'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....
Pro-democracy leaders and activists warned that the move would mark
"the end of Hong Kong", a fear voiced in months of massive and sometimes
violent protests last year.
The US Congress late last year
angered China by passing a law that would strip Hong Kong's preferential
trading status in the United States if the urban hub is no longer
considered autonomous from the mainland.'
The above was reported in the CNA. And the Hongkongers are going to march in protest. This time it is likely to be more violent as both sides have taken some times to reflect on the recent rioting against the criminal repatriation law. The stands are likely to be hardened, with the Hongkongers emboldened by the soft approach of the Hong Kong police while China must have worked out how much force they would need to quell the unrest.
What are the main issues? Freedom and democracy and the unspoken but most real issues of housing and a better life. Freedom and democracy are not the real issues as put up to be. Other than crimes against the state, the Hongkongers have all the freedom and democracy they wanted, manifested by the widespread protest and violence on the streets and the hooligan behaviour in their parliament that is anything but democracy. Those behaviours are thuggish, boorish and uncivilised, not civil actions of a democracy but irresponsible expression of freedom.
The Hongkongers are likely to enjoy more and more freedom over time, even after the 50 years transition period is over. China would want a peaceful Hongkong with happy and prosperous Hongkongers than a violent, disruptive and unhappy populace. The issue of freedom and democracy would not be threatened as long as national security and sovereignty are not compromise, aka the Taiwan case. Any attempt to secede from China as a separate political entity under whatever pretences would be met with force and would turn very bloody and ugly. There is no way China would allow Hong Kong to be a separate state and be used as a thorn in the belly of China. Period.
The other more real and pressing issues are housing and a better life that the Hongkongers would like to have. These problems are due to overcrowding and density of population. No one can help the Hongkongers except China. Little states that think it is a clever idea to stuff as many people as they could in the name of fake economic growth would face this problem in graver consequences over time. The landlords would not help the Hongkongers by sharing their overly expensive land and housing. So what is left for the Hongkongers who want better and cheaper housing?
When Mao took over a broken down feudal China, the first thing he did was to execute all the landlords, acquire all their lands and redistributed to the people. This could not be done in the context of today's morality. Even if China were to acquire the lands from the landlords, there would still not be enough land to go around. The only workable solution is to build a few big cities in nearby China, connect them to Hong Kong with high speed trains and road network and sell them to Hongkongers at half the price of what they would have to pay in Hong Kong or cheaper. That would be a practical solution to the housing and quality of life problems facing the young Hongkongers.
With this on the platter, the Hongkongers can choose to stay, move into the cheaper and better housing provided by China or move out, migrate to become second class citizens of wherever that would welcome them. This is the only way out for the Hongkongers. Violent protests and cries for freedom and democracy or even and an independent state of their own is a dead end. The govt of Hong Kong and China should work out a long term solution for the Hongkongers quickly. The foolishness and madness of violent protests would not achieve anything other than more dead bodies on the streets, if that is what the Hongkongers want.
Hong Kong would forever be an intrinsic part of China, come what may, or be destroyed by the Hongkongers themselves and absorbed into China like any Chinese city with no special rights after the violence is over. The Hongkongers have a choice, a practical one that would give them a better life as a part of China if they are willing to talk sensibly and work towards a happy ending, or ruin their future in a mindless pursuit of heresy.
"If China is so stupid as to believe that they can do away with Hong
Kong and they don't need an international financial centre, then of
course there's nothing which one could do to dissuade them to do
otherwise," Dennis Kwok, a pro-democracy lawmaker in Hong Kong, told a US-based
audience on Friday that the territory's opposition forces appreciated US
efforts and urged continued vigilance, voicing fear for police
crackdowns in the coming days. CNA
I would say this, if the Hongkongers are so stupid to believe that Hong Kong is indispensable as a financial centre to China, then they should go on and knock their heads against a wall. My view, the Hongkongers should not think too highly of themselves. China can lock down Hong Kong and the rest of China can continue life as normal. China would go to war with the Americans on Hong Kong and Taiwan. Would the US be prepared to go to war with China on these two territories of China? To China these are core national interests, to the Americans these are peripheral interests, good to have to stir shit without being hurt. No Americans would sacrifice their lives for the Hongkongers or Taiwanese. And this is not a limited war but would lead to nuclear destruction of both China and the USA.
