Beijing Warns Hong Kong Protesters: Don't 'Play With Fire' - NPR

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Riot police fire tear gas at protesters during a demonstration in Hong Kong's Wong Tai Sin District on Monday. Anthony Kwan/Getty Images hide caption

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Amid weeks of mass anti-government demonstrations in Hong Kong that have frequently turned violent, Beijing on Tuesday issued a stark warning to protesters: "those who play with fire will perish by it."

The remarks, at a news conference in Beijing, were made by Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council.

He said China has "tremendous power" to put down the protests and warned that anyone who engages in "violence and crimes ... will be held accountable."

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Yang Guang, spokesperson for mainland China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council, speaks concerning the ongoing protests in Hong Kong, at a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images

Asked if he could rule out the use of military force in Hong Kong, Yang told journalists: "We will not let any acts attacking the principle of 'one country, two systems' go unpunished."

"I warn all those criminals: don't misjudge the situation or take restraint as a sign of weakness," he said.

Yang's comments came a day after Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, vowed to restore order in the city after nine weeks of nearly uninterrupted demonstrations. Speaking on Monday, the embattled Lam said the Chinese territory was "on the verge of a very dangerous situation" — words repeated verbatim by Yang.

The city on Monday was plunged into chaos as protesters barricaded roads and besieged police stations in the most significant unrest since the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.

A general strike on Monday brought life in the bustling Asian hub to a standstill. Protesters were joined by teachers, security workers and some 2,300 aviation workers, resulting in 224 flight cancellations. Commuter trains were shut down when protesters lodged umbrellas in the doors or used their arms to prop them open during rush hour.

In clashes overnight Monday, police tried to quash demonstrations in seven separate districts, including densely populated Mong Kok in Kowloon, across the harbor from Hong Kong island. In several locations, they used flash grenades and tear-gas against black-clad protesters wearing face masks.

Police said 148 people were arrested and "some 800 tear gas rounds" were expended in Monday's melee. Since the protests began on June 9, Hong Kong police say they've arrested 420 people.

Social and political divisions are deepening in Hong Kong, with one side determined to defend what they say are their shrinking liberties, and the other firm in holding the line on intensifying dissent. The latest protests caught fire in June to oppose a proposed law that would have allowed some in the territory accused of serious crimes to be extradited to mainland China for prosecution.

Although Lam's government has since suspended consideration of the controversial bill, protesters want a promise to kill it completely. They have also infused their demands with grievances taken directly from the 2014 Occupy Central "umbrella" movement in Hong Kong.

So far, Beijing has used a carrot-and-stick approach to trying to persuade protesters to go home. Hong Kong, Beijing argued on Tuesday, enjoys a privileged role in international financial systems, a status that a small group of radical activists threaten.

But many in Hong Kong disagree.

"It's reached a point where threats aren't going to make things go away now," says Antony Dapiran, a Hong Kong-based lawyer and writer. "I can't help but think that the intended message [at Tuesday's news conference] was directed domestically, to send a message that we are in control here and maintaining stability."

Meanwhile, protesters are trying to expand their protest methods beyond marches to street performances, strikes and exhibitions, says Lo Kin-Hei, a vice chairman of the opposition Hong Kong Democratic party.

"The protesters also need to rest," Lo told NPR, stressing that on-the-ground protests would continue: "The clashes, the intense protests, I don't think [the protesters] will give up on this because they think this is the one thing that can affect the course of governance."

In yet another potentially worrying sign, more than 12,000 police officers in the southern city of Shenzhen, which is adjacent to Hong Kong, conducted anti-riot drills on Tuesday, according to Chinese state media and the Chinese police force.

On Weibo, a Chinese social media site similar to Twitter, the Shenzhen police posted that the drills were in preparation for the 70^th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on Oct. 1.

"A drill will be held to increase troop morale, practice and prepare for the security of celebrations, [and] maintain national political security and social stability," the post said.

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https://www.npr.org/2019/08/06/748570104/beijing-warns-hong-kong-protesters-dont-play-with-fire

2019-08-06 11:09:00Z
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China warns Hong Kong protesters not to 'play with fire' - BBC News - BBC News

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2019-08-06 09:52:57Z
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China Warns Hong Kong Protesters Not to ‘Take Restraint for Weakness’ - The New York Times

HONG KONG — An official in Beijing on Tuesday issued China’s sternest denunciation yet of the demonstrations in Hong Kong, saying they had “exceeded the scope of free assembly” and warning that the semiautonomous city would not be allowed to descend into chaos.

