Hong Kong media: Cambodia-Myanmar scam group targets English-language "piggy" and recruits Singaporeans as "butchers"
Image : Promoting anti-fraud at Taoyuan airport. (Photo: Central News Agency)
Due to the increased vigilance of the Chinese, Southeast Asian telecom fraud groups also have a trend of "internationalization", extending their claws to the English-speaking people. According to people familiar with the matter, the Piglet Group began recruiting English-speaking people to be "butchers" from places such as Singapore and even Australia this year.
According to "HK 01" report, M (pseudonym), the head of GASO in Myanmar, pointed out that the market for Chinese-speaking Chinese and Chinese to defraud is almost "dead".
M, who was a victim of telecommunications fraud, said: "Many Chinese in the United States and Canada are already aware of the methods of telecommunications fraud. Not one of the 1,000 people contacted by the scammers will be deceived, (so) they turn to explore the international market."
News (6)
"The Chinese market is dead"
In recent years, some telecom fraud groups in mainland China have gradually moved to Southeast Asia under the attack of law enforcement agencies. They are based in local armed-controlled areas in Myanmar, Cambodia and other countries and special economic zones with loose government jurisdiction to engage in fraudulent activities, recruitment or high-paying inducements of Chinese people to commit scams.
M said that nowadays, Chinese people cannot easily leave the country due to epidemic prevention regulations, and border patrols have also been strengthened. The background of the group itself is also varied, and gangs from Southeast Asian countries as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan and other places are involved.
News (7)
Internationalization of scammers
Since the beginning of this year, with the increasing demand for "scam workers" who are familiar with English, the number of people from Hong Kong, Singapore, Africa, India and even relatively remote and impoverished areas in Australia has gradually increased.
"Some men who may like Asian women will talk to him [referring to the scammer]. After two or three months of small talk, they start to say to him, 'Are you interested in investing, I am doing investment, My uncles are brokers of listed companies, so I can give you information."
M pointed out that telecommunications fraud syndicates generally target men over 40 and women over 30 because they have better economic conditions and are less aware of online scams than younger people.
News (8)
Cambodian job scams, many Chinese are also deceived
Image of a street scene in Sihanoukville : Video Screenshot
Recently, many people in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan were lured by scam groups to Cambodia with high salaries, but they were imprisoned and even treated inhumanely. The CCP Embassy in Cambodia took the opportunity to issue a statement of willingness to assist the local Taiwanese, claiming that "protecting the rights and interests of Taiwan compatriots is China's responsibility." Hong Kong media reported that there are many Chinese who were deceived by going to Cambodia to work, and even the victims disclosed how they were abused, but both the CCP official media and the Cambodian government denied it.
Taiwanese people are gullible in false online recruitment advertisements, and they are tricked into going to Cambodia to do illegal work.
Following the speeches of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the CCP Embassy in Cambodia issued a "letter to Taiwan compatriots in Cambodia" on the evening of 20 August0, claiming that "Taiwan compatriots are Chinese citizens. If you have any difficulties, please contact the Chinese embassy." .
On the one hand, the CCP authorities claimed that "protecting the rights and interests of Taiwan compatriots is China's responsibility", and at the same time dispatched 12 military aircraft and 5 warships to disturb Taiwan.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that Cambodia's Westport has become a crime hotbed for fraudulent groups, which is the legacy of the CCP's "One Belt, One Road" policy. So far, citizens of Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries have been victimized. The Chinese embassy in Cambodia took the opportunity to create the illusion that "the Chinese government can effectively provide emergency assistance to Taiwan compatriots overseas", which is like setting fire and calling for help.
Lu Zhengfeng, an associate professor at the Department of International and Mainland Affairs at Kinmen University in Taiwan, said, "When the CCP's embassy encounters such a thing, it will take advantage of Taiwan. Basically, the people of Taiwan also know that helping these trapped people will ensure their personal safety. This kind of disengagement is the top priority. We should not use this method to dwarf Taiwan's international space, or use this opportunity to make people on both sides of the strait feel uncomfortable with their government or with these units stationed abroad. Trust, and even propaganda puts Taiwan at a disadvantage."
Li Yuanhua, a former associate professor at Capital Normal University in Beijing: "Taiwan clearly knows the intentions of the CCP, but the CCP actually doesn't care about its own nationals. During the Russia-Ukraine war, when the Chinese people in Ukraine went to the embassy for help, the embassy didn't care. "
As of the 21st, relevant units in Taiwan have rescued and assisted 72 people who have returned to Taiwan. A total of 25 human trafficking cases have been detected, 75 people have been arrested, and 31 people have been detained. Hong Kong Secretary for Security Tang Bingqiang said on the 20th that he has received 28 cases of Hong Kong people suspected of being lured to Southeast Asian countries for help.
Li Yuanhua said, "Actually, the earliest victims of these criminal groups were people in mainland China. You ask the people in the embassy. He helped people in mainland China, but recently because of the epidemic, after two years, people in mainland China are simply not going abroad. They couldn't get out, so they started to deceive the Chinese in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and some other countries in Southeast Asia."
"HK 01" media reported that many Chinese people who went to Cambodia to work and were deceived were also there, and the victims even disclosed how they were abused. However, both the Chinese Communist Party's official media CCTV and the Cambodian government claimed that it was pure fabrication and denied it. The report said that some Chinese criminals, under the banner of the "Belt and Road" initiative, colluded with the local government in Cambodia to operate fraud, gambling and organ trafficking. Among them, three wanted criminals from China were the most powerful.
Li Yuanhua said, "Those countries have no real production capacity or technology, or even nothing. Some of these gangsters are naturalized, some even received medals in Cambodia, and some are even guests of this country, because their assets are huge, but if you look closely at these people, the three Chinese people who were excavated by the Hong Kong media are all internationally wanted criminals."
Image of Sihanoukville : Researcher's Picture
Lu Zhengfeng said, "Sihanoukville happens to be a new city where China's projects and funds go into the Belt and Road to help Cambodia build. Because of the construction of the Belt and Road, Sihanoukville is driven to do a lot of infrastructure construction. Then there will be a lot of hotels, hotels, and even casinos. Cambodian Hun Sen was actually the first foreign head of state to go to Beijing during the epidemic in 2000 and was received by Xi Jinping."
Cambodia's Sihanoukville is a strategic centre of the CCP's "One Belt, One Road" initiative. A large number of Chinese capital, labor and construction have poured into it. In just a few years, it has become a gathering place for Chinese-funded enterprises and casinos. These organized crime groups with Chinese capital behind them use the "Belt and Road" initiative as a cover to engage in fraud, online gaming, trafficking in human beings for slavery and prostitution, smuggling of exotic animals and animal-derived Chinese medicinal materials, and bleaching of illegal activities in China, profitable black money etc.
