On the afternoon of December 19, the European Parliament passed a resolution against Article 23, expressing concern that the legislation could affect fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong. The resolution “Calls on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government to ensure that Article 23 proposals will not be used to silence opposition, restrict freedom of speech, of the press and of publication, freedom of association, of assembly, of procession and of demonstration, the right and freedom to form and join trade unions and to strike, and the right to engage in academic research, literary and artistic creation and other cultural activities.” It also emphasises that the development of future relations with China hinges on the respect for the full autonomy of Hong Kong.
To read the full text of the European Parliament resolution, please see www.clearharmony.net/articles/200212/8982.html.
Within European Parliament
On the 19th and 20th December, visitors to the parliament could see a banner, which read “Please Help to Stop the Article 23 Legislation in Hong Kong”, held up in the square outside the parliament buildings. Many people who were previously unaware of Article 23 came to understand the impact it could have on freedom in Hong Kong.
At 5:30pm on December 19th, MEPs voted on the resolution against Article 23; calling on the HKSAR government to ensure that Article 23 would not be used to jeopardise freedom and human rights in HK. Journalists from several Chinese publications came to the European Parliament to report on the resolution. Also, seven MEPs made comments on Article 23. One of them pointed out that if the legislation were enacted, China’s tyranny and its violations of human rights, such as the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, Christians, Tibetans and other groups, would be extended to HK. The other six MEPs expressed their opposition to Article 23 from different angles.
The resolution passed by a margin of 59 to one, with one abstaining.
HK Citizens Witness the Transformation of HK
After the resolution was passed, one HK citizen told a reporter that she was brought up in Mainland China where she and her family had been subjected to persecution by the Chinese government. She had been sentenced to eight months of labour “re-education” [Jiang regime's term for brainwashing] without trial. Furthermore, she was one of the 16 practitioners in Hong Kong who had been found guilty of obstructing a pavement for their peaceful demonstration. As a Hong Kong citizen, she was unwilling to see Beijing’s persecutory policies exported to Hong Kong. She also made it known that this was her reason for travelling to Europe.
Chinese version available at
http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200212/15541.html
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