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Hong Kong: China's Last Words?

Concrete Meadow said:
A Toast to You, Jessie :cool: and to Anson Chan :) as well

P1_HK_1.jpg


Anson Chan wins symbolic Hong Kong election
Yeah!

Had a chat with Anson a week ago and we were a little worried that Ip was closing the gap, so this is a welcome result:

Anson = 55%. Regina (Article 45 bitch) = 45%.


The problem with this (good) result though is that, since this by-election was seen by everyone as the defining battle between the truely democratic camp and the anti-democratic/pro-Beijing/pro-big business forces and, since the people have spoken out clearly - yet again - (well, at least 55% of us have,) about our sincere desire for democracy - over and above issues such as so-called "stability and prosperity", the economy, money, etc. - all it will mean is that Beijing will inevitably - yet again - deny us democracy in 2012 and push the date further into the misty future.

After all, the CCP is reknowned for only holding elections when they are assured that their favoured candidate will prevail.


Oh well - small victories and all that.

We will march on.

:)

Blessings to you and yours, Meadow.




Edited to add.......


r




:)


Woof
 
Can't believe it!

Just heard that the proposal for democratic reform that the HK Govt. will propose to Beijing will be a re-hash of the (half baked, anti-democratic,) proposal that the Legislature voted down (due to lack of support by the pan-democratic camp) in December 2005 (see post # 210 on this thread, or http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=144616&highlight=Hong+kong+democracy this thread).


Some have suggested that Beijing will offer even less concessions this time around as a "punishment" for LegCo voting it down 2 years ago.


Dirty fuckers!

:mad:

:rolleyes:


:(


Woof
 
Kung Hay Fat Choy :) to Jessie, fela, maomao (where's the cat?) and everybody who celebrates the Year of the Rat!

251812776_fd95795bcb.jpg

Well, one person in Hong Kong is celebrating heartily at the moment - Free At Last, Ching Cheong!

.
 
Just got home.


Nineteen years.


Never forget!


T'was superb to have Yoss and eatna there this year.


(No photo's yet so here's one from Google - note the ROC flag, there was one this year, as ever.)

ROC_flag_Victoria_Park_HK_Tiananmen_vigil.jpg




:)


Woof
 
I have not forgotten, as I lit the candles last night in New York City.

Here's a pic from the Ming Pao, Jessie :)

20080605ap09y.jpg


I read that the crowd was smaller this year and the mood was mixed ... understandably peopel are still feeling the tragedy of the Earthquake :(
 
Another year has gone by ...

HONG_KONG_MARCH_XIONG_YANok.jpg

06/01/2009 09:54 HONG KONG – CHINA

Thousands march in Hong Kong to remember Tiananmen
by James Wang

Last year there was one thousand, this year there were 8 thousand. Many are expected to turn out for the Victoria Park vigil on June 4th. Xiong Yan, the leader of Tiananmen, now in exile in the USA, got his visa a day before, after a series of rejections. Some students from China present. Hong Kong is the only place on Chinese soil where Tiananmen is publicly commemorated.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – At least 8 thousand people marched through the streets of Hong Kong yesterday afternoon to commemorate the demonstrations and massacre of Tiananmen Square that took place on June 4th 1989. Among the demonstrators there was also Xiong Yan, one of the leaders of the movement 20 years ago, who today lives in the USA as an army chaplain. Xiong Yan says he only received a visa to enter the territory a day beforehand, after numerous rejections.

The march wound its way from Victoria Park to government offices and was opened by a group of 20 young people born in ’89. In this way the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, that organises the commemoration every June 4th, wanted to underline the continuity of the event. Among the slogans shouted during the march; “Pass the torch on, relay the message of democracy to those who come after us”.

The presence of 8 thousand people – many dressed in the colours of mourning, black and white – was a great success: last year one thousand took part. According to a survey carried out by Hong Kong University, 61% of its students want the Chinese government to reverse its judgement of Tiananmen and 69% believe Beijing to wrong to have used violence against the defenceless demonstrators. Last year the percentages were 41% and 58% respectively.

