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Protesters rally in Hong Kong to support whistle-blower Snowden The Hong Kong government will handle the case of Edward Snowden in accordance with laws and established procedures, Leung Chun-ying, chief executive of the special administrative region, said in a statement over the weekend.

Int'l media reactions to NSA scandal
There is furious debate around the world over whether Edward Snowden is a hero or a criminal. A poll by Reuters shows that 31 percent of Americans think Edward Snowden is a whistle-blower, 23 percent see him as a traitor and the remaining half of Americans say they can’t judge.


Hong Kong says to handle Snowden's case according to laws
Hong Kong Chief Executive C Y Leung said on Saturday the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government will handle the case of whistleblower Edward Snowden in accordance with the laws and established procedures of Hong Kong when the relevant mechanism is activated.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong SAR government will follow up on any incidents related to the privacy or other rights of the institutions or people in Hong Kong being violated, he said in a statement.
 

Timeline

 

Int'l reactions

	China's Foreign Ministry: China has repeatedly reiterated that China has been one of the major victims of hacker attacks and confronted with the grave threat of cyber attack. China is a firm advocate of cyber security. The Chinese government always takes cyber security seriously and opposes any hacker or cyber attack. We believe that cyber security is a global issue and the international community should conduct constructive dialogue and cooperation on the issue based on mutual respect and trust.
	Snowden under criminal investigation The US has launched a criminal investigation and is taking "all necessary steps" to prosecute whistle-blower Edward Snowden for exposing secret US surveillance programs, the FBI director said Thursday.
	Edward Snowden: UK warning aims to keep away US leaker The UK government has warned airlines not to allow an ex-CIA worker who leaked secret US surveillance details to fly to the UK.
	NSA tracking on internet raises questions in Germany German ministers questioned major internet companies on Friday about US tracking of web activity, days before a visit to Berlin by President Barack Obama.
	India says US spying on internet data of its citizens unacceptable India Tuesday voiced concern over the reported US spying on internet data of Indian citizens, saying it would be "unacceptable" if domestic privacy laws were violated.
	Russia may grant asylum for CIA whistleblower Russia may grant political asylum to a former CIA whistleblower who has revealed Washington's highly classified global surveillance programs, the Kremlin said Tuesday.

Comments

china.org.cn:

Whistleblower welcome in China
This is the reason why we appreciate and salute the efforts of Snowden et al, who have gambled their career, family, personal freedom, and even their life to let the global public know what the most powerful force in the world is doing with perhaps the central infrastructure of our age; to make the public aware that this force is acting in an unconstitutional manner and entirely contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Xinhua:

US should "explain hacking activity"
The United States owes China an explanation about its hacking activities and should show more sincerity in the future when engaging in cybersecurity cooperation between the two countries, experts in Beijing said.

Global Times:

Extraditing Snowden an unwise decision
Snowden believes in the democracy and freedom of Hong Kong. His whistle-blowing is in the global public interest. Therefore, extraditing Snowden back to the US would not only be a betrayal of Snowden's trust, but a disappointment for expectations around the world. The image of Hong Kong would be forever tarnished.

China deserves explanation of PRISM
Snowden's revelation about US cyber attacks on Hong Kong and mainland networks is closely related to Chinese national interests. The Chinese government should acquire more solid information from Snowden if he has it, and use it as evidence to negotiate with the US.

US mute on Snowden case
"The leak showed that the US has been hacking foreign countries in a more professional, systematic and lasting manner. It changed the game between China and the US over cyber security and scored a point for China during the summit," Qin An, head of the China Institute of Cyberspace Strategy, told the Global Times Thursday, adding that the criticism toward Snowden revealed the hypocrisy of the US.

Striking a balance between privacy and national security
The development of Internet technology is reshaping the boundaries of the relationships between different societies and different nations. In terms of capability, the US is undoubtedly a superpower in the Internet and can determine its fate. To a great extent, the future of the Internet - whether it becomes a dark forest that follows the law of the jungle or a public tool serving the interests of mankind - depends on the choices the US makes.

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