“I want to warn all the criminals to not wrongly judge the situation and take restraint for weakness,” said Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Chinese government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. He warned against underestimating China’s “firm resolve and strength to safeguard the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.”

But Mr. Yang offered little in the way of concrete measures to resolve the political crisis, calling for more patriotic education and encouraging residents to confront protesters. “We need to stand up to protect our wonderful homeland,” he said.

The comments came a day after protesters in Hong Kong carried out their most widespread civil disobedience in weeks of demonstrations, blocking trains and roads and urging workers to strike. Air travel was also snarled, with more than 200 flights canceled after 2,300 civil aviation workers stayed home, according to an estimate by union officials.

Mr. Yang denounced the tactics of protesters who have surrounded police stations, throwing bricks and lighting fires, as “extreme violence that is shocking to see.”

He said, “The central government will never allow any violent attempt to push Hong Kong into a dangerous situation.”

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Government supporters argued with students near the Tin Shui Wai police station in Hong Kong on Monday.CreditLam Yik Fei for The New York Times

Protesters gathered at more than a half dozen sites across Hong Kong on Monday, and the police arrested 148 people and fired 800 canisters of tear gas. The tear gas used on Monday alone came close to the 1,000 rounds that the police had used over the previous eight weeks.

Joshua Wong, a leader of the 2014 Umbrella movement and a prominent pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong, said Mr. Yang’s comments were an attempt to scare the people of the city into silence.

“Beijing does not rule Hong Kong by law, they just rule by tear gas,” he said.

The protests this summer began over a proposal that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. The government suspended that legislation in mid-June, but the protests have continued, demanding that the government fully withdraw the bill. The protesters are also angry about other issues, including allegations of police brutality and the stalled expansion of direct elections in Hong Kong.

Protesters who have clashed with the police have argued that more confrontational methods became necessary after the government rejected demands made in earlier, peaceful marches, one of which was joined by as many as two million people.

Mr. Yang also warned protesters to not challenge China’s sovereignty, denouncing those who defaced the Chinese government’s representative office in Hong Kong last month and threw Chinese flags into Victoria Harbor in recent days. He criticized protesters’ use of a slogan from an imprisoned activist who once advocated Hong Kong’s independence: “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times.”

Last week, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office expressed its support for Carrie Lam, the Hong Kong chief executive, and the police, but they offered little new to resolve the political crisis. It was rare for the office to hold a news conference, and even rarer for it to hold another just a week later, an indication of the Chinese leadership’s struggle to respond to the increasingly fraught conflict in Hong Kong.

Mr. Yang reiterated on Tuesday that China backed Mrs. Lam and the police, and he said there should be no leniency in prosecuting violent crimes.

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Protesters in the Sha Tin district of Hong Kong on Monday.CreditLam Yik Fei for The New York Times

“These rioters are extremely rampant and deranged,” he said. “A blow from the sword of law is waiting for them in the future.”

Hong Kong, a former British colony, was returned to China in 1997, and it operates under a model called “one country, two systems,” which allows the city to maintain its own political and legal systems and gives residents a far greater degree of civil liberties than is seen in mainland China.

The central government is responsible for Hong Kong’s national defense and foreign relations. But many in Hong Kong fear Beijing is wielding greater influence over the city, slowly eroding its freedoms.

A spokesman for China’s Ministry of National Defense hinted last month that the People’s Liberation Army could be called on to maintain order in Hong Kong. The military has a garrison of 6,000 to 10,000 soldiers in Hong Kong, but local officials have repeatedly denied rumors that they have been preparing to help quell demonstrations.

Last week, the Hong Kong garrison released a video showing its troops training to confront protesters. And images have been released of large groups of mainland police officers holding drills in preparation for the Oct. 1 celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Those images have also fueled unsubstantiated rumors about the possible intervention of Chinese forces.

Asked if he could rule out an intervention by the Chinese military, Mr. Yang said China would “never allow a challenge to the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ to go unpunished and will never allow any turbulence that will threaten national unity.”

Mrs. Lam warned on Monday of a crisis of “security and safety” and said “a series of extremely violent acts” was “pushing Hong Kong into very precarious circumstances.”

