The Washington Post: U.S. should send signal to China in support of Hong Kong democracy movement

Peace Hong Kong Initiative

The Washington Post

U.S. should send signal to China in support of Hong Kong democracy movement

By Editorial Board September 30 at 8:24 PM

A protester sleeps on the streets outside the Hong Kong Government Complex at sunrise. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

IT’S HARD not to be inspired by the images of crowds in the center of Hong Kong peacefully demonstrating in favor of democracy, their unlikely symbol not a clenched fist but an open umbrella. But it’s also difficult not to remember the similar mass demonstrations that filled Beijing’s Tiananmen Square 25 years ago and how those ended. The pessimistic consensus in and outside China is that the Communist party leadership of Xi Jinping, which has adopted a hard line against political dissent, is likely to forcibly crush this protest movement if it persists, just as the last one was crushed.

Beijing, however, has not acted yet; police in Hong Kong backed off on Monday and Tuesday after their use of tear gas over the weekend brought more people to the streets. Chinese authorities probably are weighing the risks of allowing the street occupations to continue against those of initiating a crackdown. That makes this a crucial moment for the United States to send a clear message to Mr. Xi: that repression is unacceptable and will damage China’s relations with the democratic world.

Unfortunately, the Obama administration’s response so far has been gallingly timid. White House and State Department spokesmen have carefully avoided offering explicit support for the demonstrators’ demands for free elections for the city’s leader, rather than a managed choice among nominees approved by Beijing. They have urged the demonstrators to be peaceful, though only the police have resorted to violence.

As a supporter of the 1984 agreement under which Hong Kong was transferred from British to Chinese rule, the United States has an obligation to speak up when China violates the spirit of its promise to allow an elected government – as it clearly has. Yet the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong went so far as to declare that “we do not take sides in the discussion of Hong Kong’s political development, nor do we support any particular individuals or groups involved in it.”

Even more concerning is U.S. nonchalance about a possible crackdown. Asked about speculation that Chinese military units stationed in Hong Kong could be used against the protesters, the State Department’s spokesman said Monday that “I have not seen that potential at this point in time. I can check with our team to see if that’s a concern we have.”

State would do well to check with Chinese dissidents such as Yang Jianli, Teng Biao and Hu Jia, who know the regime’s capacity for repression all too well. In an oped published by the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, the three men pointed out that Chinese officials “have threatened repeatedly that Hong Kong-based units of China’s People’s Liberation Army will use force to suppress peaceful demonstrations,” adding, “this tragic outcome is becoming more likely.”

After the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, President George H.W. Bush and Congress imposed tough sanctions on China, though Mr. Bush soon backed down. Since then China has grown into a major power that is more resistant to outside pressure. The United States cannot protect Hong Kong’s democracy movement if Mr. Xi decides to crush it. But it can and should support its demand for genuine democracy and let China know that the use of force would have consequences for U.S.-Chinese relations.

The White House Responds to Petition for Peaceful Hong Kong

Initiatives for China/Citizen Power for China

September 30, 2014 Washington, DC

The “We the People” White House Petition for Peaceful Hong Kong (http://wh.gov/lhJ2E) reached a total of196,923 signatures. The White House has issued an official response to this petition:

OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE RESPONSE TO Support Hong Kong Democracy and Prevent A Second Tiananmen Massacre in Hong Kong

Response to We the People Petition on the Protests in Hong Kong

We are watching the situation in Hong Kong closely. Around the world, the United States supports internationally recognized fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. We urge the Hong Kong authorities to exercise restraint, and for protestors to express their views peacefully.

The United States supports universal suffrage in Hong Kong in accordance with the Basic Law and we support the aspirations of the Hong Kong people. We believe that an open society, with the highest possible degree of autonomy and governed by the rule of law, is essentialfor Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity — indeed this is what has made Hong Kong such a successful and truly global city. We have consistently made our position known to Beijing, and we will continue to do so.

We believe that the legitimacy of the Chief Executive will be greatly enhanced if the Basic Law’s ultimate aim of selection of the Chief Executive by universal suffrage is fulfilled and if the election provides the people of Hong Kong a genuine choice of candidates representative of the voters’ will.

The Peaceful Hong Kong petition is a joint initiative launched September 19 by 33 groups worldwide, including organizations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao. It urges the U.S. government to publicly stand against the possibility of Beijing violently cracking down on peaceful demonstrators in Hong Kong. Such resolve from the U.S. government and the international community would send a strong message to theChinese government that any attempt to solve political disagreements with violence would result in severe consequences.

Dr YANG Jianli, the principal power behind the White House petition said, “The joint action from global democratic forces in support of the Hong Kong democracy movement is very inclusive. We have support from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, and in mainland China, including all Chinese minority groups such as Tibetan, Mongolian, Urghur as well as Han. Religious groups in support of the petition include Christian and Falungong, among others. We also have support from many human rights groups in major democracies, as well as those in Vietnam, Myanma, Laos, North Korea, Iran and Cuba . Such a widespread attention has expressed moral support for Hong Kong’s students and residents and contempt for the Beijing authoritarian regime.”

Per “We, the People” petition rules, when signature reaches 100,000, the White House must respond to the petition.

Toronto based Hong Kong Human rights activist Gloria Fung told us, “We have maintained in close contact with the leadership of the democracy movement in Hong Kong. Protest will escalate despite a growing number of police forces being sent from neighboring Guangdong Province, while the Chinese government had manipulated its armed forces near Kong Kong border, amid the growing tension.” She points out, “We must warn the Beijing government that the world is watching Hong Kong.”

Organizers of Peaceful Hong Kong and its working teams have been laboring on action plans for the next phase, including pushing hard to increase the petition’s signatures, requesting major democracies – their legislatures and governments – to express their clear positions against violence used to repress peaceful protests of the Hong Kong people.

Zhang Xiaogang, an Australia based member of the liaison team, has called upon all parties of the world to push to increase the petition’s signature count as a show of civil power. “Only actions produce results,” he said.

Our next step to gain signatures will involve focusing on Hong Kong and other Asian regions. Taiwanese leader for the petition YANG Hisan-Hong expresses the consensus of Chinese living abroad. “Without democracy in China, none of us will have a good life, and by supporting Hong Kong, we support Taiwan itself,” he said. Furthermore, NGOs in Taiwan plan to push its Legislature Yuan for support.
The aim of Peaceful Hong Kong is to mobilize the international community to prevent the possible massacre in Hong Kong, like that of 1989 Tiananmen. One of the leading figures for the initiative, Mr. Fang Zheng, has called on the leaders of the U.S. and other major democracies to help prevent the tragedy of Tiananmen happen again. Fang Zheng lost his legs to the Chinese army tanks on Tiananmen in 1989 crackdown.

Initiating Organizations:

公民力量 (Citizen Power for China/Initiatives for China)

港加聯 (Canada-Hong Kong Link)

讓愛與和平佔領中環多倫多支援會 (Occupy Central with Love and Peace Toronto Support Group)

溫哥華支援民主運動聯合會 (Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement)

對華援助協會 (ChinaAid)

中國民主教育基金會 (Chinese Democratic Education Foundation)

北京之春 (Beijing Spring)

自由西藏學生運動 (Students for Free Tibet)

南蒙古人權信息中心 (Southern Mongolia Human Rights Information Center)

维吾尔美国协会 (Uygur American Association)

民主中國陣線 (Federation for a Democratic China)