At the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong yesterday, former chief secretary of the city, Anson Chan delivered terse words against the current administration, Beijing, and the British government for contributing to what she experienced as an “increasingly long and torturous road” for universal suffrage at the SAR.
The veteran civil servant was at the press organisation to deliver a talk on the city’s arduous path to constitutional reform, notably its lack of progress on democracy. She began the address by blasting Beijing for having “moved the goal post,” and questioned how China has the ability to determine the timing and design of implementing universal suffrage in Hong Kong.
Watch Anson Chan’s full speech below.
“If you look at Annex 1 of the Basic law, it says: if there is a need to amend the arrangements for the electing the Chief Executive in 2017 – or 2007 at that time-_ then it has to obtain the endorsement of two thirds of LegCo members, secure the approval of the Chief Executive and be reported to the Nation People’s Congress.” She adds, “Notice [the word] ‘reported.’” She added that there was no mention in this law that Hong Kong has to seek the approval of the Central Government.
“All that was swept away by the interpretation handed down the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in 2004 when in one fell swoop, Beijing told Hong Kong people in no uncertain terms, that there will be no universal suffrage in 2007, not even in 2012, that you will have to wait until 2017 at the earliest.”
She added that at this point in time, “we still cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel.”
The former official criticized the current government’s “total lack of leadership” on the issue. “Why is the government taking a disinterested by-stander role in discussing with political parties with people in Hong Kong how to move forward on universal suffrage? Why is this task now taken up by the Liaison Office, which again is contrary to the Basic Law?”
Chan said, “Despite the promise of one country and two systems, and a high degree of autonomy, and Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong, we see blatant and increasing interference from the Liaison Office that is quite contrary to Article 22 of the Basic Law, which lays down very clearly: no representative of the Central Government in Hong Kong or even the mainland can interfere in the internal administration of Hong Kong, which is clearly the responsibility of the Chief Executive and his team.”
At the event, Chan also made it clear that the current leader C.Y Leung does not reflect Hong Kongers’ core values, especially since “it is not his main priority to implement the two systems to safe guard our rights and freedoms and protect the rule of law.” She said everything he has done so far is to tow Beijing’s line.
Additionally, Hong Kong’s top civil servant felt “sold out” by Britain, since the city has not heard from UK leader David Cameron who recently welcomed a visit by Chinese Premier Li Kequiang recently, yet the prime minister has remained silent on the white paper, which was released by China’s State Council last month.
The document reiterated Beijing’s sweeping autonomy of Hong Kong, an unprecedented move that stirred much ire at the former colony.
“Where was Britain’s voice on the white paper?” said Chan. “Let me recall for you what John Major said in 1996 to HK’s business community when he was trying to install confidence. He said: Hong Kong will never walk alone, and I quote, ‘Britain would mobilize the international community and pursue every legal and other avenue available to us if China breaches its promises under the joint declaration.’”
She adds, “Is Britain going to honor this promise? I think it remains to be seen.”
Chan attended the July 1st rally in Central earlier this week, where over 500,000 residents marched for democracy in Hong Kong. The former official said the high attendance of the march combined with the nearly 800,000 residents who voted in the democracy poll by Occupy Central with Love and Piece last month illustrated, in high-volume, what the public wants: universal suffrage by 2017.
She added that over 700,000 of those voters in the unofficial referendum on democratic reform, made it clear that if we were presented with a set proposals [that included] screening, no competition and no choice, then the city’s legislature must vote it down. “Hong Kong has demonstrated that we want the whole loaf not half a loaf and we certainly don’t want a loaf that is rotten through and through.”
