Selasa, 06 Agustus 2019
China warns Hong Kong protesters not to 'play with fire' - BBC News - BBC News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQfj1Sr1e_8
2019-08-06 09:52:57Z
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China Warns Hong Kong Protesters Not to ‘Take Restraint for Weakness’ - The New York Times
HONG KONG — An official in Beijing on Tuesday issued China’s sternest denunciation yet of the demonstrations in Hong Kong, saying they had “exceeded the scope of free assembly” and warning that the semiautonomous city would not be allowed to descend into chaos.
“I want to warn all the criminals to not wrongly judge the situation and take restraint for weakness,” said Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Chinese government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. He warned against underestimating China’s “firm resolve and strength to safeguard the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.”
But Mr. Yang offered little in the way of concrete measures to resolve the political crisis, calling for more patriotic education and encouraging residents to confront protesters. “We need to stand up to protect our wonderful homeland,” he said.
The comments came a day after protesters in Hong Kong carried out their most widespread civil disobedience in weeks of demonstrations, blocking trains and roads and urging workers to strike. Air travel was also snarled, with more than 200 flights canceled after 2,300 civil aviation workers stayed home, according to an estimate by union officials.
Mr. Yang denounced the tactics of protesters who have surrounded police stations, throwing bricks and lighting fires, as “extreme violence that is shocking to see.”
He said, “The central government will never allow any violent attempt to push Hong Kong into a dangerous situation.”
Image
Protesters gathered at more than a half dozen sites across Hong Kong on Monday, and the police arrested 148 people and fired 800 canisters of tear gas. The tear gas used on Monday alone came close to the 1,000 rounds that the police had used over the previous eight weeks.
Joshua Wong, a leader of the 2014 Umbrella movement and a prominent pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong, said Mr. Yang’s comments were an attempt to scare the people of the city into silence.
“Beijing does not rule Hong Kong by law, they just rule by tear gas,” he said.
The protests this summer began over a proposal that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. The government suspended that legislation in mid-June, but the protests have continued, demanding that the government fully withdraw the bill. The protesters are also angry about other issues, including allegations of police brutality and the stalled expansion of direct elections in Hong Kong.
Protesters who have clashed with the police have argued that more confrontational methods became necessary after the government rejected demands made in earlier, peaceful marches, one of which was joined by as many as two million people.
Mr. Yang also warned protesters to not challenge China’s sovereignty, denouncing those who defaced the Chinese government’s representative office in Hong Kong last month and threw Chinese flags into Victoria Harbor in recent days. He criticized protesters’ use of a slogan from an imprisoned activist who once advocated Hong Kong’s independence: “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times.”
Last week, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office expressed its support for Carrie Lam, the Hong Kong chief executive, and the police, but they offered little new to resolve the political crisis. It was rare for the office to hold a news conference, and even rarer for it to hold another just a week later, an indication of the Chinese leadership’s struggle to respond to the increasingly fraught conflict in Hong Kong.
Mr. Yang reiterated on Tuesday that China backed Mrs. Lam and the police, and he said there should be no leniency in prosecuting violent crimes.
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“These rioters are extremely rampant and deranged,” he said. “A blow from the sword of law is waiting for them in the future.”
Hong Kong, a former British colony, was returned to China in 1997, and it operates under a model called “one country, two systems,” which allows the city to maintain its own political and legal systems and gives residents a far greater degree of civil liberties than is seen in mainland China.
The central government is responsible for Hong Kong’s national defense and foreign relations. But many in Hong Kong fear Beijing is wielding greater influence over the city, slowly eroding its freedoms.
A spokesman for China’s Ministry of National Defense hinted last month that the People’s Liberation Army could be called on to maintain order in Hong Kong. The military has a garrison of 6,000 to 10,000 soldiers in Hong Kong, but local officials have repeatedly denied rumors that they have been preparing to help quell demonstrations.
Last week, the Hong Kong garrison released a video showing its troops training to confront protesters. And images have been released of large groups of mainland police officers holding drills in preparation for the Oct. 1 celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Those images have also fueled unsubstantiated rumors about the possible intervention of Chinese forces.
Asked if he could rule out an intervention by the Chinese military, Mr. Yang said China would “never allow a challenge to the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ to go unpunished and will never allow any turbulence that will threaten national unity.”
