Name : Sese Sonia
NPM : 16611702
Class : 4 Sa 01
By Mick Krever, CNN
By disrupting life in Hong Kong and
rejecting Beijing’s ruling on how Hong Kong should be governed, pro-democracy
demonstrators there may actually be scuttling progress on democracy,
pro-Beijing Hong Kong legislator Regina Ip told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on
Tuesday.
“In terms of guarantee of personal
freedoms and rights, we were free before we became democratic,” Ip said. “The democratic process only started getting under way in
the 1980s, very late in the colonial era. And we've made a lot more progress
since 1997.”
“I fully understand and sympathize
with [the protesters’] aspirations. But they also need to recognize that our
democratic model is laid down in the basic law.”
“We are not an independent country.
We are part of one country.”
Students and pro-democracy activists
clogged Hong Kong’s central business district through the end of last week,
protesting a ruling by China that Hong Kong residents would be able to directly
elect their chief executive, but only from a list of Beijing-approved
candidates.
Many protesters left the streets
over the weekend after their leaders agreed to negotiations with the office of
the chief executive, C.Y. Leung. They have promised, however, to return to the
streets if they believe their demands are not being met.
“I think the government is trying
very hard to resolve the disputes as peacefully as possible,” Ip, who is the
former security chief of Hong Kong, said.
A fellow Hong Kong legislator,
Claudia Mo, told Amanpour last month that China is “essentially very insecure
and paranoid,” and is therefore playing tough with Hong Kong.
“The message,” Mo said, is “‘We
don't care about Hong Kong anymore. Hong Kong is disposable.’”
“I totally disagree with her,” Ip
said. “Hong Kong is the most international city of China; it is a very
important southern gateway, and very important showcase to Taiwan.”
“I think China is becoming modern
through territories like Taiwan and Hong Kong, learning about the democratic
process. So I disagree with Claudia. I think if we could make the democratic
model and let the basic law work in Hong Kong, we will be contributing to
China's modernization.”
Ip has a somewhat controversial past
with issues of democracy.
She has previously told The New York
Times that while she supports and understands the “normative justifications for
a democratic system … the big question in my mind is in what way more democracy
added value.”
“We are within reaching distance of
voting for our chief executive by universal suffrage,” she told Amanpour. “But
efficiency and effectiveness have suffered.”
“Our legislature can be described as
dysfunctional. The pro-democratic camp is practically declaring warfare on the
government. So nothing is getting done.”
“I believe all systems of government
must be able to deliver in terms of improving the livelihood and the welfare of
the people.”
In an interview with Amanpour last
month, Anson Chan – a former chief secretary of Hong Kong, who ran and won
against Ip in a legislative election in 2007 – said that China was not living
up to its commitments under the Basic Law, the document that underpinned Hong
Kong’s transfer from British to Chinese rule in 1997.
“The basic law in black-and-white
says universal suffrage means the right not only to vote but the right of every
permanent Hong Kong resident to vote,” Chan said. “It says that the nominating committee for the election of
the chief executive have to be broadly representative and the nomination
process has to be democratic.”
Ip said that Chan was “largely
correct,” but said that China is in fact living up to this commitment.
“The nominating committee, which
should be discussed in the next few months, is broadly representative.”
“And we could broaden it if stage
two of the consultation to discuss the details to be set out in local
legislation, if that could get under way. But we can't do that until the
demonstrations have come to an end.”
Ip told Amanpour that while she is
“very impressed by the passion of the students,” and the fact that they have
remained peaceful, that did not justify their actions.
“It is also a fact that they are
unlawful, and they have obstructed traffic to a large extent, disrupting the
life of many, causing many to lose business and even to lose jobs.”
“And as some members of the public
have said, they can exercise their freedom, but they cannot interfere with
other people's freedom to get to work in a convenient manner.”
“So I think they should also bear
that in mind.”
Direct speech only:
“In terms of guarantee of personal
freedoms and rights, we were free before we became democratic,” Ip said.
The basic law in black-and-white says universal suffrage means the right
not only to vote but the right of every permanent Hong Kong resident to vote,”
Chan said.
