Monday 19 December - late update
14 left in custody facing charges.
The latest word is that 14 men will remain in custody to face charges over the demonstration against the WTO. 11 of them are Korean, and they are with one Hong Kong resident, one Japanese and one Taiwanese. They have been refused police bail. They are due in court on Friday 23 December. It seems the korean government has decided not to support it's subjects facing trial - it has announced it will accept the verdict of the court.
In the midst of such hysteria and at the end of weeks of demonisation in the press and by the authorities, at a time when the HK government need a face saving conviction or two and when all witnesses have been forced out or have left HK, a fair trial is fantasy.
The other 987 people are being gradually released - proving the arrests were unwarranted and wrongful. If so many people were arrested, how come only 1.4% of them ended up facing charges? The released are being sent to the airport and asked to leave Hong kong as soon as possible, some heading for Macau to fly from there, the holiday season has meant a great demand for flights.
The fact remains, the police were carrying out the wishes of the strong nations and corporations repesented in the convention centre used to host the WTO. Scores of people were arrested for being Korean and the HK Police Force is a damn disgrace.
Guy Taylor
Dec 19 2005, 16:07