09/01/2014, 00.00
HONG KONG - CHINA
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Hong Kong, Beijing excludes democracy: Senior Chinese official heckled

MPs and activists interrupt the speech of Li Fei, deputy Secretary General of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, and accuse the government of the territory of having "broken their promises." Mainland China excludes "a political future" for those who want freedom in the Territory.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - In order to protest against the diktat of Beijing, which has effectively eliminated the possibility of universal suffrage for the election of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, activists and Democrat MPs yesterday disrupted a speech by a senior Chinese official and accused the government of the territory of having "broken their promises" behaving in a "shameful" manner.

Their protest forced Li Fei, deputy Secretary General of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, to cut short his meeting with officials in Hong Kong. The protesters were taken away by police.

Their demonstration was sparked by mainland China's dominant interference in Hong Kong's electoral policies. Protected by the "Basic Law", a small democratic constitution bequeathed by the British and in force until 2047, the former colony are demanding democratic elections and universal suffrage of officials for 2017. Beijing, on the other hand, now considers itself the legitimate government of the Territory: it has responded to the Democrats proposals with an election of candidates who must be approved by a small group handpicked by China. Activists point out that this makes the vote pure farce.  

Immediately after the eviction of activists by the authorities, Li Fei resumed his speech and clarified the official position: "Any leader who wished Hong Kong to become an independent political entity or change the country's socialist system will not have a political future". The Catholic Church, while urging dialogue, supports the nonviolent civil disobedience if the proposals violate the principles of human rights.

 

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