MESSAGE
| DATE | 2021-03-01 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Crushing Political Freedom in Hong Kong and China
|
wsj.com
Opinion | Erasing Hong Kong’s Democrats
Hong Kong legal scholar and democracy activist Benny Tai speaks to the
press as he prepares to report to the Ma On Shan Police Station in Hong
Kong on Sunday.
Photo: jerome favre/Shutterstock
Hong Kong authorities moved this weekend to imprison nearly the entire
opposition movement. The message is that anyone who runs as a
pro-democracy candidate will be treated as a criminal.
On Sunday Hong Kong formally charged 47 former lawmakers and dissenters
with conspiring to subvert state power. At issue is their role as
organizers and participants in a pro-democracy primary election last summer.
Hong Kong’s Basic Law states that “the ultimate aim is the election of
all the members of the Legislative Council by universal suffrage.” But
Beijing’s lackey, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, warned that any attempt to
gain enough seats to undermine Beijing’s legislative agenda could
constitute a crime under the new national security law. The opposition
held its informal primary anyway last July, and some 600,000 Hong
Kongers cast votes.
Beijing is now using the primary as an excuse to take down pro-democracy
leaders, young and old. Those charged this weekend range in age from 23
to 64. They include Jimmy Sham, who helped draw millions to the streets
in 2019 to protest legislation allowing extradition to the mainland;
former lawmakers including Claudia Mo and Alvin Yeung ; political
strategist and scholar Benny Tai; union organizer Carol Ng; and several
young district councillors.
Only judges approved by Beijing can hear national security cases, and
under the new law the maximum sentence is life in prison. Yet in Hong
Kong the punishment may now begin before a guilty verdict is even rendered.
Under Article 42 of the national security law, those charged must be
denied bail unless there are “sufficient grounds” to believe they’ll
abstain from future dissent. The courts have already denied bail to
media tycoon Jimmy Lai, and the 73-year-old now languishes in a
maximum-security prison as he awaits his verdicts. The fate of the 47
will further indicate Beijing’s appetite for pretrial detention as
pre-emptive punishment.
Meanwhile, the Communist Party is fast moving to consolidate political
control in Hong Kong as it plans to revise the city’s electoral system.
In February China’s top official for Hong Kong affairs, Xia Baolong,
said only “patriots” should hold key posts in the executive, legislative
and judicial branches. Authorities have already barred several
pro-democracy leaders from holding office and are gearing up to
disqualify more.
China is violating its international obligations as it tramples Hong
Kong’s freedoms. So far it has paid little price, which the world may
come to regret as President Xi Jinping sets his sights on Taiwan.
Potomac Watch: "Are you planning to continue carrying Fox News, Newsmax
and OANN...? If so, why?” Democrats ask a dozen cable, satellite and
broadband providers. Image: Kevin Hagen/Getty Images
--
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that Brooklyn, like Atlantis, reaches mythological
proportions in the mind of the world - RI Safir 1998
http://www.mrbrklyn.com
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Being so tracked is for FARM ANIMALS and extermination camps,
but incompatible with living as a free human being. -RI Safir 2013
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