activist are planning a shadow parliament
Hong Kong pro-democracy activists are debating about a plan for unofficial parliament outside the country. Those action are related to the authoritarian turn of the former colony after the national security law.
This action is also intended for sending a message to China that freedom cannot be crushed said an activist, Simon Cheng. Since last year, violent, pro-democracy and anti-China demonstrations invested the former British colony. They are opposing Chinese interference in its promised freedoms and posing the biggest political crisis for Beijing since the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
This week, Hong Kong police used water cannons and tear gas to protesters. They also arrested more than 300 people in the streets for the security legislation introduced by China to repress dissent.
Luo Huining, PRC’s top official in Hong Kong, is the adviser to the city’s newly established national security committee, led by Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam. Guangdong official, Zheng Yanxiong will lead the new security agency, with powers and jurisdiction over national security cases. Zheng had a role in the 2011 crackdown on anti-corruption protesters in Wukan, and accused villagers of “colluding with foreign media to create trouble”.
The law directs one of the world’s most important financial hubs on a more authoritarian path. China, which claimed no interference with Hong Kong, has alterted foreign powers not to deal with its internal affairs. Cheng, a Hong Kong citizen, accused China’s secret police to beat and torture him. Before escaping, he worked 2 years for the British consulate in the territory. Cheng is a pro-democracy campaigner, now in political asylum in UK.
“A shadow parliament can send a very clear signal to Beijing and the Hong Kong authorities that democracy need not be at the mercy of Beijing. We want to set up non-official civic groups that surely reflect the views of the Hong Kong people. We are developing an alternative way to fight for democracy“, Cheng said.
Prime minister Boris Johnson offered Hong Kong residents a path to British citizenship. Cheng stated: “The UK has given a very good signal. At least hundreds of thousands of people will come.” About 3 million Hongkongers can access the so-called British National (Overseas) passport. As of February, 349,881 people had the passports.
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