Hong Kong court dismisses challenge over tech hub project after activist withdraws bid
A Hong Kong court has thrown out a judicial challenge against the government's approval of an environmental study of the San Tin Technopole project, after dismissing the applicant's request to have another activist take over his case.
Advertisement
The High Court on Friday allowed social worker Eddie Tse Sai-kit to withdraw the challenge, but found insufficient basis for a former district councillor to carry on with the proceedings in his absence.
Tse had earlier
obtained the court's permission to initiate judicial review proceedings, citing concerns including the authorities' failure to go through the proper consultation process before endorsing an environmental impact assessment report on developing a technology hub near the mainland Chinese border.
But the litigant said in an earlier court statement he abandoned the challenge 'with utmost regret' after he was
refused legal aid and became a target of 'widespread harassment and intimidation', with his family also suffering from mail threats and online doxxing.
Mr Justice Russell Coleman in his written ruling denounced the conduct of Tse's harassers as insidious and unacceptable, but said most online allegations made against the social worker arose from '
other aspects of the applicant's circumstances ' rather than his legal bid.
Advertisement
The judge also highlighted the main reason for Tse to withdraw his case was to avoid bearing the government's legal expenses in the absence of legal aid should his bid fail.
'It is not acceptable, and it is deeply unattractive that persons pursuing legitimate legal rights in matters of public interest should ever be concerned that they or their families might face potential harassment and intimidation from faceless and nameless third parties hiding in the shadows,' Coleman wrote.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
HKFP
7 minutes ago
- HKFP
Beijing hails improving Vatican ties after Pope Leo names first Chinese bishop
Beijing hailed on Thursday improving ties with the Vatican after the first appointment of a Chinese bishop under Pope Leo XIV, signalling the new pontiff's support for a controversial accord on nominations struck by his predecessor. The Holy See expressed 'satisfaction' on Wednesday at the recognition by China of the appointment of Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou, capital of eastern Fujian province. The pope made the nomination on June 5. Beijing's foreign ministry said the naming of the first Chinese bishop under the new pope had 'enhanced understanding and mutual trust through constructive dialogue' with the Vatican. 'China is willing to work together with the Vatican to promote the continuous improvement of China–Vatican relations,' foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a regular news briefing. The Vatican and China do not have formal diplomatic relations because the Holy See recognises Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own territory. However, they agreed in a historic deal in 2018 to let both sides have a say in the naming of bishops in China, home to about 12 million Catholics. The deal — the text of which has never been made public — has drawn criticism within the Church, with some seeing it as allowing the Communist Party government a stranglehold over China's Catholics. The deal was renewed several times as Pope Francis sought to make inroads for the Church in China, most recently in October 2024 for four years. 'With the joint efforts of both sides, the provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops has been smoothly implemented,' Lin Jian said.
Asia Times
an hour ago
- Asia Times
Harvard battle is Trump's 'Mao moment'
During the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong pushed for the closure of Chinese universities, seeing higher education as little more than a breeding ground for counterrevolutionary bourgeois intellectuals. After closing for a period, China's universities reopened on a limited basis from 1970, with selection criteria based on class background, revolutionary devotion and connections to the Communist Party. It was not until 1977 that the national university entrance exam ( gaokao ) was reinstated and a merit system put back in place. This period had been China's 'Mao moment' in higher education, but Mao's historic mistake appears to be repeating itself in the US today. Imperial China had a sophisticated system of examinations (kējǔ, 科举) for citizens to reach the status of civil servant, or mandarin. These tests date back to the 7th century, under the Sui dynasty (581-618), and lasted until 1905. Depending on the period, the exams lasted from one to three days. Candidates were locked in a room, identified by a number, and their tests were copied by a third party so that their identity could not be recognised by their handwriting. All this was to ensure a fair and impartial contest for candidates whose futures were at stake. MIT professor Yasheng Huang says that if he had to highlight one fundamental difference between China and other civilisations, it would be the existence of these imperial examinations. He adds that they were both a blessing and a curse. He also points out that they are directly to blame for the state's ongoing monopolisation of human talent in China. Put simply, the best and brightest became mandarins under this system. By depriving society of access to the best talent, the state also denied its people the chance of having any kind of organised religion, commerce or intelligentsia. For Huang, the imperial examinations were a significant cause of the decline of collective social action in China, one of the distinctive features of a civil society. This is reflected in the title of his 2024 book 'The Rise and Fall of the EAST', where EAST is not a compass point but an acronym for China's defining features: Exams, Autocracy, Stability and Technology. 'The 'Chinese phenomenon' is why this ancient civilization with a long history of more than 2,000 years has declined in the modern era. Why is it lagging behind the modern nations of the world?' This question was posed in 1991 by the Chinese politician and intellectual Wang Huning, in his book 'America against America'. Ever since Deng Xiaoping came to power in 1978, it became increasingly clear to China that its progress depended on raising its population's education level, especially after the ravages of the Maoist Cultural Revolution. To do this, China created the C9 League in 2009. Composed of nine universities and similar to the American Ivy League, its members account for 10% of China's national research budget, 3% of its total number of researchers, and 20% of published studies. When I spoke of 'barbarians' in my 2024 book 'China for the New Barbarians', (Nola editores, 2024), I did so to call attention to the fact that there is a certain ignorance when the West speaks about China. However, the Trump Administration's ongoing attacks against Harvard, one of the world's most renowned universities, can only be described as barbaric. Last week, Harvard was barred from enrolling international students on the grounds of alleged leftist indoctrination and anti-Semitism. It has also revoked student visas and, as if that were