Hong Kong 818 incident
Encyclopedia
The Hong Kong 818 incident (Chinese
:) was a case of alleged civil rights violations that occurred on 18 August 2011 at Hong Kong University during a visit by Li Keqiang
, the Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China
. His arrival at the school led to a lock-down and complete takeover of the school by the Hong Kong Police force. Controversy arose as a result of claims by the media and students that their rights
had been violated.
and Mainland China
. His itinerary included promoting the inclusion of Hong Kong in the Communist party
12th Five Year-Plan to promote financial cooperation. Li said he came to Hong Kong to "run a lot, look a lot and listen a lot" to the local people's concerns. He first visited the Hong Kong Housing Authority
headquarters and a center for the elderly to emphasize the overpriced housing market
and aging population
as the two top issues.
On 18 August, the last day of the three day visit, Li visited Hong Kong University as part of the school's 100th anniversary celebrations. To provide security for the event, the Hong Kong Police, led by Commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung, assumed control of the school and created a core security zone that prevented anyone from approaching Li.
Students involved in the incident:
Samuel Li in particular was dragged off and locked up in a staircase for an hour. According to Johannes Chan
, the Dean of the Faculty of Law at HKU, keeping the students in the zone constituted false imprisonment
and could be the basis for a civil suit against the police.
Samuel Li argued that the school president did not care about the students and demanded an apology. Before the school president Tsui Lap-chee could offer an apology, he stormed out of the room. The Hong Kong Journalists Association
accused the police of hampering media coverage and violated their freedom of expression, as journalists were kept far away from Li Keqiang.
In a statement to the HKU community, president Tsui admitted that the security arrangements could have been better planned and organized, and apologized to the university’s students and alumni for not having been able to prevent the unhappy incident. He assured them that “the University campus belongs to students and teachers, and that it will always remain a place for freedom of expression”.
David Wilson
, one of the two keynote speakers (the other being Li Keqiang) and the second-to-last pre-handover governor of Hong Kong
, was given a seat in the second row. In the introduction, Sir David was referred to only as an alumnus of HKU. The fact that he was both a former governor of Hong Kong and a former chancellor of HKU was not mentioned, perhaps in order not to displease the Chinese guest.
dressed in black and protested outside the police headquarters in Central.
On the night of 26 August, a group of 1000 teachers, students, and regular citizens gathered on the campus's Zhongshan square to protest against the 818 incident and conduct a candlelight vigil. In response, school president Tsui claimed that the liberties and freedom of HKU and its students were not violated and that he would not participate in the rally. The crowd started booing
him and demanded he stepped down. Following the protest at the square, a smaller group of 200 participants marched to the West District Police Station.
About 270 HKU alumni purchased a full-page newspaper advertisement to condemn police security arrangements. The sponsors included former ICAC commissoner
Fanny Law
, Liberal party
vice chairwomen Selina Chow
, former Hospital Authority
HR director Dr Ko Wing-man, and Pro-Beijing camp
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong member Choy So-yuk. Over 1,500 people signed another statement calling for police commissioner Andy Tsang to resign.
aired videos of the incident and claimed that his remarks did not match up to the footage. Legislator Lee Wing-tat called for Tsang's resignation if his claims were proven false.
on 3 September against the action of the police. The protest had 800 people including those who wore V for Vendetta
masks. Many citizens in the march were screaming for police commissioner Andy Tsang to step down. The protest was setup by the post-80s generation. A giant 8 x 20 metre
black cloth was used to cover the front of the police headquarters. This signifies the dark shadow that is being cast and to satirize Tsang's "dark shadow/hand stuck" testimony in Legco.
Further analysis said that the handling of the whole incident is a disappointment to the One country, two systems
. About whether civil rights were violated Henry Tang
said "it was completely rubbish". He has since been criticised about the statement made.
On 17 August, a day prior to the 818 incident, a Laguna City
resident wearing a T-shirt with the Tiananmen square 4 June protest
slogan was carried away by four unidentified men in suits. NOW TV was filming the incident but their camera was blocked by police officers. Legislator Raymond Wong
later threw the same T-shirt at the police commissioner's face during a meeting in the Legislative Council.
Also on 17 August, Leung Kwok-hung
tried to get a demonstration going at the hotel where Li and Donald Tsang were having dinner. Li Dak-wa (李德華), the driver of the protest van was supposed to transport equipment like microphones to the hotel. He was intercepted by the police and then surrounded by 5 to 6 policemen who forced him to do a public full inspection of his car.
Not only were 2000 to 3000 police officers deployed for the visit, but a group of mystery men wearing black suits followed Li Keqiang around to protect him around the city. No HK government official acknowledge the presence of these security agents.
Asia Times Online
argued that the incident had tarnished the image of the school, ranked No 1 in Asia and 21st in the world in 2010-11 according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
.
