Rebel News Podcast - The Rebel is in Hong Kong to document the democratic uprising — while Communist China bullies democracy activists in Canada

00:00:00.000 Hi, Rebels. Today is a show you're really going to want to get the video version of.

00:00:05.420 Because we sent Avi Amini to Hong Kong to stand amongst the democracy protesters,

00:00:10.260 and he did a great job.

00:00:12.520 Some great interviews, you'll be able to hear them, but my gosh, I want you to see them too.

00:00:16.260 And to do that, you've got to become a premium subscriber.

00:00:19.620 So you get the video version, go to the rebel.media slash shows and sign up.

00:00:24.140 It's $8 a month or $80 for the whole year.

00:00:25.880 You get a discount if you use the coupon code podcast.

00:00:28.600 You get my shows, the video version, Sheila Gunn-Reed, David Menzies,

00:00:32.760 and the satisfaction of knowing that you're helping to pay for our independent journalism.

00:00:36.800 All right, that's it for me. Here's today's show.

00:00:39.720 You're listening to a Rebel Media Podcast.

00:00:42.940 Tonight, the rebel lands in Hong Kong to document the democratic uprising,

00:00:48.080 while communist China bullies democracy activists right here in Canada. 0.88

00:00:52.440 It's August 19th, and this is the Ezra LeVant Show.

00:00:54.960 Why should others go to jail when you're a biggest carbon consumer I know?

00:01:00.800 There's 8,500 customers here, and you won't give them an answer.

00:01:04.880 The only thing I have to say to the government, the wire publisher,

00:01:08.660 is because it's my bloody right to do so.

00:01:16.000 Between 700,000 and 1.7 million democracy activists took to the street in Hong Kong yesterday,

00:01:22.180 depending on which authority you ask.

00:01:24.720 Either way, it was a massive show of force against the Communist Party in Beijing.

00:01:28.960 I call it a show of force, but of course, they are unarmed, which is a problem.

00:01:33.720 They were also unarmed that day in Tiananmen Square, too.

00:01:37.860 And after a brief standoff, the communists just drove their tanks over everybody.

00:01:43.620 As you know, China is mustering thousands of troops just across the boundary from Hong Kong again.

00:01:49.040 It's not even a border. It's just a demarcation, really a street.

00:01:53.860 There are thousands of troops doing exercises just a few miles away.

00:01:57.400 And China is obviously threatening Hong Kong people.

00:01:59.620 It got Donald Trump's attention, too, though.

00:02:02.060 No, I think it would be very hard to deal if they do violence.

00:02:08.660 I mean, if it's another Tiananmen Square, I think it's a very hard thing to do if there's violence.

00:02:16.040 And, you know, I'm president, but that's a little beyond me,

00:02:19.400 because I think there'd be tremendous political sentiment not to do something.

00:02:24.760 So I hope, because I think we're going to end up doing a very good deal.

00:02:28.700 Well, he's right. I like how he phrases it.

00:02:31.900 He says, if China were to do that, well, even he doesn't have the power to do a deal.

00:02:36.260 If China massacred Hong Kong people, there'd be no political way for Trump to give China a trade deal at all.

00:02:42.280 He's right.

00:02:43.720 Trump also knows how to negotiate, doesn't he?

00:02:45.600 Trump is enjoying his trade war with China.

00:02:48.420 He loves tariffs. He always has.

00:02:50.120 He sees factories abandoning China to leave to go to work in jurisdictions that aren't tariffed by America.

00:02:56.940 I mean, build stuff in China, pay a tariff.

00:03:00.440 Build stuff elsewhere, especially build it in America, get into the greatest market in the world tariff-free.

00:03:06.900 Trump had dinner the other day with Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple.

00:03:11.220 And you see that? He says they'll be spending vast sums of money in the U.S.

00:03:14.500 Great.

00:03:14.940 Great. It's pretty clear what he's talking about, moving those computer and cell phone factories from China back to America.

00:03:22.220 That should terrify President Xi more than anything else.

00:03:25.100 But look at that blunt talk.

00:03:27.980 Don't do it, Tiananmen Square. Don't do it.

00:03:30.180 He's even saying the word Tiananmen Square, which everyone's thinking.

00:03:33.420 Trump's the only one saying it.

00:03:34.600 Trump's not like the other leaders.

00:03:36.160 He doesn't speak in riddles.

00:03:38.100 He's the clearest speaker in the world about many subjects, including China's threat.

00:03:42.740 Here he is just the other day, just plain old saying he's not interested in doing any business with Huawei,

00:03:48.900 the Chinese telecom company that is in bed with the Chinese military and therefore poses a security risk to America and Canada, too.