A group of protesters met with reporters on Tuesday to challenge the government’s portrayal of them, accusing Mrs. Lam and other top officials of dodging responsibility for the crisis.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/06/world/asia/hong-kong-china-protests.html

2019-08-06 08:01:39Z
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China Warns Hong Kong Protesters Not to ‘Take Restraint for Weakness’ - The New York Times

HONG KONG — An official in Beijing on Tuesday issued China’s sternest denunciation yet of the demonstrations in Hong Kong, saying they had “exceeded the scope of free assembly” and warning that the semiautonomous city would not be allowed to descend into chaos.

“I want to warn all the criminals to not wrongly judge the situation and take restraint for weakness,” said Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Chinese government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. He warned against underestimating China’s “firm resolve and strength to safeguard the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.”

But Mr. Yang offered little in the way of concrete measures to resolve the political crisis, calling for more patriotic education and encouraging residents to confront protesters. “We need to stand up to protect our wonderful homeland,” he said.

The comments came a day after protesters in Hong Kong carried out their most widespread civil disobedience in weeks of demonstrations, blocking trains and roads and urging workers to strike. Air travel was also snarled, with more than 200 flights canceled after 2,300 civil aviation workers stayed home, according to an estimate by union officials.

Image

Government supporters argued with students near the Tin Shui Wai police station in Hong Kong on Monday.CreditLam Yik Fei for The New York Times

Mr. Yang denounced the tactics of protesters who have surrounded police stations, throwing bricks and lighting fires, as “extreme violence that is shocking to see.”

He said, “The central government will never allow any violent attempt to push Hong Kong into a dangerous situation.”

Protesters gathered at more than a half dozen sites across Hong Kong on Monday, and the police fired tear gas and arrested more than 80 people. Since early June, the police have fired more than 1,000 rounds of tear gas, more than 10 times the amount used during a 2014 protest movement that shut down major streets for weeks.

The protests this summer began over a proposal that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. The government suspended that legislation in mid-June, but the protests have continued, demanding that the government fully withdraw the bill. The protesters are also angry about other issues, including allegations of police brutality and the stalled expansion of direct elections in Hong Kong.

Protesters who have clashed with the police have argued that more confrontational methods became necessary after the government rejected demands made in earlier, peaceful marches, one of which was joined by as many as two million people.

Image

Protesters in the Sha Tin district of Hong Kong on Monday.CreditLam Yik Fei for The New York Times

Last week, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office expressed its support for the Hong Kong government and the police, but they offered little new to resolve the political crisis. It was rare for the office to hold a news conference, and even rarer for it to hold another just a week later, an indication of the Chinese leadership’s struggle to respond to the increasingly fraught conflict in Hong Kong.

A spokesman for China’s Ministry of National Defense hinted last month that the People’s Liberation Army could be called on to maintain order in Hong Kong. The military has a garrison of 6,000 to 10,000 soldiers in Hong Kong, but local officials have repeatedly denied rumors that they have been preparing to help quell demonstrations.

Last week, the Hong Kong garrison released a video showing its troops training to confront protesters. And images have been released of large groups of mainland police officers holding drills in preparation for the Oct. 1 celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Those images have also fueled unsubstantiated rumors about the possible intervention of Chinese forces.

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, warned on Monday of a crisis of “security and safety” and said “a series of extremely violent acts” was “pushing Hong Kong into very precarious circumstances.””

A group of protesters met with reporters on Tuesday to challenge the government’s portrayal of them, accusing Mrs. Lam and other top officials of dodging responsibility for the crisis.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/06/world/asia/hong-kong-china-protests.html

2019-08-06 07:38:02Z
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China calls on U.S. politicians to stop colluding with Hong Kong... - Reuters

Yang Guang (C) and Xu Luying (R) of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council attends a news conference on the current situation in Hong Kong, in Beijing, China, August 6, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

BEIJING (Reuters) - The Chinese foreign ministry’s commissioner in Hong Kong said on Tuesday the city belongs to China and that it will firmly respond to any action that harms China’s sovereignty.

The foreign ministry’s commissioner, responding to comments by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said U.S. politicians should immediately stop colluding with separatists in the city.

Hong Kong has been hit by weeks of sometimes violent protests that began with opposition to a now-suspended extradition law that would have allowed suspects to be tried in mainland courts. The protests have grown into a broader backlash against the city’s government and its political masters in Beijing.

Reporting by Huizhong Wu; Editing by Paul Tait

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2019-08-06 06:47:00Z
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'Darkest day': Uproar as India strips Kashmir of special status - Aljazeera.com

The Indian government's decision to abolish a special status for India-administered Kashmir has been widely criticised and opposed, as tensions prevail over the constitutional autonomy of the disputed region. 

