China's Parliament to Discuss Draft Hong Kong National Security Law - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

Wandering the information superhighway, he came upon the last refuge of civilization, PoFo, the only forum on the internet ...

Talk about what you've seen in the news today.

Moderator: PoFo Today's News Mods

#15093419
Agence France-Presse wrote:China's Parliament to Discuss Draft Hong Kong National Security Law

China's parliament said Thursday it will discuss a proposal for a national security law in Hong Kong at its annual session, in a move likely to stoke unrest in the financial hub.

Beijing has made clear it wants new security legislation passed after the semi-autonomous city was rocked by seven months of massive and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests last year.

The proposal, which will be introduced at the meeting of the National People's Congress that opens Friday, would strengthen "enforcement mechanisms" in the financial hub, the parliament's spokesman Zhang Yesui said.

Article 23 of Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, says the city must enact national security laws to prohibit "treason, secession, sedition (and) subversion" against the Chinese government.

But the clause has never been implemented due to deeply held public fears it would curtail Hong Kong's cherished rights, such as freedom of expression.

Those liberties are unseen on the mainland and are protected by an agreement made before Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997.

An attempt to enact Article 23 in 2003 was shelved after half a million people took to the streets in protest.

The controversial bill has been put back on the table in recent years in response to the rise of the city's pro-democracy movement.

The Telegraph


Lily Kuo, Verna Yu and Helen Davidson wrote:'This is the end of Hong Kong': China pushes controversial security laws

China plans to push through sweeping national security laws for Hong Kong at its annual meeting of parliament, in a move that critics say will effectively end the territory’s autonomy.

Beijing has been making it clear it wants new security legislation passed since huge pro-democracy protests last year plunged Hong Kong into its deepest turmoil since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

“National security is the bedrock underpinning the stability of the country,” said Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National People’s Congress (NPC), the annual meeting of parliament that kicks off its full session on Friday.

Zhang announced that delegates at the NPC – a largely rubber-stamping exercise – would “establish and improve a legal framework and mechanism for safeguarding national security” in Hong Kong.

Condemnation of the proposal was swift, amid fears it could erase the “one country, two systems” framework that is supposed to grant the territory a high degree of autonomy.

“This is the end of Hong Kong,” said the pro-democracy Honk Kong legislator Dennis Kwok. “Beijing, the Central People’s Government, has completely breached its promise to the Hong Kong people ... They are completely walking back on their obligation.”

Article 23 of Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, says the city must enact national security laws to prohibit “treason, secession, sedition [and] subversion” against the Chinese government.

But the clause has never been implemented due to deeply held public fears it would curtail Hong Kong’s cherished rights, such as freedom of expression. An attempt to enact article 23 in 2003 was shelved after half a million people took to the streets in protest.

By passing a law in the NPC, Chinese authorities will effectively bypass local opposition.

Zhang said details of the proposal would be announced at NPC proceedings on Friday. The resolution is likely to be passed by China’s parliament next week.

The US president Donald Trump, who has ratcheted up his anti-China rhetoric as he seeks re-election in November, told reporters at the White House that “nobody knows yet” the details of China’s plan. “If it happens we’ll address that issue very strongly,” Trump said, without elaborating.

China’s announcement came as anti-government protests that have overwhelmed Hong Kong since last June approach their one-year anniversary. In recent months the protests have been paused as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and much of the world has been distracted. In the meantime Beijing has appeared more determined to definitively quell the demonstrations.

Critics say the measure severely undermines Hong Kong’s legal framework, established under the terms of the former British colony’s handover to Chinese control in 1997. Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, described it as a “comprehensive assault on the city’s autonomy”.

Under its Basic Law, Hong Kong is meant to enact security legislation on its own. “This spells the beginning of the end of Hong Kong under ‘one country, two systems’,” said Kenneth Chan, a political scientist at the Baptist University of Hong Kong.

“It would mean also communist-style political struggles have trumped the rule of law and a dagger that has stabbed into the heart of the city’s liberal foundations,” he said.

“This is an expedient way to control Hong Kong,” said Johnny Lau, veteran China watcher and former journalist at the pro-China Wen Wei Po.

Legal observers and human rights advocates worry the law will be used to target critics of the central government. Over the last year, Hong Kong and Chinese authorities have often described demonstrators as terrorists.

“The obvious worry is that in China, we have seen ‘national security’, as well as related concepts like ‘counter-terrorism’, being used as an excuse for all sorts of human rights abuses, including the arbitrary arrest and imprisonment of dissidents, activists and human rights lawyers,” said Wilson Leung, a Hong Kong barrister who is part of the Progressive Lawyers Group.

According to legal experts, Chinese lawmakers may be able to enforce the law in Hong Kong through a provision, article 18, of the Basic Law that allows certain national laws in mainland China to be applied in Hong Kong, either through declaration or local legislation.

Martin Lee, the founder of the Democratic Party and a senior barrister who helped draft the Basic Law, said he insisted on the language in the document that “Hong Kong shall legislate on its own” national security laws.

“This is a blatant breach of their promise, they have reversed things completely,” he said. “This is the wrong procedure.”

