bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Lai Ying-kit

Pan-democrats and the mainland’s Hong Kong representatives should establish proper lines of communication, the lawmaker representing the legal sector has urged.
Dennis Kwok of the Civic Party is among at least four pan-democrats planning to attend what would be their first meeting with the mainland’s representatives since the Occupy protests ended in early December. Some of the pan-democrats took part in the mass sit-ins which lasted a total of 79 days.
Kwok said on Wednesday communication between pan democrats and the mainland has been poor – and had hit a low following Occupy.
He insisted there was a need to establish a new communication protocol.
”There are still many issues of interest to Hong Kong that need be discussed and we want to express our views to the mainland.
”We would like to see a permanent protocol through which we can normalise communication to discuss various issues,” he told RTHK.
Kwok said in addition to political reform, the controversy over the prospect of applying national security laws in the city was one key issue that had emerged since the Occupy protests and needed to be discussed with the mainland.
He added he would hand in a letter to liaison officials to object to the idea of applying national security laws in Hong Kong and to Beijing’s restrictive framework on universal suffrage during a cocktail reception on Wednesday evening.
“The idea [of applying national security laws] is very dangerous, and it is certainly not legally feasible,” Kwok told RTHK.
“As a representative of the legal sector and Hongkongers, I feel it is a duty to make our stance clear,” he said.
On electoral reform, Kwok said it looked unlikely Beijing would retract or change its restrictive framework laid down on August 31.
But he said his party – seen as moderate pro-democrats – needed to make its stance clear amid speculation some pan-democrats may consider making compromises.
“Further speculation on who may make a U-turn to accept Beijing’s framework would be meaningless,” he said.
“In fact, our party will definitely not,” he said. “I think we need to make this clear.”
The government has launched its second phase of public consultation on plans to introduce universal suffrage for the 2017 chief executive election.
Senior officials have said the chances it will pass the Legislative Council were low as pan-democrats – who hold a one-third veto, a total of 27 of the 70 Legco seats – have vowed to reject the plan.
The spring reception to celebrate the coming Lunar New Year will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday evening.
It is understood that not all pan-democrats have been invited.
The other three pan-democrats planning to attend the reception are the Democratic Party’s Sin Chung-kai and the Civic Party’s Ronny Tong Ka-wah and Kwok Ka-ki.
Last year, the liaison office, in an ice-breaking gesture, invited all lawmakers including the 27 pan-democrats to the reception.


Pan-democrats need to talk to mainland officials, Civic Party’s Dennis Kwok says  

Dennis Kwok said pan-democrats and the mainland still had much to discuss. Photo: Dickson Lee 

(From left) Liaison Office Director Zhang Xiaoming and Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor meet with labour party pan-democrats Lee Cheuk-yan, Leung Yiu-chung, Cyd Ho Sau-lan, Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung and Peter Cheung Kwok-che on political reform at Central Government Offices (CGO), Admiralty on August 19, 2014. Photo: Nora Tam

News

Hong Kong

Pan-democrats and the mainland’s Hong Kong representatives should establish proper lines of communication, the lawmaker representing the legal sector has urged.


Pan-democrats need to talk to mainland officials, Civic Party’s Dennis Kwok says

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Pan-democrats and the mainland’s Hong Kong representatives should establish proper lines of communication, the lawmaker representing the legal sector has urged.

Pan-democrats and the mainland’s Hong Kong representatives should establish proper lines of communication, the lawmaker representing the legal sector has urged.