China asserts control over Hong Kong's political future

BEIJING, (AFP) - China has tightened its grip on Hong Kong's political future, dealing a blow to pro-democracy campaigners with the ruling Beijing must have the final say on any electoral reforms in the former British colony.

Members of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing passed a resolution stating all political reforms in Hong Kong have to be approved by China's central government.

"The interpretation has been passed," lawmakers told reporters as they exited the meeting at Beijing's central Great Hall of the People.

The legislation was the first-ever mainland ruling on Hong Kong's electoral process set out under the Basic Law, the territory's mini-constitution that has been enforced since the transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997.

It immediately resulted in a wave of anger in Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region of China, where mounting calls for full democracy and massive street protests last year unnerved China's communist rulers.

The NPC ruling dealt with future electoral changes to the Basic Law on how Hong Kong selects its chief executive and its Legislative Council (Legco), or parliament, delegates said.

"If there is a need to amend the method for selecting the chief executive ... then it must be made with the endorsement of two-thirds majority of the members of Legco and the consent of the chief executive officer," Tsang Hin-chi, NPC standing committee member, told reporters.

More significantly, Tsang said, the interpretation also states that Legco and the chief executive must also get the approval from Beijing to begin the process of debating electoral proposals.

The voting procedures would be allowed to begin from 2007 onwards according to the interpretation, which was expected to be fully published by Beijing later Tuesday.

The date coincides with the end of the second-term of Hong Kong's embattled leader Tung Chee-hwa, who was handpicked by Beijing ahead of the handover.

Tsang is the only Hong Kong member of the NPC Standing Committee. Of the 156 members present in Tuesday's meeting, 155 approved the interpretation and one abstained.

Hong Kong democrats claim that Beijing's promise to Britain and Hong Kong that it would allow the territory a high level of autonomy is being jeopardized by the central government's heavy hand over electoral reform.

"I think Beijing has lost sight of its interest in Hong Kong," said Albert Ho Chun-yan, a legislator with the Democratic Party, the leading force in Hong Kong's democracy movement.

"The biggest problem now is that it will demolish all the confidence one has given to the Basic Law as it is open to all sorts of possible, absurd interpretation."

Leung Kwok-hung, spokesman for the April 5th Action Group, an umbrella organisation for pro-democracy activists said the NPC had stifled reformists.

"This puts another obstacle in the way of our right to initiate political change," said Leung. "We expected this kind of reaction, so it has not surprised us but we are angry."

Chinese state media and pro-Beijing papers in Hong Kong have been taking a harsh stance against pro-democracy campaigners calls for the introduction of universal suffrage by 2007 or 2008.

China has also expressed concern that greater democracy in Hong Kong will spill over into pressure for political reforms on the mainland and cause social and political instability.

China's decision to make the interpretation drew harsh criticism last week from the United States and has met with protests in Hong Kong, including some 3,000 people who rallied at the city's legislative building late Thursday.

The ruling also comes against a backdrop of greater democracy in Taiwan that has led to calls for independence on the island under the leadership of President Chen Shui-bian.

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Without fail these articles never get more than a very few replies. Yet any criticism of "free" trade with China draws tons of condemnations on "free" trade threads with what can only be described IMO as "drive-by invective." Emotional responses from those conditioned to drool over cheap labor, cheap goods and services. Some going so far as to claim "free" trade is causing the Chi-coms to grant "individual rights" and other reforms.

"China's Poor Human Rights Record? Think Again," by Joel Meyer, South China Morning Post, March 31, 2004, explains the difference between individual rights and human rights.

"granting freedoms to individuals lessens the government's ability to realise the people's right to social security." "Social security" means human rights and China is responding not to "free" trade but widespread unrest outside the "capitalist" zones among the 900 million peasants.

More from Mr. Meyer. "UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights shows that it explicitly endorses this duty of governments to provide societal security to their citizens.

"The declaration explicitly endorses the right to societal security in several instances. Article 25 enumerates every human being's 'right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services'. These rights can only be provided in a societal context, not on an individual basis." [end excerpt]

In fact, individual rights can prevent human rights. This is sorta like the conservative v. Rats and RINO debate.

Saying that the Chi-coms have "given" individual rights is an insult to our Founders and our Republic's citizens' inalienable rights.

Despite the "reforms" the Chi-coms make no secret and state openly that the Party is supreme, as we see.

Absolutely, none of the free traders want to talk about such things as this. Then again when it comes to looking at the actions of a country and what they say, if it means losing money they will always pick what they say since it is always what they want to hear. Despots, commies, totalitarians have a good knack to say exactly what they want to here.

They should also note that since the party is supreme, that all property is still owned by that same party despite what they say or do otherwise(unless of course they are disbanded which we know won't happen). Of course this means if you move your business over there, it really isn't your business anymore, it belongs to the CCP.

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