Political situation
Written by: Lin Jian
2020-09-03 07:00
Last update date: 2020-09-03 07:00
The July 21 attack in Yuen Long ushered in a major turning point last week. The Democratic legislator Lin Cheuk Ting, who was injured at the scene that day, along with 12 other people, was arrested and prosecuted by the police on charges of participating in the riot last Wednesday, causing controversy.
"Hong Kong 01" interviewed Liu Junjiang, a former news anchor who was also injured in the MTR station on the same day and later compiled the contents of the verification into a book, to discuss the incident.
Liu Junjiang pointed out that Lin Zhuoting was accused by some people of the "initiator" on July 21. After verification, he was quite sure that it was a fictitious statement. He believed that the arrest was a set of "political scripts", aimed at downplaying the serious violence of the people in white. .
During the interview, he called on the public to continue to tell the truth about the incident on July 21 and not to let the "new truth" created by some people become mainstream.
"Lin Zhuoting's Argument"-Public Opinion Operation Behind 7.21
After 7.21, some people launched a public opinion war on the Internet, claiming that the incident was caused by Lin Cheuk Ting bringing people into Yuen Long to make trouble, but the relevant claims lack evidence.
At that time, some media quoted an online post saying that some demonstrators tried to "recover Yuen Long" on July 21, but in fact there was no demonstration in Yuen Long that night.
However, "Lin Zhuoting's theory of doing things" is still widely circulated in Lanying.
In December last year, during the interview with Senior Superintendent Jiang Yongxiang of the Police Public Relations Branch, he claimed that the incident was "someone brought a group of demonstrators into Yuen Long." He was questioned and echoed the relevant claims. The Commissioner of Police, Deng Bingqiang, was interviewed in March this year. It was pointed out that "there were black-clad mobs hitting someone in the afternoon," and it was also accused of not being true.
In addition, from time to time, groups have initiated petitions claiming that Lin Zhuoting was the "initiator" on July 21, and demanded that the police arrest him as soon as possible.
Fu Jinghua, an associate professor at the Journalism and Media Research Center of the University of Hong Kong, said that this phenomenon of "parallel time and space" is due to the fact that society has entered the "post-truth" era. The audience judges events based on their own emotions and positions, and only wants to receive information with established positions.
Liu Junjiang verified: Lin Zhuoting came to the scene to monitor when someone was attacked and thought He Junyao could be called to mediate
On the night of July 21, Liu Junjiang saw a serious attack in Yuen Long. He drove from his home to the scene to assist in picking up the citizens and leaving. He encountered a second round of assaults while returning to pick up other people. He was hit by a man in white on his head and back. Sew 8 stitches.
Since April this year, he has conducted detailed investigations of the incident, interviewed several people who were on the scene that night, and compiled a book. He can be said to be one of the "witnesses."
After Lin Cheuk Ting was arrested last week, Liu Junjiang immediately quoted the content of the verification on social networks, saying that Lin Cheuk Ting learned that there was a gathering of people in white in Yuen Long at 8 o'clock that night, so he went to the Mei Foo MTR Station to guard; Lin learned that the chef Mr. Su had been attacked at 10 o'clock. Departed to the Yuen Long Station to monitor, and called the police to be present at the scene as soon as possible to enforce the law, and asked how to "undermine social peace" as a member of the Legislative Council to perform monitoring duties.
In addition, he checked with people at the scene and found that after Lin Zhuoting arrived at the scene, it was obvious that he had not figured out the situation at the beginning. He thought that he could negotiate with the man in white. He even flashed an idea. He could call the legislative council member He Junyao who was in Yuen Long at the time to request Mediation, "If you say Lin Zhuoting leads people to do things, even the logic doesn't make sense."
Lin Zhuoting was arrested by the police last week, which caused great controversy.
(Photo by Liang Pengwei)
Responding to the police's point of view: Lin Zhuoting did not instigate violent arrest with weak grounds
During the interview, Liu Junjiang first pointed out that the rationale for arresting Lin Zhuoting was quite weak.
