The New Power Party (NPP) yesterday called on the government to amend legislation relating to Hong Kong and Macau following the arrest of tycoon Jimmy Lai (黎智英), founder of Next Digital group.
The government should push through proposed amendments to Article 18 of the Act Governing Relations With Hong Kong and Macau (香港澳門關係條例) to make it easier to offer help to residents of the territories, it said.
The article stipulates that the government can offer help to residents of Hong Kong and Macau whose security and freedom are endangered due to political reasons.
Photo: Huang Mei-chu, Taipei Times
Lai’s arrest on Monday and the subsequent arrests of Hong Kong democracy advocates, which has severely harmed press freedom and free speech in the territory, has made the need to assist Hong Kong residents more urgent, it said.
Following Lai, Hong Kong police arrested advocacy group members Andy Li (李宇軒) of Hong Kong Story and Lee Tsung-tzu (李宗澤) and now-disbanded Demosisto founding member Agnes Chow (周庭) on charges of colluding with foreign forces.
“We strongly condemn this misuse of the Hong Kong National Security Law to suppress dissidents,” the NPP said.
It called on legislators across party lines to pass a new amendment to the article in the upcoming interim session to set clear conditions and procedures for Hong Kong and Macau residents to apply for asylum in Taiwan.
Separately, the party said that it would elect a new chairperson within three weeks, after former chairman Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) quit the party on Aug. 1 over his alleged involvement in a corruption and bribery case.
The scandal drove the party to the brink of implosion after the departure of Taipei City Councilors Huang Yu-fen (黃郁芬) and Lin Ying-men (林穎孟) on Tuesday last week, followed by the resignation of all 10 members on its Decisionmaking Committee a day later.
Addressing speculation that former NPP executive chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) might be tapped for the position again, NPP caucus whip Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) yesterday said there were no such plans at present.
Several party members have expressed an interest in running for chairperson, and the party hopes a new chairperson would be chosen quickly, he said.
Asked whether the party was planning reforms — and whether forthcoming reforms would require Huang’s leadership — Chiu said the party’s concern at present was to engage in introspection and to regain the public’s trust.
Due to the election occurring between terms for party members, the new chairperson would hold the position until Feb. 28 next year, rather than the normal two-year term the position entails, he said.
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