Beijing will not allow full democracy in Hong Kong in 2007 despite growing demands in the territory for universal suffrage and a constitution that leaves open such a possibility, Hong Kong newspapers said yesterday.
Talks between Hong Kong and Beijing on election reforms are just a show, and Beijing has already ruled out direct elections for the next chief executive in 2007, the South China Morning Post said, quoting a local source close to China's government.
The source, who was not identified, said Beijing would take a tougher position on Hong Kong if pro-democracy forces become the dominant power in the territory's top law-making body in elections in September and work against China-backed leaders. The source did not spell out what Beijing would do, but said it could develop its own plan to deal with the situation.
In 1997, Beijing established a provisional legislature and effectively dismantled electoral changes made by Britain in the waning years of colonial rule.
"According to my interpretation, they won't allow universal suffrage in 2007 unless they don't care about Hong Kong any more," said Raymond Wu, a Hong Kong deputy to the Chinese parliament, the National People's Congress.
Wu said recent opposition to the Hong Kong government's proposed anti-subversion law might have discouraged Beijing from allowing popular elections.
Half a million people poured into the streets last July to denounce attempts by Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (董建華) to push through the tough security bill, which critics feared would be used against anyone critical of China.
Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997 and both sides agreed that the former colony would enjoy a high degree of autonomy for 50 years.
Hong Kong's constitution allows the possibility of direct elections for chief executive and all of the Legislative Council from 2007. But it also says Beijing must approve any election reforms, which means China has the final say.
China's Communist Party clearly fears growing demands for full democracy could threaten its control over the territory and possibly spread to the mainland.
Widespread anger against Tung, who is backed by China but not popularly elected, has fuelled demands for more democracy.
While much public frustration has been directed against Tung and not against China's leaders, political analysts believe that Beijing's increasingly hardline stance will alienate more people before the legislative elections later this year.
Recent opinion polls show two-thirds of Hong Kong people want to elect their own leader and all of their legislators from 2007.
Joseph Cheng of Power for Democracy, a think tank working along-side pro-democracy parties, said democrats are organizing a rally to push for more voting rights on July 1 -- to mark the seventh anniversary of the handover and to coincide with the massive protest last year.
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