Mrs. Lam warned on Monday of a crisis of “security and safety” and said “a series of extremely violent acts” was “pushing Hong Kong into very precarious circumstances.”
A group of protesters met with reporters on Tuesday to challenge the government’s portrayal of them, accusing Mrs. Lam and other top officials of dodging responsibility for the crisis.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/06/world/asia/hong-kong-china-protests.html
2019-08-06 08:01:39Z
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China Warns Hong Kong Protesters Not to ‘Take Restraint for Weakness’ - The New York Times
HONG KONG — An official in Beijing on Tuesday issued China’s sternest denunciation yet of the demonstrations in Hong Kong, saying they had “exceeded the scope of free assembly” and warning that the semiautonomous city would not be allowed to descend into chaos.
“I want to warn all the criminals to not wrongly judge the situation and take restraint for weakness,” said Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Chinese government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. He warned against underestimating China’s “firm resolve and strength to safeguard the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.”
But Mr. Yang offered little in the way of concrete measures to resolve the political crisis, calling for more patriotic education and encouraging residents to confront protesters. “We need to stand up to protect our wonderful homeland,” he said.
The comments came a day after protesters in Hong Kong carried out their most widespread civil disobedience in weeks of demonstrations, blocking trains and roads and urging workers to strike. Air travel was also snarled, with more than 200 flights canceled after 2,300 civil aviation workers stayed home, according to an estimate by union officials.
Image
Mr. Yang denounced the tactics of protesters who have surrounded police stations, throwing bricks and lighting fires, as “extreme violence that is shocking to see.”
He said, “The central government will never allow any violent attempt to push Hong Kong into a dangerous situation.”
Protesters gathered at more than a half dozen sites across Hong Kong on Monday, and the police fired tear gas and arrested more than 80 people. Since early June, the police have fired more than 1,000 rounds of tear gas, more than 10 times the amount used during a 2014 protest movement that shut down major streets for weeks.
The protests this summer began over a proposal that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. The government suspended that legislation in mid-June, but the protests have continued, demanding that the government fully withdraw the bill. The protesters are also angry about other issues, including allegations of police brutality and the stalled expansion of direct elections in Hong Kong.
Protesters who have clashed with the police have argued that more confrontational methods became necessary after the government rejected demands made in earlier, peaceful marches, one of which was joined by as many as two million people.
Image
Last week, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office expressed its support for the Hong Kong government and the police, but they offered little new to resolve the political crisis. It was rare for the office to hold a news conference, and even rarer for it to hold another just a week later, an indication of the Chinese leadership’s struggle to respond to the increasingly fraught conflict in Hong Kong.
A spokesman for China’s Ministry of National Defense hinted last month that the People’s Liberation Army could be called on to maintain order in Hong Kong. The military has a garrison of 6,000 to 10,000 soldiers in Hong Kong, but local officials have repeatedly denied rumors that they have been preparing to help quell demonstrations.
Last week, the Hong Kong garrison released a video showing its troops training to confront protesters. And images have been released of large groups of mainland police officers holding drills in preparation for the Oct. 1 celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Those images have also fueled unsubstantiated rumors about the possible intervention of Chinese forces.
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, warned on Monday of a crisis of “security and safety” and said “a series of extremely violent acts” was “pushing Hong Kong into very precarious circumstances.””
A group of protesters met with reporters on Tuesday to challenge the government’s portrayal of them, accusing Mrs. Lam and other top officials of dodging responsibility for the crisis.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/06/world/asia/hong-kong-china-protests.html
2019-08-06 07:38:02Z
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China calls on U.S. politicians to stop colluding with Hong Kong... - Reuters
Yang Guang (C) and Xu Luying (R) of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council attends a news conference on the current situation in Hong Kong, in Beijing, China, August 6, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee
BEIJING (Reuters) - The Chinese foreign ministry’s commissioner in Hong Kong said on Tuesday the city belongs to China and that it will firmly respond to any action that harms China’s sovereignty.
The foreign ministry’s commissioner, responding to comments by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said U.S. politicians should immediately stop colluding with separatists in the city.
