https://www.scmp.com/rss/16426/feed Surya Deva, an associate professor at City University’s School of Law, specialises in the area of business and human rights. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com For several decades, China has been manufacturing and exporting almost everything across the globe, thus gaining status as the world’s factory. More recently, China has taken the lead in exporting innovative technologies. Amid the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, some people have also accused China of exporting coronavirus. However, we should not miss the evolution of China’s newest export: the Chinese model of governance (and political ideas underpinning it) as an alternative to the Western liberal... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3077320/coronavirus-crisis-china-sees-chance-export-its-model-governance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3077320/coronavirus-crisis-china-sees-chance-export-its-model-governance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2020 13:00:12 +0000 The recent notice from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, that no Cathay Pacific staff who had taken part in “illegal protests”, “violent actions” and “overly radical activities” would be allowed to fly to or from mainland China – and the response of Cathay as well as its major investor Swire to this notice – has put the spotlight on the issue of companies’ human rights responsibilities.  Similar questions have been raised about the responsibility of companies supplying tear gas, rubber... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3022783/china-business-or-human-rights-hong-kong-protests-leave-cathay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3022783/china-business-or-human-rights-hong-kong-protests-leave-cathay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2019 22:30:10 +0000 Zhang Dejiang (張德江), chairman of the National People’s Congress, said he is in Hong Kong to “see, listen and speak”. In addition to addressing a forum on “One Belt, One Road”, Zhang said he would listen to “all sectors of society” on “what recommendations and requirements they have” regarding the implementation of “one country, two systems”. Zhang offers olive branch, but stands solidly versus notion of Hong Kong independence Given the unprecedented security by Hong Kong police for Zhang’s visit... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1947217/overzealous-security-measures-zhang-dejiang-are-barriers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1947217/overzealous-security-measures-zhang-dejiang-are-barriers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 May 2016 03:13:16 +0000 After the Umbrella Movement, protests against parallel traders, the University of Hong Kong saga, and now the “fishball revolution”, what next for Hong Kong? Is the city embracing the road to violence? And what does this violence mean for Hong Kong’s future relations with mainland China under the “one country, two systems” principle? The nature of violence (and the extent of hatred against the police reflected in violence) is unseen in recent years in an otherwise safe and peaceful city. The... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1916175/break-cycle-violence-hong-kong-must-deal-root-causes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1916175/break-cycle-violence-hong-kong-must-deal-root-causes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Feb 2016 09:05:43 +0000 The decision of the International Olympic Committee to award the 2022 Winter Games to Beijing has been criticised by human rights organisations, which held up China's tainted human rights record as a reason the Games should not have been awarded to it. Was the committee wrong to bring back the Olympics to Beijing? More importantly, is it the committee's business to promote human rights? The committee is bound by the Olympic Charter, which declares that the "practice of sport is a human right"... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1848843/ahead-beijing-2022-olympic-movement-must-champion-human?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1848843/ahead-beijing-2022-olympic-movement-must-champion-human?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2015 03:01:01 +0000 Whatever the outcome of the vote on the government's political reform proposal for the chief executive election in 2017, this key "constitutional moment" will have implications beyond both 2017 and Hong Kong. If we look at the bigger picture, it appears that the current political climate and governance stalemate are also providing fertile ground for germinating radical behaviour. In recent times, there have been attacks on journalists and newspapers. No one could forget the repeated clashes the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1823115/how-will-beijing-deal-increasingly-radical-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1823115/how-will-beijing-deal-increasingly-radical-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jun 2015 06:05:38 +0000 During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China this week, the Sino-Indian border dispute, trade imbalance and general cooperation between the two Asian giants should be high on the discussion agenda. Apart from these items, Modi is likely to keep an eye on a few other things. For one, he may monitor the comments that he gets on his new Weibo account from his "Chinese friends". But more importantly, he might try to unlock one puzzle during his first visit to China as prime minister:... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1792741/despite-its-democratic-dna-will-india-be-lured-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1792741/despite-its-democratic-dna-will-india-be-lured-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2015 06:13:37 +0000 The democracy road in Hong Kong seems to have reached a dead end, at least for now. Both the local government and pan-democrats are sticking to their stands and making no serious effort to remove the road blocks. The pan-democrats have pushed for unrealistic demands such as civic nomination and have unnecessarily antagonised Beijing with their statements. On the other hand, the chief executive, who has a constitutional obligation to accomplish the goal of universal suffrage in Hong Kong, has... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1714713/hong-kongs-politicians-and-officials-need-lose-their-bunker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1714713/hong-kongs-politicians-and-officials-need-lose-their-bunker?