Thousands of pro-democracy activists clad in black marched silently through Hong Kong yesterday, holding banners saying they felt betrayed and angry at Beijing’s refusal to allow fully democratic elections for the territory’s next chief executive in 2017.
The protesters, who carried enormous black cloth ribbons through the streets, also held up signs calling for further civil disobedience and cheering on students planning to boycott classes.
“Occupy Central with Love and Peace,” and “Support students boycotting classes,” read some of the signs.
Photo: EPA
“Beijing has breached our trust. Universal suffrage is hopeless,” read another.
Dozens of pro-establishment protesters gathered nearby waving banners and cursing the democracy activists and students.
“Students should focus on studying,” shouted Pok Chun-chung, an organizer of the pro-establishment “Protect Hong Kong” movement. “If you adults have guts then you should occupy Central yourself, not use children as cannon fodder.”
The protest remained peaceful and police stood by. Organizers estimated there were about 4,000 marchers at the height of the protest. Police estimated 1,860.
Yesterday’s march was the latest in a series of confrontations between pro-democracy activists and pro-establishment forces over the extent to which Hong Kong may go ahead with democratic reforms.
A former British colony, Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” form of government. It was given wide-ranging autonomy, including an undated promise of “universal suffrage.”
Beijing this summer has made it clear it would not allow fully democratic elections in the near future. Pro-democracy activists say China’s decision to tightly control who can be nominated for the 2017 vote means Hong Kong risks ending up with a “fake” democracy.
Earlier yesterday, Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying (梁振英) published an open letter to residents of the territory, urging them to be “pragmatic” and to form an “accurate and complete understanding of the constitutional and political context in which we find ourselves.”
He said constitutional reform should move forward whatever the pace and that there could be additional reforms in the future.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Authorities have detained three former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TMSC, 台積電) employees on suspicion of compromising classified technology used in making 2-nanometer chips, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. Prosecutors are holding a former TSMC engineer surnamed Chen (陳) and two recently sacked TSMC engineers, including one person surnamed Wu (吳) in detention with restricted communication, following an investigation launched on July 25, a statement said. The announcement came a day after Nikkei Asia reported on the technology theft in an exclusive story, saying TSMC had fired two workers for contravening data rules on advanced chipmaking technology. Two-nanometer wafers are the most
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
CHINA’s BULLYING: The former British prime minister said that he believes ‘Taiwan can and will’ protect its freedom and democracy, as its people are lovers of liberty Former British prime minister Boris Johnson yesterday said Western nations should have the courage to stand with and deepen their economic partnerships with Taiwan in the face of China’s intensified pressure. He made the remarks at the ninth Ketagalan Forum: 2025 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prospect Foundation in Taipei. Johnson, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time, said he had seen Taiwan’s coastline on a screen on his indoor bicycle, but wanted to learn more about the nation, including its artificial intelligence (AI) development, the key technology of the 21st century. Calling himself an
RSS