Hong Kong has been hit by weeks of sometimes violent protests that began with opposition to a now-suspended extradition law that would have allowed suspects to be tried in mainland courts. The protests have grown into a broader backlash against the city’s government and its political masters in Beijing.
Reporting by Huizhong Wu; Editing by Paul Tait
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-protests-china-statement/china-calls-on-u-s-politicians-to-stop-colluding-with-hong-kong-separatists-idUSKCN1UW0JX?il=0
2019-08-06 06:47:00Z
52780346194407
Senin, 05 Agustus 2019
'Darkest day': Uproar as India strips Kashmir of special status - Aljazeera.com
The Indian government's decision to abolish a special status for India-administered Kashmir has been widely criticised and opposed, as tensions prevail over the constitutional autonomy of the disputed region.
Monday's announcement sparked chaotic scenes in parliament, with opposition politicians condemning the presidential decree revoking Article 370 of the constitution that gives the state of Jammu and Kashmir a substantial degree of autonomy.
The government led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also moved a bill proposing the Jammu and Kashmir state be divided into two "union territories" directly ruled by New Delhi.
The main opposition Congress party described the decision as a "catastrophic step".
"Shameful that you have turned Jammu and Kashmir into a non-entity," said Ghulam Nabi Azad, a Congress parliamentarian who comes from India-administered Kashmir.
One legislator from Kashmir-based Peoples Democratic Party tore up a copy of the Indian constitution before being reportedly removed from the chambers by parliamentary marshals.
Article 370 of the constitution forbid Indians outside the state from permanently settling, buying land, holding local government jobs and securing education scholarships.
The decree, which was issued hours after imposing a major security clampdown in the disputed region, said the measure came into force "at once".
'Total betrayal of trust'
Political leaders in India-administered Kashmir, including former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah who have been placed under house arrest, also criticised the decision.
"The Indian government's unilateral and shocking decisions today are a total betrayal of trust that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had reposed in India when the state acceded to it in 1947," Abdullah said in a statement.
The decree, which he called an "aggression", will have "far-reaching and dangerous consequences," said Abdullah. "A long and tough battle lies ahead. We are ready for that."
Mufti tweeted that the latest move was the "darkest day in Indian democracy".
"Unilateral decision of GOI [government of India] to scrap Article 370 is illegal and unconstitutional which will make India an occupational force in J&K [Jammu and Kashmir]," she posted.
Today the people of Jammu & Kashmir who reposed their faith in institutions of India like parliament & Supreme Court feel defeated & betrayed. By dismembering the state & fraudulently taking away what is rightfully & legally ours, they have further complicated the Kashmir dispute
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 5, 2019
However, BJP politicians and right-wing allies welcomed the decision and congratulated Modi, who had proposed to abrogate Article 370 in his election campaign.
This is a moment of pride as the NDA. Big congratulations to @PMOIndia @narendramodi ji, Home Minister @AmitShah ji, the Parliament & the Citizens of India. This is exactly why we supported the NDA in Lok Sabha 2019 led by Modi ji. Decision for India and the State of J&K.
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 5, 2019
Protests in Pakistan
The announcement came amid heightened tensions along the Line of Control - the highly militarised defacto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
On Sunday, parts of India-administered Kashmir were placed under lockdown, with some internet and phone services cut off.
Pakistan, which has fought two of its three wars against India over the disputed territory, strongly condemned India's move and vowed to "exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps".
"No unilateral step by the Government of India can change this disputed status, as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council [UNSC] resolutions. Nor will this ever be acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Kashmiri activists staged a demonstration near the Indian embassy in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Monday, holding placards and chanting slogans.
Similar rallies were also staged in other cities, including Hyderabad and Karachi.
"This revocation of these two articles means any Indian citizen will be able to grab land in occupied Kashmir, he can be a citizen of Kashmir," Nabi Baig, a refugee from Kashmir, told the Associated Press news agency.
SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/day-uproar-india-strips-kashmir-special-status-190805095736146.html
2019-08-05 12:26:00Z
52780345910875
India revokes special status for Kashmir. Here's what it means - CNBC
An Indian soldier looks toward the Kashmir valley.
TAUSEEF MUSTAFA | AFP | Getty Images
The Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) is in lockdown after the government revoked a special status granted to the troubled region.
