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American Military News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Hong Kong grows more opaque on arrests in national security cases
This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. Hong Kong authorities are declining to provide details of six recent arrests under a national security law, fueling growing concerns about government transparency as it tightens controls on dissent. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said Tuesday that since the promulgation of the National Security Law in 2020, 332 individuals have been arrested. That was an increase of six arrests since Secretary for Security Chris Tang stated on June 1 that 326 people had been arrested under the law, with 165 convictions. When local media asked about the new arrests, the Security Bureau said detailed breakdowns of arrest figures are 'classified information related to safeguarding national security in the HKSAR and thus will not be made public.' HKSAR stands for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Political commentator Sampson Wong said that in the past the Hong Kong government rarely used national security as a reason to withhold information, and now the public's basic right to know was being damaged. 'At this point, reporters can still detect some of these arrests, but how long will that last? In the future, will people be arrested without anyone knowing?' Wong asked. 'Anything could be labelled a breach of confidentiality. If this continues, the truth will be completely under the control of national security authorities,' he said. The National Security Law was adopted after massive pro-democracy protests in 2019 as Beijing tightened controls over Hong Kong, which had enjoyed greater civic freedoms than mainland China and greater government transparency, including by police. China maintains the 2020 law was required to maintain order. Last month, the Hong Kong government bypassed Legislative Council procedures and unilaterally enacted two new subsidiary laws under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which significantly expanded the powers of Beijing's office overseeing national security in the city. Under the measures, it is prohibited to disclose or film the office's operations; civil servants must cooperate with and support national security operations; and any act that obstructs national security officers from performing their duties is criminalized. While it remains unclear which six arrests happened in the past two weeks, on June 2, the National Security Department arrested one man and four women for allegedly conspiring to commit terrorist activities. The suspects had reportedly used phones, emails, and messaging apps to send messages threatening to bomb central government offices and a sports park, while also promoting pro-independence messages for Taiwan and Hong Kong. On June 6, prominent democracy advocate Joshua Wong, who is already serving a four-year-and-eight-month sentence for subversion, was formally arrested on an additional charge of 'conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.' Last week, authorities also launched a national security investigation into six unnamed persons on suspicion of 'colluding with a foreign country.' But the Security Bureau clarified that no arrests had been made as yet related to that probe.
South China Morning Post
14 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong considers easing construction rules to tackle student hostel shortage
Hong Kong authorities are considering relaxing regulations for constructing university student hostels in commercial and non-residential areas to address a shortage of student accommodation. This proposal has garnered support from private operators, who now face specific requirements when converting hotels into hostels. The Development Bureau told the South China Morning Post it was considering scrapping or simplifying building procedures required for student hostels on commercial and non-residential sites. 'We are considering allowing student hostels in commercial and more non-residential zonings [to proceed] without the need for planning approval or, even if planning approval is required, only a simple planning procedure will be required,' the spokesman said. The bureau said it aimed to encourage the conversion of hotels and other commercial buildings into student hostels on a self-financing and privately funded basis. In his annual policy address last October, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the government aimed to develop a 'studying in Hong Kong' brand to help turn the city into an international hub for post-secondary education. But the initiative has faced hurdles resulting from a shortage of student accommodation. Hong Kong's student housing crisis leaves non-locals desperate for flats Figures from the Education Bureau showed that the city's eight publicly funded universities had about 103,400 students in the 2024-25 academic year. The tally included about 76,900 Hongkongers and around 26,500 non-locals in full-time undergraduate and postgraduate research programmes, but excluded about 1,210 in taught postgraduate courses. But the tertiary education institutions only offered about 40,600 dormitory places, according to government figures. In an effort to find accommodation, some students were opting to cram into small flats with their peers to cut costs or even live across the border and commute to classes. The bureau said a pilot scheme would be launched soon to encourage the market to convert more hotels and commercial buildings into student dormitories. Former industrial buildings in non-industrial areas that had been wholesale converted into commercial buildings were intended to be part of the pilot scheme. The government would also identify suitable sites for the private sector to build new hostels, it added. According to property consultancy Knight Frank, the city had 10 private student hostels in Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island as of last year, with about 3,000 beds set aside for those studying at five of the city's universities. Property services company Centaline Investment recently bought and turned a Tsim Sha Tsui hotel near Polytechnic University into a student hostel to capitalise on demand. 'The proposal from the government is a step in the right direction,' company CEO Kavis Ip Ming-wai said, adding that the move could speed up her industry's development. Centaline Investment, a property services company, recently purchased a hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui and transformed it into a student hostel to meet the rising demand. Photo: SCMP She said that some hotel owners were discussing the possibility of converting their venues into student dormitories, while some international industry stakeholders were watching the Hong Kong market and were interested in getting involved. Ip said she believed that if authorities relaxed the rules, it could create momentum and international buzz for the student hostel industry. 'It is just like injecting a booster shot,' she said. She also expressed hopes that authorities could allow non-residential flats to be turned into student hostels without needing hotel licences, which would make the process easier. Another student hostel operator, Lionrock Property, which earlier renovated two residential buildings into dormitories offering about 100 spaces in total, also welcomed the move. But the company encouraged authorities to create a policy road map that involved important stakeholders, including private operators, universities and the relevant government departments. 'The development of student hostels requires long-term planning rather than individual efforts by different parties,' founder and CEO Addie Chan said. She also warned that most industrial buildings in the city were not suitable for conversion into dormitories, as most did not meet students' needs, such as sufficient sunlight. Lawmaker Andrew Lam Siu-lo said even if the government relaxed the rules now, it would take three to four years before the city could address the shortage of student hostels. The Legislative Council is expected to discuss the issue next week.