"Hong Kong 01" earlier quoted police sources saying that although there is no evidence that Lin Zhuoting participated in violent acts, his actions and words were insulting and provocative.
For example, Lin Zhuoting shouted to the white-clothed man in the station that day: "You class X Street, you are brave enough to walk! The police are tight, try to save!" He said in the carriage, "The big man withstands the front!" He thought Lin Zhuoting was there. There is a leadership role in the incident and there is a certain legal basis.
Liu Junjiang responded that seeing someone attack, as a man with better physical strength, he certainly needs to protect the elderly, weak, women and children. This is "a normal person should behave." As a member of Parliament, Lin Zhuoting has the responsibility to protect the public, and he called on other men to protect his side. People are normal.
If you think that this kind of behavior is also problematic, it is "so problematic." As for asking people in white not to leave, if Lin Zhuoting clearly says "I don't want to go, I'll beat you up," this can be said to be inciting violence, but it doesn't. Evidence shows that Lin said these words, and after checking the previous text and the aftermath, Lin Zhuoting obviously meant that the police would be there, asking the other party to stay and take legal responsibility, or even hope to scare off the attackers.
He believes that regardless of whether he agrees with Lin Zhuoting's political views, Lin was indeed an elected member at the time and took the lead in protecting the public. It is obviously unreasonable to arrest the assailants on the grounds of "riots."
▼7.21 Yuen Long Attack▼
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Questioning the political purpose of the arrest
Liu Junjiang believes that from last year when someone raised the argument that "Lin Zhuoting was in trouble", the police and the supervisory committee began to comply with this statement, and finally Lin Zhuoting was arrested. He described the incident as a "political script."
First, he saw that the "Deep Blue" people had been temporarily silent recently, but after Lin Zhuoting was arrested, they became active again, both online and offline, celebrating the arrest and flooding into Liu Junjiang's social network page. Attack and abuse.
Second, Liu Junjiang noticed that the police have made more "emotional" comments on arrested persons in the past year. For example, in this incident, the senior superintendent of the Criminal Headquarters of the New Territories North Region, Chen Tianzhu, repeatedly criticized Lin Cheuk Ting during his interview with reporters last week. Acts like "taking political dividends," but described the assailant and the assailant as "evenly matched." Even his boss, Director of Police Deng Bingqiang, publicly stated that they should not.
"The whole thing (operation by public opinion) is not necessarily well-planned (with a detailed plan), but the blue campers see something and do it in line with their political goals. Moreover, everyone has seen that Chen Tianzhu’s first day's statement was too After going overboard and causing a backlash, (Director of Police) Deng Bingqiang also came out to cool down the next day. It can be seen that the police may not even have a unified line-to-take (response calibre).” However, he pointed out that this political public opinion operation is generally The directions are all: to enlarge Huang Ying's responsibility for the 7.21 incident, and to downplay the perception of "people in white attacking"; the arrest of Lin Zhuoting and others just catered to this script.
When interviewed by Jiang Yongxiang, he stated that 7.21 was "someone brought a group of demonstrators into Yuen Long." He was questioned to echo Lan Ying's statement.
(Profile picture)
Acknowledging that Huang Ying also operated by public opinion but...
When it comes to "post-truth" and "political public opinion manipulation," some people believe that this situation also exists in Huang Ying.
For example, the 8.31 Prince Edward Station incident: Although the scene showed that the police were suspected of using excessive force to affect passengers who were not demonstrators, Huang Ying further accused the police of "killing people" in Prince Edward Station. There was no evidence.
Liu Junjiang admits that, regardless of the political propaganda of any camp, false information will be permeated, and there will always be some "urban legends" that are difficult to verify among the people.
However, he believes that the two cannot be directly compared, because the government and the police hold public powers and must be more careful about rumors that are beneficial to themselves but not to hostile political camps.
Even if Huang Ying has false information, it does not mean that the government's behavior in following Lan Ying's "rewriting the nature of the 7.21 incident" is reasonable: "Does it mean that you can do it yourself if others do it? Remember, you (the government) It has public power and the right to arrest and prosecute."
