Those who speak openly about national issues are patriots, not traitors

I refer to the article by Philip Fang ('Brat in the family', November 9).

He said that Anson Chan Fang On-sang, Martin Lee Chu-ming, Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun were in 'open defiance', presumably of Beijing, and were thus a 'Gang of Four'. He also said they would be considered 'seditious' if we had an Article 23 law, in part because they were not 'grateful' enough for the mainland's alleged largesse.

Grateful? That demand is not the sign of a mature or self-confident government.

I was in Beijing during the dark days of the original Gang of Four, in the 1970s, when the government was certainly not self-confident. I recall how it was then - no freedom of speech, labour camps for dissidents; pretty much like it is now, it seems.

To hear Hongkongers labelled thus is chilling indeed, especially when those so labelled are staunch supporters of freedom of speech. To call them a Gang of Four is a grotesque inversion.

Mr Fang is just a retired interpreter. But perhaps - though let's hope not - he is a stalking horse for central government opinion.