HKFP
21 hours ago
- Business
- HKFP
Hong Kong proposes registration of subdivided flats from March 2026 to phase out ‘substandard' living spaces
Hong Kong has proposed registering subdivided flats as part of its 'basic housing units' scheme from March 2026, as it seeks to phase out 'substandard' living spaces that fail to meet government-set minimum living standards. The government said on Thursday it aimed to see the bill for setting up the regulatory scheme pass the Legislative Council (LegCo) within this year, according to a document submitted to LegCo. Hong Kong has about 110,000 subdivided units that house about 220,000 residents, authorities estimate. NGOs have long called attention to the cramped living spaces and poor fire safety standards in some subdivided units. During last year's policy address, Chief Executive John Lee introduced the basic housing units framework to phase out below-standard subdivided units. Under the framework, a subdivided unit must be registered with the government and have undergone the necessary fixes to be recognised as a basic housing unit, before it can be rented out legally. 'Subject to the progress of the legislative exercise and relevant preparatory work, the registration system will commence in March 2026,' the document read. 'The period for making applications for registration… will be set as 12 months which is in line with the public expectation to urge the market to improve the living conditions of [subdivided units] as soon as possible,' the document continued. HK$3,000 application fee After registering their subdivided flats, landlords have a three-year grace period to complete the necessary fixes as part of the government's requirements. Then, they must apply for the recognition of their properties as basic housing units. Each new application is proposed to cost HK$3,000, according to the government. The recognition will be valid for five years. But to encourage landlords to improve the quality of their subdivided flats sooner rather than later, the authorities plan to waive the fee for the first two-and-a-half-year period after March 2026, the government suggested. In the following six months after that, the government will charge HK$1,500 – half price – for each application. The full HK$3,000 fee will only be charged starting from the scheme's fourth year. A basic housing unit must be at least eight square-metres in size and at least 2.3 metres in height. Besides size conditions, it must also have an independent toilet, among other requirements relating to fire and structural safety. Under the proposal, renting out subdivided units without valid registration and recognition as a basic housing unit will become an offence from March 2027. The maximum penalty will be three years behind bars and a fine of up to HK$300,000, with an extra daily HK$20,000 penalty for the entire duration of the offence. Failure to comply with a rectification notice issued by the government or providing false or misleading information will be punished by up to two years in jail and a fine of up to HK$100,000, with an extra daily HK$10,000 fine for the duration of the offence. If a landlord does not notify the authorities of changes to a basic housing unit that would make it fail to meet the required standards, they could be fined up to HK$25,000, in addition to an extra daily fine of HK$700.
Iraq Business
a day ago
- Business
- Iraq Business
UK-Iraq Solar Energy Partnership Advances with 3,000MW Project
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Electricity, Ziyad Ali Fadhil, met with UK Ambassador Irfan Siddiq and a high-level delegation to discuss British companies' role in implementing solar energy projects and reaffirm Iraq's commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. The delegation included Lara Hampshire, UK Director of Trade in Iraq, and Yasmin Khan, Director of Operations and Energy Trade Adviser. Talks focused on the memorandum of understanding signed last month with the UGT Renewables, a UK-US company, to develop an integrated 3,000MW solar energy project in Iraq. The project includes battery storage systems with a capacity of up to 500MW and the construction of 1,000km of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission lines to enhance grid efficiency and stability. Minister Fadhil emphasised the importance of this initiative for Iraq's national power system and praised the strong collaboration with the UK and reputable international firms. The executing company will also implement a two-year training programme and provide maintenance services using advanced D-EPC methods. Fadhil reaffirmed the government's goal of reducing carbon emissions from the energy sector, targeting 12,000MW of solar capacity by 2030 as part of its broader renewable energy strategy. The British delegation expressed their commitment to deepening the energy partnership with Iraq and contributing technical expertise to support sustainable development in the electricity sector. (Source: Ministry of Electricity)
Iraq Business
a day ago
- Business
- Iraq Business
IBBC Welcomes New Member
By John Lee. The Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) has announced that Baghdad-based conference and business consultancy provider EMAAL has joined as a member. According to a statement from the IBBC, the business is owned and run by Dr Ali Mahjob (pictured), who previously started the Iraq24 TV station, which focuses on business. EMAAL will hold a tax reform conference in Baghdad in August, and a maritime conference focused on Al Faw in October. Dr Mahjob said: "We have known IBBC for a number of years and are delighted to be joining now our group is expanding. IBBC offers EMAAL a platform for business support in Iraq of all types, and IBBC's macro view of the economy and interaction with Government complements our practical granular level approach to private company development." IBBC Managing Director Christophe Michels welcomed EMAAL, adding: "IBBC has known Dr Ali and Iraq24 news channel, which has been very helpful to IBBC, and we look forward to collaborating with EMAAL in their new venture with our members to benefit the wider private sector in Iraq." (Source: IBBC)