News (9)
Experience of torture, Yunnanese strayed into Southeast Asian fraud group exposed
Reporter : Zheng Gusheng / Editor: Xu Gengwen / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/08/22/a103508463.html / Image : On 12 October 2017, the CCP police went to Cambodia to pick up 74 Chinese fraudsters who were repatriated by the country. (Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP via Getty Images)
As the Southeast Asian media focused on the horror and scam parks run by the Chinese, the local police in Yunnan also announced the tragic experience of some locals being deceived into fraud groups, which is creepy.
A 32-year-old man surnamed Deng who was tricked into telecommunication scams in northern Myanmar recounted his horrific experience, police in Jinning District, Kunming, Yunnan Province, recently released a video.
The man said that he originally worked at the construction site, but in September 2019, he was tricked by a friend to Myanmar to work in the so-called "high-paying casino work". Only when he arrived in Myanmar did he discover that the "overseas paradise" described by his friend was actually "hell on earth". At first, he refused to engage in telecommunications scams for the criminal group, but he was asked by the other party to pay off the smuggling fee before leaving, and finally had to compromise.
He mentioned that it is common practice to be detained and beaten in the scam park, and even forced to eat dog food. If he escapes and is caught, he may be beaten to death. After being trapped for 3 months, he escaped while the guards were not paying attention and escaped back to Yunnan smoothly. He has been arrested by the CCP police on suspicion of participating in cybercrime.
He said, "I am very lucky to be able to escape back. Many people want to come back but can't."
Subsequently, the Jinning police released more of the victim's experience. One of the men, surnamed Liu, said that he was introduced to northern Myanmar last August to "make a lot of money" and engaged in telecom scams but because he was illiterate and unable to "work normally," he was often punished and abused. He tried to resist, but was stabbed twice by the group leader, one in the stomach and the other in the intestines.
A 21-year-old man surnamed Zhang said that he was tricked into northern Myanmar by netizens in the name of introducing "high-paying jobs", but he refused to be a liar, and he did not want to implicate his family. As a result, dozens of people watched. His four fingers were chopped off by the thugs of the criminal group.
Official media released photos showing Zhang Nan's crippled left hand and the surgical scar on Liu Nan's abdomen.
Another man surnamed Li revealed that the leader surnamed Yu who took over them made it clear that he came to Myanmar to engage in fraud. There are gunmen in many places on the way to the fraud base. If you look at them twice, they will rush up immediately.
Li Nan said that the leader surnamed Yu asked them to hand over their ID cards, or they would be beaten to death by thugs if they did not. He heard that there was a mountain next to the building where they were detained, and those who were disobedient were thrown to the mountain after being beaten to death. Some people will be thrown into the water prison, which is worse than death.
Recently, because a large number of Taiwanese have been deceived into Myanmar and Cambodia, the local scam parks have become one of the focuses of the Chinese media in Southeast Asia. With the continuous exposure of the terrifying insider stories of the scam park, the government of the Republic of China began to vigorously rescue the deceived Taiwanese. The governments of Hong Kong and Macau have taken action one after another. However, there are very few relevant reports in the CCP media, and the authorities have not taken any public action. They only publicize the so-called "political achievements" of "persuading scammers in Southeast Asia" in the past.
Most of the scam parks in Southeast Asia are run by Chinese people, and most of the people imprisoned in the parks are Chinese, and most of their scam targets are Chinese. These criminal gangs are accused of having various connections with the mainland. They follow the footsteps of the CCP's "One Belt, One Road" initiative and run rampant in Southeast Asian countries with close ties to the CCP.
According to media reports, those who were abducted, sold or lured into the base were either released after demanding a huge ransom, or were forced to engage in telecommunication fraud, or even forced to deceive their relatives and friends into the base. Those who refuse to cooperate or defraud "poor performance" will be tortured and ill-treated. In the end, those who have no use value will be sold to other groups, and eventually forced into prostitution, or have their blood drawn or even have their organs harvested.
Earlier this year, a "China-Cambodia Volunteer Team" rescued a Chinese "blood slave" who risked his life to escape a scam park in Cambodia, which once attracted international media attention. The rescued man had needles all over his legs. He said that he had been resold many times, and was finally kept in captivity for regular blood sampling. He was on the verge of death. He also revealed that some of the detainees were taken away for organ harvesting.
However, Cambodian officials later claimed that the "blood slave" incident was "purely fabricated" in order to "gain the attention of public opinion". The matter is over.
However, according to Taiwanese media sources, the "China-Cambodia Volunteer Team" was organized by some Chinese people to rescue Chinese people detained by fraudulent gangs in Cambodia. After they rescued the above-mentioned "blood slave" men, because the incident became a big issue in the international community, which aroused strong "concern" from the CCP official, the Cambodian government, under pressure from Beijing, instead accused the members of the "China-Cambodia Volunteer Team" of "obstructing justice and harming the friendship between China and Cambodia". The volunteer team was forced to disband and move to underground activities.
According to Taiwanese media "Apple Daily", the Cambodian authorities closely follow the CCP politically, their officialdom is also very corrupt, and they seek economic benefits by sheltering and condoning Chinese criminal gangs.
The CCP has developed a huge nationwide "live harvesting industry chain" through the organ harvesting of a large number of Falun Gong practitioners. Now, the CCP has brought this terrifying crime overseas, spreading continuously along the “Belt and Road”.
News (10)
Xi Jinping Beidaihe Compromise? CCP experts let loose wind and lead to speculation
After the Beidaihe meeting of the Communist Party of China, Li Lanjuan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, made a lot of attention for his remarks about the CCP virus. Some analysts believe that Li Lanjuan's remarks, or some CCP forces behind it, may confirm that Xi Jinping reached a temporary compromise with all parties at the Beidaihe meeting.
Previously, the CCP listed the novel coronavirus pneumonia (covid, COVID-19) as a “Class B infectious disease managed as a Class A”. On 19 August, Li Lanjuan said in a program of CCP media that covid is a Class B infectious disease but is currently managed as a Class A infectious disease.
Li Lanjuan said that how to change from category A management to category B management requires comprehensive analysis and evaluation by experts, combined with comprehensive analysis of the harm of the virus to human health, the future development trend of the virus, and the impact of the virus on human economic life.