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2015 08:52:56 +0000 On Tuesday, the government submitted its report on public sentiment on Beijing's political reform rulings to the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. It could have been a golden opportunity for the government to regain the trust of pro-democracy protesters and Legislative Council members and engage them in the second round of consultation. This required the government to tell the central authorities that the introduction of genuine universal suffrage need not undermine China's... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1677924/hong-kong-governments-report-occupy-protests-lost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1677924/hong-kong-governments-report-occupy-protests-lost?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2015 09:30:30 +0000 On December 10, 1948, the world took an important and decisive step in adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a "common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations". To commemorate this milestone, in 1950, the UN General Assembly proclaimed December 10 as Human Rights Day. The theme for this year is "Human Rights 365", which encompasses the idea that human rights are relevant for everyone, every day. Despite the adoption of a plethora of international human rights... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1658349/responsibility-protection-human-rights-our-hands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1658349/responsibility-protection-human-rights-our-hands?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2014 10:00:15 +0000 The ongoing umbrella movement has triggered a volcano of creative imagination in Hong Kong, with new ideas, governance paradigms and legal principles being tested almost every day. Baptist University president Albert Chan Sun-chi recently refused to present degree certificates to graduates carrying yellow umbrellas on to the stage as they showed disrespect for the solemnity of the occasion. To reciprocate, a few graduates declined to accept certificates from him. It has also been reported that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1645401/where-should-universities-draw-line-rights-and-freedoms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1645401/where-should-universities-draw-line-rights-and-freedoms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2014 07:45:00 +0000 Since assuming office in July 2012, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has hardly taken a wrong step in triggering a governance crisis in Hong Kong. Enough has already been said about the biased report to the National People's Congress Standing Committee, which resulted in a highly restrictive and arguably unconstitutional decision on August 31. Then Leung failed to show the required courage and leadership skills to engage democracy protesters at the outset and offer them legitimate concessions to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1623757/dont-compromise-hong-kongs-basic-principle-equality-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1623757/dont-compromise-hong-kongs-basic-principle-equality-law?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2014 08:45:15 +0000 Dear Leung Chun-ying, I write this open letter to request that you immediately begin dialogue with peaceful Hongkongers protesting for universal suffrage. During your election campaign, I was struck by your desire to connect with people from all walks of like. This strategy greatly helped you win the election in 2012. The welcome message on your website is also consistent with this above approach: "Reaching out to [people] has enabled me to appreciate better your needs and expectations. I have... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1604529/leung-must-humbly-listen-wishes-hong-kong-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1604529/leung-must-humbly-listen-wishes-hong-kong-people?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2014 07:30:00 +0000 As students from several universities and colleges prepare for a week-long boycott of classes from next Monday, to protest against the National People's Congress Standing Committee decision on political reform for Hong Kong, the local community is responding in diverse ways. While some are sympathetic to students' right to assert their freedom of speech and expression in a peaceful way, the anti-Occupy Central movement has gone to the extent of establishing a hotline for people to report... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1595403/class-boycott-democracy-offers-students-valuable-life-lessons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1595403/class-boycott-democracy-offers-students-valuable-life-lessons?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2014 09:00:45 +0000 The central government's representatives have consistently reminded us that the election of the chief executive by universal suffrage in 2017 should be strictly in accordance with the Basic Law provisions. This was also the main reason Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and his team sided with the anti-Occupy Central movement. Amid such lecturing on the importance of legality and obedience to the supreme law, one would have expected the National People's Congress Standing Committee to take the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1583732/standing-committee-decision-political-reform-violates-basic-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1583732/standing-committee-decision-political-reform-violates-basic-law?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2014 08:45:15 +0000 Amid growing fears that the National People's Congress Standing Committee might cage the universal suffrage aspirations of Hongkongers, Li Fei, chairman of the Basic Law Committee, said last week that "the person who governs Hong Kong must be a patriot" in order to safeguard national security. Several other pro-Beijing stakeholders have also insisted on the "love the country" requirement for the chief executive. On the face of it, such requirements should not be controversial. They appear to be... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1580824/hongkongers-will-not-accept-beijings-idea-patriot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1580824/hongkongers-will-not-accept-beijings-idea-patriot?