After the incident the special administrative chiefs Donald Tsang and Fernando Chui met Li Keqiang in Urumqi
for the China-Eurasia Expo
meeting, and HK journalists were no longer allowed near Li anymore.
As an official function of HKU, the centenary ceremony should have been open to all HKU alumni. Yet only pro-Beijing camp members were invited. Missing was Anson Chan
, who served as Chief Secretary both before and after the 1997 handover. Another was Martin Lee
, a pro-democracy advocate. Instead, guests that were invited include real estate tycoon Li Ka-shing, Lee Shau-kee and casino tycoon Stanley Ho
who occupied front row seats. And this is despite Li Keqiang who named HK's unaffordable housing as a key concern a day before his visit.
School president Tsui Lap-chee has since announced his intention to step down from his position, but did not give a reason related to these events.
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
:) was a case of alleged civil rights violations that occurred on 18 August 2011 at Hong Kong University during a visit by Li Keqiang
Li Keqiang
Li Keqiang is the First-ranking Vice-Premier and deputy Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, the seventh ranked member of the Politburo Standing Committee, the People's Republic of China's de facto highest decision-making body...
, the Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China
Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China
The Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China is a high-ranking executive assistant to the Premier. There is a First-ranking Vice Premier , sometimes called Executive Vice Premier wrongly by the non-official media. It is an informal title and takes over duties of the...
. His arrival at the school led to a lock-down and complete takeover of the school by the Hong Kong Police force. Controversy arose as a result of claims by the media and students that their rights
Human rights in Hong Kong
Human rights in Hong Kong occasionally comes under the spotlight of the international community because of its world city status. This is occasionally used as a yardstick by commentators to judge whether the People's Republic of China has kept its end of the bargain of the "One Country, Two...
had been violated.
Li Keqiang Visit
On 16 August 2011 Li Keqiang began a three day visit to promote development between Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
. His itinerary included promoting the inclusion of Hong Kong in the Communist party
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
12th Five Year-Plan to promote financial cooperation. Li said he came to Hong Kong to "run a lot, look a lot and listen a lot" to the local people's concerns. He first visited the Hong Kong Housing Authority
Hong Kong Housing Authority
The Hong Kong Housing Authority is the main provider of public housing in Hong Kong. It was established in 1973 under the Housing Ordinance and is an agency of the Government of Hong Kong...
headquarters and a center for the elderly to emphasize the overpriced housing market
Housing in Hong Kong
Housing in Hong Kong varies by location and income.Almost 7 million people live on about 1,108 km² of space in Hong Kong.-Housing statistics:...
and aging population
Demographics of Hong Kong
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Hong Kong, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
as the two top issues.
On 18 August, the last day of the three day visit, Li visited Hong Kong University as part of the school's 100th anniversary celebrations. To provide security for the event, the Hong Kong Police, led by Commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung, assumed control of the school and created a core security zone that prevented anyone from approaching Li.
School lockdown
Despite Li's earlier claims of his desire to listen to the local people, the school was placed into lockdown by the police. Students and alumni were kept far away during his visit. Three students who attempted to approach Li were blocked by police and thrown to the ground. :Students involved in the incident:
- Wong Kai-yum , of Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong Kong Polytechnic UniversityThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University specialises in professional education in Hong Kong. The University’s teaching units are grouped under six faculties and two schools; the Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles, Faculty of Business, Faculty of Construction and Environment, Faculty of...
- Tang Kin-wa , of Lingnan UniversityLingnan University (Hong Kong)The Lingnan University is a public liberal arts university in Hong Kong. It was granted full university status on 30 July 1999.The Lingnan University administration believes that it provides students with a quality education distinguished by the best liberal arts tradition from both East and West...
- Samuel Li Shing-hong of Hong Kong University
Samuel Li in particular was dragged off and locked up in a staircase for an hour. According to Johannes Chan
Johannes Chan
Johannes Chan Man-mun , SC is the Dean of the Faculty of Law for the University of Hong Kong. He is a practising barrister-at-law who specializes in human rights, constitutional and administrative law...
, the Dean of the Faculty of Law at HKU, keeping the students in the zone constituted false imprisonment
False imprisonment
False imprisonment is a restraint of a person in a bounded area without justification or consent. False imprisonment is a common-law felony and a tort. It applies to private as well as governmental detention...
and could be the basis for a civil suit against the police.
Samuel Li argued that the school president did not care about the students and demanded an apology. Before the school president Tsui Lap-chee could offer an apology, he stormed out of the room. The Hong Kong Journalists Association
Hong Kong Journalists Association
The Hong Kong Journalists Association was established in 1968 for practising journalists in Hong Kong "to enhance press freedom and the integrity of news coverage"...
accused the police of hampering media coverage and violated their freedom of expression, as journalists were kept far away from Li Keqiang.