00:03:57.100 It's the opposite.

00:03:58.400 Huawei.

00:03:59.320 Huawei is a company we may not do business with at all.

00:04:04.560 And it was sort of reported, I think, the opposite today.

00:04:07.160 I was surprised that we are open to doing business.

00:04:09.760 We're actually open not to doing business with them.

00:04:13.120 So I don't know who gave the report.

00:04:15.400 Now, they have little sections of Huawei, like furniture and other things that we could do.

00:04:19.720 But when you cut out sections, it gets very complicated.

00:04:23.160 What's being sold?

00:04:24.420 What's coming in?

00:04:25.800 So at this moment, it looks much more like we're not going to do business.

00:04:28.900 I don't want to do business at all because it is a national security threat.

00:04:32.800 And I really believe that the media has covered a little bit differently than that.

00:04:37.980 So we're looking really not to do business with Huawei.

00:04:41.240 And we're actually talking about not doing any business because, again, the rest of it is not national security.

00:04:48.680 But it's very difficult to determine what's coming in, what's not coming in.

00:04:53.060 It's still Huawei.

00:04:54.940 So we'll be making a decision over that in the not-too-distant future.

00:04:58.500 But it's a little bit the opposite of what seemed to be reported this morning.

00:05:02.120 This guy knows how to negotiate if he didn't realize what he was doing there.

00:05:07.620 Anyways, back to the real threat of violence from China. 0.94

00:05:10.160 That's really all they know, violence.

00:05:12.360 I think that China believes Tiananmen Square was a great victory. 0.99

00:05:15.740 I mean, in a sense, it was a success for them.

00:05:19.060 You haven't seen democracy protests in China since, have you?

00:05:22.320 And it's not like any country in the world has sanctions against China.

00:05:25.640 The opposite. 0.55

00:05:26.120 That fool Justin Trudeau is actually still investing Canadian money in China's infrastructure bank. 0.94

00:05:31.300 He'll build pipelines with China with Canadian money, but not in Canada. 1.00

00:05:36.540 What an idiot. 1.00

00:05:37.780 Back in Tiananmen Square, the protesters in Beijing had a mini Statue of Liberty. 1.00

00:05:42.780 Do you remember that?

00:05:44.580 They knew that America was the great symbol of freedom and still is.

00:05:47.480 The rebel sent our friend, the Australian reporter Avi Amini, to Hong Kong on the weekend.

00:05:51.900 He's still there for a day or two.

00:05:53.580 He saw many fascinating things.

00:05:55.020 Here's an interview he had with Hong Kong protesters who were flying American flags.

00:06:01.300 Why have we got an American flag here today?

00:06:03.820 Because we appreciate the American spirit.

00:06:06.560 We fight for freedom and democracy till death.

00:06:10.760 Okay.

00:06:11.660 And so if you could send a message to Donald Trump, what would it be?

00:06:17.820 Mr. Trump, we are very humble and powerless people in Hong Kong.

00:06:24.580 And we know that when the Americans fight for their independence, they need to pay a lot, like for blood and life.

00:06:33.140 And we are prepared for that.

00:06:35.560 And in any moment, if you can help us, like the American people and President Trump, please help us.

00:06:42.140 And I would like to have this chance to thank President Trump that speaks things in Hong Kong for us.

00:06:50.280 Especially a few days ago, he spoke with a lot of powerful people in different countries about Hong Kong situation.

00:06:58.460 And we appreciate that and thank you for him to help us speak out the hate situation in Hong Kong.

00:07:07.140 And something we want to say to the American common people is that be careful of the Chinese business activity. 1.00

00:07:15.620 Because actually, this will slowly corrupt your whole country.

00:07:19.240 The workers who are in the crew that joined the protests, China requests Cafe Pacific to give out a list of their crews that joined the protests.

00:07:32.340 And then the CEO refused.

00:07:34.160 So we think that he is forced to resign his position.

00:07:39.260 Two of them.

00:07:39.880 One of them is CEO.

00:07:41.380 I mean, Cafe Pacific is our company.

00:07:44.320 Why the hell the companies can remove the CEO from us?

00:07:48.640 We are very angry about this.

00:07:50.960 And a few days ago, a few days ago, something happened in the residential area in Hong Kong, a city called, an area called Sha Tin.

00:07:59.900 In the residential area, the government started to build the facial recognition system, which is the first step of their social credit system.

00:08:08.840 They are trying to make Hong Kong like Xinjiang right now. 0.97

00:08:12.860 I mean, if we fail this time, Hong Kong will be the second Xinjiang. 0.97

00:08:16.500 And all of us, they already arrested 700 people.

