Democrats in HK Strike for Universal Suffrage

By Juliana Chan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

HONG KONG - Democracy campaigners in Hong Kong began a weeklong hunger strike calling for universal suffrage by 2012. This comes as China's parliament is set to meet to decide whether to expand democracy in Hong Kong.

The strike began on Sunday, weeks after Hong Kong's Chief Executive Donald Tsang called on China to allow greater democracy in the former British colony. Although the majority of people in Hong Kong want direct elections by 2012, Mr. Tsang's report to Beijing recommended that 2017 was a more realistic target for full democracy.

The National People's Congress (NPC), the Chinese parliament's Standing Committee is meeting in Beijing later this week to discuss Mr. Tsang's report and clarify Hong Kong's democratic future. Beijing appears to have given its first indication that it may be prepared to move toward universal suffrage in the next ten years.

Albert Ho, the Democratic Party Chairman who is partaking in the hunger strike said, "We could not be very hopeful, we all know that the NPC Standing Committee would not be very receptive to full democracy in Hong Kong in the foreseeable future.

Since the former British colony reverted to Chinese rule in 1997, the question has remained of when and how Hong Kong would be allowed full democracy as promised. Hong Kong's current constitution promises direct elections as the "ultimate aim" but is vague on a date, which gives Beijing scope to dictate the pace for universal suffrage and democracy.

For more information, please see:

Reuters - HK Democrats pressure Beijing on democracy ruling - 23 December 2007

IHT - Hong Kong democrats go huntry to push for faster pace of political reform - 23 December 2007

The Standard - HK secures seats in Beijing debate on democracy - 24 December 2007