PS. Sedition laws and laws against subversion and threats to national security are basic to every country. Even repatriation laws are common among states to punish criminals. Protest against such laws is lunacy, protesting for the sake of protesting or to create social unrest.
American and western support for Hong Kong is a pretence. They are using Hong Kong as a tool to destabilise China for political and strategic objective, nothing more, nothing less.
19 comments:
National security law is a 'death knell' for US intervention in Hong Kong.
Which country does not have national security laws? Which country would allow its administrative regions to become a void of national security where some internal forces collude with foreign forces and jeopardize national security?
Article 23 of the Basic Law stipulates that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) shall enact national security laws on its own. But it has been almost 23 years since Hong Kong's return to China, and the Hong Kong SAR has failed to enact such laws.
Some extreme opposition forces in Hong Kong are inciting the public to resist Article 23 legislation, which has been supported by countries such as the US and the UK.
The absence of a national security law is one of the very reasons that Hong Kong has become chaotic. The rule of law has been undermined by extremists who play a destructive role in national security and set a bad example to society.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned on Friday that Beijing's plan to bypass Hong Kong's legislative process and pass a national security law would be a "death knell" for the Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy. Yes, there would be a "death knell," but for the US' interference in Hong Kong affairs. Washington will be made to realize that Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy is ensured under Chinese jurisdiction, not US manipulation.
In terms of human freedom index Hong Kong ranks third in the world, far ahead of UK (14) and USA (15). Have you heard of a country giving less freedom to it's own citizens, yet fighting for more freedom for another? It can only happen with the USA and UK.
Who really gets hurt more with the USA stripping Hong Kong's preferential trading status in the USA? It is the Hong Kong people themselves and like sanctions, it does little to hurt a country's leaders but it will hurt it's citizens. China can survive without Hong Kong, but not the other way round, unlike few decades ago. Hongkongers must never overestimate their importance. Times have changed.
Yes, it will be no more business as usual for Hongkongers. They can continue to protest, as much as they like, but they cannot change the fact that Hong Kong will remain as China's territory. Hong Kong can never be independent, least of all fall into US or UK hands again. The Taiwan issue taught China a very important lesson.
China can keep the standoff as long as it exists, but Hongkongers need jobs and these will have to depend on business creation, which will remain in short supply as long as the country is deemed unstable. We know foreign entities are financing the unrest, but China has all the time to let the Hongkongers destroy themselves and wait for 2047.
All is not lost. Hongkongers can still migrate to the USA or UK, whose leaders would love them like their own kind and give them even more freedom than the kind they enjoyed in Hong Kong (ranked at No. 3 in the world), while their own citizens are now enjoying much less freedom (ranked at 14 and 15 in the world). This is generosity that even the saints cannot accord.
The USA would, embracing untold generosity, even encourage Hongkongers to teach their US citizens how to really demonstrate, riot and terrorise civilians, police and Government officials alike. Go there and protest and burn down the White House or No. 10, Downing Street. Since the US condone and even encourage and support such actions of rioting and terrorism that they saw in Hong Kong, so they should condone the same kind of action in US and UK.
Quick, Hongkongers, the USA and UK love and need you badly.
Hongkongers think the USA and UK love them.
But when they walk the streets of US and UK cities, they get beaten up by racist whites for being Asians!
Anon 7:11, don't be like that lah. Sekali the stupid hongkies believe in what you said and scramble to USA or UK and like what 7:24pm said, kena whacked and spitted by the whites and the blacks because to them the hongkies are also Chinese even if they called themselves Americans or British.
It was unfortunate that the two girls got beaten in Australian were Malaysian and Singaporean, not hongkies. The same too of the Singaporean got beaten up in UK. Would be interesting if more hongkies were beaten up by the whites or the blacks to teach them who they really are and their right place in this world.
The whites and blacks would tell them to go back to China.
It would be good for the Americans to strip Hong Kong of its preferential trading status and for China to declare a state of emergency in Hong Kong due to rioting and close down the economy for 6 months for a start.