Recently a book of the memoirs of Zhao Ziyang, party secretary in 1989 who was put under house arrest for the rest of his life because of his opposition to the massacre, was published in Hong Kong. The book, in English and Chinese, has already sold out. All of this interest in the history of the massacre and Beijing’s responsibility points to the likelihood of increased participation in the vigil that takes place in the evening every June 4th in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park.

Yesterday’s demonstration also saw the participation of Students from China. Lee Cheuk Yan, a trade union leader and one of the organisers of the annual march and vigil says that Hong Kong “is the only place on Chinese soil that can commemorate June 4. Hong Kong has become the conscience of China to remember... the crime of the Tiananmen Square massacre and push the regime (in Beijing) to admit their mistakes”.

Xiong Yan comments that “there is hope, because increasingly people in Hong Kong know what freedom means. They aspire to and pursue freedom and put it into action”.

Source: hk.ymg.com


:) Jessie, how have you been? Will you give us an update on Thursday night?
 
I was alerted to the anniversary by this moving article in today's guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/02/tiananmen-square-protests-1989-china

"...Not all of those who died on 4 June did so unknowingly. Some chose deliberately to walk towards the rifles. As the bullets were flying towards them, possibly the one thought in their minds was: "This is the darkest moment; afterwards the light will come." The unfree bodies chose to fall so that millions of others could stand up freely again and trample on the injustices of the past. The only point of self-sacrifice is to force one's oppressors to live with the burden of guilt..."

I also thought about the fact many of the people there are (or were) about the same age as me. We have a duty to not forget.
 
I'd suggest that anybody interested in the events that happend 20 years ago to read The Tiananmen Papers. It is drawn from over 2000 accounts and documents, including many from the Chinese Politburo and gives a far greater insight into the whole movement than anything else I have read on the subject.
 
Just home at @ 12:45am.


Quite an extraordinary evening. A massive turnout - difficult to say, but I reckon over 100,000 souls counting those who arrived early and left after an hour or two as well as those who arrived later, many more thousands if you count those passing through for a hour. People were still flocking in at 9:30pm, the Park was packed; literally overflowing - there just wasn't enough space to fit everybody in.

Cheung Mo (Longhair), AKA Leung Kwok-hung was, as ever, in full throat with the megaphone, on his soapbox, on the street outside Exit E of Causeway Bay MTR Station. He had all the peeps exiting the MTR, and everyone else walking the street, in stitches with aspects of his repetoire.

The event is always goodnatured and often/usually sombre in timbre. This year, however, these emotions were a little more edgy; tinged with hints of defiance and sacarsm.

A good evening, embracing the usual graciousness, comradeship and solidarity.



Nicked this pic of tonight's vigil from the SCMP site.

VICTORIA_CANDLE_ART.jpg



:)







You do NOT speak for ME Tsang Yam Kuen!



notme.jpg




:mad:


Woof
 
Why was it different?



The economy in Hong Kong is not good, the government - correspondingly - is under pressure. There have been quite a few policy fuck-ups, as ever, over the last year or two. Some overseas activists were denied entry to HK in the run up to the Vigil. Our (hand picked by China,) Chief Executive, Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen (see above,) last week told our Legislative Council that he spoke for all Hong Kong people when he said that looking at things objectively and moving forward (a key phrase reiterated by his bosses in Beijing on the topic,) was the right way to approach the subject of 4th June.

Cunt!


Well, about 120,000 of us told him to fuck off.

Even John Simpson from the BBC turned up, FFS! :D


We will never forget.


:)






Nice little thread from toblerone3 going on over in "General" about Tiananmen, BTW, peeps - s/he was there in 1989 took a couple of snapshots.

http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=291239

:)


Woof
 
The economy in Hong Kong is not good, the government - correspondingly - is under pressure. There have been quite a few policy fuck-ups, as ever, over the last year or two. Some overseas activists were denied entry to HK in the run up to the Vigil. Our (hand picked by China,) Chief Executive, Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen (see above,) last week told our Legislative Council that he spoke for all Hong Kong people when he said that looking at things objectively and moving forward (a key phrase reiterated by his bosses in Beijing on the topic,) was the right way to approach the subject of 4th June.

