Hong Kong is undergoing electoral reforms which were initiated to ensure that the local patriots are elected to office of the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council. In other words, this reform will exclude unpatriotic individuals who have in the past chosen to sacrifice Hong Kong in order to further their own agendas.
But in the wake of the convictions of seven local “democrats” — including media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying — the media and some politicians here and in the West have been quick to criticize the law court and ultimately, Beijing.
In addition to Lai, the other convicted are former legislators Martin Lee Chu-ming, Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, Cyd Ho Sau-lan, Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho Chun-yan, and Leung Kwok-hung.
The group of seven were charged with participating in an unauthorized assembly in two anti-government protests that took place on August 12th and 18th, 2019. The march on Aug 18 was against the extradition bill.
It is worth noting that there were altogether nine defendants. Two had pleaded guilty. The seven did not, but judge Amanda Woodcock granted the defendants bail with the exception of three — including Lai — who have already been incarcerated.
Predictably, Western politicians such as Dominic Raab, the British Foreign Minister, had already weighed in on other issues before the convictions. Raab accused China of breaching the Sino-British Joint Declaration by initiating reform to Hong Kong’s electoral system. But when openly challenged by former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, Raab failed to provide any specifics.
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, also claimed without providing any substance that the charges of “peaceful protest are profoundly disturbing evidence of Beijing’s accelerating assault on the rule of law.” She said the US Congress would “continue to hold Beijing accountable for its strangulation of human rights in Hong Kong.”
In the United States, in addition to Pelosi’s comments, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price claimed that the prosecutions were “politically motivated charges that once again, show the degree to which the PRC and Hong Kong authorities seek to crush all forms of peaceful dissent in the city.”
These groundless criticisms leveled by Western politicians can be treated as contempt of court, as they implied that the judge convicted Jimmy Lai, etc., due to political pressure from Beijing. Furthermore, they are certainly meddling in the internal affairs of China and lend weight to claims that the defendants acted in collusion with foreign forces. We could even go as far as saying that their comments are inciting Hong Kong people to act against the interest of China, a matter that falls within the ambit of the National Security Law.
As it stands, Hong Kong’s current electoral system has allowed some in the city and overseas to exploit loopholes for their own gain. As an example, filibustering against the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge caused so innumerable delays that taxpayers have had to shell out an additional construction cost of HK$8 billion.
This is why Beijing is stepping in and making these tough decisions that are ultimately for the betterment of Hong Kong and its future.
Therefore, I must call on the West not to point fingers, particularly doing it without providing any substance, let alone evidence. Hong Kong’s electoral reforms and particularly the judgments of our court are our own prerogatives and should not be subjected to foreign intervention.
Amanda Woodcock, the District Court judge who handed down the decision, said the following in her written judgment.
“I have found after the trial the prosecution able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that all of the defendants together organised what amounted to an unauthorised assembly.”
She went on to say that she did not agree with the arguments put forward by the defendant’s legal team, who argued that the protest was ultimately a peaceful one.
Woodcock also reminded the defence that while Hong Kong’s Basic Law does permit peaceful assembly, “restrictions are imposed, including those for preserving public safety and public order, and protecting the rights of others.”
Again it is worth noting that two of the nine defendants who were facing the same charges had pleaded guilty before the seven were convicted.
Insofar as the electoral reforms are concerned, the fact that over 2.3 million Hongkongers are in support speaks volumes about the support that the central government is getting in our city.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has also spoken against Western critics, by reminding them of the sanctity of our National Security Law.
Many have conveniently forgotten that Hong Kong is a part of China. Hong Kong did not become a sovereign country at the end of British rule. Patriotism is the norm in other places but appears to be in short supply in Hong Kong as the education that generation after generation of Hong Kong people received in the 155 years of British rule did not instill Chinese patriotism. Textbooks also lack any sort of teachings related to honoring the fact that the central government has comprehensive power over Hong Kong.
Before Hong Kong returned to China, we didn’t play the Chinese national anthem. Even now, so few of our youth know or care about the lyrics of the anthem. This is symptomatic of the deeper political problems faced by Hong Kong.
Schools in nearly all countries in the world have national education in their curriculum and demand patriotism among their pupils and people holding public offices. Therefore, it’s an egregious double standard when the West accuses Beijing and Hong Kong of brainwashing our youth and of imposing the need for patriotism among our public servants.
On the practical level, the practice of patriotism goes much deeper than playing and singing the national anthem. A more in-depth national education should teach our youngsters their root and their identity, the country’s heritage and constitution, and of course, our rich and long history.
By educating our young on what it means to be Chinese and what it means to be a patriot, we will ensure the preservation of China’s sovereignty over Hong Kong and national security in the years to come. And by the time these patriotic youngsters become adults, Hong Kong will be in safer hands for all, and be a more stable place for foreign businesses.
We must see the electoral reforms not only for what they are, but also for the security and stability they will surely bring. Hong Kong has been through the mill, and it’s time that we allow it to return to business as usual.
The author is president of Wisdom Hong Kong, a local think tank.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
Source: China Daily