00:08:20.880 I'm sure they will end up in Xinjiang concentration camp.

00:08:25.120 In my mind, the communists, they are right now, they are actually like Nazi.

00:08:30.120 I mean, I mean, this is what I want to say to the American people and Trump and also to the rest of the world.

00:08:39.120 This is our duty to fight against something like, something like Nazi. 0.56

00:08:43.540 Yeah.

00:08:43.920 If we don't fight here now, we will lose forever.

00:08:47.500 It's no more Hong Kong.

00:08:49.440 No.

00:08:49.620 It's not, if we lose in this battle, Hong Kong is not even an international city.

00:08:55.320 It's just a state inside of China.

00:08:57.480 Why should Americans care?

00:09:00.300 Because Americans are very, how to say it, they care for the freedom and democracy.

00:09:10.720 And we are fighting for this now.

00:09:12.160 I think they can choose not to care.

00:09:16.880 I mean, it's actually practically, it's really practically not their business.

00:09:21.840 In my heart, I know that.

00:09:23.920 But it's like we are raising conscience, consents.

00:09:28.320 It's like if you want to save us, if you want to safeguard this world, then support us.

00:09:34.020 I found that very touching.

00:09:37.540 And I'm not alone.

00:09:38.540 120,000 people have watched that video on our special page, HongKongReports.com, in a day.

00:09:43.960 A few quick comments on that.

00:09:45.900 The masks in Canada, the United States, when you wear a mask, it's to hide you from when you commit a crime to make you unidentifiable.

00:09:54.240 It's the opposite in Hong Kong.

00:09:56.120 The Chinese communists, with their surveillance state, will use facial recognition software to identify you. 0.89

00:10:01.500 So they're hiding from the commies with the face masks.

00:10:04.320 As you can see, they're not violent.

00:10:05.580 They're not armed at all.

00:10:08.060 I thought it was an interesting point.

00:10:09.920 I don't know if you could quite hear her.

00:10:11.520 She was talking about Cathay Pacific and how the Chinese businesses infiltrate.

00:10:16.620 Cathay Pacific, of course, is one of the world's leading airlines based in Hong Kong.

00:10:20.500 But some staff in Cathay Pacific attended the protests, of course.

00:10:24.420 One in three adults in Hong Kong did.

00:10:27.200 The Beijing government demanded that Cathay Pacific identify and fire its staff.

00:10:33.980 The CEO dug in his heels.

00:10:35.940 So he was sacked.

00:10:37.560 Isn't that terrifying?

00:10:38.780 A warning about letting Chinese infiltration into our business culture. 1.00

00:10:43.740 The last point, I don't know if you heard it.

00:10:45.680 She talked about Xinjiang.

00:10:46.920 She said that word fairly quickly.

00:10:48.460 And I don't think many Canadians know what Xinjiang is.

00:10:50.720 It's the province in the west of China that is the Muslim province.

00:10:55.860 It's also called East Turkmenistan, if I'm not mistaken.

00:11:00.280 It's full of an ethnicity called Uyghur.

00:11:03.840 Uyghur Muslims. 0.55

00:11:04.920 Maybe you've heard that word.

00:11:06.660 China has massive concentration camps.

00:11:09.260 That's what they're called.

00:11:10.140 I haven't seen them myself, but I've seen them described as re-education camps trying to

00:11:15.240 de-Muslimify Muslims. 0.99

00:11:17.560 And it's very heavy-handed, and it's been criticized by some media.

00:11:24.200 But of course, I haven't heard any politicians speak out against it.

00:11:26.960 But did you hear what she said?

00:11:28.320 She said they're trying to use the same surveillance state social credit system in Hong Kong that

00:11:35.860 they're doing in Xinjiang.

00:11:36.820 Here's what I mean by that.

00:11:37.840 Total surveillance state all the time, a panopticon, scanning everyone's face all the time, adding

00:11:45.720 that to your permanent file.

00:11:48.680 And they call it social credit.

00:11:50.800 So if you are seen at a protest, you can't have certain privileges.

00:11:55.280 You can't book a train ticket or a plane ticket.

00:11:57.980 You can't get a job.

00:11:59.540 You can't, for example, rent an apartment.

00:12:03.240 They call it social credit, which is a very strange euphemism.

00:12:09.020 But so far, 2.5 million Chinese people have been blacklisted by this total surveillance state

00:12:16.640 social credit system in parts like Xinjiang.

00:12:20.080 And she's worried about that coming to Hong Kong.

00:12:22.580 And she should be worried.

00:12:25.620 Well, Avi was doing a really great job, don't you think?

