Beijing slams harassment in HK polls
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2019 16:15:07 +0000
HONG KONG: China is continuing its attacks on newly elected pro-democracy district councilors in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s pro-democracy opposition won a stunning landslide victory in local elections on Sunday in a clear rebuke to city leader Carrie Lam over her handling of violent protests that have divided the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
Anchor Liu Xin wrote in a commentary on the state broadcaster’s website that the election had “not been a fair game” and that “pro-establishment candidates and their supporters faced widespread harassment and intimidation.”
Voters backing Chief Executive Lam’s administration, who were mostly older, also “experienced great obstacles and even verbal abuse from opposition candidates,” according to Liu, adding that the election results “will create negative consequences for Hong Kong, at least in the near term.”
The English-language newspaper China Daily said the election of opposition candidates would ensure that Hong Kong would “see no peace . . . and continue to lose its importance as an international financial and logistics center.”
China has again summoned US Ambassador Terry Branstad to demand the Trump administration block legislation passed by both chambers of Congress supporting pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong.
The Foreign Ministry said Vice Minister Zheng Zeguang on Monday expressed China’s strong opposition to the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and warned that the United States would “bear all the consequences that arise.”
It was the second time in recent weeks that China has summoned Branstad to protest over the legislation, which was passed nearly unanimously and now awaits President Donald Trump’s signature.
Trump on Friday wouldn’t commit to signing the bill, as he tries to work out a trade deal with China. He has 10 days from the time of passage last week to veto it.
If he does not do so, it automatically becomes law, while Congress could also override a veto with a two-thirds majority in both houses.
The bill authorizes sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials involved in human rights abuses and would mandate the State Department to annually review the special autonomous status that the US grants Hong Kong on trade.
Hong Kong’s embattled leader Carrie Lam has refused to offer any concessions to anti-government protesters despite a local election setback.
Lam says she will accelerate dialogue and plans to set up a committee to review deep-seated social issues that contributed to grievances.
She said at her weekly news conference Tuesday that the central government in Beijing did not blame her for poll outcome, in which pro-democracy bloc won a landslide victory with 90 percent of seats.
She said Sunday’s election might have reflected unhappiness with the government, but it also showed that many people want a stop to violence. AP