Oposição/pro-democracia

maI23

Esvaziado pela lei de segurança chinesa, segundo maior partido pró-democracia de Hong Kong anuncia dissolução
Sem capacidade para resistir à imposição implacável da polémica lei de segurança nacional chinesa e da mais recente reforma eleitoral em Hong Kong, o movimento político pró-democracia do território perdeu este sábado mais uma voz importante, depois de o Partido Cívico ter anunciado a sua dissolução.
Esvaziado pela lei de segurança chinesa, segundo maior partido pró-democracia de Hong Kong anuncia dissolução
O desmantelamento forçado, mas voluntário, daquele que se assumiu, praticamente desde a sua fundação, em 2006, como o segundo principal partido do campo democrático da região administrativa especial chinesa, chega numa altura em que vários dos seus membros, incluindo antigos deputados, estão detidos ou foram obrigados a abandonar o território nos últimos três anos.

https://www.publico.pt/2023/05/27/mundo/noticia/esvaziado-lei-seguranca-chinesa-segundo-maior-partido-prodemocracia-hong-kong-anuncia-dissolucao-2051266

25/6
Hong Kong opposition groups are moving funds overseas and digitising historical records of mainland China’s 1989 pro-democracy movement in preparation for the national security law that Beijing is about to impose on the city. But even as they make contingency plans, the groups have ruled out changing their manifestos, with one saying it will continue to call for an end to one-party rule in mainland China. Demosisto, a political party co-founded by former
Occupy Central student leader  Joshua Wong Chi-fung in 2016, said it was setting up a backup fund in the United States. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3090596/hong-kong-national-security-law-opposition-groups-moving?utm_medium=email&utm_source=mailchimp&utm_campaign=enlz-scmp_today&utm_content=20200626&MCUID=3d06933c40&MCCampaignID=d5f13892ff&MCAccountID=3775521f5f542047246d9c827&tc=22

15/6

On the other hand, the pro-democracy camp is at risk of breaking apart. Moderate pro-democracy supporters have been going to rallies to keep up with the political momentum. However, marches with more than a million participants would be impossible under the current oppressive environment. For example, the authorities abuse COVID-19 social distancing measures to suppress rallies, permits for peaceful protests are increasingly difficult to obtain, pro-establishment businesses heavily censored the social media activities of employees, and outspoken individuals are often cyberbullied. Without support from the moderates, some within the pro-democracy camp may radicalize, as Beijing expects. The radicalization would fit Beijing’s tactic of painting protests as separatism and terrorism, justifying the imposition of the national security law. The trajectory would be similar to Beijing’s handling of the 1959 Tibetan “riots,” during which Mao Zedong’s directive was “the more chaotic the scene, the better.” Simon Chen https://thediplomat.com/2020/06/hong-kong-and-the-national-security-law-why-now/

14/6

Alvin Yeung - expetativas: The 39-year-old lawyer is among several prospective candidates accused by Chinese authorities of behavior that opposition politicians fear could be used to bar them from running or expel them after the vote. After rejecting a half dozen “localist” candidates for seeking independence from China four years ago, the government and its supporters have criticized activists by name for a growing range of actions that could run afoul of the new national security legislation and other laws. On Friday, for instance, China’s top agency for Hong Kong accused Yeung of “glorifying illegal behavior” in a statement denouncing several other high-profile politicians. At the same time, he was featured on decks of novelty playing cards handed out in the city showing pictures of prominent opposition figures superimposed against prison bars and listing their “crimes.”“No one in the opposition can guarantee that they would be able to get into the race,” said Yeung, whose Civic Party currently holds five of the Legislative Council’s 70 seats. “The only thing we can do is to stick to our own principles.” The push has cast fresh doubt over democracy advocates’ hopes of converting the enthusiasm generated by a historic wave of protests in the former British colony last year into real political power. Not only could the opposition use the council to block Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s agenda, it could theoretically force her to resign by repeatedly rejecting her budget proposals. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-13/china-threats-dim-hong-kong-democrats-hope-for-election-victory