China can divert all its businesses to other Chinese cities and by pass Hong Kong altogether. Then we can see how clever the Hongkongers are without China probing up their economy. For one, the HKSE would go kaput and all the money invested in the stock market would go up in smokes.
A New Chapter For Hong Kong - The Cleaning-Up After The Storm Part 1/2
Hongkong has been used for years as one of the world's top spying headquarters and staging area for subversive activities into China and Southeast Asian countries, by the various European, British, US spying agencies and many others. Banking and banging, vices and sex trades, smuggling and gambling flourished partly because of these spying agencies, and partly because of the existence of hives of illegal secret societies.
The corrupted British Administration and Police in Hongkong, during their 100 years occupation, had deliberately allowed Hongkong to become a Vice Centre in order to corrupt the minds of the Hongkongers, thereby using their weaknesses to subtly and indirectly control them via threats, intimidation and coercions. That's why during the two years of protests, almost half of the Hongkongers have shown their true colours. The colours of hooligans and traitors.
Hong Kong has lost its luster and omph, after two years of self-degradation, self-humiliation and self-destruction protests engineered, financed and supported by the CIA in conjunction with the Five-Eyes.
Tourism and smuggling have been the main draws for the Hongkongers economic activities for the past 120 years. That means the economy of Hongkong was deliberately built upon a very flimsy foundation by the British Colonialist (or B-Colon). The British were happy because they were ripping and reaping simultaneously - ripping Hongkongers apart and reaping great rewards for their Most Evil Queen the World has ever have the I'll fortune to have, yet until now very few are aware of.
After the thunderstorms during the last two years of self-inflicted carnage, the temporal "good" fortune in the last 100 years simply dissipated into thin air, beyond recovery (unless Motherland China is willing to help).
Help, China definitely will. But this is not the time. China must first rein in this prodigal spoilt son, who still cannot differentiate between Heaven and Earth, mouth and asshole, friend and foe, good and evil.
Now is the time for China to get tough and rough to teach the unruly subversive activities and rioters a good lesson that they will never forget for many generations down the road.
For a tiny island like Hongkong, there are at least sixteen entry/exit points. Singapore has only eight entry/exit points (2 air, 2 land and 4 sea points). They contribute to the ease of movements by the spies and subversive elements. For security reason, China must close down all The exit/entry points, except two - one land entry/exit from/to mainland and one international exit/entry/exit point. This will help control and monitor the movements of foreign spies and subversive elements, plus smuggling, human trafficking and other criminal activities.
A New Chapter For Hong Kong - The Cleaning-Up After The Storm Part 2/2
Next, China must get rid of all foreign judges in Hong Kong's courts and foreign lawyers and educators who have political connections/motives. This will ensure that the legal and education systems are administered, managed and run by local Hongkongers or mainland Chinese. The lingering residues of the shits left behind by the last British Governor Chris Patten, to create obstacles and troubles for Hongkong and China after 1997, must be totally cleaned, sanitized and wiped completely. In this respect, not "but' or "if" can be allowed
Next, the whole political system in Hongkong must be reviewed and revamped. It should be more in alignment with the Mainland system. This "one country two systems" can only work if every single Hongkonger is well-educated and law-abiding.
From the experience of the incessant, mad, wild, irresponsible and reckless violent protests instigated by foreign subversive elements, it is clear that a huge portion of the Hongkong's population can be easily influenced and controlled by foreign powers. This is very dangerous. China has to make sure that this danger is removed.
In brief, China must do whatever it takes to rein in Hongkong - lock, stock and barrel - in order to clean up all the shits left behind by the pretentious slimy evil agents of the British Queen..
Deng Xiaoping told Margaret Thatcher when she suggested to extend the lease of Hong Kong Britain for another 100 years or something like, and if China disagree there would be chaos in Hong Kong.
Deng told her if needed be, Hong Kong would be destroyed and rebuilt from scratch. Thatcher got the message and gave up her dream of extending the British rule on the island. But this lesson did not seem to be learnt by the Hongkongers and they think they could wrestle Hong Kong from China what the British conceded as lost, now with the hope of the Americans behind them.
