A number of overseas Hong Kong groups, ex-councillors, and individuals who initiated the “Hongkongers refuse to recognise John Lee Ka-Chiu as the Chief Executive” petition, issued a statement on July 1, 2022, the 25th anniversary of the CCP’s takeover of Hong Kong and when Lee became the Chief Executive. The statement, titled, ”Dispersed Hongkongers overseas, mock the ‘71’ declaration,” directly denouncing the CCP’s actions to infringe upon the world, and called on the public to participate in the joint signature programme. This is planned to be submitted to their respective local governments on Oct. 1, 2022, asking them to jointly oppose totalitarian rule and continue to support the people of Hong Kong.
CCP Monitors Democrats on “71” Eve
The League of Social Democrats (LSD), one pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong, stated that the residences of six of their members, including Raphael Wong Ho-ming, Chan Po-ying, Avert Ng Man-yuen, Tsang Kin-shing, Dickson Chou Ka-fat and Yu Wai-bun, were searched on Wednesday (29th) by the National Security Department of the police. They were taken to the police station and reminded not to hold demonstrations on July 1. The LSD said that they had indicated earlier there would be no demonstrations on July 1. They found such actions of the National Security Department as deplorable and absurd.CCP Destroys Hong Kong, Tampering with History
The “Mock ‘71’ Statement” refers to the fact that the CCP wanted to use Hong Kong as an international window, but now it has indeed destroyed the rule of law in Hong Kong, dismantled Hong Kong’s civil society, and used Chinese assets to erode Hong Kong and foreign assets and its international status. The Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini constitution, has been completely violated. Development of universal suffrage had been curtailed under the rule of the CCP.The statement also mentioned that the CCP ordered the Hong Kong Education Bureau to tamper with history, denying that Hong Kong was once a British colony. This will soon be included in secondary school (S4) textbooks. It also rebuked the CCP for never keeping its promises. In 2017, it claimed that the Sino-British Joint Declaration was a historical document and denied its eligibility, and the status of it as an international treaty, thus forfeiting its obligations.
According to media reports in May, textbooks of the “Citizenship and Social Development” reviewed by the authorities stated that “Hong Kong was not a (former) colony.” Historian Yeung Wing-yu said that the above is “very far from historical facts.” He believes that the reason the authorities put forward “Hong Kong was not a colony” is, by removing Hong Kong from being a colony it will completely void any chance of “Hong Kong independence.” Because according to the arrangement of the United Nations after World War II, all “colonies” had the rights to seek independence.
CCP Exposes Its Rogue Nature, Violating World Order
The same “Statement“ also pointed out that in order to coax Hong Kong people into ”staying in Hong Kong and establishing Hong Kong” after the 1989 Tiananmen massacre in Beijing, the CCP promised in Article 45 of the Basic Law that the chief executive would be elected by universal suffrage. However, this provision suffered the same fate as the Sino-British Joint Declaration. As far as the CCP is concerned, they are all historical documents and are not valid anymore, and the regime has neglected it completely. It described the CCP as a “habitual criminal who has broken its promises as normal practice” and its treatment of Hong Kong “completely exposed its villain nature.” Against such backdrop, any countries that deal with the CCP would suffer too.The statement continued to criticise the CCP that with increasing stature and wielding more influence, the harm they cause the world would become bigger. A good example was the concealment of the pandemic in Wuhan from 2019, which led to its spread around the world. They also took part in the sponsorship of pro-Communist candidates for elections in different countries in order to facilitate the CCP idealism. Their support for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is another recent example. The statement specifically pointed out that among the five companies in China supplying the Russian military, four are registered in Hong Kong.
Lee Elected Without the People’s Mandate
John Lee Ka-chiu, the target of the said joint signature programme, is the first chief executive elected after the CCP “improves the electoral system,” and the first chief executive elected without competition since 2005. The election of Hong Kong’s chief executive had always been a “small circle election.” Since the CCP took over Hong Kong, the Election Committee responsible for electing the chief executive had increased from 800 to the current 1,500, but it has not changed the fact that it only represents the rich, the powerful, and government appointed persons. Against a population of 7.4 million in Hong Kong it only accounts for 0.02 per cent of the total.Lee, a police officer, encountered the anti-extradition movement during his tenure as the Secretary of Security in 2019. Under his leadership, the police vigorously suppressed the protesters. After the movement, he was promoted to the second-ranked position of Chief Secretary for Administration in the SAR in 2021. A year later, he was blessed by Beijing and resigned to run for the election of the chief executive (CE). In the end, he won 1,416 support votes, a 99.16 per cent of the total. Although he is the CE with the highest ‘yes’ vote percentage, he is also the CE with the lowest approval rating. According to a poll conducted by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (HKPORI), Lee’s net approval rating was negative fourteen percentage points in March this year (2022), one month before he resigned as Chief Secretary for Administration.
Petitions Will Go to Respective Local Governments
There are thirty-eight overseas Hongkongers groups initiating this petition. Signed petitions will be submitted to their respective local governments.However, the organisers admit that they understand the joint signature may not be able to play a big role. “Imagine the difficulties when facing a totalitarian state. For example, even many major powers could not prevent Russia from aggression against other countries. When Hong Kong people face a brutal power like the CCP, hard as it might be, but the never give up spirit is something that we want to pursue to get something done, even if it is as small as “a speck of dust.” In fact, there is not much room left for people in Hong Kong to speak the truth now.”
They invited people from different nationalities around the world who opposed totalitarianism to sign together. Sponsors and groups from all over the world plan to count the number of signatures on October 1, the day the CCP celebrates the “founding of the People’s Republic of China.” After that they will submit their signed petition to their respective local governments. “We will demand like-minded people who oppose totalitarian rule, to come together and continue to support the people of Hong Kong and walk with justice.”
Initiating Groups Lament Difficulties to Get Going
There are currently thirty-eight groups of overseas Hong Kong people, ex-council members and individuals from Norway, England, Wales, Scotland, the United States, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, and Finland co-sponsoring the programme. Groups are, Hongkongers in Britain, Scottish Hongkonger, “Re-Water,” “Hong Kong Committee in Norway,” “Cardiff Hongkongers Group,” “HK activists in Vancouver,” etc.; and 3 former Legislative Councillors and 15 former District Councillors, including former Legislative Councillors Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Ted Hui Chi-feng, Baggio Leung Chung-hang; former district councillors Yau Man-chun, Daniel Kwok Tsz-kin, Rayman Chow Wai-hung, Alice Lee Fung-king, Carmen Lau; plus overseas “Lam Chau Ba” Finn Lau, Fermi Wong Wai Fun, founder of Hongkong Unison, Isaac Cheng Ka Long, former Hong Kong Demosisto Vice Chairman, as examples,The petition’s joint signing was placed on the website “change.org” on June 13, at the time of their statement on the evening of July 1, Hong Kong time, nearly 1,500 participants had signed up. The petition will continue until Oct. 1, 2022. “Re-Water,” one of the earlier sponsoring groups, lamented that under the haze of the “Hong Kong National Security Law,” there is no connection with any organisation in Hong Kong, and there are no channels for promotion. But they insist that no matter how difficult it might seem, they will still do whatever they can do.
