Mary Hui
@maryhui
Followers
34K
Following
27K
Media
2K
Statuses
12K
Weather reporter @business. Formerly, @qz. Wrote https://t.co/jq7rmliEG9 (now on hiatus). Say hi: [email protected]
Hong Kong
Joined March 2009
Hong Kong's new normal: ."We can't return to normal, because the normal that we had was precisely the problem.".
36
4K
8K
There is usually never a line at the train ticketing machines. Judging from an overheard convo, it appears that people are reluctant to use their rechargeable Octopus cards for fear of leaving a paper trail of them having been present at the protest.
96
3K
6K
While raiding the newsroom of @appledaily_hk to execute a search warrant (tho officers have yet to display the warrant, per reporter), an officer asks the reporter to stop livestreaming bc the search may entail "personal data & news material." Maybe don't raid the newsroom then?
59
3K
3K
Lunchtime protest today (Dec. 12) in Central. Photo via Stand News. Who will police the Hong Kong police? No one, it seems. More on that here:
155
2K
3K
"Unless an inquiry can be shown to be both transparent & fair. it may simply do more harm than good," @LawOfProtest told me. Here's my Dec. story on why an indep commission of inquiry into the HK police is urgent, & why the existing watchdog falls short.
122
2K
3K
For non-Chinese speakers: .西 means west; together with the next character 餅 it means western baked goods. With the 門 radical spraypainted around it, it's transformed into 閪, cunt. A cop yelled 自由閪 "freedom cunt" at a protester; protesters have reclaimed the insult.
The magic of Chinese characters. Another reason why #HongKong people should preserve traditional characters.
53
1K
2K
The law of the land in HK is technically the Basic Law & laws enacted by the local legislature. BUT: Beijing has a way to "plug loopholes" as they like to say: Annex III of the BL. Get a national law listed in Annex III, & it can be applied in HK by promulgation or legislation.
Unclear how reliable this is, but HK01 (which slants pro-govt) is reporting that Beijing will tonight announce a national security law applying to HK (passing Article 23-style law at the national level & applying it to HK through Annex III of the Basic Law). Stay tuned. .
67
2K
2K
8 Dec 2019 protest march: The front of the pack is making its way from Victoria Pack through Causewag Bay. The crowd had already split into two along Leighton Road and Yee Wo St/Hennessy. Lots of black as usual - and warmer, more colourful garb too.
57
2K
2K
There's a work-in-progress "HK19 Manual" w English-Burmese translation, w tips from Hong Kong protesters on how to build a leaderless & leaderful protest movement. It details 60 roles (frontliners, medics, keyboard fighters etc) & how to fulfil those roles.
228
2K
2K
Hong Kong is an endless cycle of trauma: the trauma of the moment, the trauma of memories, and the trauma of remembrance denied.
On the anniversary of the #831Attack in Mong Kok, the police has just deployed pepper spray and pinned down two persons while rounding up dozens others on Argyle Street.
28
2K
2K
1000+ pgs to parse in the Indep. Police Complaints Council’s HK protests study. But screenshot captions of the Aug 31 incident—when police charged into a train station & beat indiscriminately—are unreal. E.g. below, focus is on ppl "cowering," not police use of excessive force?
99
2K
2K
Per RTHK, lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting suspects police are arresting pro-democracy politicians tonight—as protesters mourn the death of student Alex Chow Tsz-lok—to provoke public anger & find an excuse to cancel the Nov 24 district councillor elections
113
2K
2K
HK police today really drawing on the "independent" watchdog report framing the 7.21 thug attack as a "gang fight involving. both sides." Critics had dismissed the report as a whitewash but it's now being weaponised by police to back up falsehoods
66
2K
2K
A small crowd is back outside the Hong Kong government offices. to clean up the rubbish. To sort out recyclables and unused materials, and clean up the rubbish. Incredible.