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2014 09:30:00 +0000 Customers are always the core of McDonald's Hong Kong" . Until a few days ago, these were the words that greeted visitors to the McDonald's Hong Kong website. But this slogan has disappeared. In recent days, several business tycoons have denounced Occupy Central as something bad for Hong Kong. Moreover, several chambers of commerce and other business associations have run anti-Occupy Central advertisements in newspapers. Again, the key message was framed in terms of the movement adversely... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1567010/companiesmust-strike-balance-between-human-rights-andneed-profits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1567010/companiesmust-strike-balance-between-human-rights-andneed-profits?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2014 09:45:00 +0000 Edward Snowden's escape from Hong Kong on Sunday was dramatic to say the least. Several people are coming forward to claim credit for facilitating his exit, which avoided a potentially long and unpredictable legal battle against extradition to the US. It seems, however, that the key player behind Snowden's escape is not disclosing its identify. This key player appears to be the central government, which wanted to gain political mileage out of the saga, but did not wish to keep this "hot potato"... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1269612/rule-law-ill-served-hong-kongs-decision-let-snowden-leave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1269612/rule-law-ill-served-hong-kongs-decision-let-snowden-leave?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Since Edward Snowden first broke cover in Hong Kong, many people have been puzzled about his choice of this city to take on the US government. Despite being wedded to the rule of law and having independent courts, Hong Kong is not a "safe haven" against extradition to the US by any means. Nor is the Hong Kong government known for treating asylum claims or refugees very humanely. Snowden's initial explanation that he chose Hong Kong because of its "strong tradition of free speech" also could not... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1263731/what-snowden-can-teach-occupy-central-movement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1263731/what-snowden-can-teach-occupy-central-movement?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Today, many people, businesses and other institutions in Hong Kong and elsewhere will turn off their non-essential lights at 8.30pm for Earth Hour. From a humble beginning in Sydney in 2007, the Earth Hour movement has spread rapidly. Last year, some 7,000 cities and towns in 152 countries took part, a significant achievement in making communities aware of the importance of preserving the environment and mitigating climate change. But is it enough? Most people will agree more needs to be done by... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1197330/case-giving-mother-nature-legal-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1197330/case-giving-mother-nature-legal-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Yu Zhengsheng, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, recently denounced Hong Kong activists who waved colonial flags during protests, and warned that "opposition" and "centrifugal forces" would not be allowed to rule the city after universal suffrage was introduced. This was followed by Zhang Dejiang, another Politburo member, reminding Hongkongers of the importance of safeguarding national security. The central government is rightly worried by the waving of colonial flags, but for the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1188539/flagging-fears-over-threat-hong-kongs-autonomy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1188539/flagging-fears-over-threat-hong-kongs-autonomy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The recent gang rape of a 23-year-old student on a bus in Delhi has rocked India. While India's economic growth may be slowing, there has been no such effect on the growth in the number of rapes. Since 1971, when the National Crime Records Bureau started collecting data, the number has increased over 873 per cent: from 2,487 in 1971 to 24,206 in 2011. Even if we factor in population increase and consider that more women may be willing to report rape now, this kind of growth is alarming to say... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1123128/time-redress-inequalities-hong-kongs-rape-laws?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1123128/time-redress-inequalities-hong-kongs-rape-laws?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Recently, one of my students started her presentation on The Body Shop by saying: "I am a girl, so I have to use many cosmetics." This was quite telling - not merely about the images created and sold by companies, but also about how such images have become ingrained in our day-to-day lives. How could one otherwise explain the substantial fee paid by four middle-aged Hong Kong women to a DR beauty clinic to undergo blood transfusion therapy? Calls have been made to introduce or tighten... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1061809/women-shouldnt-buy-constructed-idea-beauty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1061809/women-shouldnt-buy-constructed-idea-beauty?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Taiwan's defence ministry recently offered about NT$131 million (HK$33.7 million) in compensation to the family of an air force serviceman who was wrongly executed in 1997. Was it a case of a costly (some might say isolated) mistake or is something more fundamental at stake here? The power to inflict capital punishment essentially raises the question about the authority and legitimacy of the state to take away life. What is the difference between the execution of Muammar Gaddafi by his fellow... https://www.scmp.com/article/983834/choose-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/983834/choose-life?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The unfolding saga about Stanley Ho Hung-sun's division of wealth should not detract us from the Immigration Department's decision to deny entry to the exiled June 4 dissidents Wang Dan and Wuer Kaixi to attend the funeral of Szeto Wah. This decision was taken despite the men's willingness to curtail their own freedoms during their stay here. It is paradoxical that people who espoused democracy are denied a chance to pay their last respects to a democracy icon. The move can be seen as part of... https://www.scmp.com/article/737065/frank-admissions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/737065/frank-admissions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000