In a statement to the HKU community, president Tsui admitted that the security arrangements could have been better planned and organized, and apologized to the university’s students and alumni for not having been able to prevent the unhappy incident. He assured them that “the University campus belongs to students and teachers, and that it will always remain a place for freedom of expression”.
The ceremony
At the Aug. 18th ceremony, Li Keqiang was seated in the Chancellor's chair, a symbol of the highest authority in the university.David Wilson
David Wilson, Baron Wilson of Tillyorn
David Clive Wilson, Baron Wilson of Tillyorn, is a retired British administrator, diplomat and Sinologist. Lord Wilson of Tillyorn was the penultimate Commander-in-Chief and 27th Governor of Hong Kong...
, one of the two keynote speakers (the other being Li Keqiang) and the second-to-last pre-handover governor of Hong Kong
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...
, was given a seat in the second row. In the introduction, Sir David was referred to only as an alumnus of HKU. The fact that he was both a former governor of Hong Kong and a former chancellor of HKU was not mentioned, perhaps in order not to displease the Chinese guest.
August protests
About 48 hours after Li Keqiang's departure, 300 members of the Hong Kong Journalists AssociationHong Kong Journalists Association
The Hong Kong Journalists Association was established in 1968 for practising journalists in Hong Kong "to enhance press freedom and the integrity of news coverage"...
dressed in black and protested outside the police headquarters in Central.
On the night of 26 August, a group of 1000 teachers, students, and regular citizens gathered on the campus's Zhongshan square to protest against the 818 incident and conduct a candlelight vigil. In response, school president Tsui claimed that the liberties and freedom of HKU and its students were not violated and that he would not participate in the rally. The crowd started booing
Booing
Booing is an act of showing displeasure for someone or something, generally an entertainer, by loudly yelling boo! or making other noises of disparagement, such as hissing. People may make hand signs at the entertainer, such as the thumbs down sign...
him and demanded he stepped down. Following the protest at the square, a smaller group of 200 participants marched to the West District Police Station.
About 270 HKU alumni purchased a full-page newspaper advertisement to condemn police security arrangements. The sponsors included former ICAC commissoner
Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption
The Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption is responsible to monitor corruption and moral standards for public and private realm in Hong Kong...
Fanny Law
Fanny Law
Fanny Law , GBS, JP, was a high-ranking civil servant in Hong Kong. She held the posts of Secretary for Education and Manpower , Permanent Secretary for Education and Manpower...
, Liberal party
Liberal Party (Hong Kong)
Liberal Party is a business-friendly liberal conservative political party in Hong Kong.-Party beliefs:The party is known for its conservative and business-friendly policies. Despite being a political party friendly with Beijing, it fits in the centre-right political spectrum...
vice chairwomen Selina Chow
Selina Chow
Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee, GBS OBE JP was a member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong and the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. She was the former vice-chairman of the Liberal Party . She is also well-known in Hong Kong for her career in broadcasting.An alumnus of St...
, former Hospital Authority
Hospital Authority
The Hospital Authority is a statutory body managing all the public hospitals and institutes in Hong Kong. It is managed by the Hospital Authority Board and is under the monitor of the Secretary for Food and Health of the Hong Kong Government. Its chairman is Mr...
HR director Dr Ko Wing-man, and Pro-Beijing camp
Pro-Beijing Camp
The Pro-Beijing Camp, pro-Establishment Camp, pan-Establishment Camp is a segment of Hong Kong society that supports the policies and views of the People's Republic of China before and after the handover of Hong Kong in 1997.It is also nicknamed the royalists or loyalists.The term can be used to...
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong member Choy So-yuk. Over 1,500 people signed another statement calling for police commissioner Andy Tsang to resign.
Police testimony
During a meeting on 29 August, Andy Tsang said the students refused to leave, lingering in the staircase, and directed profanities at the officers. As to the camera blocking incident on 17 August, Tsang said the police officer saw a "dark shadow" carrying a "black object" and the officer "instinctively" used his hands to block the object. According to Tsang, the officer's hand got "stuck" in the object, and he did not set out to block the camera deliberately. Now TVNow TV
Now TV is a 24-hour pay-TV service provider in Hong Kong.It is transmitted through the company's Netvigator broadband network via an IPTV service...
aired videos of the incident and claimed that his remarks did not match up to the footage. Legislator Lee Wing-tat called for Tsang's resignation if his claims were proven false.