32
708
2K
To be clear: the Hong Kong government is saying the RTHK reporter's question to Bruce Aylward—"Will the WHO consider Taiwan's membership?"—has breached the One China principle. It's calling for the broadcaster to be held responsible for this "breach.".
Govt argues @thepulse_rthk episode on questioning @WHO on Taiwan's membership "has breached the One-China Principle and the purposes and mission of RTHK", Dir of Broadcasting held responsible
131
1K
2K
Richard Chan, who was pepper-sprayed, subdued, & arrested during a peaceful election rally in early Nov, has declared victory, part of the pan-democrats' apparent clean sweep of Tai Po district. Chan earlier told me he sees the elections as "a yellow & blue referendum".
Hong Kong Police arrested Richard Chan, a candidate in district elections in Tai Po, as they clean his eyes after local media says he was pepper-sprayed. Chan was dubbed "airport uncle" after he stood between police and youngsters at an airport protest earlier this summer
23
853
2K
Officers just casually poking through documents on desks, tho reporter on livestream repeats search warrant not yet served. @appledaily_hk employee asked officers what their search area was; no answer. Apple Daily lawyer yet to arrive & may not be able to enter cordoned-off bldg
28
2K
2K
Richard Chan, the pro-democracy candidate in the upcoming district council elections who was pepper-sprayed & subdued by police at a peaceful campaign rally on Sun, said earlier this pm that his arrest was "v clearly an act of political suppression.”
106
1K
2K
Police officers to an Apple Daily journalist: . There’s a fire up front. Why don’t you film that? Motherfucker! Such a big fucking piece of news & you don’t film it? . Stay away from me. My gun is very dangerous. It may be accidentally discharged.
126
2K
1K
"One person committing crimes is a security problem. Two million people committing crimes is a political problem." (IG: hiraeth.hongkong)
39
849
2K
Chinese state media initially called it "Wuhan virus"; now China says that's racist. Meanwhile WHO won't call the coronavirus by its name, SARS-CoV-2, which some Chinese scientists say hurts social stability. On the fraught geopolitics of naming the virus:.
111
790
1K
Thirty years after 2 million people formed a 600km human chain, linking Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania, Hong Kongers are planning to recreate the Baltic Way this Friday night with the Hong Kong Way, totalling ~32km.
39
694
1K
Per @appledaily_hk, a pro-democracy shop put up a Lennon Wall of blank Post-Its after police warned said notes w protest slogans could breach the nat sec law. If cops ban even blank stickies, they'd have to take down this installation @ HK art museum too (right; IG: wkyemily)
29
839
1K
Xinhua & Global Times called it "Wuhan virus" early on. That's no longer convenient for the CCP as it seeks to wrest control of the narrative, so last week the foreign ministry called Pompeo's use of the phrase "Wuhan coronavirus" a "despicable practice"
72
732
1K
This raises a lot of interesting questions about cash vs. cashless societies, and how in times of protest people may drastically adjust their usual economic behaviour.
13
314
1K
Sunday Mingpao's suggestion for how HKers can still commemorate June 4th even when the vigil is criminalised: writing 6.4 in different ways on light switches, so the everyday act of flipping the switch is also an act of resistance and remembrance
55
775
1K
The slogan "You complain, I explain" says a lot about how the Hong Kong police sees complaints against the force: not as a reflection of systemic misconduct, but an opportunity to rewrite the narrative. The vid even says the bulk of complaints are made by "habitual complainants.".
【Police Focus: Debunking Urban Myths - You complain, I explain】. This episode of Police Focus will give you more insights!
97
1K
1K
Just this morning Carrie Lam claimed to be a big fan of the free press, saying "I attach lot of importance to press reporting & one of my priorities since taking office is to facilitate the work of reporters" (right after lambasting a reporter for his "biased & prejudiced" qs. ).
