Please read here an article from this morning SCMP 31.08.2014:
Hong Kong poised for political showdown on 2017 election; Jimmy Lai to join Occupy
With Beijing set to impose 2017 election limits, Jimmy Lai says he will join Occupy Central
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 31 August, 2014, 4:40am
UPDATED : Sunday, 31 August, 2014, 8:53am
Barricades placed outside government offices in Central in preparation for the planned Occupy protests. Photo: Felix Wong
With Beijing expected to confirm a tough framework today for the 2017 chief executive election, both sides of the political divide have stepped up the rhetoric.
The decision to limit the number of candidates who can stand is likely to trigger a showdown with Occupy Central campaigners - and there was an added twist to the saga yesterday when media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying said he would join the civil disobedience movement.
A former top Beijing official on the city's affairs warned that Occupy Central would end in bloodshed if its organisers refused to back down.
Chen Zuoer, former deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, also suggested in an RTHK interview that the movement was being "manipulated by Western countries to overthrow a regime", and that Beijing "would not tolerate such action".
But Occupy Central founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting emphasised that his campaign was not meant to challenge Beijing's sovereignty. "We are just seeking a fair electoral system, so that everyone can exercise their political rights," he said.
Eric Cheung Tat-ming, Benny Tai Yiu-ting and economics professor Sung Yun-wing on radio. Photo: David Wong
The National People's Congress Standing Committee is expected to endorse a decision today that only two or three candidates - who have secured half of a 1,200-strong nominating committee's support - will be allowed to stand in 2017, when Hong Kong picks its first chief executive by universal suffrage.
Pan-democrats say the framework would deprive people of a genuine choice of candidates. The Occupy Central campaign plans to hold a rally outside government headquarters today to announce its next move.
Lai - whose home was searched by graft-busters on Thursday over accusations that some lawmakers had accepted advantages after leaked emails exposed his donations to pan-democrats - confirmed in an RTHK interview that he would take part in Occupy and continue to donate to pan-democrats.
"I will participate in Occupy Central, lie on the street together and go to jail together [with other protesters]," he said, while dismissing suggestions that his donations were related to foreign powers.
On the opposite side, the Small and Medium Law Firms Association of Hong Kong, a group led by Maggie Chan Man-ki of the Beijing-friendly Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, will launch a hotline tomorrow to offer free legal advice "for citizens affected by Occupy Central".
During his RTHK interview, Chen pointed to the conflicts in Libya and Ukraine in accusing Western countries of promoting Occupy Central.
"[In Libya and Ukraine,] some people persuaded specially trained citizens to take part in the civil disobedience movement, in a bid to create bloodshed," Chen said. "And when the government takes enforcement action, the masterminds take the moral high ground to condemn the governments and overthrow them."
When asked whether the People's Liberation Army's local garrison would be mobilised in the event of a large-scale sit-in in the financial hub, he replied: "Beijing would not sit there and ignore such a situation".
But Chen also said he believed Hong Kong police could handle the matter.
Speaking at a media gathering in Beijing, NPC deputy Dr David Wong Yau-kar said Occupy Central would not sway Beijing.
"Universal suffrage means a lot to Hong Kong, and we should welcome it happily," he said. "As time goes on, I think more people would want to have a vote" rather than to have a failed reform.
He lamented that the debate on political reform in the past year had highlighted key "fundamental issues" that had not been discussed rationally.
On Beijing officials' earlier warning about the relationship between democracy and national security, Wong said: "In a sense, it was quite naive for the pan-democrats to ask 'what does universal suffrage have to do with national security?'"
He said that if a pan-democrat became the city's leader, he could face a "dilemma" if someone organised a religious forum in town and decided to invite the Dalai Lama. Beijing would also be concerned about what such a chief executive could do with all the public resources and sensitive information at his fingertips, he suggested.
Wong said: "As long as pan-democrats call for things such as 'ending one-party dictatorship', it is unlikely that Beijing would allow them to run", as it was written in the national constitution that China shall be led by the Communist Party.
And if the pan-democrats were to rule Hong Kong, they should start grooming leaders who only focus on local issues and are not critical of the central government, Wong said.
He lamented that given their experience and standing, pan-democrats - especially the moderates - did not dare to say "no" and allowed radicals and student activists to tell them what to do.
