News: China’s message for HK voters

China’s message for HK voters
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/09/11/hk.vote.chinoy/index.html

Saturday, September 11, 2004 Posted: 1:37 AM EDT (0537 GMT)

China’s message for HK voters

From CNN Senior Asia Correspondent Mike Chinoy

HONG KONG (CNN) — China’s Olympic gold medallists visited Hong Kong this week generating adoring crowds and conveying an unspoken but unmistakable message — vote for pro-Beijing candidates in Hong Kong’s legislative election on Sunday.

But along with China’s charm offensive comes what Human Rights Watch and other critics describe as a campaign of dirty tricks targeting those advocating expanded democracy here.

Outspoken radio talk show host Albert Cheng says he was forced off the air because of Chinese pressure. He’s running for the Legislative Council on a pro-democracy platform.

“They think we are propaganda for democracy. They want to shut us up. But they can’t shut me up,” says Cheng.

“I’m going to make my voice heard in the Legco.”

Alex Ho is another member of the democracy camp. But he’s in jail after being arrested three weeks ago in China and, with no trial, he was given six months on allegations of patronizing a prostitute.

His family says it was a set-up and when Chinese police released these photos just four days before the election, it fueled suspicion Beijing was simply trying to discredit the Democrats.

“The Beijing leaders have gone berserk about the possibility of our capturing more than half the seats,” Martin Lee of the Hong Kong Democrats says.

Opinion polls show a large majority support the Democrats calls for Hong Kong’s Chief Executive and legislature to be directly elected.

Only 30 of the territory’s 60 lawmakers are elected, the rest are picked by business-dominated special interest groups.

The Chief Executive is chosen by a Beijing-approved Selection Committee.

China rules out any changes to the system and pro-China candidates insist democracy should not be Hong Kong’s top priority.

“We also need stability and prosperity. And stability and prosperity is very very basic in Hong Kong,” Ma Lik of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong says.

The way Hong Kong’s political system is structured, the legislature has little real power, no matter who is elected.

But a strong showing by pro-democracy candidates will reinforce a trend that’s become increasingly clear in recent months — that the people of Hong Kong want to run their own affairs.