On 21 August, current affairs commentator Zhou Xiaohui wrote in The Epoch Times that the subtext of Li Lanjuan's remarks is that SARS-CoV-2 (covi, covid virus, CCP virus) cannot be eliminated, and China should coexist with the virus. On 13 August 2022, when Sun Chunlan went to Hainan to supervise the war against the epidemic, neither the secretary of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee mentioned the need to adhere to the policy of "dynamic clearing", which means that at the Beidaihe meeting, Xi Jinping was very likely to be confronted by the CCP veterans on this issue. Even high-ranking party officials questioned and criticized, so they had to compromise.
The authoritative Li Lanjuan made these remarks at this time to pave the way for Xi Jinping to completely adjust the epidemic prevention policy? Or are senior CCP officials or anti-Xi forces pushing behind the policy?
Zhou Xiaohui said that Li Lanjuan revealed that this remark was not because Xi wanted to adjust the epidemic prevention policy. First of all, Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily Online and other central media of the Communist Party of China did not publish it, and relevant posts on NetEase, Tencent and other websites were deleted on 20 August. This shows that the CCP authorities do not want the public to understand the view that "covid has returned to the management of category B infectious diseases from category A infectious diseases". Because this is very likely to trigger new anger among the people, and once again question the current CCP’s zero-covid policy.
Zhou Xiaohui believes that since it is not the intention of the Central Committee of Xi Jinping, it is very likely that a certain force in the Communist Party of China that denied the "dynamic clearing" policy at the Beidaihe Conference is behind it, hoping to promote the change of the epidemic prevention policy. This also confirms that the temporary compromise reached by Beidaihe's wrestling is very fragile, and the wrestling is still going on.
Recently, epidemics broke out in Tibet, Hainan, Zhejiang Yiwu, Xinjiang and other places, and there are still large-scale closures of cities, closed communities, and large-scale nucleic acid testing, and there is still no sign of giving up "dynamic clearing".
Zhou Xiaohui believes that this shows that even if the chief officials of various places feel the changes in high-level policies, without clear instructions, they still adopt the epidemic prevention policy of being strict rather than loose for the sake of their official positions, which is obviously not beneficial to the recovery of the economy.
On 10 June 2022, Zhong Nanshan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said at the 14th China Bioindustry Conference that it is not advisable to increase the level of prevention and control in order to prevent the epidemic, which will obviously affect economic development.
Since the beginning of this year, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Jiangsu, Guangdong and other provinces and cities with the largest economic contribution have implemented the "dynamic clearing policy" for a long time, resulting in economic shutdown and frequent secondary disasters.
On 15 August 2022, the National Bureau of Statistics of the Communist Party of China released economic data showing that the total retail sales of consumer goods, industry, and fixed asset investment in July were all lower than expected. In addition, the survey unemployment rate for the 16-24-year-old population reached a record high of 19.9%.
In the evening of 16 August, the Chinese Communist Party's official media reported that Li Keqiang hosted a symposium with the principals of the provincial government in Shenzhen. He asked the major economic provinces to "take the lead", asked the 4 coastal provinces (Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong) of the 6 provinces to complete the task of turning over the central finance, and asked the provinces to "live tight".
The Wall Street Journal published an editorial on August 16, arguing that the current state of China's economy is the result of the CCP's high-level policies. Unpredictable and widespread lockdowns continued to sweep across the country under the "dynamic clearing" policy, causing fluctuations in consumer confidence and production activity.
Feng Chongyi, an expert on China issues and a professor at the University of Technology Sydney, told The Epoch Times on 19 August that this year's Beidaihe meeting should be a compromise between Xi Jinping and various factions in the party for his re-election.
Li Linyi, a current affairs commentator, said that from the performance of Xi and Li in Beidaihe, the difference possibility of Xi's compromise and re-election in Beidaihe exists.
News (11)
The CCP's epidemic prevention is upgraded again, and the trains must be managed statically
The CCP has upgraded its epidemic prevention, not only closing the city, but also "closing the train". As the infected people on a train from Lhasa to Beijing spread to 7 provinces and cities, the CCP's railway department announced a few days ago that the train carriages must also be managed statically, and passengers are prohibited from moving freely in the carriages.
On 20 August 2022, China National Railway Group Co., Ltd. announced that, in order to prevent the spread of the epidemic through railways, some trains from areas with severe epidemics will be suspended, trains in epidemic-related areas will be reduced, the sale of tickets in epidemic-related areas will be restricted or suspended, and the load will be controlled based on customer volume.
At the same time, the carriages of trains departing from and passing through the epidemic-related areas are subject to static management, and passengers are prohibited from moving freely in the carriages.
In addition, if a person involved in the epidemic is found during the operation of the train, they will get off the train at the front station or the destination station for abandonment, and the relevant carriages will be locked and isolated, and the relevant crew members will be isolated in a centralized manner.
The above-mentioned epidemic prevention upgrade measures were triggered by the continuous spread of the epidemic on the Z22 train from Lhasa to Beijing West. According to Chinanews.com, up to now, there have been at least 33 positive people found on the train, involving seven provinces and cities including Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, Beijing, Shandong, Gansu and Hunan.
As the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is approaching, the Beijing authorities have begun to tighten epidemic prevention and control. From 19 August 2022 to 10 September 2022, the operating section of the Z22 train was shortened to Lhasa to Xining, and the Xining to Beijing West section was suspended. From 21 August to 12 September, the section from Beijing west to Xining was also suspended.
The train carriages are also subject to static management, causing mainland netizens to question: "Does it mean that you can't join the carriages, what should I do if the toilets in the train carriages are broken?" "What about the people in the trains? I think it's so scary, so narrow and dense. The place."
"Is this a nonsense? Did you forget to make nucleic acid for the train? Otherwise, everyone will get on the train with negative, why would it be positive?"
"The next step is to implement static management of the earth, and don't forget that the air should also be statically controlled!"
News (12) to (18) / Source : The Irrawaddy
News (12)
Chinese mega project in Myanmar not affected by She Zhijiang's arrest
Image of scammer head She Zhijiang : Web Screenshot
The recent arrest of a controversial Chinese businessman by Thai police for running an illegal online casino would not have impact on his mega project and gaming venture in Myanmar, said an official from the company that is operating the project near the Thai border.
She Zhijiang was arrested in Bangkok last week. He is the subject of an international arrest warrant for allegedly running an illegal online casino, Thai police said Saturday.
Chinese and other media reports say the 40-year-old has been on the run from Chinese authorities since 2012. He has had controversial mega projects and gaming ventures in Cambodia and at Shwe Kokko in Myanmar’s Karen state, as well as a lottery venture in the Philippines.
An official from Myanmar Yatai International Co., Ltd, which is developing the Shwe Kokko project, told The Irrawaddy on Monday (23 August 2022) that he had learned about the arrest.
