‘Speak up for Hong Kong’

July 30, 2020 9:26 am Published by Leave your thoughts

‘Speak up for Hong Kong’
China kills ‘one country, two systems’
By Marites Dañguilan Vitug

 

Western powers, pro-democracy groups and liberals all over the world should heighten their vigilance on China—as it assaults Hong Kong with a draconian national security law—and amplify the voices of Hong Kongers struggling to keep their autonomy.

Leaders of the Council for Asian and Liberal Democrats (CALD), the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) urged like-minded forces to take these steps in a July 28 online forum that addressed the big question: “Is Hong Kong’s Present Going to be Asia’s Future?”

On June 30, China broke its promise to uphold “one country, two systems” when it imposed the brutal law that penalizes dissent and unravels the rule of law, spreading fear and intimidation in Hong Kong. This most serious blow to Hong Kong’s democracy has also sent shock waves to the world.

“Civil libertarians around the world must continue to put up a united stand against tyranny in order to push for a democratic rule-based order,” Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who heads the CALD, said in the forum organized by CALD and the NDI.

During the pandemic, China has been making more enemies than friends. Laying the context for the forum, Pangilinan cited China’s “series of aggressive geopolitical skirmishes,” including its border clash with India, standoffs with Vietnam and Malaysia in the South China Sea, and military pressure on Taiwan.

‘Engage China’

Despite China’s “reign of terror,” Emily Lau, chair of the international affairs committee of the Democratic Party in Hong Kong, urged the international community to “engage China.” The goal should be “to get China to behave according to the code of behavior of the civilized world…respect human rights, the rule of law, [and the] independence of the judiciary.”

At the same time, she called for support, asking friendly countries and groups to “speak for Hong Kong” and to “welcome Hong Kong people who want to leave…” Some countries have openly welcomed Hong Kongers to their shores, among them the United Kingdom, Australia and Taiwan.

Addressing those in Hong Kong, Lau called for “huge sacrifices,” saying “we only live once, and we want to make it worth living.”

‘Will Taiwan be next?’

If there is any country that is closely watching the suffering in Hong Kong, it is Taiwan which is just a strait away from China. While their case is different—they have stood outside the “one country, two systems” ambit, running their affairs independently of Beijing—China has not given up on bringing back what it calls a “renegade province” to the mainland.

Taiwan has been fighting back, fortifying its democracy against China’s digital disinformation campaigns to divide the populace and sow distrust in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. Its vibrant civil society has been working with the Digital Ministry to keep transparency in government robust and safeguard cyberspace through vigorous fact-checking.

In the legislature, Ketty Chen, vice president of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, said that laws had been passed to beef up the country’s national security, enabling the government to closely monitor spies for China’s Communist Party and its proxies—and deal them harsher penalties.

China’s strangling of Hong Kong has appeared to strengthen even more the Taiwanese resolve to support Hong Kong and keep their own democratic way of life. As Chen said, freedom for the Taiwanese cannot be taken away because it is “like breathing air.”

‘United front’ and middle powers

What can the global community of democrats do? This was a difficult question that the speakers in the forum addressed.

One organization that seeks to respond to this issue is the US-based NDI. Facing an increasingly assertive and offensive Beijing, Manpreet Singh Anand, Asia-Pacific regional director of the NDI, said his organization “provides technical assistance and solidarity to those who are fighting for democracy and looking to amplify their voices to the international community.” In doing this, the NDI and its civil-society partners are helping “create a different kind of united front on the global stage to confront Beijing’s attempts to co-opt international institutions.”

Cherie Wong, executive director of Alliance Canada Hong Kong, a collective that mobilizes Canada-Hong Kong communities to take political action, put forth a challenge to Western democracies: “It is time to step up…as long as we remain in a soft position, China will keep on advancing its global authoritarian agenda.” These countries, she continued, can “unite on the principles of human rights and democratic values and stand against China’s authoritarian rule.”

Specifically, Wong, who was a reactor during the forum, cited the “unique role that middle powers like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, the rest of the EU can take” through leadership roles. For example, in the Indo-Pacific region, Wong said these countries have to start looking into investing in developing countries which have expressed interest to break away from the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) control.

“Democratic and western societies need to offer developing countries a way out, an alternative investment plan that does not require them to bend to the rules of an autocratic country but encourages the democratization of the country,” she explained. Another approach, Wong added, was through “divestment, banning and sanctioning companies as well as individuals who are associated with the CCP.”

‘Wakeup call’

For Richard Heydarian, author and political analyst, “the way forward is not to try to match China dollar for dollar, but for countries to coordinate, like Australia and ASEAN, to bring in private companies to put money in infrastructure.”

Hong Kong, after all, is a “wakeup call” for the rest of the world that China is willing to sacrifice economics and trade for its geopolitical interest, Heydarian said in his reaction.” The endgame here is not to be anti-China but to constrain the worst instincts of China by a collective pushback.”

As Celito Arlegue, CALD executive director, aptly pointed out in his remarks, many liberals and democrats in the region and outside are strongly pushing back, giving hope for democracy in Asia.

 

The author is a journalist in the Philippines. She is currently editor at large of Rappler.

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This post was written by CALD

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