In the fighting in Amoy Plaza on September 14 last year, only Huang Ying was arrested.
The picture shows the blue campers cheering when they see someone from the opposing camp being taken away by the police.
(Profile picture)
On deep worries: Vigilante violence rises
In the interview, Liu Junjiang also said that through the 7.21 incident and the numerous violent incidents during the anti-amendment period, there is a deep worry that is the rise of civil violent elements.
In Hong Kong, this phenomenon has received widespread public attention, and it first appeared in the Umbrella Movement in 2014.
On the afternoon of October 3, a large number of suspected community members tied blue ribbons that symbolize the uniforms of police officers (the name "Blue Camp" came from here), and went to the occupied area of Mong Kok to demolish tents and attack left-behind demonstrators.
However, according to reports, the police officers at the scene only watched and did not enforce the law. Some people at the scene photographed the assailant after being taken away by the police and released him a few blocks away.
At that time, it caused a backlash in public opinion, questioning why it is also illegal and some people can be treated loosely.
Liu Junjiang said that whether these vigilante violence is related to the government, it is actually impossible to find evidence in black and white, but in terms of objective results, there have been many suspicious violent incidents so far last year, and pro-government assailants have finally been released or treated. .
In addition to the 7.21 incident, Liu Junjiang pointed out that in the conflict at the Amoy Plaza in Kowloon Bay on September 14 last year, all the yellow and blue campers used violence, but in the end only the yellow campers and young people passing by were arrested, and so on.
Further reading:
[9.14 Rally] Reorganizing the Amoy Conflict and singing the national anthem to the two factions fighting police detained many young people
The Department of Justice again intervenes in a taxi hitting a person, private prosecution, withdraws the summons of the driver Xu Zhifeng will submit a judicial review
Liu: Objectively release information to attack anti-government people or not be responsible
Liu Junjiang pointed out that these violent behaviors may not be directly commissioned by the government, they may be spontaneous, or they may be agitated by other pro-government forces, and sometimes even mess up the image of the government. For example, 7.21 is a clear example.
"But objectively, the government released a message: If you use violence against anti-government people, you may not have to bear the legal consequences, or even if the other party resists a little bit, you will be arrested. With this kind of "guarantee," you can guarantee something similar Will the violence of July 21 not happen again?"
Leaving a historical record is also a guarantee for yourself and others
7.21 involves some underground forces in Hong Kong, and is even more mixed with political disputes.
Will you be afraid of publishing a high-profile book about the incident?
Liu Junjiang pointed out that it was unavoidable to be involved in this incident from the moment he arrived at the scene on July 21 and was attacked.
In fact, for a long time after the incident, he did not comment much on 7.21, but a large number of "fifty cents" Internet soldiers have poured into social networks to insult him, discredit him as a "troublemaker," and try to rationalize the attack by people in white.
Therefore, he believes that political pressure will exist no matter what, and you cannot be alone. Instead, you should speak first and leave a historical record, which will have a little protective effect on yourself and other attackers.
"At least I have said it, and I will try my best to refute, and I will not let you dominate the public opinion." In addition, he believes that Jiang Yongxiang and Deng Bingqiang's remarks are inconsistent with the facts, and he is afraid that the truth of the 7.21 incident will be rewritten, driving him to investigate further, hoping to speak out the truth.
Finally, Liu Junjiang sent a message to the public to continue to tell the truth about 7.21 to the outside world, not to let the "new truth" created by some people become the mainstream.
Lin Zhuoting was arrested in connection with the July 21 riots. Liu Junjiang: Members of the Council are here to monitor how to disrupt social peace?
[Yuen Long Night] Liu Junjiang was beaten by people in white: the wound has healed and his confidence in the system has not healed
[Yuen Long Dark Night] Liu Junjiang was bloodied and choked: Should we help Hong Kong citizens go to the side?
[Yuen Long Night] Former TVB anchor Liu Junjiang bloody and covered the wounded: the purgatory described it as not
Liu Junjiang, Lin Cheuk Ting, Yuen Long Night Police Department, Tang Pingqiang