00:12:27.800 I want to show you so many of his videos, I can't show you them all.

00:12:31.280 But I want to show you just one or two more.

00:12:33.480 Avi interviewed Emily Lau.

00:12:35.780 She was the first woman elected to the Hong Kong legislature.

00:12:40.160 She chaired the Democratic Party in Hong Kong.

00:12:43.140 She's a democracy activist, as the party name suggests.

00:12:46.820 And she is so, so smart.

00:12:48.480 I'd like to show you the full interview with her.

00:12:51.100 Now, you'll notice that our camera fogs up a bit.

00:12:53.680 That's just steam.

00:12:54.740 It was 30 degrees Celsius and 90 percent humidity there.

00:12:58.700 So please don't pay attention to that.

00:13:00.840 But listen to this brilliant, strong woman.

00:13:04.540 You're here for the protest.

00:13:05.600 Can you tell us what is the protest movement?

00:13:07.680 What are they fighting for?

00:13:09.520 Well, initially, it was about an extradition bill, which would allow the government to send

00:13:16.700 people from Hong Kong to mainland China for trial.

00:13:19.780 And of course, although we are not a democracy in Hong Kong, but we have the rule of law,

00:13:25.420 independence of the judiciary.

00:13:27.520 But in mainland China, it's complete lawlessness.

00:13:30.940 So people are very frightened and could not understand why the government of Carrie Lam would 1.00

00:13:35.520 want to do a stupid thing like that. 0.98

00:13:37.420 And particularly ever since 1997, when Britain handed Hong Kong back to China, they have been 1.00

00:13:45.100 negotiating with the mainland for a deal and could not get anywhere.

00:13:49.040 So you know how difficult it is.

00:13:51.220 And suddenly out of the blue, because of a Taiwan homicide case, Carrie Lam came out to 0.93

00:13:56.040 make the proposal.

00:13:57.060 So the whole town just blew up.

00:13:59.000 And then in the end, because so many people marched and many foreign governments, including

00:14:04.760 the Canadian government and others, spoke out.

00:14:07.420 So she came out and said, OK, OK, we stopped the bill.

00:14:10.340 The bill is dead.

00:14:11.820 And people say, what do you mean?

00:14:13.860 Why don't you just use a proper language saying the bill has been completely withdrawn?

00:14:19.440 And she refused.

00:14:21.040 And then in the meantime, there were many demonstrations.

00:14:24.080 Many were peaceful, attracting one to two million people.

00:14:27.660 But some, the young people, they had confrontation with the police.

00:14:32.440 And the police beat up a lot of people.

00:14:34.600 And so far, they have arrested over 700 people already.

00:14:38.180 So the people say, well, there should be an independent inquiry, looking into the whole saga.

00:14:43.340 Why did the government make such a blunder?

00:14:45.720 And why did the police behave in such a brutal way?

00:14:48.640 And of course, some of the protesters also attacked the police.

00:14:52.460 So we want a comprehensive inquiry.

00:14:55.020 And she refused.

00:14:56.120 So that's why today, the Civil Human Rights Front, which organized the big march for one million and two million,

00:15:03.540 they're organizing another march.

00:15:05.500 But the police said, no, no march.

00:15:08.420 But you can have a rally in Victoria Park.

00:15:11.560 But the capacity of the park is only about 100,000.

00:15:15.300 And there may be, you know, a million or more people joining.

00:15:18.580 So what do we do?

00:15:19.420 So the organizers said, OK, no violence, no disorder.

00:15:24.540 So you people, you go into Victoria Park.

00:15:26.840 Once it's full, then we'll get ushers to take you out of the park.

00:15:31.140 You go to the nearby station to take the train.

00:15:34.200 And if there's so many people, then the streets next to the park will be full.

00:15:39.300 Causeway Bay will be full.

00:15:40.720 Wan Chai will be full.

00:15:41.880 Central will be full.

00:15:43.340 Then the government would know that there are many people who want to join this peaceful rally.

00:15:48.680 The organizers said also, please come.

00:15:51.420 Don't wear any mask.

00:15:52.920 Don't wear any goggles.

00:15:53.740 Don't wear any gear.

00:15:55.760 We are peaceful.

00:15:57.180 But then some people say, no, we will come fully armed.

00:16:00.960 So we don't know what will happen.

00:16:03.080 Well, we did say last night some of the escalating on the streets.

00:16:07.020 And a lot of the people wearing masks tell us that they wear it because the police are very heavy handed

00:16:11.880 and use different tear gas, et cetera.

00:16:17.920 Do you understand?

