Stop lecturing us, say the Democrats
Yeung Sum says mainland officials risk alienating Hong Kong people
The Democrats yesterday warned that mainland officials would only provoke and alienate the Hong Kong public if they continued with heavy-handed lectures.
Democrats chairman Yeung Sum said: 'I think he [Sheng Huaren] is just stating the obvious. Everything he says is already in the Basic Law. There is nothing new.'
He was responding to remarks by Mr Sheng vice-chairman and secretary-general of the National People's Congress Standing Committee.
Mr Sheng, speaking at a symposium on the 14th anniversary of the Basic Law, stressed that Beijing had complete decision-making power on the reforms.
Dr Yeung said: 'People will feel alienated if Chinese officials continue to lecture Hong Kong like that. I don't think Beijing wants to see the public diverting their dissatisfaction against the Hong Kong government to the central government.
'Beijing clearly has a final say in the reforms. There is no doubt about that. But the important thing is that it should also respect the aspirations of the Hong Kong people.'
Veteran mainland-watcher Johnny Lau Yui-siu said Mr Sheng's remarks showed Beijing was keen to impose political indoctrination on Hong Kong.
'However mild the way he made the remarks, the reality is that it's intimidation to the people of Hong Kong. What's more, it wants the locals to soon speak in the same breath with the central authorities.
'But this sort of hardline approach may only result in strong counter-effects,' he said.
In response to Mr Sheng's comments on the power to declare Hong Kong laws void, Alan Leong Kah-kit, a member of the Article 45 Concern Group, said: 'The Basic Law is Hong Kong's constitutional document. If any law in Hong Kong breaches the Basic Law, the courts here could declare it invalid.'
He said Beijing should also spell out the reasons why it was worried over universal suffrage in 2007.