12/6

Labour unions are powerful organizations in the grassroots resistance effort. In Hong Kong, the movement has motivated workers from different industries to form trade unions. Not only are these labour unions effective in rallying its members to participate in marches and assemblies, but they also exert pressure on Hong Kong government by organising strikes and putting forth pro-democracy candidates to run in the upcoming Legislative Council election. Sharon Yam https://hongkongfp.com/2020/06/12/progress-and-radical-hope-reflecting-on-a-year-of-hong-kongs-anti-authoritarian-struggle/

11/6

Pro-democracy activists have launched a platform to hold primaries for candidates running in Hong Kong’s upcoming legislative election. Co-founder of the 2014 Occupy protests Benny Tai, Power for Democracy convener Andrew Chiu and several district council chairs revealed at a press conference on Tuesday that they plan to hold primaries among five directly-elected geographical constituencies, five “super district councillor” seats, as well as the health services sector. Candidate must obtain at least 100 registered voter nominations and a deposit HK$10,000 in order to participate in the primaries. The election, coordinated by Power for Democracy, is set to take place from July 11-12 between 9 am and 9 pm. https://hongkongfp.com/2020/06/10/hong-kong-pro-democracy-activists-to-hold-primaries-ahead-of-legislative-elections/

11/6

Martin Lee, renomado político e defensor da democracia de Hong Kong, diz ser tanto otimista quanto pessimista quando se trata do futuro da região administrativa especial chinesa. Ele acredita que Pequim também colocará sob seu controle os tribunais anteriormente independentes de Hong Kong, assim como já controla os poderes Executivo e Legislativo. "Eles [os jovens de Hong Kong] deveriam ter a disposição de adiar essa luta. Eles são mais novos que os líderes chineses, então estão em vantagem e devem se preparar para uma luta longa, mas pacífica, contra as tentativas de Pequim de incorporar completamente Hong Kong", disse Lee.https://www.dw.com/pt-br/pequim-est%C3%A1-recuperando-o-controle-em-hong-kong/a-53753503

11/6

Since the beginning of anti-extradition bill protests last summer, Edward Leung Tin-kei (梁天琦), an activist promoting Hong Kong localism who has been in jail since 2018, is widely regarded as the new spiritual leader of the pro-democratic movement. Everywhere in the territory, we hear protesters chanting “Free Hong Kong, revolution now,” the election slogan of Leung in 2016 while he was running for a seat in the Hong Kong Legislative Council. Hence, we can sometimes hear protesters explaining their understandings in the media. In Chinese, “Free Hong Kong” literally means “light returns to Hong Kong” (光復香港), and practically implies reclaiming a land from invaders, which is in line with the localist perception that the “Hong Kong nation” has fallen to a foreign power from the north. https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2020/06/12/2003738068

11/6

A group of pro-democracy activists intending to stand in the upcoming legislative elections have signed a joint statement promising to promote the protest movement’s demands if elected. Initiated by Tuen Mun District Councillor Sam Cheung, Central and Western District Councillor Fergus Leung and activist Owen Chow, the group – who call themselves the “resistance camp” – published a statement titled “Unyielding determination to resist” on Wednesday. They encouraged those who seek to enter September’s race drop out should they receive poor ratings  https://hongkongfp.com/2020/06/12/over-30-hong-kong-pro-democracy-legislative-election-hopefuls-vow-to-uphold-protest-demands/

6/6

“A questão é se o mundo pode dar-se ao luxo de nos entregar à China”, afirma Wilson Leung, fundador do Progressive Lawyers Group em Hong Kong. Este ativista pró-democracia assume que Hong Kong perdeu peso na economia chinesa, mas recorda que grande parte do investimento estrangeiro na China continua a passar pela cidade portuária e principal centro financeiro da Ásia. “A China quer, há anos, fazer de Xangai um centro financeiro e de negócios. Há uma década achavam que em 2020 teriam atingido essa meta, mas até agora nada. Hong Kong tem um sistema sólido e é por isso que continua a ser importante para a China e para o mundo.” EXpresso https://leitor.expresso.pt/semanario/semanario2484/html/primeiro-caderno/internacional/hong-kong-nunca-mais-sera-a-mesma

