China clamps down on Hong Kong's democracy

[Ultimate Paragon]

http://news.yahoo.com/china-no-open-nominations-hong-kong-leader-080512373.html

BEIJING (AP) — China's legislature on Sunday ruled out allowing open nominations in the inaugural election for Hong Kong's leader, saying they would create a "chaotic society." Democracy activists in the Asian financial hub responded by saying that a long-threatened mass occupation of the heart of the city "will definitely happen."

In setting tight limits on how far electoral reforms can go in Hong Kong, Beijing issued its firmest reminder yet that it's still in charge despite the substantial autonomy it promised the city after taking control from Britain in 1997.

The guidelines laid down by China's communist leaders ratchet up the potential for a showdown pitting Beijing against Hong Kong democracy supporters, a group that represents a broad swath of society, including students, religious leaders and financial workers.

The decision by the legislature's powerful Standing Committee sharpens fears that China wants to screen candidates for loyalty to the central government and is reneging on its promise to let Hong Kong's leader be directly elected by voters, rather than the current committee of mostly pro-Beijing tycoons.

"At this very moment, the path of dialogue has been exhausted," said Benny Tai, a leader of the Occupy Central with Love and Peace protest movement, which has vowed to rally at least 10,000 people to paralyze Hong Kong's financial district — known as Central — to press demands for genuine democracy.

The group will launch "wave after wave of protest action" in the coming weeks "until we get to a point when we launch the all-out Occupy Central action," Tai told reporters. University students are also planning to boycott classes next month.

Thousands of people gathered in a park across from Hong Kong government headquarters Sunday evening to protest the widely expected announcement, chanting slogans and waving their cellphones.

Earlier in the day, Li Fei, deputy secretary general of the National People's Congress' Standing Committee, told a news conference in Beijing that openly nominating candidates would create a "chaotic society."

Under the legislature's guidelines, a maximum of three candidates, each approved by more than half of a 1,200-member nominating committee, will be put forth to Hong Kong's 5 million eligible voters in 2017. The public will have no say in choosing candidates, raising fears of what some have termed "fake democracy."

"These rights come from laws, they don't come from the sky," Li said. "Many Hong Kong people have wasted a lot of time discussing things that are not appropriate and aren't discussing things that are appropriate."

Making clear that Chinese leaders intend to tightly control politics in Hong Kong, Li emphasized that candidates for the city's chief executive should be loyal to China's ruling Communist Party.

Why am I not surprised?

[ironbite]

I'm surprised they're even allowing elections.

[Art Vandelay]

I'm surprised it took them this long to do something of the sort. I can't imagine anyone's naive enough to think that China was actually going to let them stay autonomous indefinitely.

[Katsuro]

I'm surprised it took them this long to do something of the sort. I can't imagine anyone's naive enough to think that China was actually going to let them stay autonomous indefinitely.

If I remember correctly it was part of the formal agreement with Britain for the hand-over of HK back to China.  But yeah, quite a lot of people, myself included, were surprised at how China had seemed to be upholding that end of the deal.  I guess that's all over then.  You know what Britain is going to do about this violation of the agreement?  Fuck all most likely.

[guizonde]

I'm surprised it took them this long to do something of the sort. I can't imagine anyone's naive enough to think that China was actually going to let them stay autonomous indefinitely.

If I remember correctly it was part of the formal agreement with Britain for the hand-over of HK back to China.  But yeah, quite a lot of people, myself included, were surprised at how China had seemed to be upholding that end of the deal.  I guess that's all over then.  You know what Britain is going to do about this violation of the agreement?  Fuck all most likely.

Aww, and I was hoping for another opium war... Oh wait, Afghanistan's got the monopoly on that and they're using it against Russia, nevermind. [/grimdark]

[Ultimate Paragon]

Looks like things are heating up:

http://news.yahoo.com/top-chinese-official-heckled-hong-kong-protesters-031017947.html