00:16:18.840 I understand, but the organizers say this is a peaceful thing.

00:16:24.920 And maybe you think the organizers are naive.

00:16:27.800 They say that if you're peaceful, if the park is full, then you walk out.

00:16:32.700 And that is not an illegal assembly.

00:16:35.500 So if you walk out, that is fine.

00:16:37.600 And the police will not attack you.

00:16:39.740 But some say, oh, no, you don't trust the police.

00:16:41.860 They may attack us.

00:16:43.300 If they want to protect themselves, that's fine.

00:16:45.980 But I hope people will not come fully covered up and all that, waiting for trouble.

00:16:53.640 And how do you see this all ending?

00:16:55.660 Do you feel we see China at the moment is building a military might on the border?

00:17:04.040 Are you worried of an invasion?

00:17:05.700 Are you worried that this is going to escalate?

00:17:08.620 First of all, my dear, it's not a border.

00:17:12.100 We are the same country.

00:17:13.920 So it's a boundary.

00:17:14.840 I have to correct all these journalists time and time again.

00:17:19.220 Of course, they are amassing troops there.

00:17:22.880 And in fact, they allow the foreign press to go in and film them, which is totally unheard of.

00:17:30.940 Why?

00:17:32.080 Well, they want, A, they want to show you so that you can show the picture, see, oh, the military might.

00:17:37.040 But then they also have people, the police here, gave an off-the-record briefing to the foreign press two or three days ago, saying, no need.

00:17:46.920 We are all ready.

00:17:48.780 We don't need any help from across the boundary.

00:17:51.980 We have had no training exercise with them.

00:17:54.600 We can't control the situation.

00:17:56.700 So I think the police, they are very aware of the bad image they are getting internationally.

00:18:02.600 So they want to tell the press, no, we're not going to invite them to come in.

00:18:06.980 But on the other hand, there are some people over there who want to scare the Hong Kong people.

00:18:12.480 So I think, by and large, the people don't expect them to march across the boundary.

00:18:18.480 In fact, the People's Liberation Army have been stationed in Hong Kong ever since 1997.

00:18:24.180 There's always 6,000 of them here.

00:18:27.180 But they are invisible.

00:18:29.060 So now they are flexing their muscle.

00:18:31.380 I think they just want to tell people to calm down, don't fight with the police.

00:18:35.720 But the people say, I don't want to fight with the police.

00:18:38.140 We just want the government to accede to our demands, which are very reasonable.

00:18:43.380 Set up a commission of inquiry.

00:18:45.520 Withdraw the bloody bill.

00:18:47.160 We are not fighting for independence or self-determination.

00:18:50.600 Maybe the Canadians, those in Quebec, may support it.

00:18:54.380 But we're not fighting for those things.

00:18:56.580 We're fighting for very reasonable things.

00:18:59.100 And in the past 24, 48 hours, the Canadian Prime Minister has spoken out,

00:19:04.540 the British, the German, the Australian, the European Union.

00:19:09.380 And today, just an hour ago, the European Union issued another statement.

00:19:14.060 And then they issued a joint statement with the Canadian government.

00:19:17.420 So you can see the international community is very alarmed.

00:19:20.940 And they're calling on all parties to exercise restraint and to find a political solution.

00:19:27.280 And not to use force and violence.

00:19:29.400 And how do you see it ending?

00:19:30.420 Well, I hope it will end like that.

00:19:33.240 Because at the end of the day, my dear, Hong Kong is important to China.

00:19:39.480 In spite of the fact they say, oh, China is so rich.

00:19:42.160 We are just a tiny percentage of their GDP, be that as it may.

00:19:46.640 We've got the rule of law.

00:19:48.480 We've got international connections.

00:19:51.020 We are an important international financial center.

00:19:55.120 They come here to raise capital.

00:19:58.060 They use Hong Kong a lot.

00:19:59.380 So I wouldn't think anyone in Beijing, in his right mind, would want to come in and smash

00:20:06.200 Hong Kong to smithereens.

00:20:08.440 And I tell you, this is Hong Kong.

00:20:10.680 This is not Tiananmen Square.

00:20:12.940 You remember what happened 30 years ago.

00:20:15.680 They say, the Chinese say they're not going to repeat that.

00:20:19.020 And I certainly hope they won't.

00:20:20.780 And the whole world is watching.

00:20:21.960 Last time they stopped the bill, not because a million people marched.

00:20:26.900 They stopped the bill because there were 67 statements issued by foreign governments.

00:20:31.640 Not 67 bombs.

00:20:33.580 67 statements.

00:20:34.860 So I call on the international community, particularly the Canadian government, because I don't know whether you know, there are 300,000 Canadian citizens living and working in this city.