6/6

Yeung now heads Hong Kong’s Civic Party, a pro-democracy political party with five seats out of seventy in the Legislative Council. The proposed National Security Law, in his view, will be a threat to fundamental freedom. “You can’t use a worse solution, or a worse tool, to replace something you have done wrong,” he said. Hong Kong’s Legislative Council elections will take place in September. I asked him whether he thinks the law will affect the elections. The better question, he said, is to ask why Beijing is doing this now—in spite of the fact that the Chinese authorities know the Hong Kong election is coming. https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2020/06/05/in-hong-kong-uncertainty-rules-as-beijing-asserts-control/

4/6
Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan, who convenes a group of opposition parties, described Lam’s attitude toward Beijing as “extremely submissive”. “The place where views will be heard is not even in town,” she noted. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3087426/beijing-has-heard-opinion-hong-kong-people-and-remains-very?utm_medium=email&utm_source=mailchimp&utm_campaign=enlz-scmp_today&utm_content=20200604&MCUID=3d06933c40&MCCampaignID=dbc6c55953&MCAccountID=3775521f5f542047246d9c827&tc=7

3/6

Youth activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung announced on Wednesday that his political group, Demosisto, had collected more than 70,000 signatures from Hongkongers urging European leaders to speak up against Beijing’s national security legislation. LINK

30/5

“Liberal” solicitors have won four out of the five vacancies in the annual Law Society council election, despite the society’s president endorsing their competitors. The Law Society of Hong Kong held an annual general meeting on Thursday to elect new members to replace the council’s five longest-standing solicitors. Ten candidates – forming two five-person alliances – ran in the race, with four from the liberal camp claiming victory. https://hongkongfp.com/2020/05/29/liberal-voices-win-four-seats-in-hong-kongs-law-society-council-election/

30/5

Protesters have deleted their social media accounts, afraid that their messages could be used against them under China’s new national security laws. Young parents have scoured the internet for instructions on emigration. Organizers have planned rallies, only to cancel them at the last minute in the face of impenetrable police blockades. Hong Kong’s protest movement — which last year cowed the local government and humiliated the authorities in Beijing who direct it — is in crisis. The tactics that had pushed officials to retreat at times are suddenly inadequate against an aggressive police force, fear of the coronavirus and a Chinese Communist Party that has run out of patience. Many protesters feel they have exhausted their options. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/world/asia/hong-kong-protest-future-china.html

12/5

The Hong Kong pro-democracy movement has been immensely successful, in part because the international community was moved by the images of huge crowds marching for their freedom. Using the pandemic as cover, the CCP is taking advantage of the fact that street protests are no longer possible and is now executing its vision of completely stripping Hong Kong of its remaining freedoms. From here on, we can expect to see a rapid decline in the city’s political institutions unless the global community can reinvest itself in Hong Kong’s struggle for democracy. https://thediplomat.com/2020/05/pro-democracy-legislators-in-hong-kong-need-international-support/

9/5

On Friday, Lau announced on Facebook that she would not be running in the upcoming Legislative Council election, which is tentatively set to take place on September 6. https://hongkongfp.com/2020/05/11/disqualified-hong-kong-democrat-challenges-2018-by-election-ban-as-two-other-ousted-lawmakers-told-to-repay-wages/

7/5

Scuffles broke out at Hong Kong’s legislature Friday, with security guards ejecting several pro-democracy lawmakers including one carried out on a stretcher by medics after he was injured. Tempers flared when a pro-Beijing lawmaker inserted herself as chair of a committee meeting to try to end a months-long impasse that has resulted in a backlog of legislation, including a controversial bill that would criminalize abuse of the Chinese national anthem in the semi-autonomous city. https://wtop.com/asia/2020/05/scuffles-break-out-in-hong-kongs-legislature/