Monday's announcement sparked chaotic scenes in parliament, with opposition politicians condemning the presidential decree revoking Article 370 of the constitution that gives the state of Jammu and Kashmir a substantial degree of autonomy.

The government led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also moved a bill proposing the Jammu and Kashmir state be divided into two "union territories" directly ruled by New Delhi.

The main opposition Congress party described the decision as a "catastrophic step".

"Shameful that you have turned Jammu and Kashmir into a non-entity," said Ghulam Nabi Azad, a Congress parliamentarian who comes from India-administered Kashmir.

One legislator from Kashmir-based Peoples Democratic Party tore up a copy of the Indian constitution before being reportedly removed from the chambers by parliamentary marshals.

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Article 370 of the constitution forbid Indians outside the state from permanently settling, buying land, holding local government jobs and securing education scholarships.

The decree, which was issued hours after imposing a major security clampdown in the disputed region, said the measure came into force "at once".

'Total betrayal of trust'

Political leaders in India-administered Kashmir, including former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah who have been placed under house arrest, also criticised the decision.

"The Indian government's unilateral and shocking decisions today are a total betrayal of trust that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had reposed in India when the state acceded to it in 1947," Abdullah said in a statement.

The decree, which he called an "aggression", will have "far-reaching and dangerous consequences," said Abdullah. "A long and tough battle lies ahead. We are ready for that."

Mufti tweeted that the latest move was the "darkest day in Indian democracy".

"Unilateral decision of GOI [government of India] to scrap Article 370 is illegal and unconstitutional which will make India an occupational force in J&K [Jammu and Kashmir]," she posted.

Today the people of Jammu & Kashmir who reposed their faith in institutions of India like parliament & Supreme Court feel defeated & betrayed. By dismembering the state & fraudulently taking away what is rightfully & legally ours, they have further complicated the Kashmir dispute

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 5, 2019

However, BJP politicians and right-wing allies welcomed the decision and congratulated Modi, who had proposed to abrogate Article 370 in his election campaign.

This is a moment of pride as the NDA. Big congratulations to @PMOIndia @narendramodi ji, Home Minister @AmitShah ji, the Parliament & the Citizens of India. This is exactly why we supported the NDA in Lok Sabha 2019 led by Modi ji. Decision for India and the State of J&K.

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 5, 2019

Protests in Pakistan

The announcement came amid heightened tensions along the Line of Control - the highly militarised defacto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

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On Sunday, parts of India-administered Kashmir were placed under lockdown, with some internet and phone services cut off. 

Pakistan, which has fought two of its three wars against India over the disputed territory, strongly condemned India's move and vowed to "exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps". 

"No unilateral step by the Government of India can change this disputed status, as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council [UNSC] resolutions. Nor will this ever be acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, hundreds of Kashmiri activists staged a demonstration near the Indian embassy in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Monday, holding placards and chanting slogans.

Similar rallies were also staged in other cities, including Hyderabad and Karachi. 

"This revocation of these two articles means any Indian citizen will be able to grab land in occupied Kashmir, he can be a citizen of Kashmir," Nabi Baig, a refugee from Kashmir, told the Associated Press news agency.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/day-uproar-india-strips-kashmir-special-status-190805095736146.html

2019-08-05 12:26:00Z
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A Convicted Drug Trafficker Tried To Escape A Brazilian Prison Disguised As His Daughter - BuzzFeed News

A gang leader in Brazil failed in a bid to escape jail disguised as his 19-year-old daughter.

Officials released photos showing Clauvino da Silva wearing a silicone mask, a long wig, glasses, jeans and a pink T-shirt with donuts on it after being caught out.

His escape attempt was thwarted when prison guards saw him acting nervously, the Associated Press reported.

In a video also released by Rio de Janeiro’s State Secretary of Prison Administration, da Silva takes off the disguise and some of the clothes before saying his real name.

The 42-year-old, also known as Baixinho, or “Shorty,” is serving a 73-year sentence for drug trafficking.

He previously escaped Rio’s Gericinó prison in 2013, Brazil’s Globo reported, after fleeing the jail through the sewer. This time the plan was just to walk out through the main door, and leave his daughter in his cell.

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https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/matthewchampion/brazil-gang-leader-prison-daughter-disguise

2019-08-05 12:14:00Z
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