Our government proudly calls Hong Kong Asia's world city, but tries hard to restrict our basic rights and suppress our freedom of speech. It does so to please Beijing. And yet it still talks about 'one country two systems'. Take the case of Citizens' Radio and legislator 'Long Hair' Leung Kwok-hung and his defiant David and Goliath-style battle. He has attacked what he sees as unjust and unfair restrictions regarding the issuing of a licence to Citizen's Radio (''Long Hair' attacks radio restrictions', September 13). We were originally promised directly elected Legco seats (without functional constituencies) for 2007 and a chief executive for 2008. However, our dream remains unrealised, at least until 2017 and 2020. And, as has happened in the past, Beijing can give any excuse and further delay universal suffrage. Our government and especially the chief executive have said they want to listen to the people, but they have tried to silence Citizens' Radio even though a magistrate ruled in January that the licensing system 'was unconstitutional'. The government is acting in an undemocratic manner and it is wasting time and money to try and frustrate the fight by Mr Leung and others, against what they see as a wrongful refusal of their broadcasting rights. The government has deliberately kept the licence fee very high for radio, to deprive the public of more entertainment and discourage people from expressing their opinions which they could do with the provision of extra channels. I drew this to the attention of the chief executive when he came to listen to people's comments about his policy address in October of last year on RTHK Radio 3, but as usual it fell on deaf ears. The licensing procedures are complex and unjust, which is why people like Mr Leung are forced to violate these rules and to appear in court. Citizen's Radio is forced to mount a challenge in order to draw attention to draconian and defective laws and to highlight the autocratic attitude of the government. A. L. Nanik, Tsim Sha Tsui
