20040401
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HK’s democracy on April 1, 2004 ……
HK pro-democracy lawmakers secure meeting with China
REUTERS AND DPA , HONG KONG
Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers were to meet a senior Chinese official yesterday to discuss demands for democratic reforms, the highest-level contact between the two sides since China took back the former British colony in 1997.
"This is a huge breakthrough for us. It is the first time China has agreed such a senior official could meet Hong Kong's pro-democracy camp," legislator Frederick Fung said.
"We really hope that this is the start of more communication between Beijing and Hong Kong's democracy camp," he said.
The meeting comes as Beijing is preparing to review clauses in Hong Kong's constitution later this week on how its leaders and lawmakers may be chosen from 2007.
Critics say the review is a clear signal that Beijing plans to assert its authority more forcefully over Hong Kong, which was promised a high degree of autonomy under a "one country, two systems" principle at the handover.
The review also reflects fears in Beijing that calls for full democracy for Hong Kong could spread to the mainland and ultimately lead to demands for independence for the territory.
Political analysts also described the meeting as a major breakthrough, but said it was not yet clear if Beijing was really softening its hard-line stance.
"It is a compromise from Beijing to win over Hong Kong people, showing it is honoring its promise to hear all sides about electoral reforms," said Timothy Wong at the Chinese University.
"But we will still need to see if it will really take different views on board," Wong said.
Fung and two other lawmakers had planned to fly to Beijing yesterday morning to try to stop the Chinese parliament from reviewing the territory's constitution. But Fung said China had agreed to a meeting in Hong Kong instead.
"We have agreed to meet instead a Chinese official from the [Hong Kong-China] Liaison Office who is of ministerial level. The Liaison Office has also promised us that our views will be delivered by today to Beijing," Fung said.
"We will tell the official that Beijing's interpretation of the constitution will damage `one country, two systems.' It is also doing this without first consulting Hong Kong people, which will tell the world it can do anything it likes to Hong Kong."
Political commentators and pro-democracy forces believe Beijing has already ruled out full democracy for Hong Kong after pointing to large anti-government protests in the territory last year and turmoil in Taiwan after elections this month.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa has refused to appear before the territory's legislature to answer questions over democratic reforms, legislators said yesterday.
All 21 of Hong Kong's pro-democracy lawmakers signed a letter asking the Beijing-appointed chief executive to attend an emergency session of the legislature to discuss universal suffrage.
However, the legislators were told by a spokeswoman for Tung that he was too busy to attend the proposed hearing, pro-democracy legislator Margaret Ng said.
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On April 1, 2004 ……
KMT official warns more protests could turn violent
PEOPLE `FED-UP': Ting Shou-chung yesterday said the party could not guarantee that its supporters would continue to act rationally if protests continue indefinitely
By Huang Tai-lin, STAFF REPORTER
A senior member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday warned it would organize another mass street demonstration on Ketagalan Boulevard for April 10, should President Chen Shui-bian not address the KMT-People First Party (PFP) alliance's appeals.
"If President Chen Shui-bian continues to procrastinate and not substantially address the KMT-PFP alliance's appeals, we will not rule out the possibility of taking to the streets again on April 10," said Ting Shou-chung, director of the KMT's Organization and Development Affairs Committee.
KMT Chairman Lien Chan refused to concede defeat in the March 20 presidential election after being beaten by Chen by less than 30,000 votes.
Challenging the electoral outcome, the alliance led days of demonstrations in front of the Presidential Office, starting at dawn on March 21.
They made three demands: An immediate recount of votes; the assembly of an independent task force to probe Chen's gun-shot wound and issues relating to activating a national security mechanism after Chen was shot.
The alliance claimed the security mechanism had prevented a large number of military personnel from casting their votes.
Ting yesterday said that although Chen had agreed to a judicial vote recount, what remained at issue was who would be responsible for the costs involved.
He said that the alliance's proposal to have the Legislative Yuan assemble an investigation committee was shot down by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who said that such a demand was against the Constitution.
"In view of the fact that Chen did not make a substantial response to our appeals, the alliance would not rule out waging a long-term protest," Ting said.
He said that the alliance had already booked the square in front of the Presidential Office for every Saturday until May 20, the day of the presidential inauguration.
"People are getting fed-up and we cannot guarantee that the demonstrators would be able to maintain rational behavior [should we take to the streets again,]" Ting said.
