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In this Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019 photo, members of a theater troupe raise their hands to symbolize the five demands of pro-democracy protesters after a performance of Les Miserables in at an outdoor event space in Hong Kong. A Hong Kong theater troupe is making audiences weep by touring a stirring production of 'Les Miserables.' Based on Victor Hugo's tale of rebellion in 19th-century France, the rousing music and lyrics of struggle and resistance struck chords with audience members emotionally and physically drained after six months of protests that have convulsed the city. less In this Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019 photo, members of a theater troupe raise their hands to symbolize the five demands of pro-democracy protesters after a performance of Les Miserables in at an outdoor event space ... more Photo: John Leicester, AP … [Read more...] about The people sing: ‘Les Mis’ soothes, breaks Hong Kong hearts

(CNN)A group of international experts in Hong Kong has announced it will step down from an inquiry into alleged police misconduct, claiming the city's watchdog lack sufficient powers. The city's anti-government, pro-democracy protests have grown increasingly violent since they began in June, and have sparked calls for an independent investigation into alleged police brutality. In response, the government appointed a panel of overseas experts to assist the city's longstanding Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC). However, last month a member of the panel voiced criticisms of the IPCC, suggesting the council lacks sufficient independent investigative powers. The experts reiterated the point in a statement Wednesday, saying they had identified "a crucial shortfall" in the IPCC's capabilities. The panel said the issue needed to be addressed for the IPCC to meet the standards of a police watchdog -- but that "dialogue with the IPCC has not led to any agreed process through which … [Read more...] about Foreign experts in Hong Kong leave inquiry into police brutality during protests

 A group of international law enforcement experts recruited by Hong Kong's police watchdog unit have quit, citing concerns about the unit's independence. In a statement issued Wednesday announcing their resignations, the experts said there was a "crucial shortfall" in the "powers, capacity and independent investigative capability" of the Independent Police Complaints Council. The experts from Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were brought in to advise the council in its investigation of police actions since mass demonstrations first broke out in June over a proposed bill that would have sent individuals to mainland China to stand trial.  The demonstrations have become increasingly violent as they have evolved into demands for full democracy for Hong Kong, riot police firing rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas at angry protesters. The demonstrators have also demanded an independent inquiry into possible use of excessive force by police — an idea … [Read more...] about Foreign Experts Quit Hong Kong Police Oversight Board

Foreign experts recruited to add legitimacy to Hong Kong’s police watchdog quit Wednesday, saying the agency lacks teeth.The expert panel’s decision to stand aside is likely to increase pressure on the territory’s government for an independent probe of police behavior during six months of pro-democracy protests.Critics of the police watchdog had previously argued that the agency lacks independence and powers to credibly investigate policing of the protests.The panel of international experts that the agency turned to in September for experience and advice ended up drawing a similar conclusion. Advertisement In a statement announcing their decision to quit, the experts from Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand said the watchdog suffers from “a crucial shortfall” in its “powers, capacity and independent investigative capability.”Policing of the protests has led to a breakdown in public trust in the once highly respected 30,000-strong police … [Read more...] about Experts quit police probe in blow to Hong Kong government

China’s media blitz against the world’s disgust at its use of concentration camps to eradicate ethnic minorities continued on Tuesday with a Global Times column complaining critics are too beholden to “morals” and that it is “unrealistic” to expect the Communist Party to respect human rights.The column in the government-run newspaper appeared on World Human Rights Day. The U.S. government believes China has imprisoned up to 3 million people – mostly Uyghur, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz Muslims – in over a thousand concentration camps built in Xinjiang province, which borders Afghanistan. There, from what reporters and human rights activists have pieced together from the few survivors who have escaped, detainees are subject to torture, rape, communist indoctrination, slavery, and live organ harvesting. The Chinese Communist Party claimed this week that all detainees had “graduated” from the concentration camps. China insists the … [Read more...] about State Media: ‘It Is Unrealistic’ for China to Respect Human Rights