Macau has suspended a pro-democracy lawmaker for alleged “disobedience” after he took to the street instead of staying on a sidewalk during a protest, as activists warn suppression of civil rights is growing in the territory.
The suspension of the lawmaker is the first since 1999, when the former Portuguese colony returned to China within a “one country, two systems” framework that allows a free press and an independent judiciary.
“It’s a dark day for Macau,” said Jose Coutinho, one of four legislators who voted against the suspension in Monday’s secret ballot, which drew 28 votes in favor.
“I am sad and disillusioned with this outcome,” he said.
There were numerous illegalities in the ballot and the lawmaker, 26-year-old Sulu Sou (蘇嘉豪), should have been given an opportunity to defend himself, Coutinho added.
Sou was only allowed to respond to lawmakers’ questions; he could not make a speech or vote during the session.
Sou is awaiting trial over a protest last year against a perceived conflict of interest in the transfer of 100 million yuan (US$15 million) from the charitable government-linked Macau Foundation to Jinan University in Guangzhou, on whose board Macau Chief Executive Fernando Chui (崔世安) sits.
The protest was held outside Chui’s residence.
After police demanded that the protesters leave, they did, but not before folding protest letters into paper airplanes and tossing them over the residence’s fence.
Sou and another activist, then-New Macau Association president Scott Chiang (鄭明軒) were charged in March with “aggravated disobedience,” which is punishable with imprisonment of up to two years.
No date has been set for Sou’s trial, but the assembly vote strips him of his duties, and he can only return if he is found not guilty or gets a jail term shorter than 30 days.
Many in Macau fear the decision signals authorities intend to follow a path similar to that of Hong Kong, which has jailed several pro-democracy activists, including a lawmaker, Nathan Law (羅冠聰), in the past year.
“This may be the beginning of the death sentence to Macau’s rule of law, and it will end up having an impact in the casino industry,” said Jorge Menezes, a lawyer who has lived in Macau since 1997.
“Sou was stripped of his rights to participate in the debate and vote in a clear violation of the assembly’s rules,” said Menezes, adding that such violations could apply elsewhere in Macau, including the casino industry.
Sou, of the pro-democracy New Macau Association, was elected in the September polls to one of the few directly elected seats in the Macau legislature. He won more than 9,000 votes.
He has vowed to fight on.
Sou said his case did not involve corruption, breach of duty, organized crime or harm to public interest.
The New Macau Association posted on Facebook that it supports Sou.
“We stick together for the very same goal that put us on this course to fight for justice,” it wrote.
Additional reporting by staff writer
In his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) quoted the Taiwanese song One Small Umbrella (一支小雨傘) to describe his nation’s situation. Wong’s use of such a song shows Singapore’s familiarity with Taiwan’s culture and is a perfect reflection of exchanges between the two nations, Representative to Singapore Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said yesterday in a post on Facebook. Wong quoted the song, saying: “As the rain gets heavier, I will take care of you, and you,” in Mandarin, using it as a metaphor for Singaporeans coming together to face challenges. Other Singaporean politicians have also used Taiwanese songs
NORTHERN STRIKE: Taiwanese military personnel have been training ‘in strategic and tactical battle operations’ in Michigan, a former US diplomat said More than 500 Taiwanese troops participated in this year’s Northern Strike military exercise held at Lake Michigan by the US, a Pentagon-run news outlet reported yesterday. The Michigan National Guard-sponsored drill involved 7,500 military personnel from 36 nations and territories around the world, the Stars and Stripes said. This year’s edition of Northern Strike, which concluded on Sunday, simulated a war in the Indo-Pacific region in a departure from its traditional European focus, it said. The change indicated a greater shift in the US armed forces’ attention to a potential conflict in Asia, it added. Citing a briefing by a Michigan National Guard senior
CHIPMAKING INVESTMENT: J.W. Kuo told legislators that Department of Investment Review approval would be needed were Washington to seek a TSMC board seat Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) yesterday said he received information about a possible US government investment in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and an assessment of the possible effect on the firm requires further discussion. If the US were to invest in TSMC, the plan would need to be reviewed by the Department of Investment Review, Kuo told reporters ahead of a hearing of the legislature’s Economics Committee. Kuo’s remarks came after US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Tuesday said that the US government is looking into the federal government taking equity stakes in computer chip manufacturers that
CLAMPING DOWN: At the preliminary stage on Jan. 1 next year, only core personnel of the military, the civil service and public schools would be subject to inspections Regular checks are to be conducted from next year to clamp down on military personnel, civil servants and public-school teachers with Chinese citizenship or Chinese household registration, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Article 9-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) stipulates that Taiwanese who obtain Chinese household registration or a Chinese passport would be deprived of their Taiwanese citizenship and lose their right to work in the military, public service or public schools, it said. To identify and prevent the illegal employment of holders of Chinese ID cards or
RSS