Does Freedom Really Exist in "Free" Hong Kong?

Since Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, how many Chinese people have sighed with joy over this reunion? What and how much significance does that unforgettable scene still have left nowadays?

What people cherished and were most proud of was the freedom in Hong Kong. Because there was freedom, the economy flourished; because there was freedom, there was democracy and people enjoyed a relaxed living environment; because there was freedom, religions and beliefs were freely able to exist. Freedom was the cornerstone of Hong Kong's prosperity. For the past five years, has the ruling Party's promise to keep the "One Nation, Two Systems" policy unchanged for 50 years truly guaranteed freedom for Hong Kong, or has it instead become the cause of ruin that has strangled freedom? The people of Hong Kong must judge for themselves.

We must also look at the pseudo-democracy promoted by the Jiang regime in "backing up Dong," [Mr. Dong is the Hong Kong governor] and mention the hopeless feeling of despair of pro-democracy activists for the future of democracy in Hong Kong, which they expressed by carrying a casket in their parade. We have to consider the denial of entry into Hong Kong for American Chinese, which raised eyebrows and cast doubts on the promise of the Hong Kong government to uphold the freedoms of speech, assembly and travel. We must look at the fact that as much as 67% of Hong Kong's population expressed their dissatisfaction with the present situation in Hong Kong and their lack of confidence in Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. A further bitter experience for the Hong Kong citizens is the arrest and handcuffing of two news reporters at the scene of "an appealing for residency" protest in Charter Garden this April, with the excuse that they "obstructed the police carrying out their duty." Presently, the government even considers Falun Gong, a practice for improvement of mind and body that involves a sitting meditation, as an adversary. For the first time in Hong Kong's history, the court is holding an open trial of Falun Gong practitioners, who only peacefully appealed in the form of a sitting meditation!

All these things attest to the fact that Jiang Zemin is behind the scenes, imposing tremendous pressure on the government of Hong Kong. In the short span of only five years, and at the cost of freedom in Hong Kong and against the interest of the people of Hong Kong, he turned the promise of "50 years with no change" into a horrible lie, and the "One Nation, Two Systems" policy into a worthless promise. It is even more pathetic that under pressure, many Hong Kong police officers participated in this violent arrest and slanderous trial of Falun Gong practitioners!

Cherishing and enjoying freedom is a basic human right for every citizen. It is extremely evil of Jiang to trample on freedom and human rights by playing dirty politics to accomplish the violation of the constitution and the laws.

If people are deprived of their right to even sit and do exercises, and the belief in "Truth, Compassion, Tolerance" has no place in Hong Kong, then a most dangerous signal has been sent. Today, they can arrest me for doing sitting meditation, tomorrow they can arrest you for walking down the street, as long as they accuse you of "blocking traffic and attacking police." How can there be any freedom and personal safety? Who is the victim of disappearing freedom? Who benefits from playing politics? It's clear at a glance.

When faced with the disaster brought to the world by Nazi Germany, a German pastor, Martin Niemoeller, who was jailed said these thought-provoking words, "First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me."

The slander and trial of Falun Gong practitioners for so-called "blocking traffic and assaulting police" is a touchstone to whether law and freedom still exist in Hong Kong. Hong Kong citizens with a conscience and a sense of justice should not simply sit and watch this savagery and unreasonable incident, because it concerns their own future and the future of Hong Kong. It has to do with whether justice will prevail in Hong Kong. Can we really allow the promise of "50 years with no change" to become nothing but a mere scrap of paper? Should Hong Kong bend before Jiang's high-pressured despotic power? Certainly not!