“It won’t have any impact on Shwe Kokko. He may be arrested for his activities in other countries,” he said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Initiated as a new city project near the Thai border in 2017, the US$15-billion project is a collaboration between the BGF—a Myanmar military-backed armed group led by Colonel Chit Thu formerly known as the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA)—and a Hong Kong-registered company, Yatai International Holding Group (IHG). Myanmar Yatai International Co., Ltd is registered in Myanmar as a collaboration between IHG and Chit Lin Myaning, a company run by the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) active in the Shwe Kokko area near Myawaddy Township in Myanmar’s Karen State. She Zhijiang is the chairman of Yatai Group.
However it was halted and investigated by the National League for Democracy (NLD) government in 2019 due to a lack of transparency, land confiscations, confusion over the scale of construction and the growing influx of Chinese money as well as suspected illicit activity involving casino businesses. The Chinese Embassy in Yangon expressed support for Myanmar’s move to investigate the irregularities.
In 2020, however, Yatai IHG’s management continued its gambling operations in the new city, which was only partially finished, in spite of a covid lockdown. That year, both Thai and Chinese citizens were arrested in Mae Sot by Thai border police after entering Thailand illegally. Those arrested confessed to having worked at casinos within Shwe Kokko. Their testimony indicates that both online and traditional casinos are still operating in Karen State.
Colonel Chit Thu told The Irrawaddy on Monday (23 August 2022) that the new city project is currently halted. He could not say exactly how it would be affected by the arrest of She.
“I think he was arrested for what he was involved in before the Shwe Kokko project,” the colonel said.
Image of a hotel in Shwe Kokko: The Irrawaddy
When asked about gambling in the new city, he said Shwe Kokko is not a gambling city.
“We only have a little casino venue,” he said.
Interpol issued a red notice for She in May 2021. He faces criminal charges in China related to running a casino and could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail, AFP reported.
Between January 2018 and February 2021, She — who heads up a “criminal gang” — colluded with others to register companies, and research and develop online gambling platforms, the red notice says.
The notice adds that online gambling websites including Hongshulin, Yigou and Yiyou International were set up and 330,000 gamblers were recruited.
News (13)
NUG demands answers after international NGOs appear to recognize Junta
Myanmar’s civilian National Unity Government (NUG) has asked 12 international organizations to apologize for signing an open letter that appeared to legtimize the junta.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) letter, was also apparently signed by Save the Children, Amnesty International and other organizations, ahead of the United Nations Transforming Education Summit in New York addressed junta chief Min Aung Hlaing as the “Honorable Prime Minister of the Government of Myanmar”.
The letter mentioned the right to education. The regime, however, has killed more than 140 children and carries out raids, attacks and airstrikes on schools and arrests children and uses wanted activists’ children as hostages.
World Vision International, Plan International, World Organization for Early Childhood Education, Malala Fund, KidsRights, Global Campaign for Education, Defense for Children International, Campaña Latinoamericana por el Derecho a la Educación and Avazz also signed the letter.
The letter referred to the junta’s foreign minister Wanna Maung Lwin as “HE minister of foreign affairs” and Kyaw Zeya as “ambassador extraordinary to France and permanent delegate to UNESCO”.
The letter spread on social media on Friday, sparking outrage with comments calling it “backstabbing” and “shameless.” HRW on Saturday tweeted its deep regret for the mistake.
HRW said the letter was unfortunately addressed to Min Aung Hlaing without the input of the New York-based organization’s staff working on Myanmar.
“This administrative error should not be construed to imply in any way that Human Rights Watch recognizes the junta as the legitimate government of Myanmar. Human Rights Watch apologizes for this error and formally withdraws the communication to Min Aung Hlaing,” it stated.
Save the Children and Amnesty International both said they had no knowledge of the letter addressing the junta chief and the junta members.
A NUG statement said: “The joint letter is supremely insulting to Myanmar’s people and damaging to the reputation of the 12 signatories.”
It acknowledged HRW’s apology but said, “this too falls woefully short”.
“The NUG expects the 12 signatory organizations to issue a fuller apology to the people of Myanmar that also recognizes the National Unity Government as the legitimate [government].”
The 12 organizations should urgently determine how the serious mistake occurred and introduce procedures to prevent future errors.
A total of 386 civil society organizations in Myanmar said they were outraged by the “gross mistake” and “misrepresentation” in the joint letter.
“This is an affront to the people of Myanmar who have sacrificed their lives,” the groups said in the open letter.
Min Aung Hlaing is not the “prime minister” and the junta is neither a legitimate government nor does it control several key functions of government, the groups stated.
“They must not be referred to and addressed as the representatives of the state of Myanmar,” the groups said, calling on the 12 organizations to withdraw the letter and make a formal apology.
The groups said the NUG is the only entity that can legitimately represent Myanmar at the UNESCO conference.
News (14)
Myanmar political prisoners on hunger strike beaten and placed in solitary confinement
Political prisoners on hunger strike at Mandalay’s Obo Prison have been beaten and placed in solitary confinement since 3 August 2022, and are being denied medical treatment, said prison sources.
Some 19 political prisoners are currently being held in solitary confinement. Four are anti-regime protesters, including Ko Naung Htet Aung from the Basic Education General Strike Committee, who were placed in solitary confinement on 3 August. Another 15 political prisoners were placed in solitary after 9 August 2022, according to prison sources.
Relatives and colleagues are concerned about the health of Ko Naung Htet Aung, a former chairperson of the Yangon Education University Students Union, who was badly beaten by prison authorities.
A member of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) said, “Ko Naung Htet Aung lost three teeth and was also beaten on his head and shoulders. We have learned that political prisoners including him are being denied medical treatment. So we are working for them to be able to receive medical treatment.”
Ko Naung Htet Aung was sentenced on August 10 to three years in jail by a junta court inside Obo Prison for incitement under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code, said an ABFSU member.
Political prisoners being held at Obo staged a hunger strike from 1 August 2022 in protest at the military regime’s executions of pro-democracy activists Ko Jimmy, Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw, Ko Hla Myo Aung and Ko Aung Thura Zaw. Some 40 anti-junta prisoners joined the hunger strike and on August 3 four of them were placed in solitary confinement.
On 9 August 2022, a prisoner being held for criminal offences seized a care package sent to a political prisoner with the same name. A brawl erupted when political prisoners complained to prison authorities about the incident. Anti-regime protesters were subsequently beaten by a prison official and convicts being held for committing crimes.
As many as 30 political prisoners were beaten and 15 were subsequently placed in solitary confinement.
An ABFSU member said that the prison authorities instigated the brawl between the political prisoners and criminal prisoners, as they needed an excuse to punish the political prisoners on hunger strike.
