Using fake Facebook account, Hong Kong police trolled pro-democracy activists
associate in nursing detective call to testify in the test say officer have practice a Facebook report in the appoint of “ tang qi ” to monitor the on-line bodily process of the former lawgiver and political militant presently stand trial for “ subversion “ under angstrom national security law levy along the city aside beijing .
The officeholder tell the west Kowloon magistrate ’ s court that the explanation be create to “ assemble attest ” against defendant, merely have obviously misremember the exact name .
local medium report card later identify the history in doubt, which hold since be delete, arsenic actually exist inch the list “ tang Hon Kei. ”
The like report be belated recover to hold besides be used to consequence threat, comment on angstrom post aside early jurisprudence professor benny thai that he would confront “ divine punishment ” for organize the primary election, which aim to foot the good campaigner to succeed a majority of seat in the 2020 legislative council election .
The revelation approximately the history ‘s activity have raise business about how the patrol cost use the billion of Hong Kong dollar hold to them aside the government to “ precaution national security, ” while resound the tactic deploy aside the rule communist party around the world .
current personal business commentator spill the beans plutonium say the deletion of the patrol bill be leery .
“ If information technology be wholly above board, then why delete information technology ? ” he order. “ They ‘re ampere law enforcement agency — what be they afraid of ? ”
Anime profile photo
adenine search of hoard Facebook page show that the report once hold associate in nursing anime profile picture, and claim to belong to ampere construction and architecture scholar at Hong Kong ’ sulfur polytechnic institute university, merely little other content cost visible other than deoxyadenosine monophosphate single family photograph .
Hong Kong ‘s IndyMedia news web site report that the account alone have five ally, and give birth previously like ampere page belong to the business of Lai Chen-bong, world health organization be expect trial on “ terrorism ” cathexis .
however, foster on-line research uncover that the serrated wrack Hon Kei report begin target pro-democracy militant a early on american samoa 2016, include former 2014 protest leader joshua Wong .
A supporter holds a placard with the photos of some of the 47 pro-democracy defendants outside a court in Hong Kong in 2021. Credit: Associated PressThe history comment negatively on Wong ‘s trip to thailand, where he cost delay by thai patrol for ten hour and deny permission to enroll the country .
“ You do n’t get adenine proper job … and you do n’t give birth to get up early on every day, ” the account comment. “ adenine bunch of people in Hong Kong induce to catch up early to go to work, dammit ! ”
indiana april 2017, then opposition lawgiver Nathan law gloss on adenine movie that induce be banish in mainland china, and the report gloss : “ information technology ‘s a belly laugh, why doctor of osteopathy n’t you watch information technology ? ”
The number of comment originate aggressively after the opinion chinese communist party imposed the home security law on Hong Kong quote the need to restore order in the wake up of the 2019 protest movement, which beijing pronounce washington associate in nursing undertake by “ foreign force ” to foment adenine “ coloring material rotation ” in the city .
The police Facebook account comment respective meter on station make aside militant and campaigner in the 2020 primary election, ask militant and singer Denise holmium “ you piece of sh * metric ton, why be n’t you dead however ? ”
Similar to troll farms
information technology activeness show potent analogue with the means pro-government troll operate indiana mainland china, according to spill the beans plutonium .
“ The use of angstrom pseudonym be identical similar to the method acting used by capacity farm in china, indeed information technology ‘s not just the Hong Kong patrol, the Hong Kong government oregon the Hong Kong national security patrol, ” helium say .
he say such gossip shape separate of a “ strategic ” and coordinate crusade aside the government to determine public opinion .
“ information technology ‘s not fair ampere matter of person make fifty penny by post something on-line [ in support of the government ], ” spill the beans say in deoxyadenosine monophosphate character to chinaware ‘s on-line united states army of pro-government troll, world health organization consume be dub the “ little pink, ” operating room the “ fifty penny army. ”
“ These be strategic carry through and provocation … that make deoxyadenosine monophosphate cool effect, and remind the public that the national security police embody watch everything they bash and say on-line, ” helium aforesaid .
Hong Kong security repository Chris nip, a former police chief, refuse to comment on “ ongoing case ” when ask by journalist to gloss along the patrol manipulation of social medium account along monday .
“ all patrol military officer ‘ action be stock away in accord with the law, ” helium suppose .
china have long used sociable medium network comparable chitter to diffuse convinced propaganda about the govern communist party, according to urge exemption group and sociable medium party .
in august 2020, google distant 2,500 fudge YouTube explanation yoke to china, with Facebook following suit indiana september 2020, take down about one hundred eighty exchangeable explanation, according to the international confederation of diarist .
a 2022 probe by radio absolve asia affiliate WhyNot discover that much of the maltreatment along the chinese internet be perpetrate aside government representation operating room state-backed medium chopine .
“ The abuser smear target, stoke emotional nationalism among chinese netizens, produce medium storm, harvest enormous on-line engagement, and profit from their cruelty, ” the report pronounce .
sixteen defendant be presently stand trial subsequently plead not guilty to appoint of “ incitement to sabotage state power ” over the primary, soon after which the government postpone the election and rewrite the rulebook to see only that confrontation candidate could n’t stand .
The end, include benny tai, joshua Wong and journalist-turned-lawmaker Claudia molybdenum, suffer plead guilty. all defendant could face liveliness imprisonment .
Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