More on this story
The decision to limit the number of candidates who can stand is likely to trigger a showdown with Occupy Central campaigners - and there was an added twist to the saga yesterday when media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying said he would join the civil disobedience movement.
A former top Beijing official on the city's affairs warned that Occupy Central would end in bloodshed if its organisers refused to back down.
Chen Zuoer, former deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, also suggested in an RTHK interview that the movement was being "manipulated by Western countries to overthrow a regime", and that Beijing "would not tolerate such action".
But Occupy Central founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting emphasised that his campaign was not meant to challenge Beijing's sovereignty. "We are just seeking a fair electoral system, so that everyone can exercise their political rights," he said.
Eric Cheung Tat-ming, Benny Tai Yiu-ting and economics professor Sung Yun-wing on radio. Photo: David WongThe National People's Congress Standing Committee is expected to endorse a decision today that only two or three candidates - who have secured half of a 1,200-strong nominating committee's support - will be allowed to stand in 2017, when Hong Kong picks its first chief executive by universal suffrage.
Pan-democrats say the framework would deprive people of a genuine choice of candidates. The Occupy Central campaign plans to hold a rally outside government headquarters today to announce its next move.
Lai - whose home was searched by graft-busters on Thursday over accusations that some lawmakers had accepted advantages after leaked emails exposed his donations to pan-democrats - confirmed in an RTHK interview that he would take part in Occupy and continue to donate to pan-democrats.
"I will participate in Occupy Central, lie on the street together and go to jail together [with other protesters]," he said, while dismissing suggestions that his donations were related to foreign powers.
On the opposite side, the Small and Medium Law Firms Association of Hong Kong, a group led by Maggie Chan Man-ki of the Beijing-friendly Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, will launch a hotline tomorrow to offer free legal advice "for citizens affected by Occupy Central".
During his RTHK interview, Chen pointed to the conflicts in Libya and Ukraine in accusing Western countries of promoting Occupy Central.
"[In Libya and Ukraine,] some people persuaded specially trained citizens to take part in the civil disobedience movement, in a bid to create bloodshed," Chen said. "And when the government takes enforcement action, the masterminds take the moral high ground to condemn the governments and overthrow them."
When asked whether the People's Liberation Army's local garrison would be mobilised in the event of a large-scale sit-in in the financial hub, he replied: "Beijing would not sit there and ignore such a situation".
But Chen also said he believed Hong Kong police could handle the matter.
Speaking at a media gathering in Beijing, NPC deputy Dr David Wong Yau-kar said Occupy Central would not sway Beijing.
"Universal suffrage means a lot to Hong Kong, and we should welcome it happily," he said. "As time goes on, I think more people would want to have a vote" rather than to have a failed reform.
He lamented that the debate on political reform in the past year had highlighted key "fundamental issues" that had not been discussed rationally.
On Beijing officials' earlier warning about the relationship between democracy and national security, Wong said: "In a sense, it was quite naive for the pan-democrats to ask 'what does universal suffrage have to do with national security?'"
He said that if a pan-democrat became the city's leader, he could face a "dilemma" if someone organised a religious forum in town and decided to invite the Dalai Lama. Beijing would also be concerned about what such a chief executive could do with all the public resources and sensitive information at his fingertips, he suggested.
Wong said: "As long as pan-democrats call for things such as 'ending one-party dictatorship', it is unlikely that Beijing would allow them to run", as it was written in the national constitution that China shall be led by the Communist Party.
And if the pan-democrats were to rule Hong Kong, they should start grooming leaders who only focus on local issues and are not critical of the central government, Wong said.
He lamented that given their experience and standing, pan-democrats - especially the moderates - did not dare to say "no" and allowed radicals and student activists to tell them what to do.
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Hong Kong poised for political showdown
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Comments
****** Aug 31st 2014
11:52am
11:52am
While being born in Hong Kong is truly a privilege, bestowing our pure intentions towards Hong Kong's progress is a blessing. In this context, when we reflect upon universal suffrage, we should first of all carefully understand that Beijing has the best and fair interests of Hong Kong and its people at heart always.
Universal suffrage refers to embracing our values that inspire practice of righteousness in all that we think, do and express consistently. Righteousness refers to practicing the moral values of our lives. Our Parents, Families, Relatives, Friends and our Proud Community embraces the characteristics of being called Asia's World City; let us all strive towards upholding and contributing towards this vision earnestly.