“Political prisoners are being held with criminal prisoners. Criminal prisoners have taken the care packages sent to political prisoners. When the political prisoners complained, the prison authorities got the criminal prisoners to beat political prisoners. The political prisoners were then placed in solitary confinement. It was a deliberate set-up by the prison authorities,” said the ABFSU member.
The ABFSU said that it supported the political prisoners’ hunger strike as a way of demonstrating opposition to the unfair judicial system.
The anti-regime prisoners on hunger strike are demanding that prisoners on death row be spared, that political prisoners be released as requested by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, that political prisoners be allowed visits by relatives and that restrictions on their rights be lifted.
The ABFSU and student unions have called on the public and anti-regime media to publicize the plight of political prisoners at Obo Prison, as the junta has imposed a news blackout on their ill-treatment.
Some 125 people have been given death sentences by regime courts since last year’s coup, according to the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners.
News (15)
Min Aung Hlaing is worsening fuel crisis
With the country facing serious fuel shortages, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing told a meeting of his regime on Monday to reduce imports of oil and petroleum products, as the country has to spend billions of U.S. Dollars annually on imported fuel.
The junta chief, who has been hit by a financial crisis, called for systematic regulation of oil refineries in Myanmar, hoping that his regime can spend fewer US dollars on fuel imports, as Myanmar is heavily reliant on imported gasoline and diesel.
Min Aung Hlaing visited the site of a disused oil refinery in Yangon’s Thanlyin Township in April last year with plans to revive it to help solve the country’s fuel crisis. But more than one year after the junta chief’s visit to the site, there is still no sign that the refinery will be back in operation in the near future.
At the meeting, however, Min Aung Hlaing did not offer any short-term solutions to the country’s ongoing fuel crisis. Currently, fuel prices have reached a record high of over 2,000 kyats per litre. The crisis looks set to worsen, and prices will only go up further if the regime cuts imports.
News (16)
Junta forms vigilante groups, citing security concerns
Deputy junta chief Soe Win reiterated the regime’s plan to form public security groups to restore order, at a regime meeting on Wednesday (17 August 2022) , in a reflection of how hard the regime has been hit by combat fatalities and desertions.
Over the past 18 months, the regime has been struggling to prop up its administration with war veterans, Pyu Saw Htee militias and police. Now, it is forming so-called public security groups that include Pyu Saw Htee members, war veterans, military informants and junta-appointed administrators.
Such groups are being formed across Myanmar, including in resistance strongholds like Sagaing and Magwe. Apart from financing, the regime also provides military training and arms to them. The fact that the regime is forming such groups in urban wards in Mandalay and Magwe, not just in remote towns, shows its desperation. While daily clashes with resistance forces and ethnic armed organizations inflict casualties on the regime, military informants are also targeted by the resistance forces.
The parallel National Unity Government has warned that it would treat those involved in public security groups as enemy targets.
News (17)
Junta institutes increasingly unpopular
A while ago, the Myanmar military loosened the age limit for those applying to be cadets at its academies, as the number of young people opting to attend the institutes has plunged. Apparently, the move has not been successful. After repeatedly announcing that it would not consider applications received later than 5 August 2022, the military has extended the deadline for applications to 19 August. It extended the deadline twice last year, and has done so twice this year as well. It is not clear if the extended deadline has resulted in any more applications, but it is obvious that the regime was forced to make the move due to a lack of interest.
The junta claimed it extended the deadline at the request of the public. But it is fooling no one. Not many will want to join an institution that is now loathed across the country. And for those that don’t care about that, the very real prospect of being killed may well discourage them.
To make matters worse, Min Aung Hlaing’s soldiers are sacrificing life and limb daily for the sake of their power-hungry boss in clashes with resistance forces and some key ethnic armed organizations including the Karen National Union (KNU). With an army overwhelmed by desertions and fatalities, Min Aung Hlaing’s days ahead will not be as rosy as he expected.
The KNU said in a report earlier this week that junta forces suffered 386 fatalities and hundreds more injuries in clashes in areas under the ethnic armed organization’s control in Karen State, parts of Mon State and Bago Region in July.
To fill the gap, Min Aung Hlaing has been forced to use police, war veterans, ethnic militias and pro-junta thugs known as Pyu Saw Htee. War veterans are paid daily wages and Pyu Saw Htee members are also reportedly paid to fight in battles. Apparently, this is still not enough. The regime has rushed to form so-called public security groups to reboot its administrative mechanism.
News (18)
Junta to export rice and mung beans
As soaring rice prices continue to take a toll on Myanmar people, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing told a meeting of his regime on Wednesday (17 August) he plans to export rice and mung beans.
The regime will bear all the costs to grow paddy and mung beans, and farmers will receive reasonable pay, said Min Aung Hlaing, without further explaining how much exactly farmers will earn for their elbow grease.
Obviously, his plan is not intended to boost domestic food security, but to earn foreign currency.
To make his scheme attractive to growers, Min Aung Hlaing preached the benefits of his plan, saying growers need not worry about the problem of money to buy inputs, and can earn easy money at harvest, which will contribute to their socio-economic life but there could be one disadvantage—growers may get themselves into trouble if they fail to meet the regime’s per acre yield target.
Min Aung Hlaing’s plan reminds Myanmar people of a similar failed scheme of late military dictator Ne Win to grow certain industrial crops. Myanmar’s rice exports plunged as Ne Win’s scheme failed. Min Aung Hlaing is now following in the footsteps of Ne Win.
What’s more, Min Aung Hlaing’s plan is out of touch with reality as many farmers have been displaced by junta raids and arson attacks in Sagaing and Magwe regions, where paddy and mung beans are mainly grown.
Any farmer that plans to make the junta their business partners should be prepared to be charged and imprisoned if they cannot hand over the harvest on time.
News (19)
Legal expert: Search warrant on Trump estate has no legal basis
Reporter : Daphra / Editor : Ye Ziwei / https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/8/23/n13808534.htm / Image : On 9 August 2022, Florida, the United States, former President Donald Trump's residence in Mar-a-Lago was suddenly searched by FBI agents on the 8th. (Giorgio Viera/AFP) Did the FBI have a legitimate reason to search Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence? The judge who issued the search warrant for Mar-a-Lago said last week that he may issue redacted affidavits explaining the reasons for the search. However, legal experts said the search warrant itself showed that the FBI raid had no legal basis.
Legal experts David Rivkin and Lee Casey wrote in The Wall Street Journal that the warrant authorizes the FBI to seize "anything that constitutes evidence, contraband, result of a crime, or other violation of the" 18 U.S.C. 793 (18 U.S.C. 793), 2071, or 1519 documents and records”.
