The procedure to enact Article 23 of the Basic Law in Hong Kong has entered the final phase. However, the Democratic Party strongly questioned the enactment of Article 23 and said it will damage the freedom and human rights of Hong Kong’s citizens. Eleven members, including several from the top level of the Party, started a hunger strike today to protest against the hasty enactment of Article 23. Fifteen Hong Kong organisations, whose political stand is favourable to Taiwan, also publicised a proclamation about their stance of opposing the enactment of Article 23, the so-called “National Security Regulation”. They expressed their concerns that when there are disputes across the Taiwan Strait, the Hong Kong government may use this Article to suppress them and restrict their political activities.
Mr. Yang Sen, Chairperson of the Democratic Party, and Mr. He Junren, Vice Chairperson, also participated in the hunger strike, which will last from 10 am, June 27 all the way to 2 pm, July 1. During the 100 hours of the fast, they will only drink water or sugared water.
The Democratic Party declared to the Hong Kong citizens that the legislation of Article 23 would escalate the instability of the society. They also demanded the Hong Kong government to establish a political system in which the citizens can have more political powers, and they can vote to elect the Chief Executive as well as all members of the Legislation Council. The Democratic Party believes that only full-scale democracy could fundamentally resolve the political problems in Hong Kong. The speaker of the Democratic Party also called on the citizens to join the protest march on July 1 to express their dissatisfaction with Article 23.
The proclamation publicised by the fifteen organisations favourable to Taiwan said that the Hong Kong government’s responsibility is to punish violent behaviour and disruption to public order. In this regard, the existing Criminal Regulation is sufficient. Hong Kong ought to keep playing a role of freedom and neutrality so that it can contribute to the cross the strait of Taiwan affairs. If the Hong Kong government plans to restrict citizens’ speech and freedom in the name of banning sedition and subversion, it will certainly arouse a negative impact on the exchanges between Taiwan and Hong Kong. It will also nullify Hong Kong’s paradigm effect for “One Country, Two Systems”.
In addition, the proclamation also called on the Hong Kong society to support the organisations and the citizens in Taiwan. They asked Hong Kong’s citizens to participate in the protest march on July 1 to show their non-concession to the Hong Kong government.
Translated from Chinese at http://yuanming.net/articles/200306/21796.html
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