Cunt!


Well, about 120,000 of us told him to fuck off.

Even John Simpson from the BBC turned up, FFS! :D


We will never forget.


:)






Nice little thread from toblerone3 going on over in "General" about Tiananmen, BTW, peeps - s/he was there in 1989 took a couple of snapshots.

http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=291239

:)


Woof

Thank you.
 
In my geographical constituency, I've voted for this guy in our General (never mind local,) Elections for the last three votes (every four years) - so what the fuck do I know!

340x.jpg



He stood independently and lost the first time in year 2000 and thereafter (and previously too,) was regularly ejected forceably from the public gallery of the Legislative Council (our Parliament).

610x.jpg



But he won spectacularly the second time (in 2004,) and then retained his seat in the 2008 General Election with over 80,000 votes - and increased his majority too! (He only got 18,000 votes the first time he stood in 2000, but was up against a strong, high profile, opponent).

He has now been my representative in LegCo for five years - one year into his second term - and a companion on demo's for much longer (though we don't socialise anymore - dammit I must rekindle that, late nights in the bar plotting all kinds of shite; I guess I'm getting too old and skint these days).

He's on every demo' (and we do alot of 'em,) and is always up for a good ruck with the fuzz.


610x.jpg



He's been busted for all kinds of things - usually obstruction in a public place, occasionally for organising demonstrations without notifying the fuzz, a couple of times for illegal broadcasting (our "Citizens' Radio",) and once for assaulting a cop.

He served 28 days for the cop assault (he pushed the pig over at a demo', 'cos the pig was being violent,) and has served two other short stretches for non-payment of fines on other offences - but always grows his hair back when released. (His popular nomiker is "Cheung Mo" [Long Hair].)


He was a mate of mine back in the early/mid/late 1990's and I pushed him again and again and again to stand - as did many in our circle at the time. He is popular with the poor and has always been a crusader for social justice. He has been ceaselesly campaigning and demonstrating for the underdog since the mid-1970's when he was at secondary school - which he didn't complete, too interested in politics.


Now that he's a legislator (MP in the UK,) he is a powerful force in LegCo and has formed a Party, The League Of Social Democrats, which now has three Legislators (the additional two added in the 2008 General Election) out of a House of 60.

He sometimes turns up in fancy dress rather than his more usual attire of jeans and "Che" T-shirt (a chicken costume, for example, when the price of chickens spiked due to bird-flue-culls, and as a pig when pork prices ramped). And will drag a life-sized (well, death-sized, I guess,) mock-coffin into the chamber to signify the death of democracy, whenever the govt. tries to push through another autocratic policy or to restrict the growth of (our stingy,) social welfare programmes.

When the Chief Executive (Prime Minister to Brits',) gives his bollocks speeches, Longhair chucks fresh bananas at him and challenges him to name the cost of a catty (about one pound in weight,) of them at his (the CE's,) local wet-market. The CE, of course, has no clue and is then (rightly,) berated for being out of touch. He brought a basket of eggs once and made the same price-challenge, but was ordered out of the chamber before he could lob them.




A man of deep integrity, a true representative of "The People".


He earns about GBP 50,000 a year as a Legislator (before 15% tax,) and keeps about GBP 12,000 a year for himself (he lives, and always has, in a small, decrepit, public-housing flat) and donates the rest; some to his party for expenses and much to various charities.


I reckon he'll be elected again in 2012, with yet another increased majority.


030313141824-937527208.jpg




Now that's fuckin' politics!


:D


Woof
 
You're right. Amazing.


Other than the three League legislators, everyone (apart from the few, elderly "appointed" [not elected], crumpled-anorak-and-corrupt rural representatives,) wears a suit in LegCo.

Not that I mind the dozen lawyers (Democratic Party and Civic Party,) who happen to be "on-side" (within the Pan-democrats camp).

It's the "rotten borough", small-circle-elected, pro-Beijing, pro-business, illiberal, "commies" (DAB - massively funded by the CCP,) and the - again closed-selection-"elected" - business interests (Liberal Party - a misnaming if ever there were one - and other business-sector "Rotten Boroughs",) that I really fucking object to.