Appeals to three criminal statutes are in federal agencies or courts dealing with the possession and handling of materials that contain national security information, public records, or other matters related to investigations.
18 U.S.C. § 2071(b) (18 U.S.C. 2017(b)) (concealment, removal, or dismemberment), 18 U.S.C. 793 (18 U.S.C. 793) Espionage Act (collection, transmission, or loss) Defense Information), and Title 18 Section 1519 (18 U.S.C. 1519) (Destruction, Alteration or Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations).
The materials confiscated by Trump at Mar-a-Lago included "all government and/or presidential files created between 20 January 2017 and 20 January 2021," meaning all files during Trump's term and almost all materials in Mar-a-Lago may fall into this category.
However, federal law gives Trump access to these materials and records, known as the Presidential Records Act (PRA) of 1978. As stated in Morton v. Mancari in 1974, the Supreme Court has long taken the position that "a particular statute, regardless of the priority of enactment, will not be Controlled or repealed by general statute." That is, as a former US president, Trump's rights under the Presidential Records Act trump the application of any law cited in the FBI arrest warrant.
The Presidential Archives Act dramatically changed the rules governing the ownership and handling of presidential documents.
Outgoing U.S. presidents, from George Washington to Jimmy Carter, treated their White House documents as their personal property, and neither Congress nor the courts challenged it.
The Presidential Archives Act went into effect in 1981 at the beginning of Reagan's presidency. It established a unique statutory program that balances the needs of government, former presidents and the preservation of historical material. This law declares the presidential archives to be public property and stipulates that "the archivist of the United States shall be responsible for the custody, control, preservation, and access to the presidential archives."
The Presidential Archives Act sets out detailed requirements for how archivists manage archives, handle privileged document requests, make archives public, and impose restrictions on access to such materials.
Notably, this law does not address the actual process of handing over the former president's files to the archivist, nor does it set any deadlines, but leaves the archivist and the former president to consult on the matter.
The Presidential Archives Act explicitly guarantees the former president's continued access to his files. These documents must eventually be made public, but at the same time, unlike all other government documents (which are available 24/7 to current executive branch officials), the Presidential Archives Act places restrictions on access to the archives of former presidents, Include a five-year access restriction period that applies to everyone (including the current president, who has not demonstrated a need), and that restriction period can be extended until the dossiers are properly reviewed and processed. The president can impose access restrictions on certain materials for up to 12 years before leaving office.
The only exceptions to this are the National Archives personnel responsible for the material, judicial process, the current president and Congress (where the need is determined), and the former president himself. Section 2205(3) of the Presidential Archives Act expressly states that "Presidential archives of a former president shall be made available to that former president or to the former president's designated representative", regardless of these restrictions.
There is nothing in the Presidential Archives Act to suggest that the archives that former President Trump actually kept on his Mar-a-Lago estate could be considered illegal. The text of the statute makes it clear that Congress considered how certain criminal code provisions would interact with the Presidential Archives Act: it states that archivists may not provide material to a former president's designated representative "if the individual is convicted of Offences related to the review, retention, deletion or destruction of archival records”.
The search warrant says nothing about the former president himself, but applying these general criminal statutes to him based solely on the dossiers he has would undermine the entire carefully balanced statutory program of the Presidential Files Act. So if the Justice Department's only complaint is that Trump has the presidential files he took from the White House, he should be clean, even if some of those files are classified.
The Presidential Archives Act makes no distinction between classified material when it provides the former president with the right to keep records. It was a deliberate choice by Congress because highly classified material existed in the White House as far back as 1978, and the statute specifically takes into account that classified material would exist -- a basis on which the president could impose a 12-year moratorium on public access.
The government clearly has a significant interest in how classified materials are kept, whether they are presidential files or not. In this case, the FBI initially appeared to be satisfied with having the locks added to the relevant Mar-a-Lago storage room. If that wasn't secure enough, and Trump refused to cooperate, the FBI could and should have sought a less intrusive judicial remedy than this search warrant -- a restraining order that would allow material to be transferred to a facility with appropriate storage facilities. place, but also ensure that Trump can continue to visit.
If this had happened to any other former president, the administration would certainly have done it.
News (20) to (21) / Reporter : Zachary Stieber, The Epoch Times PREMIUM
News (20)
Judge orders Trump to provide more evidence to support new motion
A federal judge on 23 August 2022 ordered former President Donald Trump to provide more evidence in his bid to get back the materials seized by the FBI.
Trump filed a motion on Monday asking the court to appoint an independent party to separate privileged items from the collection taken from Mar-a-Lago, to order the government to provide a more detailed inventory list, and to have any items outside the scope of the search warrant returned.
The filing raised concerns about Trump’s constitutional rights being violated and said a special master, typically a retired judge, should be appointed to ensure the government did not receive privileged materials. Because of how the Department of Justice and FBI have treated Trump, the department cannot be trusted to properly handle the items, the filing also says.
“We need an impartial—that means not Republican, not Democrat—impartial special master to go in there, take a look at what they seized, give back to the former president what is rightfully his, things that are clearly declassified, things that are also privileged—attorney-client privilege from when he was in the White House—things that should have never been seized,” Alina Habba, a Trump lawyer, said on Fox News.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, on Tuesday said she received the motion, but that she wanted another filing that elaborated on the case.
“To facilitate appropriate resolution, on or before August 26, 2022, Plaintiff shall file a supplement to the Motion further elaborating on the following: (1) the asserted basis for the exercise of this Court’s jurisdiction, whether legal, equitable/anomalous, or both; (2) the framework applicable to the exercise of such jurisdiction; (3) the precise relief sought, including any request for injunctive relief pending resolution of the Motion; (4) the effect, if any, of the proceeding before Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart; and (5) the status of Plaintiff’s efforts to perfect service on Defendant,” Cannon said in an order.
Reinhart is the judge who approved the warrant on Aug. 5, three days before it was served by FBI agents at Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump’s motion was assigned to Cannon, but Reinhart “is available to handle any or all proceedings in this case,” a clerk notified Trump’s lawyers and U.S. officials. For now, Cannon is handling it.
U.S. officials have not yet answered the motion in court.
“The Aug. 8 search warrant at Mar-a-Lago was authorized by a federal court upon the required finding of probable cause,” a spokesman for the Department of Justice told news outlets in a statement. “The Department is aware of this evening’s motion. The United States will file its response in court.”
News (21)
Letter shows Biden asked National Archives to let FBI access boxes from Mar-a-Lago
The Biden-Harris administration, months before the Mar-a-Lago raid, asked the federal agency in charge of keeping the nation’s records to let the FBI pore over documents from former President Donald Trump’s home, a newly disclosed letter shows.