5/5
Pro-democracy figures tell Hongkongers to ‘fight on’ as they appear in court on unlawful assembly charges. Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, Labour Party vice-chair Lee Cheuk-yan and former Democratic Party chair Yeung Sum appeared in court on Tuesday in connection with allegedly taking part in an unauthorised anti-extradition bill march last August 31. The trio were arrested in late February and charged on suspicion of participating in an illegal assembly. https://hongkongfp.com/2020/05/06/pro-democracy-figures-tell-hongkongers-to-fight-on-as-they-appear-in-court-on-unlawful-assembly-charges/

4/5
In a statement issued on Saturday, the office said “extreme radicals” had initiated illegal assemblies, disturbed shops and hurled petrol bombs during the May 1 holiday, despite demonstrations remaining low-key. It accused opposition lawmakers of using the “yellow economy” promotion to secure seats in the Legislative Council election in September, claiming that Hong Kong’s economy had been “kidnapped” by politics. “Opposition lawmakers ignored the rules of the free market and made an utmost effort in hyping up the so-called ‘yellow economic circle’,” the statement read. (...) According to the organisers’ Telegram channel, a total of 2,305 shops took part in the campaign, with an estimated turnover of more than HK$100 million. The organisers encouraged citizens to continue supporting pro-democracy shops after the campaign and promote the pro-democracy “yellow economy.” https://hongkongfp.com/2020/05/04/hongkongers-support-of-pro-democracy-shops-violates-the-free-market-says-beijing/

25/4

BENNY Tai

"But in the midst of those protests, last August, University of Hong Kong law professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting was granted an early release from prison pending an appeal against his 16-month sentence. This was imposed for his role in launching the 2014 Occupy-Umbrella Movement. The terms of his release being very liberal, he has picked up where he left off, this time with another ambitious plan for victory in September.  His new rallying cry:  “A  Legislative Council majority Is the most lethal constitutional weapon.” In early 2013, Benny Tai published a short article with an eye-catching title:  “Civil Disobedience, the most lethal weapon.” He thought about 10,000 people would be enough, to include pro-democracy opinion leaders, political reformers, activists, students and the like. His idea was to emulate the non-violent civil disobedience campaigns of independence leader Mahatma Gandhi in India and civil rights icon Martin Luther King in the United States. Ultimately, his idealistic Occupy Central campaign erupted into a movement that blockaded major city streets for 79 days in the fall of 2014. (...) Anticipating his trial, the verdict, and likely prison sentence to follow, Benny Tai began his next project a full two years ahead of the 2019 District Councils election. Actually, the term he uses in his own English translation is a “massive constitutional weapon.”  But in Chinese, the phrase is the same as he used in 2013 to introduce his ideas on civil disobedience. Not content to rest on his laurels, Benny Tai now has a new plan.   With the Legislative Council election due to be held in September, he has set his sights on the heretofore impossible dream of a pro-democratic majority in the 70-seat council. He elaborated in an Apple Daily column on March 31, titled:  “A Legislative Council majority Is the most lethal constitutional weapon.” https://hongkongfp.com/2020/04/25/prof-benny-tais-next-masterplan-a-pro-democrat-majority-in-hong-kongs-legislature/

Lawyers for a Hong Kong democracy activist barred from elections because of his jail term over the 2014 Occupy protests told a court on Tuesday that the assessment of a candidate’s suitability should be left to voters. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3081968/let-voters-decide-if-candidate-suitable-election?utm_medium=email&utm_source=mailchimp&utm_campaign=enlz-scmp_today&utm_content=20200429&MCUID=3d06933c40&MCCampaignID=2effa8884d&MCAccountID=3775521f5f542047246d9c827&tc=21