Political Development in Hong Kong

Transcription

1 Political Development in Hong Kong Ngok Ma Published by Hong Kong University Press, HKU Ma, Ngok. Political Development in Hong Kong: State, Political Society, and Civil Society. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, HKU, Project MUSE., For additional information about this book No institutional affiliation (30 Dec :31 GMT)

2 Appendix 4 Major Controversial Events Related to Civil Liberties after APPENDIX 4 Major Controversial Events Related to Civil Liberties after July 1997 Police broadcast Beethoven s Fifth Symphony to drown out the demonstrators during the handover ceremony. 2 July 1997 The Provisional Legislative Council passed the Immigration (Amendment) Bill, making it imperative for mainland children with SAR parentage to apply in the mainland before they can be legal residents in Hong Kong. 3 September 1997 Five protesters at the World Bank and IMF meeting were arrested and charged with breaking through the police cordon. One female protester claimed she was indecently assaulted by a policeman when being arrested. Four protesters were later convicted of obstructing and assaulting police. 4 September 1997 More than 200 police officers swamped 15 protesters who staged a protest against visiting Chinese Premier Li Peng. The protesters were forced into a protest zone which was very far from the venue of the World Bank meeting which Li was participating. 5 October 1997 Police removed Republic of China flags displayed in public areas on October, 10, the ROC national day.

3 252 Political Development in Hong Kong 6 April 1998 The Provisional Legislative Council passed the Adaptation of Laws Ordinance that exempted mainland state institutions from certain laws of Hong Kong, in breach of Article 22 of the Basic Law which requires that all branches of Mainland bodies should abide by the laws of Hong Kong. 7 May 1998 Two activists Ng Kung-siu and Lee Kin-yun were accused and later convicted of defacing the national flag in a protest in January July 1998 Four demonstrators who clashed with the police on the first handover anniversary ceremony were charged with breach of peace. 9 November 1998 Department of Justice decided not to prosecute Xinhua News Agency for its failure before 1997 to respond within a 40-day limit, as stipulated by the Privacy Ordinance. 10 October The SAR government failed to protect Hong Kong November 1998 residents Cheung Tsz-keung and a suspected murderer Li Yuhui from being tried in non-open trials in the mainland in two cross-border cases. 11 December 1998 The Hong Kong General Association of Recycling Business planned for a slow drive protest in Central. The Police refused the demonstration, citing the Public Order Ordinance for the first time after January 1999 The Court of Final Appeal ruled that all children of parents with Hong Kong residency at the time of application were eligible for the right of abode. 12 February 1999 Reports said that the Hong Kong garrison of the People s Liberation Army had abusively asked the police to provide outrider services for a trip to Lantau.

4 Appendix 4 Major Controversial Events Related to Civil Liberties after April 1999 The Immigration Department rejected visas to 11 Chinese pro-democracy activists, including 1989 Beijing student movement leader Wang Dan and prominent dissident Wei Jingsheng. 2 May 1999 The SAR government asked the NPCSC to interpret the Basic Law provisions related to the right of abode case. 2 June 1999 NPC issued an interpretation that overturned the decision of the Court of Final Appeal in the right of abode case. 14 August 1999 Government rejected a visa for Chang King-yuk, a former chairman of Taiwan s Mainland Affairs Council. 15 October 1999 Police confiscated loudspeakers from demonstrators during a protest at the National Day ceremony. 16 April 2000 Daughter of Hong Kong citizen Su Zhiyi claimed that mainland police illegally seized evidence from Su s home. Su was jailed for embezzlement in the mainland. 17 May 2000 More than 1700 residents of North Point Estate received notice from police, warning them that their public meetings in the past two months to discuss government redevelopment plans had already violated the Public Order Ordinance. 18 June 2000 Police refused to allow protesters against the NPCSC reinterpretation of Basic Law to assemble outside the Central Government Office and used pepper spray to disperse the protesters. 19 July 2000 Pollster Robert Chung Ting-yiu of University of Hong Kong alleged that CE Tung Chee-hwa had pressured him to stop conducting polls on the CE s declining popularity.

