Hong Kong’s NPC deputy warned about calls to end ‘one-party dictatorship’ in China: he was right

Hong Kong localism and independence

Letters

Published: 11:00am, 8 Apr 2018

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Hong Kong’s only representative in the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, Mr Tam Yiu-chung, has warned that Hongkongers who publicly advocate an end to “one-party dictatorship” may be barred from future elections.

Hong Kong will soon have a national anthem law, while President Xi Jinping himself vowed at the close of the NPC’s annual session last month to strengthen national identity and patriotism in the two special administrative regions.

Beijing has set the parameters for legitimate criticism and opposition in Hong Kong, beyond which they will not be tolerated.

Tam Yiu-chung has a point: Beijing’s Hong Kong policy will only get tougher

I think Mr Tam’s warning was rational and reasonable. In order to make all Hong Kong people, especially lawmakers, understand why, we could turn to the People’s Republic of China’s national flag and ensign, adopted on October 1, 1949.

The red in the flag stands for the communist revolution, and the large star is a symbol of the Communist Party. The four smaller stars represent the workers, peasants, bourgeoisie and patriotic capitalists who are united in building communism.

Now, I think the Hong Kong government should know that any “grand reconciliation”, as sought by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, is based on truth, trust and mutual respect.

And here I quote Mencius: “Virtue alone is not sufficient for the exercise of government; laws alone cannot carry themselves into practice” and “Power of vision … and skill of hand …, without the compass and square, could not form squares and circles.”

William Chiu, Ashwood, Australia

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