Hong Kong churches back democracy call
-05/12/05
Following massive demonstrations yeste
Hong Kong churches back democracy call
-05/12/05
Following massive demonstrations yesterday, calling for universal franchise in Hong Kong, church leaders are continuing to support a move to full democracy ñ but the administration insists it is pressing ahead with more limited but Beijing-approved reform measures.
Some 100,000 people, including many Christians, took to the streets on Sunday 4 December 2005 to protest against the electoral reform package which will still be discussed by the Hong Kong legislature on 21 December, according to Leung Chun-ying, convenor of chief executive Donald Tsang’s council.
Currently, only half of the Chinese special territoryís legislators are directly elected, and there is no popular vote for the position of chief executive. Protestors say the proposed changes do not go nearly far enough.
Many Hong Kong church leaders have rejected the government proposal on constitutional reform, which they say is unjust.
They want universal suffrage for the chief executive and legislative council elections. Currently, Hong Kong’s leader is picked by a Beijing-backed committee of 800 electors and only half of the 60-seat council is directly elected.
ìTo respect the Hong Kong people’s yearning for universal suffrage, we demand the government withdraw the proposal immediately and instead offer another proposal which allows Hong Kong to implement as soon as possible an electoral system based on one person, one vote,î leaders from Methodist, Congregational and Roman Catholic churches said in the run-up to the demonstration.
Today Mr Leung insisted both the central (Chinese) and Hong Kong governments had ìheard the messageî of the people but would press ahead with efforts to win support for the reforms.
He went on to describe the proposals as ìthe biggest step forwardî to democracy in the territoryís history and urged legislators to grasp the opportunity and approve the reforms.
Meanwhile, executive councillor Anthony Cheung said there might be room for improvements to the reforms, claiming democrats should work together with the government to reach agreement.
“Where do we go from here? We have to know what the second step is,î Catholic Bishop Joseph Zen said at a media conference last month.
He continued: ìWe need a timetable of when the final goal can be reached, and even if they cannot give a timetable they should tell us what steps we should take to reach that goal.î
Bishop Zen, quoted on Ecumenical News International, concluded: ìThe [current] proposal is useless.î
Church groups have also been meeting with pro-democracy campaigners to look at future action.
Methodist pastor Peter Wong Yuk Chee cited local research that found 65 per cent of those surveyed wanted a timetable on political reform and only 26 per cent said they did not mind if there was none.
Hong Kong was a British colony for 156 years before reverting to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 ago under a ìone country, two systemsî arrangement agreed between Beijing and London.
The Chinese government, which also faced huge protests in 2003 and 2004, says that full suffrage in Hong Kong would be ìillegalî.
[Also on Ekklesia: China criticised for attack on nuns and arrest of priests; Chinese churches face challenges of growth; Rice urges China to expand religious freedoms]
Hong Kong churches back democracy call
-05/12/05
Following massive demonstrations yesterday, calling for universal franchise in Hong Kong, church leaders are continuing to support a move to full democracy – but the administration insists it is pressing ahead with more limited but Beijing-approved reform measures.
Some 100,000 people, including many Christians, took to the streets on Sunday 4 December 2005 to protest against the electoral reform package which will still be discussed by the Hong Kong legislature on 21 December, according to Leung Chun-ying, convenor of chief executive Donald Tsang’s council.
Currently, only half of the Chinese special territory’s legislators are directly elected, and there is no popular vote for the position of chief executive. Protestors say the proposed changes do not go nearly far enough.
Many Hong Kong church leaders have rejected the government proposal on constitutional reform, which they say is unjust.
They want universal suffrage for the chief executive and legislative council elections. Currently, Hong Kong’s leader is picked by a Beijing-backed committee of 800 electors and only half of the 60-seat council is directly elected.
‘To respect the Hong Kong people’s yearning for universal suffrage, we demand the government withdraw the proposal immediately and instead offer another proposal which allows Hong Kong to implement as soon as possible an electoral system based on one person, one vote,’ leaders from Methodist, Congregational and Roman Catholic churches said in the run-up to the demonstration.
Today Mr Leung insisted both the central (Chinese) and Hong Kong governments had ‘heard the message’ of the people but would press ahead with efforts to win support for the reforms.
He went on to describe the proposals as ‘the biggest step forward’ to democracy in the territory’s history and urged legislators to grasp the opportunity and approve the reforms.
Meanwhile, executive councillor Anthony Cheung said there might be room for improvements to the reforms, claiming democrats should work together with the government to reach agreement.
“Where do we go from here? We have to know what the second step is,’ Catholic Bishop Joseph Zen said at a media conference last month.
He continued: ‘We need a timetable of when the final goal can be reached, and even if they cannot give a timetable they should tell us what steps we should take to reach that goal.’
Bishop Zen, quoted on Ecumenical News International, concluded: ‘The [current] proposal is useless.’
Church groups have also been meeting with pro-democracy campaigners to look at future action.
Methodist pastor Peter Wong Yuk Chee cited local research that found 65 per cent of those surveyed wanted a timetable on political reform and only 26 per cent said they did not mind if there was none.
Hong Kong was a British colony for 156 years before reverting to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 ago under a ‘one country, two systems’ arrangement agreed between Beijing and London.
The Chinese government, which also faced huge protests in 2003 and 2004, says that full suffrage in Hong Kong would be ‘illegal’.
[Also on Ekklesia: China criticised for attack on nuns and arrest of priests; Chinese churches face challenges of growth; Rice urges China to expand religious freedoms]