Brave few protest as new leader for Hong Kong is appointed
A GROUP of just three protesters demonstrated against Hong Kong’s new chief executive yesterday, after his appointment by Beijing loyalists.
“Even though we are only three people, I firmly believe we can represent the majority of Hong Kongers to express our discontent with a procedural election,” Chan po-ying, one of the demonstrators, told The New York Times.
The tiny protest group appeared to reflect how Hong Kong has largely stamped out dissent, contrasting with the mass pro-democracy movements of previous years in which tens of thousands took to the streets.
John Lee, 64, was the only candidate in the Beijing-backed race to succeed Carrie Lam, the outgoing leader, as the Hong Kong chief executive.
The elevation of Mr Lee, who is under US sanctions, places a security official in the top job for the first time after a tumultuous few years for a city battered by political unrest and debilitating pandemic controls.
Despite the city’s mini-constitution promising universal suffrage, Hong Kong has never been a democracy, which has been the source of public frustration and protests since the 1997 handover from the UK to China.
Its leader is instead chosen by an “election committee”, comprising 1,461 people, which accounts for 0.02 percent of the city’s population. After a brief secret ballot yesterday, 99 per cent of those who cast ballots (1,416 members) voted for Mr Lee while only eight voted against, said officials.
Beijing hailed the near-unanimous result, saying it showed “Hong Kong society has a high level of recognition and approval” for Lee.
“This is a real demonstration of democratic spirit,” the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office said.
Josep Borrell, the EU’S foreign policy chief, countered that the selection process was a “violation of democratic principles and political pluralism”.
Mr Borrell said the result was “yet another step in the dismantling of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle”, in which Beijing promised Hong Kong could keep freedoms and autonomy.
The League of Social Democrats held a three-person protest before polls opened yesterday, chanting “power to the people, universal suffrage now”.
“We don’t want Hong Kong to be completely silent,” said one protester.