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China news tagged with: Hong Kong democracy (55)

• Thousands In New Year Hong Kong March For Democracy

  

  From Reuters:

  Thousands of Hong Kong residents appealed to China on New Year’s Day to allow full democracy to be introduced soon in the city, as opposition lawmakers pressed forward with a mass resignation plan later this month.

  Congregating outside the city’s historic domed legislature, protesters carried colorful banners with slogans such as “Democracy Now!” and made their way to Beijing’s representative office.

  Some demonstrators held aloft portraits of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, demanding the release of the prominent activist and writer, jailed last week for 11 years on a subversion charge.

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  • January 1, 2010 4:16 PM

• Chinese Police “Cross Hong Kong Border To Arrest Activists”

  

  From dpa:

  The Hong Kong government was Tuesday being pressed to investigate claims that plain-clothes Chinese police dragged activists and journalists across the border into China.

  Four activists and two journalists from Hong Kong were detained for three hours in China Sunday after a protest rally at an immigration
  control point on the Hong Kong side of the border.

  The six, who protested the jailing in China on December 25 of prominent dissident Liu Xiaobo, claim they were dragged across the border by plain-clothes Chinese police.

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  • December 29, 2009 4:48 AM

• Hong Kong’s Pro-Democracy March Draws Thousands

  

  Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators marched in Hong Kong to mark the 12th anniversary of the handover of the territory to the Chinese government. From the New York Times:

  The immediacy of democracy demands here has faded somewhat as Beijing officials have ruled out direct elections for the chief executive until 2017 and the legislature until 2020.

  The march on Wednesday, on the 12th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule after 156 years of British control, nonetheless drew a large crowd.

  Many marchers said they were dissatisfied with government policies to deal with the economy. Unemployment in Hong Kong rose sharply over the winter and leveled off this spring at 5.3 percent — a little over half the rate in the United States, but a shock for a territory where the rate was 3.2 percent last summer.

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  • July 1, 2009 6:56 PM

• Hong Kong Democrats Barred From Macau Ahead Of Rally

  

  From AFP:

  More than 20 Hong Kong democracy campaigners, including nine legislators, were barred from entering Macau ahead of a march against a proposed national security law, according to one of the lawmakers.

  The group was stopped by immigration officials and detained for half an hour, before being put on a ferry back to Hong Kong, Emily Lau, deputy chairwoman of the Democratic Party, told AFP.

  “They told us we have broken Macau security law, but they could not be more specific,” Lau said.

  Among those prevented from entering was well-known activist and legislator “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung, chairman of the Democratic Party Albert Ho and former chief executive candidate Alan Leong.

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  • December 21, 2008 12:06 AM

• HK Democrats Could Gain After Polls, Analysts Say

  

  From AP:

  Hong Kong’s pro-democracy politicians fared better than expected in legislative elections, a showing that could strengthen their hand in pushing for greater political freedoms in the Chinese territory, analysts said.

  The opposition camp captured 23 of 60 legislative seats in Sunday’s voting, down from their previous 26, according to poll results released Monday.

  Many observers had predicted a far worse beating for the opposition parties as their signature issue — democratic reform — took a back seat to concerns over wages, inflation and poverty this year. A resurgent nationalism, heightened by last month’s Beijing Olympics and a booming mainland economy, was expected to further hurt their chances.

  Instead, they won enough seats to hold onto their veto power and block conservatives from redrawing Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, to Beijing’s liking.

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  • September 8, 2008 5:41 PM

• Democrats Face Key Test as Hong Kong Votes (Updated)

  

  AFP reports on the relatively low turnout for elections in Hong Kong today:

  Despite warm sunshine in the afternoon, official figures showed only about 45 percent of registered voters cast their ballots, down from the nearly 56 percent turnout in 2004.

  The vote was expected to provide a barometer for pro-democracy parties in the former British colony in the face of growing Chinese patriotism, with results expected early Monday.

  Only 30 of the 60 legislative seats were being chosen by the city’s 3.37 million registered electors. The remaining 30 “functional constituencies” represent various business and industry interests chosen by select electorates.

  Update: From AP:

  Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp has won more than a third of seats in legislative elections, retaining its veto power over major legislation.

  Results announced Monday show the opposition has claimed at least 22 of 60 seats in the legislature. The key threshold for pro-democracy parties was 21 seats — a number that would allow them to block major legislation that requires a two-thirds majority for passage.

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  • September 7, 2008 4:43 PM

• Hong Kong’s ‘Father Of Democracy’ Vows To Keep Pushing For Vote

  

  From AFP:

  Hong Kong’s leading democracy campaigner Martin Lee vowed Thursday to carry on his battle for universal suffrage in the southern Chinese city, despite retiring after 23 years as a legislator.

  Lee, hailed as the “father of democracy” in Hong Kong, said he would continue to travel overseas and update foreign leaders on both the “good and bad things” about political progress here.

  “I will continue to speak out inside and out of Hong Kong,” he said at a lunch at the city’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club, a day before his career as a lawmaker officially ends.

  He said he remained upbeat about the implementation of universal suffrage in Hong Kong and the mainland.

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  • July 18, 2008 5:14 AM

• HK Democracy Activist to Quit Politics

  

  From AP:

  Hong Kong’s best-known democracy advocate said Friday he will end his political career but keep pressing for greater rights, a campaign that has already led Beijing to brand him a traitor.

  Martin Lee, 69, said he will not run for re-election in the local legislature in September. However, he said, he will “continue pushing for democracy in Hong Kong until we have democracy.”

