In the press
Updated: 2013-04-11 06:05
(HK Edition)
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Ho Chi-man
No violation of UN pact
The United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) expressed its concern in the latest assessment of Hong Kong's situation about the absence of a clear plan for, and equal rights in, the implementation of universal suffrage. The UNHRC opinion has been used by the opposition camp as evidence that Hong Kong is in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Elsie Leung, vice-chairperson of the Basic Law Committee, said recently that setting reasonable conditions for implementing universal suffrage does not violate ICCPR and there is no need to argue about the applicability of Article 25(b) of ICCPR because Hong Kong's Basic Law already affirms the implementation of universal suffrage.
As NPC Law Committee Director Qiao Xiaoyang reemphasized recently, every system of election by universal suffrage has its own constitutional basis, without which any discussion about it is meaningless. It's a shame that current debate about Hong Kong's constitutional reform has been sucked into such a meaningless vortex, as the opposition insists on following ICCPR. Apparently the opposition is trying to twist the constitutional basis for implementing universal suffrage in Hong Kong by misleading the public.
The reality is that election systems are varied and built on unique constitutional foundations. There is no universal standard for all election systems in the world and attempts to force a foreign system upon a place regardless of its unique conditions will only result in disappointment.
In Hong Kong the constitutional basis for implementing universal suffrage is the Basic Law and relevant decisions of the NPC, and its unique conditions include the fact it is not an independent political entity or a member state of a federation. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. As such its elections are all local and cannot be viewed the same way sovereign countries' are when it comes to universal suffrage.
The author is a current affairs commentator. This is an excerpted translation of his article published in Hong Kong Commercial Daily on April 10.
'Occupy' is destructive
The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) on Tuesday released the results of a public opinion poll, which show that 70 percent of respondents oppose the planned "Occupy Central" movement while only 20 percent support it.
The main reasons for opposing "Occupy Central" include fear that it will paralyze Central and cause serious economic loss; fear that Hong Kong's cosmopolitan image will be tarnished, and fear that it may trigger violent clashes and damage ties between the SAR and the central government.
These are simple, straightforward and realistic reasons to be expected from any law-abiding citizen. In case some people do not already know, Central is the financial and business center of Hong Kong. According to calculations by a respected economist based in Hong Kong, paralyzing Central for one day may incur a loss of HK$1.6 billion.
Hong Kong is already well-known for frequent protests, but the phrase "Occupy Central" still sends chills up one's spine, because the word "occupy" always reminds people of something forceful, unlawful, irresponsible and ill-motivated. No reasonable demand can and should be achieved through occupation.
Ironically the person who called for and planned the "Occupy Central" movement happens to be a scholar of law who teaches young students constitutional law, among other things. The organizers of "Occupy Central" have announced that they intend to gather at least 10,000 people in a strategic spot in Central to show the central authorities the power of "true universal suffrage" seekers and draw "international attention" to Hong Kong.
The planned "Occupy Central" campaign has been the target of suspicion, criticism and opposition since it was announced. Now the DAB opinion poll shows clearly 70 percent of local residents are against it, compared with a 20 percent support rate. Those who back the movement must understand they have been deceived by the opposition camp on this matter and there is no way "true universal suffrage" can be won with "Occupy Central". On the contrary, it will seriously hurt Hong Kong's economy while destroying the foundation for rational discussion about and reaching a consensus over the way universal suffrage will be implemented in 2017.
This is an excerpted translation of a Ta Kung Pao editorial published on April 10.
(HK Edition 04/11/2013 page9)