3 September protest
A march was held from Wan ChaiWan Chai
Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often called...
on 3 September against the action of the police. The protest had 800 people including those who wore V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta is a ten-issue comic book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated mostly by David Lloyd, set in a dystopian future United Kingdom imagined from the 1980s to about the 1990s. A mysterious masked revolutionary who calls himself "V" works to destroy the totalitarian government,...
masks. Many citizens in the march were screaming for police commissioner Andy Tsang to step down. The protest was setup by the post-80s generation. A giant 8 x 20 metre
Metre
The metre , symbol m, is the base unit of length in the International System of Units . Originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole , its definition has been periodically refined to reflect growing knowledge of metrology...
black cloth was used to cover the front of the police headquarters. This signifies the dark shadow that is being cast and to satirize Tsang's "dark shadow/hand stuck" testimony in Legco.
Further analysis said that the handling of the whole incident is a disappointment to the One country, two systems
One country, two systems
"One country, two systems" is an idea originally proposed by Deng Xiaoping, then Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China , for the reunification of China during the early 1980s...
. About whether civil rights were violated Henry Tang
Henry Tang
Henry Tang Ying-yen, GBM, GBS, JP was the Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong until his resignation in September 2011. He is a candidate in the Hong Kong Chief Executive election of 2012, and believed to be preferred by Beijing....
said "it was completely rubbish". He has since been criticised about the statement made.
Other issues
Confusion arose initially as to whether the school had invited Li Keqiang to its campus or if he had invited himself. School president Tsui Lap-chee later admitted in a public statement that he himself had invited Li.On 17 August, a day prior to the 818 incident, a Laguna City
Laguna City
Laguna City was one of the earliest large-scale private-housing estates built in Lam Tin, Kwun Tong District, in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was developed jointly by Cheung Kong and Hutchison Whampoa Property and completed in the early 1990s....
resident wearing a T-shirt with the Tiananmen square 4 June protest
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
slogan was carried away by four unidentified men in suits. NOW TV was filming the incident but their camera was blocked by police officers. Legislator Raymond Wong
Raymond Wong
-Politicians:*Raymond Wong , radio host, political commentator, and a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong*Raymond Wong , current Permanent Secretary for Education and Manpower of Hong Kong-Cultural figures:...
later threw the same T-shirt at the police commissioner's face during a meeting in the Legislative Council.
Also on 17 August, Leung Kwok-hung
Leung Kwok-hung
Leung Kwok-hung , also known as Long Hair , is a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong , a founding member of the League of Social Democrats and a democratic political activist.-Biography:Leung is a self-proclaimed Trotskyist and a member of April Fifth Action, a radical socialist...
tried to get a demonstration going at the hotel where Li and Donald Tsang were having dinner. Li Dak-wa (李德華), the driver of the protest van was supposed to transport equipment like microphones to the hotel. He was intercepted by the police and then surrounded by 5 to 6 policemen who forced him to do a public full inspection of his car.
Not only were 2000 to 3000 police officers deployed for the visit, but a group of mystery men wearing black suits followed Li Keqiang around to protect him around the city. No HK government official acknowledge the presence of these security agents.
Asia Times Online
Asia Times Online
Asia Times Online is a bilingual English‒Chinese, Internet-based newspaper covering geopolitics, politics, economics and business "from an Asian perspective"...
argued that the incident had tarnished the image of the school, ranked No 1 in Asia and 21st in the world in 2010-11 according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information...
.
After the incident the special administrative chiefs Donald Tsang and Fernando Chui met Li Keqiang in Urumqi
Ürümqi
Ürümqi , formerly Tihwa , is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country....
for the China-Eurasia Expo
China-Eurasia Expo
The China-Eurasia Expo is an exposition for commercial, cultural and ministerial activities among Asian and European countries.-History:...
meeting, and HK journalists were no longer allowed near Li anymore.
As an official function of HKU, the centenary ceremony should have been open to all HKU alumni. Yet only pro-Beijing camp members were invited. Missing was Anson Chan
Anson Chan
Anson Maria Elizabeth Chan Fang On-sang GBM GCMG CBE JP was a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong for Hong Kong Island, succeeding the late legislator Ma Lik....
, who served as Chief Secretary both before and after the 1997 handover. Another was Martin Lee
Martin Lee
Martin Lee , QC, SC, JP, was the founding chairman of the Democratic Party in Hong Kong. He was a directly-elected Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Island geographical constituency...
, a pro-democracy advocate. Instead, guests that were invited include real estate tycoon Li Ka-shing, Lee Shau-kee and casino tycoon Stanley Ho
Stanley Ho
Stanley Ho, GBM, GLM, GBS, GML, OBE , also known as Ho Hung Sun, Stanley Ho Hung Sun, is an entrepreneur in Hong Kong and Macau. Ho is sometimes nicknamed "The King of Gambling", reflecting the government-granted monopoly he held of the Macau gambling industry for 40 years...
who occupied front row seats. And this is despite Li Keqiang who named HK's unaffordable housing as a key concern a day before his visit.
School president Tsui Lap-chee has since announced his intention to step down from his position, but did not give a reason related to these events.