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A28 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 13 June 2020
Hong Kong protest marks anniversary of violent police clash

By ZEN SOO to protest the removal of a
Associated Press music teacher for allegedly
HONG KONG (AP) — Thou- allowing students to sing
sands of people across protest songs.
Hong Kong sang protest On Thursday, three pro-
songs and marched on Fri- democracy activists and
day to mark the one-year a media tycoon who owns
anniversary of a clash with the Apple Daily newspaper,
police outside the semi- Jimmy Lai, were charged
autonomous Chinese city's with "inciting others to par-
legislature. ticipate in an unauthorized
Hundreds of protesters assembly" over a candle-
gathered in the popular light vigil last week marking
Causeway Bay and Mon- Beijing's 1989 crackdown
gkok shopping districts and on protesters in Tiananmen
in the Sha Tin shopping mall Square.
in the New Territories in the Police banned the annu-
evening. In Causeway Bay, al vigil for the first time in
they held signs reading three decades, citing pub-
"Heaven will destroy the lic health concerns over
CCP," referring to the ruling the coronavirus pandem-
Chinese Communist Party. ic. Thousands of people
Riot police stood on stand- turned up anyway.
by as protesters shouted In Beijing on Friday, foreign
slogans and sang the pro- Hong Kong Riot police detain a protester during a protest in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Friday, ministry spokesperson Hua
test anthem "Glory to Hong June 12, 2020. Associated Press Chunying lashed out at the
Kong." In Mongkok and U.K. for issuing a regular six-
Causeway Bay, police ple joined a lunchtime pro- China for trial. Police used cessionist and subversive month report on develop-
raised a blue flag, warning test in a luxury shopping tear gas and rubber bul- behavior in the city, as well ments in Hong Kong.
that the gatherings were mall in the Admiralty busi- lets to disperse the protest- as preventing foreign inter- "Hong Kong affairs are
unlawful and force might ness district. They held flags ers in one of the first violent vention in its internal affairs. China's internal affairs. No
be used to disperse the reading "Hong Kong inde- clashes in what would be- Critics say it is an attack foreign organization or indi-
participants. Groups of pro- pendence" and laid out a come a monthslong push on the freedoms promised vidual has the right to inter-
testers were detained and large banner saying "The for greater democracy. to Hong Kong when it was vene. The British side has no
searched in Mongkok, and people fear not death, why The protest movement qui- handed over to China in sovereignty, governance,
in Causeway Bay police threaten them with it?" eted down earlier this year 1997. supervision or so-called
used pepper spray and ar- The protesters were com- as the coronavirus pan- Hong Kong operates under responsibility over Hong
rested a number of protest- memorating a demonstra- demic began, but picked a "one country, two sys- Kong," Hua said.
ers, including pro-democ- tion last year in which tens up steam in recent weeks tems" framework that gives Hua also defended the
racy lawmaker Ted Hui. of thousands of protesters after China's ceremonial the city rights not found on proposed national secu-
Police said a total of 35 surrounded the legislative parliament agreed to en- the mainland, such as free- rity legislation, saying Britain
people were arrested for a building, delaying the start act a new national security dom of speech and assem- should "face up to reality,
variety of offenses includ- of debate on an extradi- law for Hong Kong, a for- bly. respect China's sovereign-
ing unlawful assembly and tion bill that would have mer British colony. Earlier Friday, more than 100 ty, security and integrity,
possession of weapons. allowed criminal suspects The government says the students in the Kowloon dis- and stop interfering in Hong
Earlier, more than 100 peo- to be sent to mainland law is aimed at curbing se- trict formed a human chain Kong affairs in any way."q

Zimbabwe activists accused of lying about torture, face jail

By FARAI MUTSAKA tern of disappearances bail, asserting that the trio
Associated Press and torture” by govern- would flee with the help of
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) ment agents in the south- foreign embassies before
— Three young opposi- ern African nation. the case is concluded.
tion activists in Zimbabwe The women already faced Magistrate Bianca
who said they had been charges of contravening Makwande said she will
abducted and sexually Zimbabwe’s coronavirus rule on the bail applica-
assaulted faced charges lockdown. On Friday new tion on Monday, mean-
Friday of lying about their charges accused them of ing the women will spend
treatment as the govern- making false statements the weekend in remand
ment claims their allega- to police “alleging that prison.
tions are part of a plot to they had been unlawfully The women’s lawyer,
destabilize the country. detained or kidnapped Alec Muchadehama, de-
The three women face by some unknown people scribed them as “victims
up to 20 years in prison or who claimed to be police who are being turned into
a fine. Their case has be- officers.” The women are villains.” He argued that Zimbabwe opposition activists arrested on accusations of lying
come the latest flashpoint also accused of intending their arrest was an attempt that they were abducted make a court appearance at the
magistrates courts in Harare, Friday,June, 12, 2020.
in Zimbabwe, with a group to incite violence with their to “cover up” the abduc- Associated Press
of United Nations experts statements. tion.
this week speaking out Prosecutor Charles The women alleged their a police station in May af- organizing an anti-govern-
against a “reported pat- Muchemwa opposed abductors took them from ter they were arrested for ment protest.q