#BREAKING: #RTHK suspends production of satire TV programme Headliner after regulator gave a warning to broadcaster, ruling that its segment depicting #HongKongPolice was an insult to the force. The Communications Authority said it got 3,300 complaints over the episode on 14Feb
87
1K
1K
The Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre—one of five main mosques in Hong Kong—was earlier hit by the police force's blue dye water cannon. From:
119
1K
1K
[Thread] Thousands have gathered @ HK airport to protest what many see as the horrific & excessive use of force by police yesterday. Cops disguised as protesters made violent arrests; tear gas & rubber bullets fired inside a train station; a beanbag round fired at a woman's eye
36
868
1K
A newly formed medical workers' union, which grew out of Hong Kong's protest movement, has voted overwhelmingly to start a phased 5-day strike commencing Mon (3 Feb) in order to pressure the govt to close the border w mainland China amid the coronavirus outbreak.
she announces that the strike officially starts. "strike to save HK!" people are chanting.
82
1K
1K
The HK govt has ordered a stop to glass bottle recycling & will reduce the no. of glass bottle collection points to thwart Molotov cocktail production, per Ming Pao. This is the extent to which the govt refuses to find a political solution to the protests.
119
907
1K
Sometimes, elected opposition politicians are arrested at midnight (. Other times, they're rounded up w a dozen other opposition figures (. & sometimes they're just body-slammed & pinned to the ground w a knee, as here w Roy Kwong:.
73
1K
1K
In Hong Kong, people who are investigated include: .-a reporter for being too "aggressive" in her questioning.-teachers who question the government.-a student who used a protest slogan as his Zoom icon. People who aren't investigated include:.-the police.
[Recap] RTHK reporter who grilled Hong Kong Chief Exec. Carrie Lam investigated again, probation extended.
37
886
1K
Seen in an underpass near HKU: "We always need people on Twitter! Everyday mission." . Since @stegersaurus' September story about Hong Kong protesters flocking to Twitter to promote the movement globally, it's been fascinating to see local tweeps become real pros on the platform
a language barrier and problems getting to grips w things like hashtags and replies, as HK protesters adopt Twitter en masse
56
783
1K
"A more credible government might advise people that they do not need to wear [a mask] unless they are ill. But such advice would be scorned in Hong Kong. It has run out of masks because its government has run out of trust." h/t @JaneRichardsHK
64
1K
1K
Some photos of the huge crowds in Central for today's march calling in the US to pass the Hong Kong Human Rights & Democracy Act, which would mandate annual assessments of whether HK is "sufficiently autonomous" to continue receiving special treatment . (Kevin Cheng/USP)
59
573
1K
A letter, reportedly penned by a mainland Chinese exchange student in HK, says their evacuation from the city was forcibly organised by the Chinese gov w/o any consultation w students; author received a call demanding evacuation orders be followed.
90
996
1K
Case is Sham Wing Kan v Commissioner of Police. Sham, an activist, arrested in Jul '14 & had phone seized. Court ruled in 2017 that warrantless phone searches only allowed under "exigent circumstances." Police appealed, said it's "unworkable" to seek warrant for each phone search.
HK appeal court overturns lower court's ruling that police could only access data of a person's phone without warrant "in exigent circumstances", saying that police should be allowed to do soon when obtaining a warrant is not "reasonably practicable"
66
1K
1K
I spoke to nearly a dozen civil servants, doctors, & teachers in HK who described a wave of political repression in workplaces, fueled by snitching+anonymous complaints, reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution: terror, censorship, witchhunts rolled into one
38
774
1K
An @appledaily_hk reporter was stopped and searched by around 10 riot police officers, and was ordered to take off their face mask so officers could 'verify' their identity against the photo on their ID card & press pass.
29
1K
1K
I wasn't in Hong Kong to witness the 2014 Umbrella Movement. I was too young to fully understand the 2003 march against Article 23. Today, I saw for myself the power of HK's civil society as it marched against the #ExtraditionBill. With @triptilahiri
17
335
1K
.@joshuawongcf's iPhone was just one of nearly 4000 phones that Hong Kong police cracked into from Jun-Nov last year. He fears the police are specifically targeting arrests at high-profile opposition figures in part to gain access to their devices.
