Chinese Media Reports from Hong Kong: 60,000 March against Article 23; Eleven Times More Than Expected (Photos)
(Clearwisdom.net)
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1. Mingbao: 60,000 March against Article 23, 11 times more than expected
Organizers of the Against Article 23 March said that about 60,000 Hong
Kong residents participated in yesterday's march, which planners believed
would be attended by about 5000. The march also set a new record as the most
attended march since Hong Kong returned to China. It also demonstrated the
power of people who are against Article 23. It was the second largest public
political statement after the Tiananmen Student democracy movement in 1989.
A government official told Mingbao[a prominent Chinese language
newspaper based in Hong Kong] that the government originally predicted
that only several thousands would attend the march; however far more people
showed up. It is said government officials would discuss the situation. They
were worried that the Article 23 legislation would divide Hong Kong society.
Even so the legislation is a must-go. The side that supports the legislation
will hold a march next Sunday (December 22) in retaliation.
The number exceeded the prediction; high-ranking officials examine the
situation.
Yesterday, organizations participating in the march included Catholics
and other Christians, Education associations, reporters association, Workers
Unions, the Democratic Party, as well as several dozen other organizations.
The march started at 3 pm from Victoria Park. When the head of the march
reached the destination, the tail had not left the starting point. Along the
route, more residents joined in. Marchers prepared lots of black balloons to
symbolize that, "Evil legislation makes Hong Kong in the dark everywhere."
The march was in good order, and there were no incidences between marchers
and police.
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2. RFA Radio: Thousands Protest Anti Subversion Legislation in Hong Kong
December 15 -- Hong Kong (RFA) Tens of thousands of local resident held a
march on Sunday to oppose the Article 23 legislation. The march started at 3
pm from Victoria Park. Along the route marchers held black balloons and
shouted statements opposing Article 23. The procession ended in front of the
headquarters of the special district government. Hong Kong Mingbao
reported that over 40,000 people joined the march.
The march organizers issued a statement expressing their concerns. The
statement said, if Hong Kong introduced laws of mainland China, that would
be "Using national security as an excuse to suppress freedom of speech and
deprive Hong Kong people of their freedom and human rights." Before the
march, several hundred Christians prayed for the government to listen to the
voices of the people on Article 23 legislation.
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3. Mingbao: Tens of thousands March to Oppose Article 23
December 15 (Mingbao) The March to Oppose Article 23, hosted by the Folk
Human Rights Frontier, started at 3pm from Victoria Park and ended up at the
headquarters of the Hong Kong government.
The organizers issued a statement that they were concerned that Article
23 would introduce mainland China's "Using national security as an excuse to
suppress freedom of speech and deprive of Hong Kong people of their freedom
and human rights."
[...]
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4. Mingbao: Hong Kong, US and Canada holds activities to Oppose Article
23 at the same time
December 15 (Mingbao) A large-scale march to oppose Article 23
legislation with an estimated 5000 participants is scheduled to be held
today. The US Chinese community will hold rallies in Washington DC and Los
Angeles at the same time and Canada will hold similar activities to support
Hong Kong's grand march.
It is estimated that over 5000 will participate in the march so police
blocked the traffic.
Youth organizations volunteered to count the number of the participants.
Due to the fact that during every major or sensitive march or parade, the
numbers gathered by the organizations and police are very different, a
nongovernmental organization volunteered to count the participants.
In addition, the Global Coalition Against Article 23 will hold rallies in
Washington DC and Los Angeles at the same time to support Hong Kong's grand
march. The Vancouver Chinese community will also hold a rally to oppose
Article 23.
Over a dozen overseas organizations in the US and Canada also united and
expressed their concerns over Hong Kong's Article 23 legislation. Los
Angeles Hong Kong Forum wrote to the Chief executive officer and security
chief and reemphasized their opposition to Article 23. The letter said that
even though many members of the forum are in the US, many have retained
their Hong Kong permanent residencies. They are concerned that their actions
and speeches would be restricted by Article 23.
