The Odyssey - Democracy in Hong Kong

[Randy W]

from the WSJ and SCMP

Hong Kong Police Arrest Dozens of Opposition Politicians
Operation is biggest since the sweeping national security law was imposed six months ago

Opposition activist Benny Tai arrives at the Ma On Shan police station after his arrest on Wednesday. Photo: Bloomberg

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From about 6 a.m., police started making arrests at the homes of the politicians, according to social media accounts of some detained. The arrests were related to their participation in unofficial election primaries held last year by the democratic camp ahead of planned legislative elections, they said.

The operation is the biggest since the sweeping national security law was imposed six months ago, and activists said the arrests were the first related to alleged subversion which was made a serious crime under the legislation. The range and profile of the lawmakers arrested, comprising most of Hong Kong’s opposition, marks a dramatic escalation in efforts by authorities to crush opposition in the city, which was racked by monthslong antigovernment street protests in 2019.

Less than two weeks after the security law was imposed, on the weekend of July 11 and 12, the opposition camp took part in self-organized primaries in order to select preferred candidates for scheduled elections in September. The event was aimed at gaining a majority in the legislature, which participants said meant they would be able to block government legislation. Organizers said then that about 600,000 members of the public cast their votes.

Many of the politicians were told weeks later that their candidacies were invalid, with authorities citing concerns over their loyalty to the city and its constitution. Shortly after the disqualifications, the government postponed the elections by a year, citing the coronavirus pandemic.

The democratic camp resigned en masse in November after several of their peers were expelled from the legislature for being disloyal after a ruling from Beijing.

Police didn’t immediately comment on the arrests.

 

Developing | National security law: mass arrests of former Hong Kong opposition lawmakers, activists made to avoid ‘overthrow’ of government, security minister says

• Primary election run-off in July part of ‘mutual destruction’ plan intended to paralyse government, says John Lee
• Occupy Central co-founder Benny Tai detained along with former legislators James To, Lam Cheuk-ting, Andrew Wan, Alvin Yeung and Wu Chi-wai

Edited January 6, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

 

[Randy W]

An American Priest caught up in the crackdown - from the WSJ

American Priest Turned Lawyer in Hong Kong Faces China’s Wrath but Keeps the Faith

• John Clancey spent more than 50 years assisting the city’s powerless before being swept up in a crackdown on pro-democracy groups

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Mr. Clancey was one of dozens of activists arrested in last week’s roundup of opposition figures—the biggest since Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong six months ago. Police accused those targeted of subversion after holding an unofficial primary election last year as part of a plan to win a legislative majority and derail government policy.

During an interview at his office in downtown Hong Kong, Mr. Clancey, 79 years old, confirmed that he was arrested because he served as treasurer for a pro-democracy group that helped organize the primaries. Now a lawyer, Mr. Clancey is the first American detained under the new law, underscoring its wide reach and authorities’ willingness to wield it on locals and foreigners alike.

Police confiscated his American passport following his arrest, Mr. Clancey said, though he believes he doesn’t deserve any special treatment as a U.S. citizen. A spokesman for the U.S. Consulate declined to comment on his case, citing privacy laws. A Hong Kong government spokeswoman referred to previous statements saying the city would safeguard national security and “not tolerate any offense of subversion.”

Mr. Clancey said he has done nothing wrong and expressed optimism that the city’s justice system would safeguard him by ruling that his activities were protected by Hong Kong’s Basic Law, the city’s constitution that guarantees rights like freedom of speech and assembly.

“The courts I think will come down on the side of human rights,” he said. The group he worked for, Power for Democracy, was “just asking for democracy at a greater speed in Hong Kong.”

The arrest of Mr. Clancey and dozens of other activists last week were the latest sign that China is determined to stifle the city’s pro-democracy movement in spite of international condemnation. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was appalled by Mr. Clancey’s arrest, adding: “The United States will not tolerate the arbitrary detention or harassment of U.S. citizens.”

 

 

[Randy W]

"Fearless, unrelenting, selfless - support Bao Choy," her supporters chanted.

Choy was arrested for allegedly accessing vehicle licence plate records as part of her job as a producer. pic.twitter.com/HFwcpp111n

— Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (@hkfp) January 14, 2021

[Randy W]

from the SCMP on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/355665009819/videos/699241987427947

BN(O) passport holders flee Hong Kong 

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Applications for a new visa scheme that will offer Hongkongers a 
pathway to citizenship in Britain will open on January 31 , and many are 
seizing the chance to leave. 

Read more here: https://sc.mp/rd02

 

National security law: tears, fears but a new life? Hong Kong early birds who have taken BN(O) path to Britain

• Some among thousands who have already left say they are not put off by talk of Beijing ‘retaliation’
• Despite its Covid-19 crisis and rising jobless rate, Britain has eased entry rules for Hongkongers

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After the national security law was imposed last year, Britain announced a new BN(O) visa that would allow everyone with BN(O) status and their dependents to stay in the country for up to five years, with the right to work and study, and to apply for citizenship after six years.
From January 31, an estimated 5.4 million people out of Hong Kong’s population of 7.5 million will be eligible to apply for these new visas.

