The great pretence over human rights
The Hong Kong government is playing a game of pretend with the UN Human Rights Committee. As a result, the committee will undoubtedly find the administration's latest report less than satisfactory. In 2006, the committee, in its comments on Hong Kong's second post-1997 report, expressed regret that the special administrative region had 'not implemented a number of recommendations' made after the first report. It called on the government to submit additional information on certain issues.
The administration has now released its latest submission to the committee. One issue had to do with 'reports of intimidation and harassment against journalists and media personnel'. This stemmed from the departure, in mysterious circumstances, of two popular radio hosts, Albert Cheng King-hon and Wong Yuk-man, in 2004. It was widely rumoured that Beijing had forced the two out to reduce their influence before the Legislative Council election that year.
In its response, however, the government did not even mention these incidents. Instead, it stressed that 'Hong Kong is one of the safest cities in the world' and wrote: 'We do not tolerate the use of violence or the threat of violence, regardless of whether the victims are ordinary members of the public or well-known public figures.'
No doubt, it would have been embarrassing to discuss the circumstances surrounding the hosts' departure.
The most sensitive issue on which the committee sought information is the election of all Legco by universal suffrage. It said: 'All necessary measures should be taken whereby the Legislative Council is elected by universal and equal suffrage.'
The Hong Kong government has, in the past, said that because Britain entered its reservations in 1976 there was no requirement to establish an elected executive or legislative council. Anticipating this, the committee pointed out that, in 1995, it had said that, while there was no requirement to establish an elected legislature, once one was established, 'its election must conform to article 25 of the covenant'.
That article says every citizen shall have the right 'to vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage ...'