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.
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.
POST OCCUPY CENTRAL - DAY 86:
Full coverage of the day’s events on 11-03
Lee urges Ottawa 'to speak up for us'
Veteran democracy campaigner Martin Lee Chu-ming, testifying at a Canadian parliamentary committee over the objections of the Chinese government, appealed to Ottawa to stand with those struggling for democracy in Hong Kong.
"I hope the Canadian government and the Canadian parliament will speak up for us at this difficult stage," he told the House of Commons' foreign affairs committee. "If Hong Kong were to go down the slippery slope [it] will become just another Chinese city."
Johanna Quinney, a spokeswoman for Canadian Foreign Minister Rob Nicholson, said later that Canada recently raised concerns about the treatment of activists with Chinese leaders.
"Canada continues to support the rule of law and democratic aspirations of the Hong Kong people," she said.
China's ambassador to Ottawa, Luo Zhaohui, had written to committee chair Dean Allison and others voicing "deep concern and strong opposition" to them hearing from Lee, a former legislator and a founder of the Democratic Party.
"Hong Kong's political development falls entirely within China's domestic affairs," Luo wrote. "The Chinese side resolutely opposes any foreign governments, institutions and individuals [interfering].
"In consideration of the sensitive and complicated situation in Hong Kong, we hope that the Canadian side will not hold such a hearing and not intervene in Hong Kong's internal affairs in any form so as not to send wrong signals to the outside world and cause any disturbance to China-Canada relations."
Allison did not address Luo's letter directly but did welcome Lee in plain terms as a "champion of human rights."
Lee also said Beijing could not accuse Ottawa of interfering in Hong Kong affairs as it had lobbied for international support of the 1984 Joint Declaration.
"The Canadian government, having been lobbied successfully by China to support the Joint Declaration, [has] a moral obligation to the Hong Kong people when things are going wrong."
Peter Goldring, a Conservative on the committee, said Luo's letter made him want to dig more into democracy in Hong Kong. "It's heavy-handed," he said of the letter. "Clumsy diplomacy.
Sad Tong admits trying to get Li here
The Civic Party's Ronny Tong Ka-wah admitted that he helped arrange the now canceled visit of Basic Law Committee chairman Li Fei.
Tong said yesterday he is greatly disappointed at what has happened and suggested he may not stand at the next Legislative Council election.
Li scrapped his plan to visit Hong Kong early next month after 27 pan- democrat lawmakers pledged to veto political reform.
Tong said he arranged a meeting between SAR government officials and pan-democrat party leaders two to three months ago during which the officials were asked to help arrange similar talks with their Beijing counterparts.
Tong said he learned that Beijing wanted to have a low-profile meeting.
He said Monday's veto pledge by pan-democrat lawmakers means they do not recognize the authority of the National People's Congress Standing Committee and that its decision on August 31 violated the national constitution. "We [pan-democrats] did not need to challenge the power of NPC Standing Committee [in the pursuit of universal suffrage] but we did," Tong said.
"I admit that it is a failure and I think that I should not stand at the next Legislative Council election."
Starry Lee Wai-king, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said the pan- democrats are disrespecting the Standing Committee by threatening to use the veto.
But Democratic Party chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing said Li was behaving like a child in canceling the trip.
Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the pan-democrats have destroyed the relatively harmonious social atmosphere.
Speaking at a Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference meeting held in Beijing, CPPCC Standing Committee member and New World chairman Henry Cheng Kar-shun said some young people have been misled by opposition parties into believing that implementing universal suffrage will help resolve all problems in the SAR.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office director Wang Guangya said the central government hopes the political reform may still be passed.
Former chief executive Tung Chee- hwa, a vice chairman of the CPPCC, said universal suffrage would be a great leap forward in the political development of Hong Kong.
A popularly elected chief executive will be more representative and the policies he or she introduces will be more widely supported, Tung said.
Coconuts
Hong Kong democracy activist appears before Canadian parliament despite loud grumbles from Beijing
Veteran democracy activist Martin Lee was in Ottawa on Tuesday to appeal to the Canadian government to stand with those struggling for democracy Hong Kong, despite the standard warnings from Beijing.
Lee said to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, "I hope the Canadian government and the Canadian Parliament will speak up for us at this difficult stage."
Naturally, the Chinese government was not impressed.
Chinese ambassador to Canada Luo Zhaohui sent a letter to committee chair Dean Allison before Lee was scheduled to appear, calling on Canada to cancel the hearing and stay out of China’s domestic affairs so as not to, “send wrong signals to the outside world and cause any disturbance to China-Canada relations."
Lee told Canadian journalists that he was not surprised that the Chinese government tried to keep him quiet. “This happens to me every time I travel,” he said.
Allison did not mention the letter during the committee meeting, but welcomed Lee as a “champion of human rights”.
Lee told lawmakers that Canada has a moral obligation to the people of Hong Kong, citing the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, in which both countries lobbied for the “one country, two systems” scheme that ultimately led to the successful handover of Hong Kong back to China in 1997.
Lee was also in London and Washington last year to push Beijing for free and open elections as promised in the Declaration.
He was one of those arrested in December for his involvement in the Occupy Central civil disobedience movement that blocked the Hong Kong’s main arteries for more than two months.
Lee said to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, "I hope the Canadian government and the Canadian Parliament will speak up for us at this difficult stage."
Naturally, the Chinese government was not impressed.
Chinese ambassador to Canada Luo Zhaohui sent a letter to committee chair Dean Allison before Lee was scheduled to appear, calling on Canada to cancel the hearing and stay out of China’s domestic affairs so as not to, “send wrong signals to the outside world and cause any disturbance to China-Canada relations."
Lee told Canadian journalists that he was not surprised that the Chinese government tried to keep him quiet. “This happens to me every time I travel,” he said.
Allison did not mention the letter during the committee meeting, but welcomed Lee as a “champion of human rights”.
Lee told lawmakers that Canada has a moral obligation to the people of Hong Kong, citing the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, in which both countries lobbied for the “one country, two systems” scheme that ultimately led to the successful handover of Hong Kong back to China in 1997.
Lee was also in London and Washington last year to push Beijing for free and open elections as promised in the Declaration.
He was one of those arrested in December for his involvement in the Occupy Central civil disobedience movement that blocked the Hong Kong’s main arteries for more than two months.
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