The Trump admin is currently helping Israel's annexation of Palestinian lands, riding roughshod over the legitimate rights of Palestinians, while appearing to be morally concerned about Hong Kongers' rights and freedom.
Yes, President Xi Jinping must rebuild Hong Kong from scratch. It is now a rotten, cancerous and infectious disease that needs total amputation in order to prevent more gangrene parts from developing.
Hong Kong cannot remain the way the Devilish British and the Evil US want it to be. It must be what China wants it to be. How can your own property that has been on loan to a foreigner for 99 years ends up with you losing your property rights to the foreigner? This is absurdly even in a lawless society!
Hi SSO.
China rightful right to take back China, why the Hell they agreed to have this 50 years of autonomy?
Just simply repossess and rule as their own territory.
Don't think they have a clause 100 years back that HK must be autonomy for next 50 years after handover.
Think, this is China's maganimous and silly mistake.
Expecting Hongkies as their own as Chinese to accept them willingly.
Just simply take back. You think they dared to raise a whimper?
Right Virgo. When the lease of Hong Kong ended, China should just take back Hong Kong and be integrated into China, why allow the Brits to dictate terms. China has been giving too much leeway.
Just imagine if the 99 year lease of our HDB expires, can the lessee still dictate terms, like
giving another 2 years for lessees to find alternative accommodation?
But we know the Whites like to leave behind 'time bombs' for colonies they vacate to ensure instability so that they can exploit and interfere. Look at India and Kashmir, Israel and the Arab countries, North and South Korea as examples. And why isn't the USA doing anything about Kashmir or Indian treatment of Muslims? Why just focus on the minority in Xinjiang?
Hi Anon.
See Macau..ex Portuguese colony.
They do not give much problems.
The Portuguese unlike the bloody Brits and Americans don't stir shits to the Macau Residents.
China just trying to be show Taiwan an example of their Two systems ONE Country philosophy.
Thinking if this really works, Taiwan will be willing to remerge with them.
Not anticipating that the Hong Kongers will be giving them these problems.
For nearly 20 plus odd years smooth sailings. As time goes nearer, the young Minnenials started to be anxious that their time is running short.
ALREADY deeply influenced and tasted capitalist lives that thet feared under CCCP, they be losing their freedom.
So, right time for the White bastards to stir shits.
Just to spite and crippled China.
Even after 2047, there will still be trouble. As SSO said, unless China overhaul completely the remains of the decadent and corrupt British system, from education to the judiciary, no peace will prevail. Now it is only for China to tighten security with laws to punish wrongdoers and traitors.
Let Hong Kong burn and hollow itself out until 2047 when the agreement ends, then do what is necessary to rebuild the economy. Like the mainland, business will return once there is stability. It is not possible for that to happen with what those internal terrorist are going to do. It will be a waste of valuable resources to maintain and repair infrastructures that will ultimately be destroyed again.
If China can lock down Wuhan, locking down Hong Kong is a piece of cake.
Hong Kong is part of China, just as California is part of the USA. Unlike the USA who is a Federalist nation, China is an integrated nation. Hong Kong today enjoys more freedom and democracy than she did in the 160 years under the British. Where were the voices protesting the lack of democracy and freedom in HK then? In fact, looking at the USA today, HK seems to enjpy more freedom, democracy and the rule of law. HK does not have its law enforcement and intelligence agencies fabricating fake evidence against politicians and government officials, unlike the FBI and CIA do with impunity in the USA. China's proposed security law is also more just and fairer than the US' Patriot Act.
Wuhan lockdown was only for a short time. Locking down Hong Kong would have to be perpetual, because the terrorists are always there to create trouble.
And you can bet that the USA and UK would rock, rattle and roll about the draconian measures and anti-human rights nonsense, which the poodles will repeat like the animals in 'Animal Farm'.
Now Hong Kongers grouping for major protests. Expected.
Let's see how China reacts.
Tune to CNN etc. They are excited for more riots.
To
resolve the Hong Kong Situation fast and effectively, China must make Hong Kong conform to the Same Governance as All Other Chinese Territories.
There
should be No One Country Two Systems. It is funny and nonsensical to have such a weird and funny system. Simply illogical and untenable.
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