Hong Kong is the land of promises which means each and every one of us in Hong Kong is/are a promise to Hong Kong and China as well; and being promissories, let us honor this virtuous privilege characteristically. Remember that the world is watching and more than the admirable gaze of the world it is our own consciousness that is witnessing whether we are being true to our calling and purpose of life which always inspires us to living our divine essence which embodies the practices of peaceful co habitation respectfully with one another without causing any civil disobedience or hindering one another's safety and well being please, God bless.
Universal suffrage refers to embracing our values that inspire practice of righteousness in all that we think, do and express consistently. Righteousness refers to practicing the moral values of our lives. Our Parents, Families, Relatives, Friends and our Proud Community embraces the characteristics of being called Asia's World City; let us all strive towards upholding and contributing towards this vision earnestly.
Hong Kong is the land of promises which means each and every one of us in Hong Kong is/are a promise to Hong Kong and China as well; and being promissories, let us honor this virtuous privilege characteristically. Remember that the world is watching and more than the admirable gaze of the world it is our own consciousness that is witnessing whether we are being true to our calling and purpose of life which always inspires us to living our divine essence which embodies the practices of peaceful co habitation respectfully with one another without causing any civil disobedience or hindering one another's safety and well being please, God bless.
tinborhui Aug 31st 2014
11:46am
11:46am
Wong is right that universal suffrage is desired by Hong Kong. It is unfortunate that Beijing is not offering it. Rather they seem set to offer a manipulated election under the pretense of universal suffrage.
norodnik Aug 31st 2014
11:39am
11:39am
RTHK Radio just announced the Chen Zuo'er said that if OC doesn't back down "there will be blood"...SCMP follow through with this. It's an outrageous statement...and they've compared OC with Libya and Ukraine. If they really think so then they really have no comprehension of reality.
We could use their logic to say that the CCP is the soft p-o-r-n version of North Korea...and you wouldn't be wrong....
We could use their logic to say that the CCP is the soft p-o-r-n version of North Korea...and you wouldn't be wrong....
taleni8 Aug 31st 2014
11:24am
11:24am
It only hurts more if you struggle and resist. Just lie there and think of England.
ejmciii Aug 31st 2014
10:42am
10:42am
Witness the death of one nation, two systems. RIP hopes and dreams that the Communists would honor their agreements as to autonomy. Threats of the PLA marching into central must make the Beijing tools happy. Soon their masters will come home to set things right. The death of HK as a financial center comes not from Occupy Central but from the tyrants in Beijing who will not tolerate dissent from their edicts. Communists rule and citizens take their orders like good boys and girls. These omens portend an ill wind coming from China and likely soon.
the sun also rises Aug 31st 2014
10:18am
10:18am
It looks our democrat-****-tycoon Mr.Jimmy Lai is a person of action , not just words for democracy in his media: the Apple Daily ( a popular local paper) and Next Magazine ( a popular local weekly which subscribers not fewer than 25,000 !) plus donations( totally HK$40 millions in the past two years ) to local democratic camp members. Recently, in the so-called 'Anti-Occupy Central' campaign, the local leftists /pro-Beijing elements accused our pro-non-violent civil-disobedience :'Occupy Central' organisers of letting other people's adult children going to be killed /jailed but never theirs ! Now Jimmy himself publicly declared he would take part in the 'Occupy Central' campaign and got ready to be jailed---a strong retort towards those loyal slave-servants in town indeed ! Shame on these slave-servants who ask Hongkongers to be loyal and obedient people of a corrupted autocratic ruling regime ! Shame on them indeed !
Kailim Aug 31st 2014
9:22am
9:22am
We don't have to come to this. Why not build another democracy of Chinese people along with Taiwan, the only condition is forsaking anti-Beijing stance.
By the way, Central is nothing related to democracy and is our business hub. It is meant livelihood to many people, not just tycoons. Don't ruin it.
By the way, Central is nothing related to democracy and is our business hub. It is meant livelihood to many people, not just tycoons. Don't ruin it.
Flypaper Aug 31st 2014
10:17am
10:17am
@kailim, there's nothing "anti-Beijing" about it. What we want is simply for Beijing to keep its promise: Hong Kong ruled by Hong Kongers. That means enabling what is already our civil right under international and Hong Kong law of permanent residents being allowed to vote and stand in HK elections. Why won't you support this very simple call?
