggest slump among developers, after the government called for more steps to cool property prices.

Worst market crash in 3 years signals bumpy ride ahead Posted: 04 Mar 2013 04:48 PM PST China's stock market saw the worst crash in three years on Monday, led by the biggest slump among developers, after the government called for more steps to cool property prices.

Stricter controls to hit China's property market Posted: 05 Mar 2013 03:47 AM PST China issued stricter measures Friday to cool the heated property sector before the country's annual parliamentary session, amid public hope of pulling down soaring home prices. China's central gover...

'Surf music' pioneer Dean Torrence to ride around Taiwan Posted: 05 Mar 2013 03:47 AM PST Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean, a rock band duo of the 1950s-1960s, will come to Taiwan in late September to join a motorcycle brigade around Taiwan, according to the organizers. The 72-year-old star,...

Taiwan's companies in Bangladesh affected by unrest Posted: 05 Mar 2013 03:47 AM PST Forty-five Taiwanese companies in Bangladesh and their officials have been affected by clashes between demonstrators and the police this week, according to the Taiwan Trade Center in Dhaka. The compa...

CPPCC celebrity watch and Chen Guangbiao's empty gesture Posted: 05 Mar 2013 02:10 AM PST As the annual meeting of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference got underway on Sunday, it was clear with whom the press pack most desperately wished to consult, leaving the conference...

China’s Military Budget Bump: What it Means Posted: 04 Mar 2013 07:25 PM PST China revealed its latest official defense budget on Tuesday, projecting a 10.7% jump in funding for the People's Liberation Army. The increase is neither surprising nor sudden, but it is nevertheless significant, argues CRT military analyst Andrew Erickson.

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