The DPP has planned to stage a big gathering of its supporters on April 10 in Taipei to celebrate Chen's re-election.
"The DPP would be responsible should any violence or clashes erupt between the two camps' supporters [on April 10,]" Ting said.
KMT Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng yesterday said he telephoned Presidential Office Secretary-General Chiou I-jen yesterday morning, but Chiou was not available at the time.
Lin said he called Chiou because he wanted to know Chen's response to issues that Chiou said he would convey to the president after a meeting between himself, Chiou and PFP Secretary-General Tsai Chung-hsiung. The three men met on Monday to hammer out an agenda for a meeting between Chen, Lien and PFP Chairman James Soong.
"If the news from Chiou is good, we would reconsider whether to take to the streets again to demonstrate," Lin said.
Meanwhile, citing noise complaints as the reason, Minister of Education Huang Jong-tsun yesterday said that the permit allowing pan-blue supporters to stage a sit-in protest at the CKS Memorial Hall would not be extended when it expires on Saturday.
Many residents, companies and schools in the vicinity have complained about the noise generated by the scores of pan-blue supporters who had been gathering at the venue since Sunday.
The Taipei City Government's Bureau of Environmental Protection has so far issued 12 notices to the event organizers for violating noise regulations.
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On April 1, 2004 ……
Conspiracy with a twist
By A.D. Kerslake, Seattle, Washington
If the pan-blue zealots are going to continue to accuse President Chen Shui-bian of a dirty election and unfair advantages rooted in a conspiracy, then I am sure they wouldn't mind if I add a little more intrigue to the soap opera.
If the pan-blues are going to vaguely
accuse Chen of "dirty tricks" and "betraying democracy," I
would like to point out that most of my Taiwanese friends have in fact
witnessed vote-buying in this election. I have heard of NT$500 gifts for
attending Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rallies, offers of free food for KMT
votes -- and one friend, who was a pan-blue supporter, explaining how shocked
she was when a KMT representative arrived at her company to deliver NT$120,000
to the general manager, money explicitly in exchange for votes.
No wonder KMT Chairman Lien Chan and People First Party James Soong are upset -- imagine all the gifts, bribes and promises that came to naught.
I don't need to back up my claims, so I will continue.
The second part of my conspiracy theory is simply that Lien and Soong are trying to ride the collapsing crest of a coup attempt. Had they managed to sustain chaos in the streets and retained their moderate supporters, they seem to have been hoping for a "people's coup," while they waited in the wings to "restore order" by popular demand in the stead of a weakened president, thus saving the country. This would explain Lien and Soong's changing demands and accusations as well as the mixed messages coming from the thuggish legislators on the street. If they can fan the flames the fire may spread.
They may also be jealous of Chen's clean image and after four years of looking for scandal behind every corner, the pan-blues could not wait for Chen any longer.
Although my conspiracies are not as elaborate or dramatic as those proposed by Lien and Soong, they may be more plausible. After seeing how willingly some voters believe everything they hear, I know a bridge in Pingtung that's for sale.
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On April 1, 2004 ……
Who's the troublemaker?
By Sandra Aya Matsuyama, Taiwan
I am a Brazilian-born Japanese living in Taiwan for over 15 years. When I came here, I was told that there was an opposition party called the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that represented extremists.
I was even told that the DPP was the troublemaker, always using violence to express their feelings. But from what I have been seeing on TV and in the newspapers about the protests in front of the Presidential Office, the real troublemakers are the pan-blues. What Lien and Soong are doing is anti-democratic and irresponsible; they are using their supporters to create social instability and increasing hatred among people. If they have any doubts about the election results or about the gunshot incident they should resolve the cause by existing law.
In an international press conference, when Lien was asked about the protest in front of the Presidential Office, he said that he was not responsible for the demonstration; he even said that he had urged people to go home, but they would not listen to him.
It is the biggest lie I have ever heard, because what I have been seeing on TV shows the opposite -- he and Soong are often seen calling people to not leave the place, chanting slogans against the government.
I have been witnessing Taiwan's democracy progressing along these years; I hope that selfish and ignorant people will not defeat it.
Taiwanese people must not split. The election is over and after that, there is only one common target: a better Taiwan for everybody.
So please, Lien and Song, if you are with us for the same objective we welcome you; otherwise, go home and start minding your own business.
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