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

from People's Daily - Hong Kong on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/PDChinaHK/posts/264144038674445/

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Plugging electoral loopholes imperative to implement "patriots governing Hong Kong": expert
A Chinese academic has called for changes to the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to plug its loopholes so that the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong" can be fully implemented.
Most countries examine the qualifications of their election candidates and have some basic principles to ensure the candidates running for public office are patriots, said He Junzhi, deputy head of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies.
The inadequacy of such regulations in Hong Kong gives plenty of space to anti-China rioters, said He, who is also the executive deputy director of the Institute of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Development Studies at Sun Yat-sen University.
Speaking to Xinhua, He said many loopholes of Hong Kong's electoral system were exposed during the district council election in 2019 and some preliminary procedures in the run-up to the seventh-term Legislative Council (LegCo) election originally scheduled for 2020.
Many necessary rules were not in place or not fully implemented, such as regulations on the oath-taking system for public employees and qualifications for election candidates, he added.
Condemning the so-called "primary election" organized by anti-China rioters and opposition political groups last year ahead of the original date of the LegCo election, He said it has neither legal effect nor constitutional basis.
Some candidates running for LegCo membership threatened to veto the budget introduced by the HKSAR government before they even saw it, which is a total loss of the most basic political ethics, He noted.
He said the current underrepresentation of some elected posts in Hong Kong tends to amplify the voices of certain extreme opposition forces within the system and prevent the voices of other sectors from being fully expressed.
"This lack of proper representation leads the outside world to believe that extreme opposition forces represent the whole of Hong Kong. The situation must be rectified," he said.
In recent years, some anti-China disruptors in Hong Kong, including some elected LegCo members, actively colluded with foreign forces and acted as agents of anti-China forces in Western countries, posing serious threats to national security.
Any public servant who has blatantly acted as an agent of Western countries has obviously violated the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong," the academic said. "They must be subject to legal punishment and disqualified from holding public office in Hong Kong." (Xinhua)

Edited February 20, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://fb.watch/3ZxZcSjnfG/

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47 Hong Kong activists charged with subversion

Police have charged 47 activists and former opposition lawmakers with conspiring to subvert state power under Hong Kong’s national security law.

National security law: 47 Hong Kong opposition figures charged with conspiring to subvert state power, after arrests over roles in bloc’s primary

Suspects, aged 23 to 64, including scholar Benny Tai, denied bail and will appear in court on Monday

The primary last July was aimed at narrowing the field of candidates deemed most likely to help the bloc score their first-ever majority in the legislature

 

[Randy W]

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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has emphasised that the government wants "no unpatriotic people" in the city's political system.

from the SCMP on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/434672417958735/

 

Edited March 10, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Hong Kong must move from chaos to proper governance: Global Times editorial
By Global TimesPublished: Mar 11, 2021 10:11 PM

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The National People's Congress  on Thursday adopted a decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The decision includes enlarging the scale of the Election Committee to 1,500 members from the previous 1,200 members, and the committee shall be responsible for electing the Chief Executive designate and part of the members of the Legislative Council (LegCo). The Election Committee shall also be responsible for nominating candidates for the Chief Executive and LegCo members. A candidate qualification review committee of the HKSAR shall be established. The committee shall be responsible for reviewing and confirming the qualifications of candidates for the Election Committee members, the Chief Executive, and LegCo members.

The decision and the legislation it promotes will ensure that the principle of patriots governing Hong Kong can be implemented. We believe that Hong Kong's governance will turn over a new page from now on.

After Hong Kong returned to China, some radical forces engaged in extreme confrontational politics with the support of the West and under the disguise of so-called expanding democracy. In fact, everything they do is to expand the power of the opposition. By trying to control the LegCo and send an opposition figure to the position of chief executive, they want to subvert Hong Kong's constitutional system.

 

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

from the SCMP on Facebook

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Hong Kong's opposition bloc say they've been living in uncertainty and
 fear and admit they don't know what the future holds.
 Read more here: https://sc.mp/8k5i

https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/348341463135691/

[Randy W]

from People's Daily - Hong Kong on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/PDChinaHK/posts/281398800282302/

HKSAR's high degree of autonomy is guaranteed under "one country, two systems", except where THEY DECIDE.

"Hong Kong is part of China". I think they win that one hands down.

