Hong Kong's "Sinicization" has been pushed further. Breaking an international pledge that guaranteed "one country, two systems," China's moves to destroy democracy and the separation of the three powers are utterly unacceptable.
China has set new conditions for membership of Hong Kong's Legislative Council. Conditions stipulate that members will be immediately disqualified for supporting "Hong Kong independence," seeking support from foreign powers or conduct deemed to lack "loyalty" to the Hong Kong government.
Based on the new rule, the Hong Kong government dismissed four pro-democracy lawmakers from the council. Under Hong Kong law, the disqualification of a council lawmaker requires the approval of two-thirds of council members or a court decision, but the government has now grabbed the power to do so.
The move follows the introduction in June of China's national security law to crack down on anti-government activity in Hong Kong, a measure that further tightens the grip on the pro-democracy bloc. Unilaterally disqualifying elected lawmakers is a denial of the principles of the election system and separation of three powers.
The criteria for determining the presence or absence of "loyalty" are extremely vague and are likely to be used arbitrarily. It is possible that lawmakers viewed as lacking loyalty will lose their jobs for simply expressing objections to the government on the council floor.
Under such circumstances, the council will lose its ability to monitor administrative errors and its independence, and will become a supporting organization that only approves government policies.
"We can no longer tell the world that we still have 'one country, two systems.' This declares its official death," a senior official representing pro-democracy lawmakers said. In addition to the four lawmakers who were disqualified, 15 pro-democracy lawmakers tendered their resignations in protest. This left the council in an unprecedented situation, with pro-China lawmakers occupying the majority of the seats.
The resignation en masse of pro-democracy lawmakers resulted in the pro-democracy bloc losing the number of seats needed to reject key bills at the council. This means that the bloc has given up its means of debating with the government and keeping it in check.
Was it an appropriate decision to ultimately allow the council to become a mere formality? It is inevitable that the appeal of the pro-democracy bloc among people who voted for its members will be weakened. The future of the protest movement will likely be called into question.
China's latest decision was likely made to take advantage of the vacuum created by the transition of power in the United States. China may have calculated that even if it took hard-line measures, it would be difficult for the United States to take countermeasures, such as strengthening sanctions.
The United States and European countries, which are increasingly critical of China, have called the move a further attack on Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and freedom. Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato has also expressed the Japanese government's "grave concern" about the situation.
Countries that share the same values must work together to call for the preservation of a free and democratic system in Hong Kong.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Nov. 15, 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