00:20:48.120 Many Canadian companies.

00:20:49.740 So Canada has a real interest here to make sure that peace is restored, that the government can enter into negotiation with the opposition and settle this amicably.

00:21:02.020 That was great.

00:21:03.420 I want to just show you one more video.

00:21:05.200 And this is our special show today.

00:21:06.700 Just Avi, I can't talk to him because of time zones and connections, but it's like we're talking to him.

00:21:12.460 It's a young woman explaining the five demands of the protesters.

00:21:17.040 She also adds in one of her own that seemed to be a personal beef.

00:21:20.280 She doesn't like mainland Chinese coming into her neighborhood and shopping.

00:21:24.840 That seems a bit made up.

00:21:26.220 I don't think that's why a million and a half Chinese were protesting.

00:21:29.280 But she does list the official five reasons.

00:21:31.680 It's like someone who says, oh, there's 11 commandments.

00:21:34.260 You have to give me more allowance or something.

00:21:36.580 It felt a little silly.

00:21:37.960 But she's a smart woman.

00:21:39.220 And I'm impressed with how young so many of these protesters are.

00:21:43.320 Here, just take a look at this.

00:21:44.800 Do you know the five demands of the show?

00:21:46.560 So the first thing is we want the extradition law to be completely withdrawn.

00:21:50.980 So Carrie Lam has not been promising to withdraw it.

00:21:53.380 So we really want the government to reply to that.

00:21:56.080 Secondly, we want to set up an independent inquiry to the police

00:22:00.900 because they have been very brutal to the protesters.

00:22:03.800 So we want an independent investigation and then have the corresponding outcome

00:22:09.060 that is suitable in response to the police brutality.

00:22:12.980 And the third thing is we want the release of all the protesters that have been arrested.

00:22:19.040 Fourthly, we want universal suffrage to be implemented, which is promised by the basic law.

00:22:27.340 So our Hong Kong people want to choose our own chief executive.

00:22:30.660 The fifth one is that we want the classification of riot to be withdrawn as well

00:22:37.400 because we are not rioters and a lot of the protests are peaceful,

00:22:41.260 but then they got wrongly classified as riot.

00:22:43.980 So we want that to be withdrawn as well.

00:22:46.460 So we want...

00:22:47.140 At the moment, what is rioters, what's it defined as?

00:22:52.340 Basically, even for the 12th of June protest, the government has defined it as a riot.

00:22:57.800 But then we haven't killed anyone.

00:23:00.800 We didn't do any indiscriminate damage or attack to civilians like the police or the gangs did.

00:23:07.480 So we are simply being very peaceful, sitting in or like rallying for our five demands to be answered.

00:23:14.840 I really like these Hong Kong people.

00:23:17.560 I admit I sort of love the slight British accent laid over the Chinese accent.

00:23:22.060 I love how young they are.

00:23:23.220 I love how dedicated they are.

00:23:24.940 How can you not sympathize with people like that?

00:23:27.000 I support their five goals.

00:23:28.840 How can you not?

00:23:30.340 In Canada, there is support for them, but also not.

00:23:35.460 Over the weekend, Canada's hapless Chrystia Freeland put out a statement on the protest, 1.00

00:23:39.380 but she didn't actually condemn China.

00:23:41.700 The only person or people she condemned, she insulted, she called them unacceptable, were the protesters.

00:23:48.460 I'm serious.

00:23:49.320 That's the only thing she called unacceptable.

00:23:51.240 So Canada, as usual, bent the knee to Beijing, and still Beijing was tearing a strip off Canada for even Freeland's meek press release.

00:24:00.860 When you appease a tyrant, it's never enough because the tyrant detects something about you.

00:24:06.420 They learn something about you.

00:24:07.620 You are morally weak. 0.98

00:24:08.620 You are an appeaser.

00:24:10.500 So they can always ask for more, always demand more, always compromise more, and they always do.

00:24:15.240 You'll notice that China treats Trudeau and Freeland with far more personal abuse than they'd ever treated Stephen Harper, who was very tough on them.

00:24:23.740 And China positively lavishes praise on Donald Trump because he will not be bullied.

00:24:30.480 If anything, he'll bully them.

00:24:31.860 He's the toughest anti-China guy around.

00:24:33.800 But remember how they treated him when he actually visited China?

00:24:36.920 Here, take a look at this little video.

00:24:39.360 Our relationship with you and China is a very important one to me and to all of the people of our country.

00:24:47.660 The United States, working with China and other regional partners, has an incredible opportunity to advance the cause of peace, security, and prosperity all across the world.

