Hong Kong prisoner rights support group Wall-fare to disband

Hong Kong Free Press reports..

Founded by Shiu Ka-chun, Wall-fare was the city’s main advocacy group for better prisoners’ rights.

A Hong Kong group which provided support to prisoners is to disband. Wall-fare is the latest pro-democracy civil society group to dissolve in recent months, amid what critics have called a national security crackdown on dissent.

The group, founded by former pro-democracy lawmaker Shiu Ka-chun, provided support for detained pro-democracy activists by raising funds to provide daily necessities and providing emotional support through a coordinated a letter-writing scheme.

The disbandment comes after the city’s security chief claimed last week that prisoners were using privileges such as chocolates and hair clips to recruit forces to endanger national security. Earlier this month, an elite security task force was deployed at Hong Kong’s largest women’s prison to quash an 18-person protest.

The group, which was founded nine months ago, announced its disbandment on Facebook on Tuesday: “Today we announce we are officially closing. Even though we were eventually crushed, the time we have exchanged was also worth it. Sorry. We did our best, and our efforts themselves are Wall-fare’s story.”

Read more. https://hongkongfp.com/2021/09/14/breaking-hong-kong-prisoner-rights-support-group-wall-fare-to-disband/?utm_medium=email