The White House Counsel’s Office sent the request to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in April, acting Archivist Debra Wall later told Evan Corcoran, a lawyer for Trump.
“On April 11, 2022, the White House Counsel’s Office—affirming a request from the Department of Justice supported by an FBI letterhead memorandum—formally transmitted a request that NARA provide the FBI access to the 15 boxes for its review within seven days, with the possibility that the FBI might request copies of specific documents following its review of the boxes,” Wall said in the letter, which was first published by Just the News. NARA released a copy on 23 August
The boxes were transferred to NARA in mid-January from Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida resort, after months of negotiations, NARA has said. David Ferriero, the archivist until May, previously told a House of Representatives panel that the boxes contained classified documents, although Trump has maintained he declassified the materials and cooperated with NARA.
Among the materials, according to Wall’s letter: over 100 documents, or more than 700 pages, with classification markings, including some with the highest levels of classification.
The Justice Department’s (DOJ) National Security Division informed Corcoran on April 29 that it had opened a criminal investigation, according to the letter, and that it sought access to the materials for the probe.
Access granted, but not immediately
Trump’s lawyers asked for and received an extension of the production date, and NARA did not immediately give the FBI access to the materials. Corcoran, meanwhile, informed Wall that counsel needed more time to review the materials to see whether any were subject to Trump’s executive privilege, and that the letter should be considered “a protective assertion of executive privilege made by counsel for the former President.”
Presented with the claims, Biden deferred to Wall’s determination, the acting archivist said. Wall then asked for the DOJ’s advice. Christopher Schroeder, an assistant attorney general appointed by President
Joe Biden, said that it was unprecedented for a former president to assert executive privilege “against an incumbent President to prevent the latter from obtaining from NARA Presidential records belonging to the Federal Government where ‘such records contain information that is needed for the conduct of current business of the incumbent President’s office and that is not otherwise available,'” Wall said, citing
U.S. code.
The Supreme Court’s decision against Richard Nixon in 1977, when he invoked privilege over certain records “strongly suggests” that Trump couldn’t successfully invoke privilege, Wall added.
She opted to reject Trump’s claim, and said NARA would provide the FBI access to the records starting as soon as May 12—two days after the letter was sent.
NARA declined to comment on the letter.
The DOJ, the White House, and Corcoran did not respond to requests for comment.
The White House has said it was not aware of the raid before it took place.
Trump said on Truth Social that the letter and other newly disclosed documents show the White House had knowledge of the investigation.
The documents “reveal they knew everything, in fact led the charge – a political NO, NO!” he said.
Within three months, the FBI had asked for and received a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago, and raided the residence on 8 August. Agents removed boxes of materials and other items, including
some listed as classified. Unsealed warrant documents
showed the government believes Trump violated several laws, including on related to handling defense materials.
The warrant affidavit
remains sealed, and Trump
has asked for an independent party to be appointed to sift through the seized materials and separate privileged items.
News (22)
U.S. National Archives: More than 700 pages of classified documents found at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate
A few days ago, the FBI searched former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago in Florida and found 11 classified documents, causing Trump’s dissatisfaction , shouted political persecution, but the U.S. National Archives revealed that more than 700 pages of secrets were found in 15 boxes retrieved from Mar-a-Lago in January.
According to comprehensive media reports, a contact at the U.S. National Archives revealed on the 23rd local time that Acting Archivist Debra Steidel Wall wrote to Trump’s lawyer in May, saying that he had retrieved it from Mar-a-Lago at the beginning of the year. More than 700 classified pages were found in 15 boxes, including more than 100 pages of "Top Secret" or "Sensitive Segregated Information" (SCI) documents that can only be viewed in government security facilities.
Debra emphasized in the letter that the Department of Justice's national security department believes that "the way these materials are stored and transported pose a potential risk to national security" and is withdrawn as required by U.S. law; this is the first time since Trump left office The volume and sensitivity of documents hoarded by former presidents are officially counted.
The FBI is investigating whether Trump illegally stored classified state documents at Mar-a-Lago, a search warrant shows that the FBI's investigation believes Trump may be involved in violating three different federal laws, one of which is a violation of the Espionage Act, others are concealment, damage, falsification of records, etc.
News (23)
Choose not to wear a mask in taxis and at Singapore airports
Passengers can choose not to wear masks when taking private transportation such as taxis and at the airports of Singapore.
Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong revealed this at a press conference at the government's inter-departmental anti-epidemic working group. He said taxi drivers could require passengers to wear masks, but this is not regulated by law.
In addition, passengers can choose not to wear masks at the airports of Singapore but if the destination they land at still requires masks, they must also wear masks on the plane.
The Singapore government announced that starting from 29 August 2022, the regulations on wearing masks in indoor places will be relaxed.
The government's inter-departmental anti-epidemic task force said the public can choose not to wear masks, except in closed and more crowded facilities that provide essential services and are used by more vulnerable groups.
Places where masks are required include hospitals, clinics, dialysis centres, day care centres, nursing homes, covid care facilities, testing and vaccination centres, ambulances, vehicles that transport patients, etc.
In addition, the public is also required to wear masks when taking public transportation such as subways, light rail trains, and buses. On private public transportation such as school buses, private buses, taxis, and privately-hailed vehicles, passengers can choose whether to wear masks.
The Food Bureau also stipulates that employees in the catering industry who are responsible for handling food must continue to wear masks and maintain good hygiene habits.
Authorities say wearing masks can effectively reduce the risk of virus transmission. Although the current epidemic situation in Singapore has slowed down, and many places are no longer mandatory to wear masks, the public is still encouraged to fulfill their social responsibilities and remain vigilant, wearing masks on their own when visiting crowded places or visiting groups with weak resistance.
News (24)
About 70% of Singapore's population has been infected with covi, and the re-infection rate will continue to rise
Image of Singaporeans at Starlux Airlines exhibition stand, NATAS Holidays 2022 : Researcher's Picture
According to estimates by the Ministry of Health, about 70% of the local population has been infected with covi (SARS-CoV-2).
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said at a press conference of Singapore government's inter-departmental anti-epidemic working group that this means that once a new wave of epidemics breaks out in Singapore, there will be many cases of re-infection among the confirmed cases. As such, the authorities have been keeping a close eye on data on reinfections, as this will help us predict when the next wave of infections will occur.
The minister said data so far showed that people had a very low chance of being re-infected eight months after contracting the virus, at around 5 per cent, although there was an increasing trend in the proportion of re-infection cases, from his proposal in Parliament to 2% to 3%, increasing to 5.5% this month. It is expected that this ratio will continue to rise.