00:25:02.940 A great responsibility has been placed on our shoulders, President, and I hope we can rise to the occasion and help our countries and our citizens reach their highest destinies and their fullest potentials.

00:25:13.660 In the coming months and years, I look forward to building an even stronger relationship between our two countries and even closer friendships and relationships between the people of our countries.

00:25:30.260 Mr. President, thank you very much.

00:25:33.900 Pretty friendly talk there, but not conceding anything, actually.

00:25:39.140 He's been a tough China basher for years.

00:25:42.140 And red carpet.

00:25:43.660 That's how dictators react to those with a backbone. 1.00

00:25:47.340 Abuse for pathetic losers like Trudeau and Freeland who, well, who talk like this. 1.00

00:25:53.240 We're quite proud the Prime Minister has been given a fond nickname in China. 1.00

00:25:59.340 He is called Pudou, which I believe means potato.

00:26:03.640 And he's, I can't say the Chinese word, little potato, because his father, Pierre Elliott, Pudou, was senior potato.

00:26:14.200 So we feel we are off to a great start. 0.98

00:26:17.540 You know, I mean, it's hard to see that kind of pathetic folly and not want to just, I can understand why China kicks us like we're a lame dog. 0.99

00:26:38.020 Because how can you not, I mean, I would never kick a dog and I don't like it, but that's so pathetic. 0.99

00:26:44.880 They must be disgusted with us over there in Beijing. 0.96

00:26:48.300 How could they possibly treat us with respect if we have no self-respect?

00:26:51.900 I'm sorry, that is so embarrassing.

00:26:55.080 And she still thinks that way.

00:26:58.120 Oh, my God.

00:27:01.520 You know, quick point.

00:27:03.060 I mentioned that there are pro-democracy activists here in Canada.

00:27:06.540 Of course there are.

00:27:07.100 But the troubling thing is there's a number of Chinese immigrants to Canada who don't really like freedom or democracy at all. 1.00

00:27:17.360 They didn't come to Canada with the waves that came in the lead up to 1997 from Hong Kong.

00:27:23.920 They're not Taiwanese. 1.00

00:27:25.160 They're not either dissidents or democratic refugees.

00:27:27.820 They came from communist China.

00:27:29.300 They know nothing else.

00:27:30.960 And look at this case.

00:27:32.640 There was a meeting in Vancouver at a church of pro-democracy Chinese, our kind of people.

00:27:39.860 But look at outside.

00:27:41.740 Masses of government, communist, Beijing-sympathetic Chinese surrounding the church in a hostile way.

00:27:50.280 Canadian police had to go, secure the church, and let the democracy protesters out here in Canada.

00:27:56.800 And one more thing.

00:27:58.900 Here in Toronto, look at this.

00:28:00.340 There's flashy Ferraris and Porsches flying communist China's flag, honking their horns in support of China's crackdown against the Hong Kong Democrats. 0.79

00:28:13.000 But, of course, those are the spoiled, rotten kids of Chinese oligarchs laundering their ill-gotten gains here in Toronto. 1.00

00:28:20.440 Imagine that. 0.89

00:28:21.180 20-something kids driving half-million-dollar cars.

00:28:24.200 The perfect symbol of the Chinese oligarchs in Beijing. 0.77

00:28:27.700 It makes them easy to root against.

00:28:30.200 I tell you, I know whose side I'm on.

00:28:32.280 That of the Hong Kong democracy activists we've shown you so much of today.

00:28:37.020 We're going to keep covering this story because we love freedom.

00:28:40.240 We don't want Canadian or American soldiers going to war over there.

00:28:43.280 That's not even in contemplation.

00:28:44.940 And all we want, I think, is what Trump is doing.

00:28:48.800 And all he's doing is speaking truth to power, pushing back at China in the way that hurts them most, by showing public sympathy and encouragement to the protesters. 0.52

00:28:59.220 And by calling out China's unfair trade practices in a way that bites.

00:29:03.340 I don't think that some of the protesters we spoke to, we talked to one gentleman who wanted the British to come back and rule the UK again.

00:29:13.120 Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen, which is too bad.

00:29:16.960 But I think Donald Trump just might make the bullies of Beijing themselves back down.

00:29:25.960 I think he'll help save Hong Kong and keep it free if it can be done.

00:29:31.000 And you know what?

00:29:31.500 I think he's going to make America richer in the bargain.

00:29:36.200 That's our special show for today.

00:29:38.520 Extended videos from Avi in Hong Kong.

00:29:40.500 He's there for another day or two.

00:29:41.940 You can see all of his videos at HongKongReports.com.