On Monday, Interior Minister Amit Shah told India's parliament that the federal government would scrap Article 370, a constitutional provision that grants special status and allows the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir to make its own laws. The order was subsequently approved by the Indian President.
CNBC takes a look at what this means for Kashmir and for the Muslim-majority state's relationship with India.
What is Article 370?
Article 370 of the Indian constitution carves out a special status to the state of J&K. It also limits the Indian parliament's power to make laws for the state. In effect, the special status, which is described as "temporary" allows the state of Jammu & Kashmir to have its own constitution, its own flag and take decisions except for any matter that is related to defense and foreign affairs. The temporary provision was included in the constitution on 17 October, 1949.
This special status dates back to the end of British rule in India in 1947 when Maharaja Hari Singh of the then colonized state of Jammu & Kashmir signed a Treaty of Accession for the state of J&K to join the Indian side.
Meanwhile, Article 35a, which was added to the constitution in 1954 under Article 370 gives the state of Jammu & Kashmir the right to decide who its permanent residents are. The clause further gives special rights to residents in government jobs, when buying property in the state and for educational scholarships among others.
The state defines its permanent residents as those that are "born or settled within the state before 1911 or after having lawfully acquired immovable property and resident in the state for not less than 10 years before that date."
The law bans non-permanent residents from settling in the state, buying land, and taking government jobs or scholarships.
Why is the Indian government revoking Article 370?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party had pushed for an end to Kashmir's special constitutional status, arguing that such laws had hindered its integration with the rest of India.
India's government wants to strengthen its influence over its only Muslim-majority region.
In the run up to the most recent elections in May this year, Modi's Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) had promised a firm policy action to bring peace in the Jammu & Kashmir region.
"In the last five years, we have made all necessary efforts to ensure peace in Jammu and Kashmir through decisive actions and a firm policy. We are committed to overcoming all obstacles that come in the way of development and providing adequate financial resources to all the regions of the state. We reiterate our position since the time of the Jan Sangh to the abrogation of Article 370," according to the manifesto.
On Monday, Interior Minister Amit Shah introduced the measure in parliament amid massive protests from the opposition as well as regional parties in J&K. Opposition parties have condemned the government's proposal, calling it "undemocratic."
Shah also said the state will be divided into two union territories – Jammu & Kashmir, which will have its own legislature, and Ladakh, which will be ruled directly by the central government and will have no legislature of its own. A union territory is a type of administrative division in India. Unlike the states of India, which have their own governments, union territories are federal territories governed directly by the main government.
What's the situation on the ground?
India has deployed tens of thousands of troops across the Kashmir valley in anticipation of a backlash of the revoke.
Indian authorities banned public movements, shut down schools and colleges indefinitely and put two former chief ministers of J&K — Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti — under house arrest ahead of the announcement.
The two leaders took to Twitter to express their disappointment over the decision and warned of consequences.
Indian media reports suggest that mobile internet services have been suspended in Kashmir Valley and Satellite phones were being used by security officials.
Critics on Twitter have condemned the move, calling it "authoritarianism." Indian-author Ramachandra Guha blamed the government for taking action without a proper debate.
What is Pakistan's response to this?
On Monday, the Pakistan government strongly condemned India for taking "illegal steps" in its decision to revoke special status for Kashmir. This according to Reuters, citing a government statement.
The Pakistan government also warned that it will "exercise all possible options."
"As the party to this international dispute, Pakistan will exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement.
How Kashmir got here?
India and Pakistan's conflict over the mountainous region of Kashmir dates back to 1947 when both countries became independent from British colonial rule.
The entire subcontinent was partitioned into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, which led to a mass displacement as people migrated from one country to the other. Outbreaks of communal and religious violence killed hundreds of thousands of people in the subcontinent during that time.
Jammu and Kashmir was a former princely state where a large number of people were killed and others were driven away by the violence during the partition. Since then, India and Pakistan have fought multiple wars over the region — both countries claim the region in full but control only parts of it. Many have raised concerns over violence and human rights abuses in both India-controlled Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in Pakistan-controlled Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan region.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/05/article-370-what-is-happening-in-kashmir-india-revokes-special-status.html
2019-08-05 10:54:59Z
52780345910875
India revokes special status for Kashmir. Here's what it means - CNBC
An Indian soldier looks toward the Kashmir valley.