24
976
1K
Democratic party district councillor Cheng Lai-king is also suspected of violating the so-called anti-doxxing injunction granted to police last Oct. @el72champs explained why the injunction is dangerous for press freedom (& now opposition politicians): .
57
1K
1K
Longer video showing police disguised as protesters wildly swinging batons & hitting protesters+civilians, who likely thought the men were violent gang members. Protester who beats the disguised assailant (actually cop) @ 0:43 later arrested, bloodied face mashed into ground
90
841
916
Outside the HK British Consulate: . "Hong Kongers never naively saw the Queen as a saint. Hong Kong cherishes the memory of the Queen because the HK under your jurisdiction represented a glorious time, a free era. you were the beacon of freedom, the epitome of civilisation."
117
297
1K
Carie Lam says she hopes medical staff won't strike because those who'll ultimately suffer will be patients & the medical system. Perhaps she doesn't realise that the medical personnel calling for the strike are making the point that w/o a border closure, everyone suffers.
80
946
992
Statement from @hkporihkpop president Robert Chung, calling on Carrie Lam to "let science issues resort to science, politics resort to politics. When dealing w the epidemic, please delegate your authority to trusted medical experts"
59
926
958
Photographer @DavidButow, whose entry 'Battleground Hong Kong' was "curated" from 10 pics to 5 due to the images' "sensitive" nature, said he was surprised by the organisers' decision as last year's 3rd-place entry showed violent scenes of protest in Gaza.
53
897
931
"We're afraid of having our data tracked," one female protester told me. She said that this ticket-buying was't as prevalent during the 2014 Umbrella Movement. Five years on, however, people are more wary & aware.
3
212
930
There's a human chain tonight on the Central pedestrian footbridge. Lots of office workers here at the end of their work day.
16
321
881
WashPost obtained documents on HK Police use-of-force guidelines. Policing experts analysed vids against those rules & found police violated them in 70% of incidents reviewed. Detailed story by @ShibaniMahtani @TMclaughlin3 @rhokilpatrick @tiffanyliang_hk .
62
885
896
<20% of those arrested in connection w the protests since last June have been charged. Of those, some have been charged for rioting on mere "evidence" that they were on scene, wore black attire, & had protective gear (like a mask) on them.
【 5 Key Figures • Telling Right from Wrong 】. Since June 9, 2019, the Police have arrested over 8,300 persons in connection with protests against the extradition law amendment bill. Among these persons, over 1,600 have been prosecuted, and the top three charges are “Rioting”.
51
929
915
Japan managed to slash its rare earth dependence on China from >90% to 58% within a decade, & plans to bring that <50% by 2025. I looked at Japan's successful strategy in diversifying its RE supply chains & what lessons it holds for the US & Europe:.
19
336
909
For weeks, Catalan activist groups like @PicnicxRep, @tsunami_dem, & @assemblea have examined the techniques of Hong Kong protesters closely, taking notes on what works & what might be replicated in Catalonia. HKers' "Be Water" is now a global export.
52
511
883
.@ProtonVPN will donate 50% of Jul-Aug revenue from Hong Kong to the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund & @Stand_with_HK. "Protecting freedom is a long & difficult struggle, & in order to succeed, the ppls of the world must stand together, & today we stand w HK".
45
478
887
Only the two land border entry points, plus the airport (all marked out in red boxes below) will remain open from midnight tonight. Carrie Lam has still refused to close the border completely, and condemned the medical strike as "extreme" and "political."
#NOW: #HongKong leader #CarrieLam announces tighter border control measures, closing ALL land and sea borders except Shenzhen Bay & the Bridge to Macau & Zhuhai, starting midnight tonight
80
931
898
何議員 ho ji jyun "Legislator Ho".何已完ho ji jyun "Ho is finished".