:mad:


Hang the rich!

;)



We demand full democracy in Hong Kong!


We've been promised a very watered-down version of it for the Chief Executive in 2017, but, essentially, still preselection of a few candidates by nomination through a small-circle "committee" appointed by Beijing that then everyone gets to vote for.

And promised "universal suffrage" in 2020 for LegCo - but now the govt. is trying argue/gerrymander the idea that retaining the rotten borough "Functional Constituences", will be "univeral suffrage", by setting up the same pre-selection........


Cunts!


"We will preselect the candidates that may stand for the business sector, union sector, Chamber of Commerce sector, industrial sector, finance sector, religious sector, education sector, ad-fucking-infinitum-sector" and then everyone can vote for the one thay want.

Fack orff!

That ain't universal suffrage!


There are 30 of these seats selected currently - a full half of the House - and some may be "elected" by as few as 100 voters out of 300 in their "rotten borough" sector, although, in reality, it is rare for more than a handful of the 30 to go to a vote, the vast majority are returned unopposed.

Preselection of these seats before a popular vote is not democracy.

:mad:


The remaining 30 seats are already currently popularly elected through geographical constituences (nearly 4,000,000 registered voters,) and 23 of them are already, consistently, won by the pan-democratic camp (the good guys), despite a ridiculous proportional representation system that favours the establishment.


The problem is that under this bicameral chamber, a majority of the House is not enough to carry a motion. There must be a majority overall, and a majority within each chamber - both Geographical and Functional.

That's virtually impossible!

And Private Members bills are essentially outlawed anyway.


:(


Fuck that!


We demand Full democracy in Hong Kong in 2012 - never mind some gerrymandered bollocks in 2017/2020.


Cheung Mo for Chief Executive! Fuck it!


:)


Woof
 
Wow.


Biggest turnout since 1990 - 150,000 souls.


As the SCMP, says......

SCM_News_SCMP_04JUN09_NS_JUNEFOURTH1__WCK.jpg


THE PEOPLE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN.

:)

Woof

And 200,000 at the Victoria Park Vigil

http://www.chinaworker.org/en/content/news/762/

big woof :)

"The crowds just kept coming... pouring into Hong Kong’s Victoria Park from every direction. “200,000 in 6/4 [June 4, 1989] vigil” is the front page headline in Apple Daily. Ariel photographs show an endless blanket of sparkling lights stretching across the park and outwards. The demonstration area is the size of six soccer pitches and these were packed to capacity, with around 150,000 people. But an estimated 50,000 people could not get into the park and blocked the roads in every direction. The 200m walk from Tin Hua MTR station took about half an hour."
 
http://www.chinaworker.org/en/content/news/762/

big woof :)

"The crowds just kept coming... pouring into Hong Kong’s Victoria Park from every direction. “200,000 in 6/4 [June 4, 1989] vigil” is the front page headline in Apple Daily. Ariel photographs show an endless blanket of sparkling lights stretching across the park and outwards. The demonstration area is the size of six soccer pitches and these were packed to capacity, with around 150,000 people. But an estimated 50,000 people could not get into the park and blocked the roads in every direction. The 200m walk from Tin Hua MTR station took about half an hour."

Yes, it was fucking amazing - people were still pouring in as I was leaving and every route out was blocked with peeps heading to the Park. I was there quite early and, after a few hours, needed a beer - it was (very) hot and for the first time in years it wasn't raining tropical thunderstorms. I had to struggle my way to the "tube" station against the still oncoming waves of peeps, heading for the Park.

It reminded me of the first ever July 1st demo in 2003 when we had half a million people marching and another 250,000 lining the route. A full 17% of every woman, man, child and baby.



And 200,000 at the Victoria Park Vigil.



Ummmmm....... yes. That's where the picture I posted came from.


:confused:




Anyway......


We will never forget!


:)


Woof
 
White tee-shirt is ironed.

Boots are ready.

The 1st of July democracy march this year should be bigger than for a good few years.

See you there!

:)

Woof
 
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