Beijing tones down its rhetoric ahead of July 1
Even pro-Democracy advocates seek dialogue with the government and with Beijing
Hong Kong (AsiaNews/SCMP) On the eve of the protest rally scheduled for July 1, China has decided to take a slightly more tolerant approach vis-à-vis the pro-democracy movement promising that it would grant a Tiananmen activist a visa for Beijing.
Lately, the relationship between Mainland China and the people of Hong Kong had deteriorated. The last straw was China's decision to block any political reform, stopping in its tracks the demand (supported by 80% of the population) that could lead to the direct election of the Territory's governor and to universal suffrage. Furthermore, in the last few months, some community leaders had denounced a certain number of infringements on freedom of expression.
Evidence of a softening tone came when China decided to grant actor and filmmaker John Shum Kin-fun an entry visa. Shum is a key player in Operation Yellow Bird, an underground network that helped pro-Democracy activists and dissidents involved in the Tiananmen episode flee China and escape the government's repression. Recently, an official of China's central government promised the filmmaker that his visa would be soon renewed. However, the key term here is "promised". Other important political activists, like Martin Lee Chun-ming, former president of the Democratic Party, are still banned from the mainland. In the last few days, Hong Kong's governor Tung Chee-hwa, unpopular for his deference to Beijing, met representatives of the pro-Democracy movement. For many, this is a sign of thawing relations. Even the outspoken bishop of Hon Kong, Monsignor Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, has met Hong Kong-based Mainland officials.
Pro-Democracy activists also do not want matters to get worse. For this reason, the pro-Democracy movement has decided to change the theme of the July 1 rally. It will no longer be about universal suffrage but rather about a set of more general demands like Fight for Democracy, Safeguard Freedom, Rekindle Hope, and Rebuild Hong Kong. However, other pro-Democracy leaders are concerned that the citizens of Hong Kong could interpret this new approach as wavering before Beijing.
Joseph Cheng Yu-shek, professor at the City University of Hong Kong and chairperson of Power for Democracy, stated: "We have absolutely not changed our position. We stand firm on the fight for universal suffrage. We are just expressing our aspirations in a more positive and proactive way." In particular, the pro-Democracy activists have backed away from using the slogan "return power to the people" which had in the past provoked an angry response in Beijing. Never the less, Lee Cheuk-yan, of the Confederation of Trade Unions, urged people not to stay away because of the apparent thaw between Beijing and pro-Democracy activists. According to survey results published online by the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong's most prestigious paper, just over half (51%) of respondents said that they would take part in the July 1 rally. (ThR)
.png)
30/06/2020 12:43