In addition, the minister said, countries in the northern hemisphere are preparing for a new wave of outbreaks in the winter, when new mutated viruses may emerge. Since this wave of epidemics in Singapore has just subsided, this will provide protection for a possible outbreak at the end of the year. However, Singaporeans still need to be prepared for this, namely implementing safe management measures, ensuring that medical facilities are not overwhelmed, and expanding vaccination coverage.
News (25)
Singapore authorities to ease restrictions on visitor numbers and visiting hours in nursing homes and hospitals
The Ministry of Health will ease restrictions on the number and duration of visitors to nursing homes and hospitals starting on 1 September 2022.
Earlier, the Ministry of Health announced that despite the slowdown in the local coronavirus epidemic, hospitals still need to take care of a large number of covid and non-covid patients. Therefore, the safety management measures for visitors to hospitals and nursing homes have been extended until the 31st of this month.
The Ministry of Health announced today (24th) that as the situation in hospitals and nursing homes has improved, from the 1st of next month, all hospitalized patients can have up to two visitors, and the visiting times set for hospitals has also been changed from half an hour to one hour. Nursing home residents can also have up to two visitors at a time, with visitation time extended from half an hour to an hour.
Authorities encourage visitors to self-test before visiting patients and not to visit if they feel unwell.
In addition, visitors must also wear masks at all times in hospital wards and nursing homes. They are not allowed to eat or drink in wards, nor to use patient-only toilets. Visitors should also avoid sitting on patient beds.
Authorities said that if a hospital or nursing home has a cluster of covi infections, the hospital may suspend visiting activities, increase visitor restrictions or require visitors to undergo a covi test before entering to visit high-risk patients.
News (26)
Unvaccinated arrivals in Singapore will not be required to undergo seven-day home quarantine
Image of a PHPC clinic where PCR tests are carried out : Researcher's Picture
Singapore has further eased border control measures. From 11.59 pm on Sunday (28 August 2022), those who have not been vaccinated against covid do not need to undergo a seven-day home quarantine, nor do they need to undergo a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test that ends home quarantine.
However, the government's inter-departmental anti-epidemic working group held a press conference to announce the adjustment, saying that those who have not been vaccinated must still be tested for covi (SARS-CoV-2) within two days before departure and ensure that the result is negative. Short-term visitors who have not completed their vaccinations are still required to purchase covid travel insurance.
At the same time, long-term document holders and short-term visitors who are 13 years old or older and have not yet completed their vaccinations do not need to apply for an entry permit.
The Ministry of Health also issued a statement reminding that travelers intending to visit Singapore who test covi-positive should delay their travel plans and should not travel by plane or cruise, as they may spread the virus to other passengers and staff. They should only resume travel after testing negative, and at least 72 hours after the first positive test.
The statement also reminds travellers to check the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority website for the latest border control measures before entering Singapore. All passengers entering Singapore by air or sea can submit an electronic health declaration through the SG Arrival Card e-Service within 3 days before arrival.
News (27) to (30) / Reporters : Hannah Ng etal., The Epoch Times PREMIUM / Image of Simon Lee, former columnist of Apple Daily : The Epoch Times
News (27)
CCP uses pandemic propaganda to spread totalitarian ideologies
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime leveraged its propaganda in relation to the covid (also COVID, COVID-19, Covid-19, covid-19, novel coronavirus pneumonia, Wuhan pneumonia, CCP virus pneumonia) pandemic to spread its totalitarian ideologies to the West, according to former Hong Kong Apple Daily columnist Simon Lee.
“When the covid epidemic broke out, China [was] concerned only on one thing—how can they capitalize on this crisis to show the world that China’s system is superior to the rest of the world,” Lee recently told EpochTV’s “American Thought Leaders” program.
Lee singled out how the regime highlighted its capability to build a quarantine hospital in a week, “then they propagandized the achievement as ‘this is the Chinese efficiency.’”
According to Lee, CCP took it a step further by spreading the rhetoric: “We China control the disease from spreading. Your countries, the Western world, should learn from us on how to manage this virus.
"Whenever other countries failed with their lockdown policies, CCP said, 'Look, this is the failure, the weakness of the Western democratic institutions, because you cannot get things done.'"
News (28)
CCP exports totalitarianism
The West had bought the regime’s rhetoric and applied its totalitarian ideologies, Lee opined.
He further pointed to Dr. Anthony Fauci advocating for strict covid epidemic control, saying, “He thought he was defending against the virus but he is introducing an ideological virus of totalitarianism to his nation.”
“Whether people can develop immunity, whether your health care system can cope with the disease, that is a very objective, scientific issue,” Lee said.
In Lee’s opinion, the CCP is still insisting on a zero-covid policy because “they want to tell the world that if you have people dying from the disease, it was because your government is incompetent.”
“The world is not only immune to covid, the world is actually more immune to the crazy idea that you need a strong government to keep people healthy,” he said.
The Epoch Times has reached out to Fauci for comments.
News (29)
Freedom threatens CCP's existence
The regime sees freedom as a threat that needs to be subjected to elimination, according to Lee.
“It is in their nature to destroy everything that represents freedom. They wanted to destroy freedom of their own people and of the people of other nations, consciously [and] intentionally,” Lee said.
Lee further explained why the regime treats both Hong Kong and Taiwan as a threat to its existence.
“Firstly, Hong Kong provided an alternative for Chinese people. Hong Kong shows that Chinese can live in a free society and prosper,” Lee said.
“When Chinese in an authoritarian regime can not prosper, then everyone will ask the question, ‘Why can’t we be more like Hong Kong?’ he added.
According to Lee, the same logic is applied in relation to Taiwan.
In Lee’s opinion, Taiwan shows that Chinese people can have an open, functioning, democratic society and have a civil society that advocates for the people.
“When things are not going right in China, like now with the implosion of the economic real estate bubble … people will ask, ‘Why can’t we be more like Taiwanese, having this certain, humble, but free life?’” Lee said.
CCP “has to eliminate Hong Kong and Taiwan, so that at least they can tell the world that there is only one possibility for Chinese society,” he added.
News (30)
"One Country, Two Systems" is a firewall that protects CCP from changing itself
Lee pointed to the constitutional principle of “One country, two system” describing the governance of Hong Kong after the territory was returned to China. It was formulated in the early 1980s during negotiations over Hong Kong between China and the United Kingdom.
The columnist called the principle as “a firewall protecting the one country and the one system that they have.”
“It is a firewall that protects CCP from changing itself, because most of the time, if you need access to the international financial market, you have to change your rules,” he said.
“CCP successfully transformed China's state-owned sector [and] modernized it without changing the totalitarian culture of the nation. Actually, it becomes even more totalitarian than before,” Lee added.
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