POST OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY 41 (25-01-2015)

Occupy Central

Occupy Central is a civil disobedience movement which began in Hong Kong on September 28, 2014. It calls on thousands of protesters to block roads and paralyse Hong Kong's financial district if the Beijing and Hong Kong governments do not agree to implement universal suffrage for the chief executive election in 2017 and the Legislative Council elections in 2020 according to "international standards." The movement was initiated by Benny Tai Yiu-ting (戴耀廷), an associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, in January 2013.

Umbrella Movement

The Umbrella Movement (Chinese: 雨傘運動; pinyin: yǔsǎn yùndòng) is a loose political movement that was created spontaneously during the Hong Kong protests of 2014. Its name derives from the recognition of the umbrella as a symbol of defiance and resistance against the Hong Kong government, and the united grass-roots objection to the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) of 31 August.

The movement consists of individuals numbering in the tens of thousands who participated in the protests that began on 28 September 2014, although Scholarism, the Hong Kong Federation of Students, Occupy Central with Love and Peace,  groups are principally driving the demands for the rescission of the NPCSC decision.

Occupy Central site in Causeway Bay was cleared as police moved in  ...

POST OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY 41: 

Full coverage of the day’s events

Activists take another run at `true suffrage'

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Police Commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung were booed by dozens of runners at the marathon's opening ceremony, with some holding aloft yellow umbrellas and banners, symbols of the Occupy Central movement.

As Lam and Tsang walked on to the stage, several runners and onlookers chanted: "I want genuine universal suffrage."

Some gave them the thumbs-down sign, a few raised a middle finger while others crossed their arms.

During the race, some runners displayed umbrellas, banners and stickers while chanting "I want universal suffrage."

Bernard Yim, a half-marathon participant, said he asked someone for a yellow umbrella when he reached Lung Wo Road and held it up when he ran the final two kilometers.

On the Island Eastern Corridor, the starting point of the 10km race, several runners also raised umbrellas, wore Umbrella Movement vests and yellow ribbons or sported "I want genuine universal suffrage" stickers on their clothes.

Two sisters from the Chinese University and Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts said they signed up for the "Boo the chief secretary and police commissioner" event on Facebook but were unable to make it at the opening ceremony. "But I took out the banner when I was crossing the finish line," said Chan Oi- ying, the elder sister.

Another runner, Kirk Tsai, said sport and politics should be separated.

"Running should not be mixed into politics. If you want to talk about politics, you should n

ot participate in the race," he said.

The League of Social Democrats, led by lawmaker "Long Hair" Leung Kwok- hung, also staged a rally at the start of the opening ceremony.

Leung said the rally was aimed at Tsang as the use of tear gas at the start of the Occupy movement has not been explained by the authorities.

Marathon organizing committee chairman William Ko Wai-lam had said organizers would not intervene in peaceful protests if they did not disrupt the race.

Lam addressed the protests later at a Federation of Trade Unions event and said there is only one step remaining to achieve universal suffrage and that is to join the political reform consultation where they may actively express their opinions.

"There is only one step left for universal suffrage for the chief executive election," she said. "Having universal suffrage [in 2017] must be better than [just maintaining the status quo]."








Pan-dems told not to be close-minded

Former Law Society president Junius Ho Kwan-yiu has called on the pan- democrats not to be close-minded about political reform.

Ho said "one person, one vote" in the 2017 chief executive election will mark significant progress in the political development of the SAR.

Speaking at the City Forum, he said Hong Kong is a free and democratic society and its people generally want to see the implementation of universal suffrage at the election.

However, Civic Party lawmaker Alan Leong Kah-kit said the pan-democratic camp does not accept the National People's Congress Standing Committee decision of August 31 relating to political reform.

Ho also maintained that Beijing has the power to introduce national security laws in Hong Kong before Article 23 is passed.

However, Leong hit back and said Beijing may only introduce national laws in the SAR in relation to defense and diplomatic matters.

He said Article 23 of the Basic Law stipulates that Hong Kong may enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of subversion against the central government.

But Ho responded by suggesting Leong should gain more understanding of the Basic Law.


He said Article 18 also stipulates that national laws may also be introduced on matters "outside the limits of the autonomy" of the SAR. 



Poll reveals gloom at more talks on reform

More than a third of people are dissatisfied with the second round of public consultation on political reform by the government, a poll shows.

The University of Hong Kong Public Opinion Programme poll, commissioned by the Alliance for True Democracy, surveyed 1,000 people last week.

It found that about 35 percent were dissatisfied, 22 percent satisfied and the remainder held no position or any opinion.

In addition, 43 percent agreed that the National People's Congress Standing Committee decision on August 31 meant the 2017 chief executive election would be a lesson in fake universal suffrage.

Civic Party lawmaker and alliance member Kwok Ka-ki said the poll clearly shows people are angry at Beijing's decision on the territory's political reform.

Another pan-democratic lawmaker, Leung Yiu-chung of the Neighbourhood and Workers Service Centre, said unless Beijing and the SAR are willing to make significant changes to the framework for the 2017 election, there is no way the pan-democratic camp can support the government's political reform in the Legislative Council.

"The entire society has been torn apart. We hope that the SAR government can stop exerting pressure on the pan-democratic camp and keep demanding that we support political reform," Leung said.


"If the government keeps adopting tactics to pressure us, it will only turn more people against the government's political reform proposal." 



Pan-dems told not to be close-minded

Former Law Society president Junius Ho Kwan-yiu has called on the pan- democrats not to be close-minded about political reform.

Ho said "one person, one vote" in the 2017 chief executive election will mark significant progress in the political development of the SAR.

Speaking at the City Forum, he said Hong Kong is a free and democratic society and its people generally want to see the implementation of universal suffrage at the election.

However, Civic Party lawmaker Alan Leong Kah-kit said the pan-democratic camp does not accept the National People's Congress Standing Committee decision of August 31 relating to political reform.

Ho also maintained that Beijing has the power to introduce national security laws in Hong Kong before Article 23 is passed.

However, Leong hit back and said Beijing may only introduce national laws in the SAR in relation to defense and diplomatic matters.

He said Article 23 of the Basic Law stipulates that Hong Kong may enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of subversion against the central government.

But Ho responded by suggesting Leong should gain more understanding of the Basic Law.


He said Article 18 also stipulates that national laws may also be introduced on matters "outside the limits of the autonomy" of the SAR.