Musk's DOGE Cuts Expose the NED's Hong Kong Meddling Machine

Elon Musk's takeover of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after Trump's inauguration has thrown a spotlight on some uncomfortable truths about American "democracy promotion." His proposal to slash funding for institutions like the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has got people asking awkward questions about what exactly constitutes "foreign aid" these days.

Musk's DOGE efficiency drive has put the NED's questionable funding practices under the microscope.

The latest episode of TVB’s Hong Kong's "Safeguarding the Nation with Law 2" series pulls back the curtain on how these US government-funded organizations have been playing the long game – secretly orchestrating "color revolutions" by bankrolling NGOs across the globe, all in the name of toppling regimes Washington doesn't like. And yes, that includes political groups right here in Hong Kong.

The NED's Global Playbook

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already called out the NED in a scathing report, exposing how this outfit uses "democracy" as cover while actually running subversion operations worldwide. Take Ukraine in 2004 – the NED pumped $65 million into opposition groups to fuel the so-called "Orange Revolution." The result? Years of social chaos that devastated ordinary people's lives and wrecked the economy. This is their modus operandi: stir up trouble, then walk away from the mess.

The Foreign Ministry's damning report exposes how the NED uses "democracy promotion" as cover for regime change operations worldwide.

Former Director of Public Prosecutions Ian Grenville Cross doesn't mince words about America's tactics. He points out how the US systematically tries to tear down the pillars of society while showing complete contempt for existing institutions. They target young people with extremist messaging and flood the information space with disinformation – all designed to trigger regime change from within.

Hong Kong in the Crosshairs

The numbers tell the story. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs report, the NED funneled at least $2 million to what they euphemistically call "Hong Kong chaos organizations" in 2020 alone. We're talking about groups like the Civil Human Rights Front and Demosisto – organizations that were previously getting their marching orders (and paychecks) from this Washington-based "foundation."

But here's the kicker: Ian Cross reveals that between 2014 and 2020, this organization – dubbed the "second CIA" for good reason – actually channeled around $170 million to Hong Kong and mainland China to prop up anti-China groups. That's not pocket change; that's serious money for serious interference.

Ian Cross reveals the staggering $170 million the "second CIA" pumped into Hong Kong and mainland China to fuel anti-government activities.

Cutting Off the Money Tap

Since Hong Kong implemented its National Security Law, one of the key achievements has been choking off these funding channels for activities that endanger national security. It's effectively neutered the operations of those orchestrating color revolutions from behind the scenes.

The "Safeguarding the Nation with Law 2" series launched on June 14, broadcasting every Saturday and Sunday at 8 PM on TVB Jade. These punchy 2-minute segments break down the geopolitical threats Hong Kong faces, expose how external forces operate and bully their way around, and show how China confidently responds while the national security laws keep Hong Kong stable and prosperous. The show's also available on TVB News Channel, TVB Plus, myTV SUPER, and social media platforms, with an English version starting June 21 on Pearl TV.

link to the show:

https://news.tvb.com/tc/programme/nationalsecuritylawsafeguardshongkong2/685f8e543ea8b6bc294da5f8/

Ariel

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Jimmy Lai’s latest courtroom moment comes with a blunt reality check: the “solitary confinement” narrative doesn’t look the way overseas headlines sell it. At the West Kowloon Court on Monday (Jan 12), prosecutors say Lai requested the arrangement himself—worried he’d be harassed because his case was so widely reported—and the Correctional Services Department approved it after assessment. Two judges put it in plain language: “This wasn’t imposed on him by others—it was his own request,” and “If he wants, he can stop at any time.”

Prosecutors tell the court Lai’s solitary confinement is his own choice, not something forced on him. AP file photo.

That clashes head-on with what Lai’s children tell foreign media: they describe an elderly father kept alone for more than 1,000 days in a cell “without sunlight,” with summer temperatures hitting 40℃, dramatic weight loss, weakness, discolored nails “falling off,” and rotting teeth—basically a countdown to the end. They also accuse correctional staff of blocking communion for the Catholic Lai, or even cutting off curry sauce once they learned he liked it—small details used to paint a picture of psychological breaking tactics.

In court, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Anthony Chau tells a very different story: solitary confinement starts with Lai’s own application. Chau says that when Lai is remanded in late 2020, he believes his case is splashed everywhere and fears trouble from other inmates, so he applies to the Correctional Services Department. The department’s report, Chau says, finds him suitable—and it reviews the arrangment monthly, asking each time whether Lai wants to continue, with Lai confirming he does.

Chau also stresses that “solitary” doesn’t mean stripped of prisoner rights under the Prison Rules. He says Lai still has social contact—family communication, letters, publications—and can take part in religious activities such as receiving communion, and that Lai has never filed a complaint about these matters. Chau adds that Lai’s daily routine includes reading, outdoor exercise, “meaningful light duty work,” and daily health monitoring.

The courtroom reality check

The defense tries to shift the focus to age and health. Senior counsel Robert Pang tells the court Lai has high blood pressure, diabetes, and eye problems; none are immediately life-threatening, he says, but at 78, solitary confinement hits harder than it would for a younger inmate. Pang frames it starkly: “Every day he spent in prison will bring him that much closer to the end of his life,” and he cites a European Committee for the Prevention of Torture report warning solitary confinement harms prisoners and is treated as punishment in prison systems.

Judge Esther Toh isn't buying the "imposed punishment" framing, and she says so on the spot. She points out that this arrangement wasn't imposed on him by others—it was his own request, then offers a pointed analogy: it's like choosing between sharing a double room with your wife or taking a single room, picking one option, and then calling it "torture." Another judge, Alex Lee, makes the practical point: "It's not an additional punishment imposed on him. He can always end it if he chooses to."

Commentary circulating among observers says those two lines from the bench puncture the overseas media storyline in one go: the claim that Lai is forcibly kept in solitary. The same commentary says Lai’s family and foreign media keep running the “sob story,” while court appearances and medical reports tendered in evidence show his health is broadly fine—and that during remand he even gains weight at one point, with fluctuations that still leave him in an obese BMI range, not the “frail and wasting” picture described abroad.