By Shengde Lian

Let me ask one question to you, my friends with conscience who are gathering today in this frozen windy day: do you know whom we are standing up against today? We are protesting against the most evil armed cult of the world-namely the Chinese Communist totalitarian regime. This regime is responsible for the abnormal death and murder of more than 80 million Chinese since 1949. This same regime murdered hundreds innocent students and citizens in Beijing in 1989. This regime has murdered tens and hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners for their peaceful practicing of Qi Gong. The same regime has conducted numerous other human rights violations.

Now this same regime is trying to "legislate" on Article 23 of Hong Kong "Basic Law". What the regime is really trying to do? It is trying to do three things:

First it is trying to import fear from mainland into Hong Kong by this proposed legislation, where anyone who criticizes the central government could be prosecuted under treason and sedition regulation. Where people like you and me who are gathering today to express our different opinions against the government's will be arrested once we are in Hong Kong or will be prosecuted and extradited to Hong Kong to be sentenced for exercising our fundamental rights of free expression and free assembly.

Second, the totalitarian regime is trying to take freedom away from Hong Kong, which was expanding until 1997. The regime promised to the world that the aversion of Hong Kong back to China will have no change on the current system and way of life whatsoever except defense and diplomacy for 50 years. Just 5 years from the return, the regime is forcing Hong Kong to change to be like the mainland, where people are living in fear and human rights atrocities are everywhere, and citizens are murdered every day!

Third, the regime is trying to take conscience away from the people of the world. Because if the world stands by idly watching the totalitarian regime to expand its bloody rule to Hong Kong, we as human beings will loss our conscience. We cannot let the regime put 6 more million people under its totalitarian regime and do nothing.

Thus I call for President Bush to reevaluate the special status Hong Kong is enjoying on the condition of its high autonomy and respect of human rights. Because if the Hong Kong government cannot resist the pressure from the totalitarian regime in Beijing, they would know there will be serious consequences. This regime will not change unless there is real pressure from the international community.

Lastly, we want to tell the people in Hong Kong: you are not alone and we will not let you go through the same suffering the people in the mainland are suffering. We will fight with you until this proposed legislation with its current content is stopped.

Posting date: 12/18/2002
Original article date: 12/18/2002
Category: Open Forum

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