not enough, it has demanded that universities hand over information on students who have participated in student protests. Students in Harvard protesting against President Donald J. Trump. Pietrorizzatoph/Shutterstock What the Trump Administration wants is for Harvard to cease foreign admissions, a move that would lock out 6,500 students. In addition to denying Harvard access to top international talent, it would also inflict enormous damage to the ever-weakening concept of the 'American spirit', made up of democratic values, freedom, generosity, equality of opportunity, universal education, courage and leadership. The measure has been temporarily blocked by a district judge, though this may not count for much – the Trump Administration has already set a precedent of disputing or ignoring court orders. The situation is so dire that Jerome Powell – the chair of the Federal Reserve who was appointed by Trump during his first term – has been unable to keep quiet. Addressing Princeton University students at the May 2025 commencement speech, he stressed that American universities are the envy of the world and a crucial asset for the US to continue to lead in scientific innovation and economic dynamism. Powell's speech to Princeton graduates in May 2025. Source: Princeton University, YouTube. Powell has himself been a target of Trump's criticism. In response to Powell's refusal to lower interest rates – which he has kept between 4.25% and 4.5% to contain inflation – the president has called him 'Mr Too Late' and 'Major loser.' The world watches in astonishment as the US federal administration attempts to dismantle the country's university system, which for decades has been one of the US's poles of attraction, and a bulwark of its economic and technological success. This was perhaps best expressed by Oriaku, a Nigerian taxi driver I met back in the nineties who ferried me and my colleague Juan Gordon around Lagos. He told us about his dream of sending his children to Harvard, and when Juan commented that this would be expensive, he wisely replied, 'if you think education is expensive, try ignorance.' 'Harvard, Harvard,' Oriaku continued, 'that's the only reason I work myself to the bone.' Moves are already being made elsewhere to pick up the slack and welcome academics. The Hong Kong government, for instance, has called on its universities to attract the foreign talent that the US now wants to reject. Meanwhile, the Chinese can only smirk: they already lived through Mao's brutal onslaught against their universities during the Cultural Revolution and know that it will bring no benefits. America is living through its own 'Mao moments', but we may soon be able to rename them 'Trump moments.' Félix Valdivieso is chairman of IE China Observatory, IE University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
HKFP
2 hours ago
- HKFP
Hong Kong Federation of Students refutes rumours of dissolution, says ‘unknown parties' impersonated group
The Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS) has refuted rumours of dissolution after local media outlets reported its disbandment, citing a statement issued by 'an emergency general meeting' of the student group. Isaac Lai, the vice president of Lingnan University Students' Union (LUSU) and the chief representative of the HKFS, said in a statement issued on Wednesday evening that 'some unknown parties' had impersonated the student group to announce that it would be dissolved. 'The HKFS is composed of student unions from higher education institutions in Hong Kong. We have not received any requests for dissolution from any student union member,' Lai said in a Chinese-language statement. 'We hereby clarify that there is no dissolution.' Lai said that, according to the HKFS constitution, dissolution of the organisation must be approved by its executive committee and supported by at least three-quarters of the representatives in the general assembly to become effective. HK01 reported on Wednesday evening that the HKFS would be 'dissolved immediately,' citing a statement sent on behalf of the student group to some local outlets via email. The purported statement said Lai and fellow federation member Charles Ng were suspected of transferring all funds from bank accounts under the HKFS without approval after the duo applied to the police in September 2023 to name themselves as the responsible persons for the student group and altered the signature information for all its bank accounts. It also said that, considering that Lai and Ng were among the four current and former LUSU members arrested earlier in June, the student group decided to dissolve, and its assets would be donated to the Community Chest. Police said the four were arrested on suspicion of stealing HK$1.3 million from the LUSU's funds for personal expenses. HK01 reported in November that a self-proclaimed Lingnan University student accused LUSU members of embezzlement in a mass email to the school. Lai denied the accusation at that time. Ongoing dispute Rumours of dissolution came amid an ongoing dispute between HKFS representatives and some pro-Beijing figures claiming to represent the HKFS Fund, a limited company related to the student group. The HKFS, established in 1958, is a registered society under the Police Licensing Office. In 2015, the federation explained the origins of the H.K.F.S. Fund, saying it was established after the sale of Hong Kong Student Travel Ltd by Hong Kong Student Travel Bureau Ltd in 1993. The travel bureau earned HK$23 million from that sale, HK$5 million of which was injected into the federation, while the remaining HK$18 million was managed by the travel bureau and later renamed the H.K.F.S. Fund Ltd. In November 2023, HKFS representatives filed a police report after suspecting a group of unknown men had tried to forcefully enter two of its properties. Prior to the alleged forced entry, the HKFS accused pro-establishment lawmaker Ma Fung-kwok, a director at the H.K.F.S. Fund, and other directors of 'forcibly seizing control of the company' by launching legal proceedings against several former executives of the student group and requesting them to move out of the two units. Lawyer Paul Tse, who helped launch the legal proceedings against the HKFS, told Ming Pao that the lawsuit had been filed because there was evidence showing the premises in question had been 'misused' for activities that violated the national security law. In the Wednesday statement, Lai said that Ma and Simon Hau, a pro-Beijing businessman and secretary of the H.K.F.S. Fund, had 'legally occupied' two properties belonging to the student group. On Thursday, Lai went to the HKFS headquarters in Waitex House, Mong Kok, which has been occupied by pro-Beijing figures since 2023. He still could not enter because the office lock had been changed. The acrylic signboard outside the office had also been removed. Three metal signboards are now placed outside the entrance door: one with the HKFS name, and the other two reading 'Stability of Hong Kong' and 'Realisation of Chinese Dream.' According to the statement, Lai and other HKFS representatives filed a lawsuit in March at the High Court against Ma and Hau, demanding that the two immediately return the properties. The legal proceedings are still ongoing, it said.
