Lending legitimacy to an election farce
Iaccepted an invitation from the League of Social Democrats to participate in a demonstration, on Saturday, against the small-circle election that will choose the next chief executive on March 25. It is an insult to Hongkongers' intelligence to call this an 'election', because it is an open secret that Beijing has decided to give Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen another term.
However, the news media's enthusiastic coverage gives the impression that there is a real race - and voices calling for a boycott of the farce can barely be heard. An invisible hand seems to be directing the act, seeming to show that Hongkongers not only embrace the undemocratic election but support Mr Tsang for a second term. Given this lopsided picture, it is all the more important that The Frontier shows solidarity with the league - since the party has been marginalised ever since it was formed less than a year ago.
When I arrived at Victoria Park at 7pm, there were only a few dozen demonstrators. The league had planned to march from Causeway Bay to Chater Garden in Central, but the police refused to give us permission, on the grounds that we could affect public security and block traffic.
Those few demonstrators were heavily outnumbered by police. Hundreds of police officers, in uniform and plain clothes, surrounded us throughout the night. Dozens of police vans were parked in the vicinity. In the past few years we've seen demonstrations that attracted hundreds of thousands of protesters, but even then there weren't so many police.
Shortly after 7.30pm, the whole park was cordoned off: people were forbidden from entering, and demonstrators prevented from leaving the park. I was unhappy with the police's heavy-handedness, and asked the demonstrators whether they agreed to be arrested and taken back to the police station. They all said 'yes'. However, the police refused to arrest us; nor would they let us go unless we agreed to disperse. After a two-hour impasse, the league called off the march.
It's distressing that our march was banned, but some of us are determined to be heard. If the authorities won't permit peaceful protests, they are pushing the people to turn to civil disobedience. On election day, The Frontier plans to mount protests by land, air and sea. This is in response to the Tsang administration's decision to put the polling station at AsiaWorld-Expo - next to Chek Lap Kok airport. Since only 800 people can vote, it is ridiculous to put it so far away.
Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung said officials had been seeking a venue since mid-2005, and that AsiaWorld-Expo was the only suitable one. In that case, the administration is either totally incompetent or has an ulterior motive.
When I abandoned journalism in 1991 and stood for election to the Legislative Council, I wanted to fight for a democratic ideal and to stand firm on my principles. Now, 16 years later, after many trials and tribulations, I have no regrets and do not see the need to change.
Attaining democracy for Hong Kong will require the efforts of lots of people. It is regrettable, though not surprising, that the news media have been used as political tools to silence voices which the powers that be do not wish to be heard.
In the current farce that is called an election, the game plan is to give credibility and legitimacy to an undemocratic and unfair process. The media are doing their level best to achieve this goal, and I look upon them with nothing but contempt.
Emily Lau Wai-hing is a legislative councillor for The Frontier
