Nearly 200,000 Signatures Opposing Article 23 Collected

December 24 was the last day of the consultation period of Article 23. A consultation period is an allotted time during which the Hong Kong government officials will receive opinions, testimonies or documentation from the people of Hong Kong before voting on a legislation. Many Organisations appealed to the Hong Kong government offices and submitted 190,000 signatures opposing Article 23.

The Civil Human Rights Front, composed of more than 40 Organisations, paraded to the government building and submitted 190,000 signatures. Representatives believe that once this article becomes law, Hong Kong will no longer be free. Beijing will install its brutal methods of control and freedom of speech and thought will completely disappear.

In addition, international human rights Organisations submitted several thousand signatures opposing Article 23. A spokesman requested that the government prolong the survey period.

Additionally, The Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor issued an open letter to Tung Chee-hwa (Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), pointing out that Article 23 is violating international human rights standards.

The Human Rights Monitor declared that China often used similar legislation to suppress journalists, labour activists, web industry workers and researchers. They want the Hong Kong government to protect freedom of expression and other human rights.

The open letter also mentioned that the China-UK Joint Declaration signed in 1984 states clearly that Hong Kong would have freedom of expression, freedom of belief and freedom of association. China promised that Hong Kong would not change for 50 years. If Article 23 is established, it will bring severe restrictions to the Hong Kong people and also damage the reputation of China in the international community.

---

Report by a Journalist from the Central News Agency

Journalist Chen Xing from the Central News Agency reports from Hong Kong on December 24:

The greatly controversial article 23 has reached the last day of the consultation period. Many Organisations on both sides of the debate are still working hard to submit opinion letters to the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The opposing Organisations include the Civil Human Rights Front, which initiated a large parade against Article 23, and the Hong Kong branch of Amnesty International, which submitted 170,000 opposing signatures. They feel that Article 23 will affect the basic human rights and freedom of Hong Kong citizens and request that the government prolong the survey period. They call for a town meeting of Hong Kong citizens to gauge the public sentiment.

Many international organisation and governments have expressed their concerns over Article 23. The European Union declared today that Article 23 might be used to limit or even eliminate [groups] in Hong Kong that are currently outlawed in mainland China. The Union requests that the Hong Kong government respect the spirit of freedom and human rights by which the Constitution of Hong Kong was framed. Human Rights Watch in New York also published an open letter criticising Article 23 as threatening freedom of expression in Hong Kong. They claim that the suggested legislation is very near sighted.