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China: Democracy in Hong Kong is "Unachievable"
In a move that has angered many, Beijing has announced, that despite the level of public feeling in Hong Kong and mounting demands to reverse the decision not to hold direct elections in 2007, it will not be allowing Hong Kong greater autonomy or to institute universal suffrage.
| "China has bluntly ruled out any immediate moves towards greater democracy in Hong Kong and warned that those pressing for what was 'unachievable' were being 'unwise.'" |
Despite calls for democratic reforms from several figures with the US Government, senior figures with the British Government and broad international support for Hong Kong's right to greater autonomy, China has again refused to allow greater democratic freedoms and has denied that Hong Kong is capable of implementing a stable democracy through free elections, branding pro democracy activists and members of reform based political groups as "un-patriotic" and their aspirations of democracy as being unachievable and not up for negotiation.
| "It is unwise to try to achieve what is unachievable. Such demands are against the current atmosphere of dialogue and communication in the society," Li Gang - Deputy director, China Liaison Office Hong Kong - Care of CNN International |
Despite assurances that Hong Kong would be allowed to maintain its' economic and social freedoms after the handover, Beijing has repeatedly interfered with Hong Kong's ruling body, and has recently altered the ratio of elected and appointed representatives to ensure that Beijing backed council members would have a clear advantage in the decision making processes.
In a death knell to hopes for democracy by 2007 Beijing earlier ruled out the possibility of direct elections when the current, and highly unpopular, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa was due to step down, and announced that all further reforms, including those aimed at introducing suffrage, would have to be approved by Beijing before becoming part of Hong Kong's Basic Law.
Amid rising concerns that calls for democracy in Hong Kong might spur on pro democracy campaigners on the mainland, Chinese officials have repeatedly cracked down on democracy activists from Hong Kong, preventing many from traveling to the mainland and has introducing new legislation to restrict pro democracy activities. It has also been reported that many Chinese travel companies were pressured into scheduling tours around the protest dates, and has arrested pro democracy supporters on the mainland for activities in support of direct elections in the SAR
June 1, originally planned as a public holiday to celebrative Hong Kong's return to China has since become the focus of pro democracy campaigns.
| Last year, half a million took to the streets on July 1, protesting against a controversial anti-subversion bill amid worries about the territory's future and outrage over the government's handling of the deadly SARS epidemic. |
| CNN International | http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/07/03/china.hk/ |
| Senator S. Brownback, Official US Senate Website | http://brownback.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=223146 |
| Speech to the Foreign Relations Committee by R. Schriver Deputy Assistant Secretary of State | http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/ushk/state/2004/030402.htm |
Written by The Angry Chinese Blogger on Blog City |
I must say, this was thoroughly predictable from the moment control of Hong
Kong was switched over to the mainland.
"branding pro democracy activists and members of reform based political groups as 'un-patriotic'"
That's priceless. Reminds me of the tactics of certain groups in another country . . .
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