Former Hong Kong chief secretary Anson Chan (陳方安生) and Hong Kong legislators Charles Mok (莫乃光) and Dennis Kwok (郭榮鏗) visited the US last month. During their 10-day visit, Chan met with US Vice President Mike Pence, while all three delegates were received by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The welcome they received was very encouraging for people in Hong Kong.
Chan is to make a further visit to Germany next month, when Hong Kong’s “father of democracy” Martin Lee (李柱銘) is scheduled to visit the US, together with three pro-democracy lawmakers.
These visits are sure to upset the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP loves to accuse Hong Kongers of using foreign forces to boost their own stature, and it goes without saying that the communists are also afraid that Hong Kongers will receive the support of foreigners.
What CCP officials never ask themselves is why Hong Kongers turn to foreigners for help. China is also a powerful country, so why do Hong Kongers avoid clinging to China’s skirt?
The Chinese communists never reflect on such matters. Why do they not invite people from the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong to visit Beijing? The communists have always seen pro-democracy figures as a major threat, and up to this day they still do not allow them to enter the Chinese mainland.
If China does not allow its own citizens to freely visit their own national territory, it is only natural for Hong Kongers to go abroad and “rely on foreigners” instead.
More than two decades have passed since 1997, when the UK handed Hong Kong back to China. In all that time, has there ever been a day when the Chinese Communist Party treated Kong Kongers well?
The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region promises that Hong Kong’s lawmakers and chief executive will eventually be elected by universal suffrage, but that promise has been canceled. Hong Kongers have been deprived of their freedoms of speech and reporting, and their right to elect government officials.
In 2003, the Hong Kong government tried to implement Article 23 of the Basic Law by proposing the National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill, but later withdrew it knowing that the Legislative Council would reject it.
Although the national security legislation has been shelved, the threat of it still hangs like the Sword of Damocles over Hong Kongers’ heads.
On March 29, the government introduced the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 to the Legislative Council for deliberation. This bill is like a dagger held against Hong Kongers’ throats.
Hong Kongers have taken to the streets and signed petitions in protest, but the government ignores us, leaving us with no choice but to turn to the US and friendly countries in Europe for help. Hong Kong is, after all, a major international city, and the human rights of foreign citizens living in Hong Kong are protected under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.
The CCP loves to “beat its own children behind closed doors,” but now the children in its doorway include blond-haired, green-eyed foreigners, so of course Hong Kongers have a duty to tell these children’s parents what is going on so that they can protect their kids.
Turning to foreigners for help is meant to squeeze the CCP where it hurts. Will it have the desired effect? Only time will tell.
Kot Chun is a writer from Hong Kong.
Translated by Julian Clegg
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