Guangdong may ease restrictions on visiting pan-democrats
Guangdong authorities yesterday said they would 'seriously consider' the views of six pan-democrat lawmakers who have been offered a trip to the mainland but who have bridled against a stipulation that their movements be restricted during the trip, unlike those of Beijing-loyalist colleagues who will travel with them.
This apparent softening in the mainland's official stance came after the Democratic Party threatened to boycott the visit - seen as a goodwill gesture by Beijing ahead of protests scheduled for June 4 and July 1.
A Legco Secretariat spokeswoman said Legco president Tsang Yok-sing had asked secretary general Pauline Ng Man-wah to contact mainland authorities about the democrats' demands.
'The president asked the secretary general to channel the relevant demands, and the Guangdong authorities said they would seriously consider such demands,' the spokeswoman said.
Invitations for the four-day trip which begins on May 15, were made to 36 members of Legco's economic and environmental affairs panels. They will visit several locations in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Nansha and meet mainland officials.
Among them are five Democrats and independent lawmaker Cyd Ho Sau-lan, who have long been barred by Beijing from crossing the border. They have been offered one-off home-return permits. Some of them said they would try to raise democracy issues and talk about the June 4 Tiananmen Square crackdown during the trip.
But the Democrats were unhappy that while colleagues would be allowed to join and leave the trip at will, they were asked to stick to a rigid schedule and enter and leave the mainland at specific checkpoints.
'I hope they will seriously reconsider these unnecessary measures and stop giving people the impression that they are discriminating against certain groups of legislators,' Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan said.
'Although we have no plans to stay behind or do anything inappropriate during the trip, we might consider not going at all if we are discriminated against.'
The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs office in Guangdong, which is arranging the visit, could not be reached for comment last night.
Democratic Party vice-chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing said pan-democrats would discuss the issue at a meeting today, and demand further clarification during Legco's house committee meeting.
