Erica Kwong

Clampdown on democracy

Hong Kong | Last week’s mass arrest of political activists signals the Hong Kong regime’s attempt to snuff out opposition

by Erica Kwong
Posted 1/12/21, 04:47 pm

Last week, authorities in Hong Kong arrested 55 people in the largest crackdown on pro-democracy activists since Beijing imposed a new national security law on the region over the summer. Hong Kong police arrested organizers and candidates involved in the pro-democracy camp’s election primaries last July, accusing them of subversion.

For one Hong Kong pastor, frozen bank accounts

Hong Kong | Authorities freeze accounts of a Hong Kong church and its pastor in apparent political retaliation

by Erica Kwong
Posted 12/30/20, 02:43 pm

Earlier this month, the global bank HSBC froze the bank account of Good Neighbor North District Church, a Hong Kong church known for political activism, along with the accounts of the church’s pastor, Roy Chan, and his wife.

Opposition ousted

Hong Kong | Prosecuted and disqualified, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy lawmakers resign en masse

by Erica Kwong
Posted 11/11/20, 01:46 pm

On Wednesday, all 19 pro-democracy members of Hong Kong’s legislature appeared before media to announce their resignation. The opposition members are leaving the Legislative Council in protest after Beijing on Wednesday authorized the Hong Kong government to disqualify and remove four pro-democracy legislators who were already barred from reelection.

A canceled free-speech class

Free Speech | Hong Kong’s censuring of a teacher proves ominous for the city’s education sector

Erica Kwong | 10/30/20, 02:03 pm

A teacher at Alliance Primary School, a private Christian school in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Tong district, designed a fifth grade lesson plan about freedom of speech for a class in March 2019.

It didn’t turn out so well.

Hacking Hong Kong’s religious liberties

Religious Liberty | Mysterious hackers disrupt a church talk on politics, raising concerns about internet surveillance

Erica Kwong | 9/18/20, 02:17 pm

On Aug. 30, Hong Kong’s Church of Christ in China (CCC) Tuen Mun Church hosted the third in a series of talks on the history of church-state relations in mainland China over the videoconferencing platform Google Meet. About 50 church members joined the call, which included a lecture by a seminary professor and a Q&A session.

Early in the call, organizers received requests from users named “Chinese National Security Bureau Hong Kong Branch,” “Chinese National Security,” and “Shenzhengovernment.”

For Hong Kong, democracy deferred

Hong Kong | In the latest blow to independence, the government postpones legislative election for a year

Erica Kwong | 8/17/20, 08:20 pm

Despite the summer heat, pandemic warnings, and government threats, more than 600,000 Hong Kongers headed to polling stations last month for the pro-democracy camp’s primaries. The unofficial poll selected the opposition candidates who would run in the Sept. 6 Legislative Council (LegCo) elections. Organizers cheered the unexpectedly large turnout, calling it a referendum on a new sweeping national security law.

Remembering Tiananmen

China | In Hong Kong and Taiwan, people gathered to remember the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre

June Cheng & Erica Kwong | 6/04/20, 02:48 pm

Despite a ban on Hong Kong’s annual vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, thousands of demonstrators streamed into Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to mark the anniversary Thursday. Separate groups also gathered in neighborhoods around the city, in churches, and outside metro stations.

Rather than extinguish the memory of the Chinese government’s crackdown on peaceful democracy protesters 31 years ago, the ban only seemed to provide more reason to remember.

Government renews crackdowns in Hong Kong

Hong Kong | Mass arrests of prominent pro-democracy figures signal China’s resumed pressure

Erica Kwong | 4/28/20, 11:03 am

With global attention focused on the coronavirus pandemic, Hong Kong authorities arrested 15 veteran pro-democracy figures April 18 for their involvement in last year’s protest movement.

Among those arrested is the founder of the Democratic Party, 81-year-old Martin Lee. Freshly released on bail, the “father of democracy” told media that after seeing so many young people arrested and prosecuted for protests, “I feel proud to finally be able to join the outstanding youth of Hong Kong to continue our path of democracy.”

Threats by text

Persecution | Harassing text messages attempt to deter Hong Kong Christians’ engagement in the pro-democracy movement

Erica Kwong | 1/02/20, 04:35 pm

Last August, the night after 26-year-old seminarian Samuel Chau spoke at a large Christian rally on how believers should respond to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests, a stranger sent him a message on WhatsApp. The text was filled with profanities, accusations, and threats.

The sender warned Chau against participating in any more prayer meetings and condemned him to hell. When Chau asked if the stranger had contacted the right person, he responded with Chau’s full name and the name of his seminary. (WORLD has given Chau a pseudonym due to the threats against him.)

Timeline: The Hong Kong protests

Hong Kong | Police violence, protester vandalism, and a new anthem for a free Hong Kong in ongoing pro-democracy demonstrations

Erica Kwong | 9/19/19, 08:28 pm

WORLD first published this timeline on Aug. 30 and has periodically updated it as events develop. For the newest entries, please see the bottom of the page.

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