5 254 Political Development in Hong Kong 20 August 2000 Five student leaders were arrested for alleged illegal assembly in April and June demonstrations. The government later decided not to prosecute after a public campaign to oppose the arrest and against the related Public Order Ordinance. 21 October 2000 Six police officers were accused of assaulting a Cable TV cameraman during interrogation. 22 May 2001 The government denied entry to about 100 overseas Falun Gong practitioners who had planned to join protests against Beijing leaders who participated in the Fortune Global Forum. Scuffles between police and other protesters in the Forum led to charges against three demonstrators for obstruction of traffic and assaulting police officers. The three were acquitted in September 2001 when a magistrate ruled that their arrest was illegal. 23 May 2001 Seven pro-democracy activists who chained themselves to a flagpole in protest outside the forum venue at Golden Bauhinia Square, were arrested and charged with obstruction. The prosecution requested to deny them access to six locations, including the Harbour Plaza Hotel where President Jiang Zemin was staying, but the Magistrate refused. 24 August 2001 Police detained several Falun Gong protesters for obstructing a public area outside CGLO. 25 October 2001 Activist Ng Kwok-hung was charged with driving a van into the prohibited area outside the Legco building during a demonstration. Magistrate Siu Lai-chow dismissed the case as nobody had seen Ng s van entering the prohibited area. In his verdict Siu said he felt the police had targeted Ng for political reasons.

6 Appendix 4 Major Controversial Events Related to Civil Liberties after November 2001 Police seized Falun Gong protesters banners on the ground of public obstruction. 27 December 2001 Protester Leung Chun-wai was charged of assaulting a police officer by shouting in her ear through a loudhailer during a protest. He was found guilty and sentenced to five months of imprisonment. 28 January 2002 Government imposed a ban on mainland children who are awaiting right-of-abode rulings to enter local schools. 29 February 2002 The police planned to install closed-circuit television in Lan Kwai Fong to monitor pedestrians. Due to public objection the police dropped the plan. 30 March 2002 Sixteen Falun Gong practitioners were charged with public obstruction after a protest outside CGLO. 31 April 2002 Exiled mainland dissident Harry Wu, who held US citizenship, was refused entry to Hong Kong on the grounds of protecting Hong Kong s security. 32 April 2002 Police arrested eight right-of-abode protesters after Secretary for Security Regina Ip was besieged in her car for almost an hour by about 200 demonstrators outside the Legco building. 33 April 2002 Police handcuffed two reporters when they cleared protesters who had occupied the Chater Garden for weeks. 34 May 2002 Two student leaders and a political activist were arrested for organizing and staging an unauthorized rally in February 2002, and were convicted in November. It was the first case since 1997 in which protestors were charged for not obtaining advance permission from police for holding a demonstration. 35 May 2002 Police refused the application of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China to assemble outside the Central Government Office. The Alliance lodged an appeal and was approved by Appeals Board.

7 256 Political Development in Hong Kong 31 June 2002 Exiled mainland dissident Harry Wu was again denied a visa to come to Hong Kong. 36 June-July 2002 More than 90 foreign Falun Gong practitioners who intended to join protests during the handover celebration ceremony were denied entry upon arrival at the Hong Kong airport. 37 August 2002 Falun Gong application to rent government venues to host an annual international conference of Falun Gong practitioners were repeatedly turned down. 38 November 2002 Political activists Lau San-ching and Andrew To were charged with organizing an unlawful assembly to offer support fellow activists Leung Kwok-hung, etc., who were charged with similar offences in May February 2003 Legislation of Article 23 was introduced into the Legco. 36 February 2003 A group of 80 foreign Falun Gong practitioners were refused entry. 40 May 2003 Government planned to install close-circuit TV cameras in streets to monitor hygiene and catch offenders. 41 September 2003 Department of Justice proposed to three persons who protesting inside Immigration Tower in 2002, suggesting it could drop its charges against them if they promise never to set foot in Immigration Department offices again and pay $10,000 each towards the government s court costs. 42 April protesters staged an overnight demonstration against the NPCSC verdict on universal suffrage in 2007/08, and were forcefully removed by more than 100 police officers. The police also moved away reporters on the scene before they cleared the demonstrators outside the Central Government Offices. 43 July 2004 ICAC officers raided seven newspapers in a probe over the leak of sensitive information and seized journalists materials. 44 January 2005 Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou was denied a visa to Hong Kong. The government did not give a reason.