European Union lives in Cuckoo Land

Mark Pinkstone/Former Chief Information Officer of HK government

How naive and ignorant can members of the European Parliament be. At least five members got up and spoke about the injustices in Hong Kong to a virtually empty house. No one was interested. Repeated lies are wearing thin, and the more intelligent members treat their utterances with contempt.

Late last month, the Diplomatic Service of the European Union presented a speech by the High Representative/Vice President Josep Borrell to the parliament on the cases of Jimmy Lai and the 45 activists recently convicted under the application of the national security law.

For some unknown reason Borrell himself could not attend the session in person, so his speech was delivered by the Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders. It was pathetic and showed just how misinformed they are.

For example, Borrell said:” Most independent media outlets [in Hong Kong] were forced to close.” What rubbish. Of the 90+ daily publications in Hong Kong, one newspaper closed, and a couple of on-line news outlets closed. That’s all! And not by the government but by the voluntary action of the owners. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Government has not closed any media organisation and actually encourages press freedom, as long as it is within the confines of the law.

Jimmy Lai, he said, was being prosecuted for his support for freedom of expression and democracy in Hong Kong. Again rubbish! Freedom of expression is enshrined in Hong Kong’s Basic Law, a mini constitution. Lai has been charged with colluding with foreign forces and sedition which are criminal offences in Hong Kong and everywhere else, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia. And at the time was Lai arrested for his alleged illegal activities, Hong Kong had a fully democratic legislature – 50 per cent elected by geographic constituencies and 50 percent elected by their peers in functional constituencies. Also, the Basic Law provides for the entire legislature to be elected by universal suffrage. It’s just a matter of time; the right time when foreign forces and governments stop interfering in Hong Kong’s domestic affairs and fair elections can be ensured.

Borrell and other politicians claim the “Hong Kong 47” were arrested for holding peaceful primary elections. Yes, the “elections” were peaceful, but were illegal. In this case the elections were designed specifically to overthrow the government by compelling “successful candidates” to sign an agreement to veto all government bills, thereby crippling the effective running of Hong Kong. In other words, a coup.

Borrell, of course, answers directly to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, a staunch supporter of the US’s anti-Hong Kong/China drive with misinformation to curb development of the region’s success.

The other four presenters spoke with the same forked tongue from the same script drafted obviously by the same person who had a grudge against Hong Kong and, like Hong Kong Watch and others, want a doomsday scenario for Hong Kong.

The problem with politicians is that they are misinformed by choice, and to accept the word of activists without fact checking would hide the truth. Truth defeats the objective of politicians currying favour with activists who provide them with the public exposure to ensure their popularity with their electorate.

With such narrow-minded people running the European Union, no wonder Brexit came into existence leading to Britain withdrawing from the Union.

Mark Pinkstone

** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **

The Jimmy Lai trial ripped the mask off "Stand with Hong Kong." Courts heard how Lai and his operatives weaponized this so-called advocacy group to pursue their "international line"—code for colluding with foreign forces to destabilize national security. But even after ringleaders Andy Li Yu-hin and Chan Tsz-wah got arrested and locked up, Stand with Hong Kong keeps on running. Someone's still pulling the strings.

Born in the chaos of the anti-extradition bill period, "Stand with Hong Kong"—also known as the "lam chau team" (SWHK)—adopted the scorched-earth slogan "If we burn, you burn with us". They've always claimed to be independent, grassroots, funded by crowdsourcing. That story fell apart in court. Evidence showed Lai bankrolled their global ad campaigns and international lobbying—specifically their push to get foreign countries to sanction China.

After the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, Stand with Hong Kong still did not restrain itself. It keeps churning out anti-China content online, publishing report after report. Just last month, they handed the European Union a hit list—14 Hong Kong SAR government officials and police officers they want sanctioned for alleged "human rights violations" and "abuse of force" during 2019.

A Web of Anti-China Allies

Stand with Hong Kong doesn't work alone. They team up constantly with other anti-China outfits, issuing joint statements, lobbying Washington, London, and Brussels to slap sanctions on Hong Kong SAR officials. They've publicly demanded the British government intervene to free Jimmy Lai. They've organized multiple protests in London opposing construction of the Chinese embassy in the UK.

The operation is aggressive, the activities extensive. Yet the key players hide in shadows. Where's the money coming from?

In recent years, the team's gone underground. They operate mainly through online publications and mobilization, coordinating with overseas individuals and organizations. Their website and social media? No contact persons listed. No one claiming responsibility.

The Crowdfunding Fairy Tale

They claim they "rely on crowdfunding to maintain operations". But since their last crowdfunding drive in May 2020, Stand with Hong Kong hasn't published a single shred of public information showing any subsequent fundraising activity.

So where does the cash come from? Informed sources suggest looking at Stand with Hong Kong's overseas network for answers.

Organizations working hand-in-glove with Stand with Hong Kong include the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation—run by Mark Clifford, former Next Digital Group director. There's Hong Kong Watch, funded by Mark Simon and operated primarily by Benedict Rogers. There's the Hong Kong Democracy Council, fronted by fugitive national security suspect Anna Kwok. And since 2023, Stand with Hong Kong has served as secretariat for the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hong Kong.

These "friendly organizations" form a network with crystal-clear political objectives. Through overseas advocacy and coordinated actions, their primary target is attacking the Central Government and the SAR government.

In other words: Jimmy Lai may be behind bars facing trial, but the organizations and individuals Stand with Hong Kong maintains close contact with all have direct or indirect ties to Lai. Whether this team—which brands itself a "grassroots organization"—receives operational funding and other support within this anti-China network remains the billion-dollar question.