2010年1月31日星期日

2010年1月27日星期三

HK lawmakers quit for democracy




Five pro-democracy legislators in Hong Kong have resigned their seats in a bid to pressure Beijing for full democracy.

The group says the resulting by-election will serve as a referendum on universal suffrage in the territory.

Democrats want full direct elections by 2012 - several years ahead of the timetable set by China's government.

Currently, only half of Hong Kong's legislators are directly elected; the rest are chosen by special interest groups, most of whom are pro-Beijing.

De-facto referendum?

The five lawmakers handed their resignation letters to members of Hong Kong's Legislative Council on Tuesday morning.

Alan Leong and Tanya Chan from the Civic Party, and Leung Kwok-hung, Albert Chan and Raymond Wong from the League of Social Democrats, said their actions would force by-elections that were a "de facto referendum" on democracy.

"My resignation is in keeping with my campaign promise. I want to fight for direct elections," the Associated Press quoted Mr Leong as saying.

But some pro-Beijing lawmakers have already said they will boycott the by-elections, making it harder for the polls to be seen as a legitimate vote on the importance of democracy.

Analysts say the resignation plan highlights the deep divide in Hong Kong politics.

Under British rule for more than 150 years, the territory was returned to China in 1997 under a special agreement that promised to retain Western-style practices.

The Basic Law, Hong Kong's mini-constitution, stipulates that the legislative council should eventually be elected by universal suffrage - but this will only happen by 2020 at the earliest.

While some people in Hong Kong are keen for complete democracy as soon as possible, many believe that other factors are more important.

Recent opinion polls show tepid public support for actions by pro-democracy groups.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/8480260.stm

Published: 2010/01/26 10:29:15 GMT

© BBC MMX

2010年1月19日星期二

污衊和平集會的人其心可誅!──社會民主連線的嚴正聲明

今日,行政長官曾蔭權高調批評反高鐵示威者的行為「不負責任」,「違背本港法治精神」,「扼殺理性的表達」,「社會不會接受」等等。社民連對此等不公不正的言論表示憤怒。由去年12月18日開始,反高鐵人士一直以和平理性的態度,在立法會外集會,更透過數十步一叩「苦行」方式,如此溫柔及優雅地表達緩建高鐵的心願,試問何罪之有?

保安局局長李少光又在較早前聲稱,「示威者的行為干擾社會安寧,破壞法律」,請問李局長,既然示威者的行為如此嚴重,為何不見警方在場大舉拘捕「破壞法律」之徒?警方是否維護「社會安寧」不力?試問手無寸鐵的集會人士,如何能夠暴力對待荷槍實彈,全副武裝的防暴警察?

主流傳媒只集中報導為時只有數分鐘的衝突畫面,有意無意將「中環淪陷」的感覺傳遞予公眾。七時左右,警方開始行動,攔截苦行抗議之青年,封鎖遮打道及德輔道中,才挑起部分集會人士的情緒,才出現拉動鐵馬的場面,警察立即動用胡椒噴霧;集會人士衝破無理封鎖後,隨即於不同方位靜坐,等候鄭汝樺回覆,並無傷人毀物。集會人士於當夜公民抗命,不畏拘捕,不過為求對話,為港人取回公道,有何暴力可言?

然而,主流傳媒斷章取義,個別評論員是非不分,將集會人士妖魔化為暴民,實在其心可誅!如此定義「暴力」,那在一九六七年,工聯會為響應中共四人幫路線,弄得遍地土製炸彈,結果造成大量死傷的「反英抗暴」運動又如何稱之?

毛澤東曾說:「世上沒有無緣無故的愛,也沒有無緣無故的恨。」一切的抗爭和不滿,都是源於現時制度的不公。政府口口聲聲把主流民意掛在口邊,殊不知反對撥款的21名議員背後所代表的選民人數,是超過31名議員的得票總和(見附表)!在不民主的制度,再加上一個惺惺作態的政府,人民為正義而發起的抗爭只會繼續來臨。

因此,我們必須向這一群背後毫無利益瓜葛,只求付出不問收穫,為香港奮鬥卻被政府高官、功能組別及主流傳媒出賣的市民,致以崇高的敬意。同時,我們必須譴責以曾蔭權為首的特區政府、警方、主流傳媒、個別評論員,不斷歪曲事實,中傷集會人士的卑劣行為。


社會民主連線
2010年1月18日



2010年1月11日星期一

2010年1月3日星期日