“Global Coalition Against Article 23 Legislation” Appeal During 59th Session of the U.N. Human Rights Commission

At 3 p.m. on March 18, the U.S. based NGO, “Global Coalition Against Article 23 Legislation”, staged an appeal at the Place Des Nations in Geneva to urge government officials and others who are attending the 59th session of the U.N. Human Rights Commission to express their concerns about the damage that the enactment of Article 23 might have on Hong Kong’s freedom and democracy.

More than three hundred people, including both Chinese and westerners, who are concerned about Hong Kong’s fate attended the appeal. Those in attendance were from dozens of countries, including Switzerland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the U.K., Germany, France, the U.S., Canada and Australia. They displayed Chinese and English banners reading “Support Hong Kong Citizens, and Oppose the Article 23 Legislation”, “Stop the Persecution of the Innocent by a Dictator; Hong Kong’s Future Cannot Be Ruined by Article 23”, ”Defend Freedom in Hong Kong, Oppose the Repressive Article 23 Legislation”, etc.

The Chairman of the "Global Coalition Against Article 23", Mr. Tao Wang, pointed out that the Place Des Nations has witnessed numerous appeals for human rights and human dignity, and that Falun Gong practitioners had appealed there for human rights in China that morning. He said that he would like once again to appeal for the (human rights) of the people in China and the six million Hong Kong residents.

As to the revised version of Article 23 drafted by the Hong Kong government in February 2003, Mr. Wang thought that though the wording had changed, the vicious motive for depriving Hong Kong residents of their freedom had been retained. He also mentioned that most Hong Kong residents are pessimistic about their future after their appeals to prevent the implementation of Article 23 have failed. Mr. Wang told Hong Kong residents that he would present a signature book to the U.N. Human Right Commission containing 13,000 signature that have been collected on the Global Coalition Against Article 23 Legislation’s website, www.againstarticle23.org. Furthermore, Mr. Wang reiterated that the Coalition’s principles: “...are not to discuss how to modify Article 23, but that we completely don’t want Article 23...”

Hong Kong Falun Gong Association member Mr. Chen Yonggouang recounted the case of 16 Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners who were accused of “blocking the street”. The case was of great concern because the Chinese government placed pressure on the Hong Kong government and its judicial department. As a result, the case was tried unfairly. He also pointed out that before the enactment of Article 23, the Hong Kong government had tried various approaches to pave the way for suppressing Falun Gong, and that Article 23 is aimed at Falun Gong. Finally, he mentioned that Hong Kong’s “one-country, two-system” policy is supposed to be maintained for 50 years unchanged, but it has lasted only five years. How can people believe in the Hong Kong government’s promise that the implementation of Article 23 will not infringe upon human rights and freedom?

Taiwan’s situation is very much similar to that of Hong Kong. With the “one-country, two-systems” policy, China tried to reunite Hong Kong first, and then reunite Taiwan. As a result, Taiwan has closely watched Hong Kong’s political situation during the past five years after its handover to Mainland China. During the appealing activity, Mr. Zhang Zhenyu, a Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioner who was violently deported by Hong Kong police from Hong Kong Airport to Taiwan in last January, recounted the experiences he and other Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioners had been through during the several hours of being detained in Hong Kong Airport. Among the detainees were the elderly and children. Some were confined in a small room with poor ventilation and not allowed to sleep. Some were even beaten by the police. Mr. Zhang was deported along with his wife who had obvious scratches on her wrist and bloodstains on her lips. For the case concerning the violence inflicted by Hong Kong police, the Taiwanese government and its vice president have openly released statements expressing their strong condemnation. Mr. Zhang said: “The implementation of Article 23 would become a signal for Mainland China to entirely introduce its authoritarian political system to Hong Kong. By so doing, not only the human rights of the Taiwanese like me would be endangered, but the violence would be extended to Hong Kong residents and the people from other countries.”

In addition to Chinese, more and more westerners have deeply realized the seriousness of Article 23. Ms. James, a western practitioner from Australia, who is chairperson of Australian branch of the Global Coalition Against Article 23 Legislation, expressed her grave concern over the legislation. She also mentioned the Australian Chinese’s strong opposition to the legislation and the efforts done by European governments to urge Hong Kong government to protect the basic freedom in Hong Kong.

The Chairman of the European branch of the Global Coalition Against Article 23 Legislation, also gave a brief speech. He said that he was shocked by unscrupulous measures taken by the Hong Kong government to sabotage justice and human rights. He urged all the governments around the world not to be deceived by Chinese government’s lies.

A French Doctor of biology was the last speaker. He happened to be invited to give lectures and do some research in the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He was surprised by Hong Kong residents’ fear resulting from the legislation of Article 23. Even the scholars in universities are worried about the fact that they may break the law while giving lectures on political science. According to an email he received from the library, even the library was wondering if it should apply to the government for a special permit so as to keep the books which might be regarded by the government as seditious publications.

As war loomed, most people’s attention gradually shifted from human rights which were the theme of the convention to the possible war in the Middle East. The march against Hong Kong’s legislation of Article 23 on the morning of March 19, organized by the multinational radical party, was thus called off. However, the Chairman of the Global Coalition Against Article 23 Legislation was invited to give a speech at a seminar sponsored by a non-governmental organization in the United Nation Building.

Translated from: http://yuanming.net/articles/200303/18483.html