‘Self-determination’ isn’t the same as Hong Kong independence, Li Fei and others must see that

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Agnes Chow Ting, barred from contesting the March 11 Legislative Council by-election, with Edward Yiu Chung-yim, who is running for Kowloon West, at a rally outside the Hong Kong government headquarters, in Admiralty on January 28. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 4:47pm, 8 Mar 2018Updated: 12:36pm, 15 Oct 2020

I write to offer, with all humility, words of advice to Basic Law Committee chair Li Fei and all others involved in the discussions about the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR, Legislative Council elections and the barring of candidates for elected office.

I am a UK-born British citizen, and have been an English speaker for all of my 74 years and a teacher of English language and literature since 1962.

Language usage will always cause controversy and misunderstanding, which is why it is surely wise to take care when making definitive statements and to seek help from various sources when challenging others on the meaning of their language usage.

In your report, “Calls for Hong Kong self-determination as unlawful as independence talk, senior Beijing official says” (February 23), I read, “Li Fei] said talk of self-determination was in breach of the Basic Law … and on par with the promotion of independence. ‘They are the same, no matter what they said’, said Li … ‘They just shifted the use of words, but the nature is the same’.”

Is it within the remit of administrators to pronounce on the intentions and beliefs of anyone?

I am far from convinced that these words and phrases do contain the same meaning. “Independence” is about being able to do things without constraints provided by others.