00:29:45.580 They're great.

00:29:46.460 We spent $4,000 or $5,000 getting him and his cameraman there.

00:29:49.960 If you think it was worth it, and I sure do, you can help chip in right there at HongKongReports.com.

00:29:55.540 I'm pretty proud of his work, and I hope you are too.

00:29:59.580 Stay with us.

00:30:00.400 Your letters are next.

00:30:15.020 Hey, welcome back.

00:30:15.880 On my monologue Friday about Donald Trump showing support for the Hong Kong protest, Keith writes,

00:30:20.940 the Chinese are amassing a very large force of troops along the Hong Kong and Chinese border.

00:30:24.620 The whole situation could very easily turn into one hell of a big duck shoot.

00:30:28.540 Tempers fare very quickly, and life is cheap in the Orient. 0.96

00:30:33.540 Trust me, I lived there as a limey soldier for nearly five decades. 0.90

00:30:39.580 I mean, Hong Kong is an amazing city culturally, economically, politically, historically.

00:30:45.080 I wonder if China thinks that its specialness, its wealth, its world-classness is now more

00:30:54.680 of a liability than an asset.

00:30:56.440 I mean, the rest of China is rich, not in the same way, but in sort of the world's factory

00:31:00.920 kind of way.

00:31:02.320 I think that President Xi would not hesitate to do a Tiananmen Square there if he thought

00:31:07.560 he could get away with it.

00:31:08.360 But as Donald Trump said, you do that, and no deal with the West is possible.

00:31:13.800 I think he's right.

00:31:14.820 Other than, of course, some European Union countries who do a deal with anyone.

00:31:19.320 Bruce writes,

00:31:20.700 Trump is a master negotiator.

00:31:21.960 He knows what will get his opposition on the run.

00:31:24.460 I hope it's true that this communist dynasty will crumble from the outside in.

00:31:29.020 Yeah, well, I mean, look at Hong Kong.

00:31:31.020 They're doing great.

00:31:32.460 I was in Taiwan, and it's been a few years.

00:31:34.420 But they care about freedom, too.

00:31:36.640 I think there was a historic bias against Chinese people.

00:31:42.220 I think some Western chauvinists thought there's no way that our Western liberal culture of freedom

00:31:47.920 can take root in a Confucian worldview.

00:31:52.600 I don't know if that was ethnocentric.

00:31:54.640 I think it was just sort of a statement about the philosophy of Confucianism versus our individualistic

00:32:00.480 philosophy of rebellion and individual liberty in the West.

00:32:05.280 But I think, did you see those Hong Kong young people?

00:32:08.680 I think they actually understand freedom, and especially that young lady who was talking to Americans.

00:32:13.980 And I think they can articulate freedom better than your average college kid in Canada or the United States.

00:32:21.220 Would you agree with me on that?

00:32:23.180 And I tell you, it's one thing to talk about freedom in the United States.

00:32:25.960 We've got the Second Amendment to back up the first. 1.00

00:32:27.800 It's one thing to talk about freedom in Canada when we're not in acute jeopardy.

00:32:32.240 But to stand with that courage on a street, knowing a few miles away there are tanks mustering?

00:32:37.880 Well, I have to say, I am impressed.

00:32:40.680 And I scarce can think of an example around the world that matches it.

00:32:44.500 I'm a fan.

00:32:45.340 Frankly, as I said to our team here, I wish it was me in Hong Kong meeting these heroes,

00:32:49.400 not my friend Avi Amini, who's doing a great job.

00:32:51.800 On my interview with Manny Montenegrino, Barb writes,

00:32:56.280 Always a learning experience with Manny Montenegrino provides his input.

00:32:59.620 If the RCMP fail to investigate and charge Trudeau with obstruction of justice,

00:33:03.120 they send Canadians a definite signal that they, too, are part of the libretto corruption.

00:33:07.920 Well, yeah, now I see news that Jody Wilson-Raybould said the RCMP contacted her in the spring.

00:33:15.060 All right. Well, it's the summer and almost the fall now, and an election is upon us.

00:33:22.560 I can't understand why there's no investigation or charges, especially after Mario Dion's ethics report.

00:33:30.620 But perhaps Trudeau has succeeded in corrupting that institution as well.

00:33:36.420 That's our show for today.

00:33:37.320 On behalf of all of us here at Rebel World Headquarters,

00:33:39.540 whether you're in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, or Hong Kong,

00:33:42.960 goodnight, and keep fighting for freedom.

Rebel News Podcast - August 20, 2019

The Rebel is in Hong Kong to document the democratic uprising — while Communist China bullies democracy activists in Canada

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