TAUSEEF MUSTAFA | AFP | Getty Images
The Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) is in lockdown after the government revoked a special status granted to the troubled region.
On Monday, Interior Minister Amit Shah told India's parliament that the federal government would scrap Article 370, a constitutional provision that grants special status and allows the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir to make its own laws. The order was subsequently approved by the Indian President.
CNBC takes a look at what this means for Kashmir and for the Muslim-majority state's relationship with India.
What is Article 370?
Article 370 of the Indian constitution carves out a special status to the state of J&K. It also limits the Indian parliament's power to make laws for the state. In effect, the special status, which is described as "temporary" allows the state of Jammu & Kashmir to have its own constitution, its own flag and take decisions except for any matter that is related to defense and foreign affairs. The temporary provision was included in the constitution on 17 October, 1949.
This special status dates back to the end of British rule in India in 1947 when Maharaja Hari Singh of the then colonized state of Jammu & Kashmir signed a Treaty of Accession for the state of J&K to join the Indian side.
Meanwhile, Article 35a, which was added to the constitution in 1954 under Article 370 gives the state of Jammu & Kashmir the right to decide who its permanent residents are. The clause further gives special rights to residents in government jobs, when buying property in the state and for educational scholarships among others.
The state defines its permanent residents as those that are "born or settled within the state before 1911 or after having lawfully acquired immovable property and resident in the state for not less than 10 years before that date."
The law bans non-permanent residents from settling in the state, buying land, and taking government jobs or scholarships.
Why is the Indian government revoking Article 370?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party had pushed for an end to Kashmir's special constitutional status, arguing that such laws had hindered its integration with the rest of India.
India's government wants to strengthen its influence over its only Muslim-majority region.
In the run up to the most recent elections in May this year, Modi's Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) had promised a firm policy action to bring peace in the Jammu & Kashmir region.
"In the last five years, we have made all necessary efforts to ensure peace in Jammu and Kashmir through decisive actions and a firm policy. We are committed to overcoming all obstacles that come in the way of development and providing adequate financial resources to all the regions of the state. We reiterate our position since the time of the Jan Sangh to the abrogation of Article 370," according to the manifesto.
On Monday, Interior Minister Amit Shah introduced the measure in parliament amid massive protests from the opposition as well as regional parties in J&K. Opposition parties have condemned the government's proposal, calling it "undemocratic."
Shah also said the state will be divided into two union territories – Jammu & Kashmir, which will have its own legislature, and Ladakh, which will be ruled directly by the central government and will have no legislature of its own. A union territory is a type of administrative division in India. Unlike the states of India, which have their own governments, union territories are federal territories governed directly by the main government.
What's the situation on the ground?
India has deployed tens of thousands of troops across the Kashmir valley in anticipation of a backlash of the revoke.
Indian authorities banned public movements, shut down schools and colleges indefinitely and put two former chief ministers of J&K — Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti — under house arrest ahead of the announcement.
The two leaders took to Twitter to express their disappointment over the decision and warned of consequences.
Indian media reports suggest that mobile internet services have been suspended in Kashmir Valley and Satellite phones were being used by security officials.
Critics on Twitter have condemned the move, calling it "authoritarianism." Indian-author Ramachandra Guha blamed the government for taking action without a proper debate.
What is Pakistan's response to this?
On Monday, the Pakistan government strongly condemned India for taking "illegal steps" in its decision to revoke special status for Kashmir. This according to Reuters, citing a government statement.
The Pakistan government also warned that it will "exercise all possible options."
"As the party to this international dispute, Pakistan will exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement.
How Kashmir got here?
India and Pakistan's conflict over the mountainous region of Kashmir dates back to 1947 when both countries became independent from British colonial rule.
The entire subcontinent was partitioned into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, which led to a mass displacement as people migrated from one country to the other. Outbreaks of communal and religious violence killed hundreds of thousands of people in the subcontinent during that time.
Jammu and Kashmir was a former princely state where a large number of people were killed and others were driven away by the violence during the partition. Since then, India and Pakistan have fought multiple wars over the region — both countries claim the region in full but control only parts
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/05/article-370-what-is-happening-in-kashmir-india-revokes-special-status.html
2019-08-05 10:45:57Z
52780345910875
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