14
305
847
Compare and contrast today's two front pages: .@appledaily_hk: We shall fight on .CCP mouthpiece Ta Kung Pao: the people cheer the arrest
35
587
851
It's a v unsettling feeling to go to bed knowing tomorrow will bring a vastly different reality. Last week it was knowing authoritarianism had finally arrived in HK via the national security law. Today it's knowing the police will have vast new powers to search, seize, freeze.
43
404
841
A peaceful march currently is underway on Hong Kong Island. Most people are in masks, in open defiance of the #AntiMaskLaw. So far it appears that this widely-hated mask ban, enforced via emergency laws, is entirely unenforceable.
61
459
810
A large crowd, including @BrianLeungKP & @joshuawongcf, gathered in Times Square in New York City Sunday evening to sing the protest anthem "Glory to Hong Kong." (Music starts ~6'15 in original link)
46
333
777
The Hong Kong government's tourism board calls the city a shopping paradise.
Pepper spray deployed in Sha Tin New Town Plaza as two plainclothes police officers subdued a black-clad protester. Photos: Apple Daily screenshot.
51
664
808
In much the same way that HKers created composite characters during protests last year (eg. combining "triad/mafia" & "police" to convey "collusion"), there's a new creation combining指鹿為馬 "calling a deer a horse," alluding to the govt's blatant lies .
11
375
784
.@nathanlawkc makes an interesting observation in his long analysis of US sanctions on HK+Chinese officials: what if the HK gov accuses banks refusing to serve the sanctioned officials w violating the national security law? It would turbo charge laam caau
21
415
782
Nation-building has long been a core feature of Hong Kong's protest movement, even if people weren't explicitly aware of it, as political commentator Lewis Lau wrote last year (. The difference now is that it's come to the fore and is chanted en masse.
34
772
788
Got my @appledaily_hk, one of today's 500,000+ printed copies following yesterday's newsroom raid by police & arrests of top news staff & execs. Naturally went to the newsstand that features one of Hong Kong's rare remaining Lennon Walls:
5
348
800
Language is a form of resistance—and therefore can threaten authoritarians, who manipulate language to distort reality and erase inconvenient truths. Little wonder that Hong Kong authorities are now targeting Cantonese. On the shut down of @gongjyuhok:.
69
398
783
In a bizarre way the police has "aided" journalistic work by taking it upon themselves to answer the question posed in the title of the episode concerned, "Who owns the truth?".
NowTV reported that the #HongKongPolice's arrest of #DoraChoi is related to false statements made, and incident linked to using information from a car license plate search. Episode concerned is called "Who owns the truth?" #HongKong #RTHK #PressFreedom
18
732
791
Overheard on a trail, old man in his ~70s talking to a younger guy: "I'm neither yellow nor blue, I'm speaking from the middle. Why are young people fleeing Hong Kong by boat? Historically mainland Chinese have fled to HK. so have the Taiwanese. The HK gov has killed our youth.".
28
374
738
In the past five months, Hong Kong has seen: stabbings, mob attacks, beatings, violent arrests, police assaults, arson, vandalism, doxxing. Almost none of this would likely have had to happen had Carrie Lam withdrawn the extradition bill after 2 million people marched on 16 June.
51
378
730
Apple banned protest map @hkmaplive from its app store last year. In what activists say is another case of censorship, an iOS voting app for last wkend's opposition primaries was never approved. Apple's approach hints at what HK's internet future could be:.
32
657
742
Citizen volunteers this morning brought mops, towels, & water buckets to clean up Kwai Fong station, after police fired tear gas directly into it on Sunday—against all rules barring the chemical substance from being deployed indoors. Via @StandNewsHK
22
342
727
This photo from Saturday, 2 Nov., shows a homeless man sleeping with a respirator mask on in Mong Kok, where police were firing tear gas late into the night. (Jimmy Lam/United Social Press)
33
664
691
The HK govt repeats ad nauseam that the national security law will "restore stability," but can't say what that looks like bc it hasn't seen the law. Just remember what Arendt said: totalitarian states dangle the vague promise of stability while creating permanent instability.