  Lee’s high-profile campaign for direct elections in Hong Kong has made him a champion of human rights to many in the West and a reviled troublemaker to China. He was first elected to the local legislature in 1985.

  Read also Hong Kong Democracy Pioneer Lee to Retire as Lawmaker by Joshua Fellman, and Leading Hong Kong democrat to step down from legislature by AFP.

  » Read more
  • March 29, 2008 10:49 PM

• China Will Make Hong Kong Wait to Elect Leader – Donald Greenlees and Keith Bradsher

  

  The New York Times has a more detailed report on the Chinese government’s decision, noted by CDT last week, to allow democratic elections in Hong Kong by 2020:

  Chinese officials announced Saturday that Hong Kong would have to wait at least another decade for democratic elections to select its leader, and for more than 12 years to have the right to directly elect the entire legislature.

  The decision is the latest in a series of setbacks for the democracy aspirations of Hong Kong residents, and another sign that Beijing’s current leaders have scant appetite for experimenting with greater public participation in political decision-making….[Full Text]

  See the full text of the NPC’s decision here.

  » Read more
  • December 30, 2007 6:46 PM

• Hong Kong To Elect Leader By 2017 – BBC

  

  From BBC News:

  Hong Kong’s chief executive has said Beijing will allow the special region’s people to directly elect their leader by 2017 and their legislators by 2020.

  Donald Tsang said the decision was a “most important step” in the political future of the former British colony, which became part of China in 1997.

  The move comes after Mr Tsang submitted a report requesting elections by 2012.

  Hong Kong’s leader is chosen currently by an 800-member committee. Half the 60-seat Legislative Council is elected. [Full Text]

  Read also Full text of NPC decision on Hong Kong’s constitutional development from Xinhua, Hong Kong Granted Greater Democracy by Cassie Biggs, and China Says Hong Kong May Pick Chief Executive in 2017 by Allen T. Cheng and Kelvin Wong.

  » Read more
  • December 28, 2007 11:32 PM

• China To Consider Hong Kong Push For Democracy – James Pomfret

  

  From Reuters:

  China’s parliament will decide next week whether to allow greater democracy in Hong Kong, but no one in the liberal camp is expecting a surprise Christmas present from the Communist rulers in Beijing.

  Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang urged China this month to allow greater democracy in the former British colony in a report that said the majority of people in Hong Kong wanted direct elections by 2012.

  But the report was criticized by the pro-democracy camp for its lack of a timetable and for suggesting a delay until 2017 as a more pragmatic option.

  “We do not agree with the conclusions and suggestions made in the report,” Hong Kong’s pro-democracy legislators wrote in an open letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday. [Full Text]

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  • December 18, 2007 3:23 AM

• Hong Kong Activist Sworn in As Lawmaker – Dikky Sinn

  

  From AP:

  An outspoken advocate of democracy elected to Hong Kong’s legislature this week was sworn in Wednesday, six years after she resigned as the Chinese territory’s No. 2 official in dismay over the slow pace of political reform.

  Anson Chan, dubbed “Hong Kong’s conscience” for her championing of political and personal freedoms, beat her closest rival, former security chief Regina Ip, in an election Sunday for a seat in the assembly.

  Chan, 67, had the backing of the opposition pan-democrat camp ” parties that want freewheeling Hong Kong to be able to elect all 60 lawmakers and its leader by 2012. Currently, only 30 lawmakers are directly elected by the public, and Hong Kong’s leader is chosen by an election committee stacked with Beijing loyalists. [Full Text]

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  • December 6, 2007 6:19 PM

• Thousands Rally In Hong Kong To Demand Full Democracy – AP

  

  From AP, via International Herald Tribune:

  Thousands of people marched through Hong Kong Sunday to demand the right to pick the city’s leader and the entire legislature in 2012.

  More than 5,500 people also hoisted umbrellas to form the numbers 2-0-1-2 ” their target year for full democracy ” before they started off, pro-democracy lawmaker Ronny Tong (ʱ§ÂÆ∂È™Ö) said.

  They occupied three soccer pitches in a Hong Kong park. [Full Text]

  Read also Mass umbrella rally in Hong Kong by BBC.

  » Read more
  • October 7, 2007 3:44 AM

• Democracy Debate Transforms Hong Kong Election Contest – Jonathan Cheng

  

  From The Wall Street Journal:

  A by-election for a Hong Kong legislative seat is turning into a face-off between two well-known former government officials who represent different approaches toward shaping this former British colony’s political future.

  In 2003, Regina Ip’s unflinching support for an antitreason law as secretary for security made her a symbol of fears that China would curtail Hong Kong’s political freedom. Yesterday, she announced plans to contest a vacant legislative seat — and work with Beijing to bring democratic ideals to Hong Kong.

  “Democracy is the only way forward for Hong Kong,” Mrs. Ip said. [Full Text]

  Read also Hong Kong’s ‘Dragon Lady’ to run in election by AFP, and Slightly sorry, Regina’s now raring to go by Diana Lee

  » Read more
  • September 28, 2007 9:17 AM

• Hong Kong Politician To Seek Legislative Seat – Donald Greenlees

  

  From The New York Times:

  Anson Chan, a leading democrat and one of the most popular political figures in Hong Kong, announced today that she would seek election to the local Legislature, giving a significant boost to a push for full democracy by 2012.

  Ms. Chan, a former Hong Kong chief secretary, the local government’s second highest official, promised to use her candidacy in a December by-election for the Legislative Council to press for faster progress in setting a timetable and mechanism for the direct election of Hong Kong’s political representatives. [Full Text]

  » Read more
  • September 12, 2007 5:17 AM

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