He said the article 18 provision should apply to national laws only, not laws that specifically relate to Hong Kong. “If this precedent is set, then there is no need for [Hong Kong’s] legislative council,” he said.

Eric Cheung, the director of clinical legal education of the faculty of law at the University of Hong Kong, said: “The problem here is that if they want to do it, of course they can do it in any way they want to. The reality is that we are powerless.”

As China’s most important political event opens this week, after almost three months of delay, there are other signs of measures to stop the protests in Hong Kong. At the opening of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on Thursday, Wang Yang, the head of the political advisory body, said the party supported strengthening the ability of its members in Hong Kong to “speak out, stop chaos, and reinstate order”.

Still, demonstrators, who have begun to take to the streets again, appeared more determined to pursue their demands.

“At this time last year, didn’t we believe that the extradition law was sure to pass? Hong Kongers have always created miracles,” Nathan Law, a pro-democracy activist, wrote on Facebook.

“People will continue to protest on streets,” tweeted Joshua Wong, an activist and former student leader during the 2014 protest movement. “Hong Kongers will not be scared off.”

The Guardian



Well, I see Blut und Eisen as the most important aspect of politics so I cannot say I am surprised. I also expect foreign response be weak, no less because of the Wuhan Pneumonia Virus epidemic.

And I also expect discussion here be weak because most members will busy attacking each other on their regard of whether and how the Trump Administration should be held responsible for their response to the epidemic.
#15093532
skinster wrote:https://twitter.com/MahuiChina/status/1263825167844810752?s=20


Nobody underestimates China, but it is absurd to expect anybody to lie down and die, rather than find a way to kill the oppressors.

If a nation does not respect others' right to live free of threats, fuck national security.

And all those advocating oppressors should burn in Hell along with them.

This is propaganda, and it should not have place on a forum.

P.S. If I were a Palestinian I would tell this hypocrite to fuck off.
#15093535
skinster wrote:


Someone reported this message with the following:

Propaganda promoting despotism.

This is one of the most ridiculous reports we have had in a political forum. And I want to state it in public. We will be issuing yellow cards for wasting our time if such reports are made again.
#15093538
noemon wrote:Someone reported this message with the following:

Propaganda promoting despotism.

This is one of the most ridiculous reports we have had in a political forum. And I want to state it in public. We will be issuing yellow cards for wasting our time if such reports are made again.



I can only say that, asking a city to lie down and die before an oppressor regime is not "wise words" and should be condemned. I act out of my conscience. If this is against forum rules then I acknowledge that, but I do not think my post deserves such treatment from him.

He could have simply ignored my posts if he does not like it, just like what I do to 99% of his. I have already made a lot of concessions by refraining from unnecessary commenting in the OP, and in general not posting stuff unless it's some kind of key events, because I still believe this is (or at least should be) a respectable place to discuss.
#15093539
Not interested in wasting any more time on this. This is a government official making a political statement. This is welcome and encouraged to be posted in here.

My warning still stands. Do not report such messages(that not only they do not violate our rules, they are in fact the reason we exist) again because you will be carded.

And obviously this is not the first time you do it and hence my reaction.
#15093583
Patrickov wrote:Well, I see Blut und Eisen as the most important aspect of politics so I cannot say I am surprised. I also expect foreign response be weak, no less because of the Wuhan Pneumonia Virus epidemic.

And I also expect discussion here be weak because most members will busy attacking each other on their regard of whether and how the Trump Administration should be held responsible for their response to the epidemic.


The response would be weak, even without a pandemic. Unfortunately for its population (and I truly mean it), HK doesn't really have much of a chance to stop China in the long run, and the rest of the world may whine but won't take any serious action anyway.

I think in the long run, the West will end up taking the HK emigrés and they will thrive there.

This isn't as much about what I want, but a prediction of how things will likely end :hmm:
#15093595
^ I don't know why people pretend HK isn't in and a part of China.







Patrickov wrote:He could have simply ignored my posts if he does not like it, just like what I do to 99% of his.


I didn't report your post. I didn't even see it, just saw noeman's response to it. Anyway, now might be a good time to tell you to quit your boring ad-homs too. If you have any argument to make with regards to stuff I share, go ahead. Otherwise, it's pointless crying. And for someone who gets all of the support in Western mainstream media, you sure are a baby about alternative viewpoints.
#15093614
Hong Kong is and always will be Chinese land. The internal affairs of China are an issue for the Chinese people to sort out themselves. The US should stay well away from this.

Beren wrote:However, hail the East India Company forever!

Image


This particular episode was a historical mistake of severe proportions. They should have listened to Gladstone.
#15093621
Beren wrote:I wonder if people actually realise or even care as to whether how the whole HK story started and what the Chinese may think of it. They may think the Qing lost HK less than two centuries ago, so what? It's still supposed to be ours, nonetheless.


What I don't understand is why people cannot empathise with the Chinese position. Why a Westerner would have a strong opinion on this either way is beyond me, especially considering there are many separatist movements in major Western countries which a significant portion of the citizenry oppose.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 15

It is implausible that the IDF could not or would[…]

Moving on to the next misuse of language that sho[…]

@JohnRawls What if your assumption is wrong??? […]

There is no reason to have a state at all unless w[…]