27
452
740
"Real baby formula and real vaccines stem from democracy and the rule of law." Many mainland Chinese tourists travel to HK to buy these products because they distrust the Chinese system. "If HK becomes China then, everything will be be fake," said the protester with the sign
21
338
691
On this day of mass arrests of Hong Kong's pro-democracy leaders, reminder that Carrie Lam said in Dec 2019: "Which aspect of HK residents’ freedom was eroded? We have press freedom. freedom to participate in rallies & marches. We have a high degree of freedom in many aspects.".
28
469
711
And Bruce Aylward's page is no longer to be found via its original link ( which now redirects to with no mention of him. Here's the cached version
The @WHO has a new statement on a certain unnamed official's now-viral remarks: "In a recent interview, the WHO official who headed the joint international mission to China, did not answer a question on Taiwan’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.".
62
500
686
Per polling, >60% of Hong Kongers support the medical strike and 80% want the mainland China border closed.
Latest poll from PORI on #coronavirus outbreak. We have HK gov refusing something demanded by 80% of the ppl again (also 80%: independent investigation commission). (Data Typo Corrected)
50
663
716
For years, China came at Hong Kong’s opposition in roundabout ways to maintain a facade of legitimacy. Now the gloves are off. There'll no longer be an opposition, & that’s just the way BJ likes its elections: ones in which it knows the outcome beforehand
22
520
701
Political repression and state violence by any other name, thinly disguised under a veneer of "procedure" and "protocol" and "rules and regulations".
31
637
694
The "extremely small minority" who will be affected by the national security law is now at 600,000+ people.
24
367
678
HK TV drama "Barrack O'Karma" features an actor in brownface playing a Filipino domestic worker. Chinese-lang local media praise the actor's "dedication" & accent, says she looks & sounds "just like a maid" but is still "beautiful." Racism runs deep in HK.
27
281
696
Below the Lion Rock, Hong Kong Way edition. One of the most beautiful things about HK is its blend of rural & urban. It was all the more striking tonight to see protests across city streets & mountain trails. (Pic: Lam Chun Tung/Initium Media) #HongKongWay #BalticWay30
8
227
657
The Hong Kong government, at the behest of Beijing, has just committed electoral fraud and massive state/sanctioned theft.
21
516
667
While the young man in the 1st pic had his head bloodied while being subdued by cops, the man in the 2nd (wearing a white tee characteristic of thugs who've been beating up protesters & bystanders) appears to have the luxury of using a police shield to hide his face from cameras
82
628
639
I talked to a key contributor to the HK19 Manual, the crowdsourced guide to organising a protest movement. The aim was to "leave something for someone to pick up where we left off," bc "the longer we can sustain our unity. the better our chances are".
35
338
680
It’s bad enough that Amazon is backing two whole shows about the glam lives of HK expats while many HKers are trying to flee a crackdown. Now add quarantine exceptionalism for Nicole Kidman, who apparently helps "maintain" the HK economy. w/ @Jane_Li911: .
63
304
674
A profile of Gwyneth Ho, who livestreamed & was a victim of the HK protests' darkest moment: the Yuen Long attack. Now she faces life in jail. But her fascination w the human condition makes one of the best chroniclers of BJ's authoritarian assault on HK: .
14
396
668
A @StandNewsHK reporter is searched by police, & an @SCMP reporter is searched shortly after— 2nd time today. Officer says SCMP reporter was infringing privacy by filming/photographing(?) Stand News reporter being searched, & hence had to be searched too.
43
695
656
Pro-democracy lawmaker Tanya Chan addressed the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, urging it to investigate "brutal crackdowns” & “police brutality” against HK protesters. China tried to block her from the event by labelling her a "convicted criminal.".
15
319
637