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HKSAR gov't condemns U.S. latest wrong move under so-called "Hong Kong Autonomy Act" 
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Wednesday condemned the latest wrong move by the U.S. Department of State under an update to the so-called "Hong Kong Autonomy Act", which continued to put 24 officials of the Chinese mainland and the HKSAR on a sanctions list.
"We are extremely disappointed that the current U.S. administration, instead of rectifying the blatant mistake made by its predecessor, has chosen to pursue the same wrongful path of disregarding international norms and interfering in HKSAR affairs, which are internal matters of the PRC (People's Republic of China)," said a spokesman for the HKSAR government.
"We deeply regret that the U.S. administration has clearly not taken heed of the collective voice of some 70 countries which had spoken in support of the PRC in respect of two key decisions to uphold the principle of 'one country, two systems' at the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council," he said.
The spokesman said that HKSAR's high degree of autonomy is guaranteed under "one country, two systems", but foreign entities have repeatedly ignored this fundamental principle and the correct relationship between "one country" and "two systems". The HKSAR is an inalienable part of the PRC and is directly accountable to the Central People's Government. National security and political structure are matters within the purview of the central authorities.
"As the highest organ of state power, the National People's Congress (NPC) has the constitutional authority to make the decisions to improve the electoral system and safeguard national security in the HKSAR in March 2021 and May 2020 respectively. Taking into account the actual situation in Hong Kong, both decisions are timely and necessary," the spokesman said.
In respect of the national security legislation, its positive effect, in restoring peace and stability and safeguarding individual rights and freedoms, has been felt throughout Hong Kong, by Hong Kong residents as well as expatriates living and working in Hong Kong, the spokesman said.
"The NPC's recent decision to improve the electoral system in the HKSAR is to ensure 'patriots administering Hong Kong'. No country would allow its governance power to be vested in people who are not patriotic and who will endanger the interests of the country."
Events in the past years clearly revealed that there were people who had exploited existing loopholes in the electoral system to enter the political institutions and used that platform to advocate for the so-called "Hong Kong independence," engage in acts of subversion, and even collude with external elements to endanger national security. They posed huge risks to Hong Kong's stability and prosperity, the spokesman said.
"To countries that consider national security to be of paramount importance on their own soil yet threaten officials of other countries for acting to defend their territory, the adoption of double standards is evident. Any claim that the HKSAR's high degree of autonomy and freedoms have been undermined by the NPC's decisions is also totally groundless."
"The U.S. 'sanctions' will not create an obligation for financial institutions under Hong Kong law. Our financial institutions and our financial system as a whole are robust and resilient. They will continue to operate normally and smoothly despite any undue pressure from the U.S."
"The chief executive and the HKSAR government officials who have been targeted by the U.S. administration over the past year will not be intimidated by these hostile acts of hegemony. They will continue to discharge their duty to safeguard 'one country, two systems' and national security in HKSAR in accordance with the law without fear or anxiety," the spokesman said. (Xinhua)

 

[Randy W]

Continuing the "Hong Kong is part of China" theme . . .

from Xinhua

"To ensure that only Patriots can govern Hong Kong"

China's top legislature adopts amended annexes to HKSAR Basic Law

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BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature on Tuesday voted unanimously to adopt the amended Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

The two annexes concern the method for the selection of the HKSAR Chief Executive and the method for the formation of the HKSAR Legislative Council and its voting procedures, respectively.

The amendments were passed at the closing meeting of the 27th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC).

President Xi Jinping signed presidential orders to promulgate the amended annexes.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the meeting, which was attended by 167 members of the NPC Standing Committee.

The meeting also passed bills related to personnel appointment and removal.

Li also presided over two meetings of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee before the closing meeting. Enditem

 

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Dear Randy

It’s a done deal now. Hong Kong’s entire political structure will be overhauled after China’s top legislative body last week approved fundamental and far-reaching changes to the city’s electoral system.

Several of the key elements in the shakeup were expected, but there were some surprises and eyebrow-raising details as well. In a nutshell, the number of directly elected seats will be slashed to ensure more pro-Beijing representation in the legislature, a powerful new post will be created to head a far more influential Election Committee, and a vetting body will be established to screen out candidates deemed to be unpatriotic.

The fallout has gone global, which is to be expected as the US and its Western allies ramp up their wider campaign against China, while both the Beijing and local governments are doubling down in defiance, insisting this is an internal matter and the tough steps being taken now are long overdue after the protest chaos of 2019.

Is this the “end of democracy” in the city, as opposition politicians and critics have complained, or is it a welcome reboot that will put Hong Kong back on track for a better future? Our comprehensive coverage looks into all the implications and more.

Hope you’ve had a good Easter break. Visit scmp.com if you need to catch up on anything you’ve missed during the holiday, or if you’re looking for the latest.

Yonden Lhatoo,
Chief News Editor

[Randy W]

HK activist Joshua Wong to be jailed for 10 more months over unauthorised Tiananmen Square vigil
Hong Kong opposition activist Joshua Wong has been sentenced to an additional 10 months in jail for his participation in an unauthorised Tiananmen Square vigil in 2020.

from the SCMP
https://www.facebook.com/355665009819/videos/1170362960073657

and CGTN jumps on the case

The District Court of #HongKong Special Administrative Region on Thursday sentenced Joshua Wong Chi-fung to 10 months in jail for participating in an unauthorized assembly in June last year.

Wong had pleaded guilty to the charge on April 30.

from CGTN on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/565225540184937/posts/6227714873935947/

Edited May 7, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

In case you had any doubts as to whether Hong Kong would be blended into the rest of China . . .

Young entrepreneurs from China's Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions are flooding into entrepreneur hubs in south China's Guangdong province as China speeds up the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area).
With a series favorable policies and supportive measures, they are going all out to pursue their dreams in this megalopolis that consists of nine cities in Guangdong province and the two special administrative regions in South China.   #GreaterBayArea

from China Pictorial on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3793272200798141&id=553929144732479