The US Consul General in Hong Kong also stated during an open activity
that he hoped the Hong Kong government would consider foreigners' rights
when establishing the law.
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5. VOA: Canadian Government Pressed to Oppose Article 23.
December 14 --VOA. Some members of the parliament and NGOs called upon
the Canadian government to press China to stop the legislation of Article 23
and protect Hong Kong's "one country two systems" policy.
On Friday, Canada's biggest opposition party, "Canadian Coalition," other
parties' MPs and Falun Gong practitioners cosigned a letter to Prime
Minister Chretien urging him to explicitly take a stand opposing the article
23 legislation. Cosigners of the letter held a news conference in the
Canadian parliament calling on the Canadian government, parliament and
people from all walks of life to urgently pay attention to the Article 23
legislation that Hong Kong is going to implement.
Mr. Guan Zhuozhong, representative of Toronto's "Supporting China's
Democracy Movement Society," said that implementation of Article 23 is the
most important incident since Hong Kong's handover. This vague law would
greatly limit the Hong Kong people's freedom of belief and freedom of
association. Democracy, human rights and the legal system will be
undermined, which will cause the "one country two systems" policy to survive
in name only. Guan Zhuozhong said: "We Canadian citizen request the Canadian
government to step out to stop the Hong Kong Article 23 legislative
procedure. We hope the Canadian government urges the Hong Kong government to
guarantee that the new legislation will not trample human rights, and must
stress international legal relations."
Falun Gong representative Dai Gong Yu said, " Once the anti-subversion
law " is implemented, Falun Gong would be unable to continue to legitimately
exist in Hong Kong," and it would be hard to see whether other human rights
organization would be able to exist. But these organizations' continued
existences will be the symbol of " the one country two systems." He said
that since China pledged Hong Kong's system will not change for 50 years,
they could not overthrow the pledge in just five years. Dai Gong Yu said:
"Our attitudes are quite consistent: we oppose Article 23 legislation to
protect Hong Kong from being hurt. Everyone has this mutual understanding."
The Canadian State Affairs Secretary in charge of Asian and Pacific
business once indicated in an International Human Rights Day Commemoration
Activity that Canada was paying attention to the Chinese human rights
situation, and hoped not to see the Article 23 legislation. Amnesty
International, the Canadian laborer association, Falun Gong etc. are going
to organize a large scale demonstration in several big Canadian cities,
hoping to draw attention from people from all walks of life to this
legislation.
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6. Boxun: Increasing the numbers of laws with Chinese characteristics
increases society anxiety
December 16th, 2002 (Boxun), In 1966, China promulgated the law of
"public security six" that made people's hair stand on end. Stipulated by
the law: Everyone who opposed Chairman Mao, Vice-President Lin and the Great
Cultural Revolution, were the "present counter-revolutionaries", and the
public security department must immediately arrest them. The Chinese
government has never announced these six laws and regulations to be invalid,
which allowed Zhang Zhi Xin, Yu Luoke and others who held different
political views to be executed even after the so-called "Gang of Four" were
smashed. "Public security six " caused several million people to be
imprisoned or shot.
In 1966 China also promulgated "The 16 laws," namely "The notice of the
Chinese Communist Party Central Committee about carrying on the Great
Proletarian Cultural Revolution." Since that time a world disaster continued
for ten years. "The 16 laws" were implemented also according to legal
procedures, with the exception that the Party may explain the constitution,
and veto or replace the constitution.
Today, Hong Kong as the Mainland's Special Administrative District is
promulgating "Article 23 ". In the hands of the central government which
controls Hong Kong's economic lifeline, the consequences to Hong Kong's one
country two systems " will gradually appear: the civil rights will be fewer
and fewer, and central government's rights will increase.
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.cc/mh/articles/2002/12/16/41106.html
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