Discussion on Referendum (2004-10, 2004-11)
- Lee
Cheuk-yan calls for rational discussion on suffage
(speaks on RTHK's Letter to Hong Kong, 2004-11-07) - Conference
on
"Constitutional Development": 2007/08 and beyond (2004-11-06)
Government's Response:
- Chief
Executive issues statement on referendum motion (2004-11-15)
- Referendum on constitutional development neither practical nor appropriate (2004-11-07)
- Secretary for Constitutional Affairs: Need to build constitutional development consensus by mid-2005 (2004-11-06)
- Chief Executive speaks after the meeting with Legco members (2004-11-01, chinese only)
- Chief Secretary speaks on consitutional development (2004-10-19)
Views on the restrictions on Constitution Development imposed by the authorities (2004-10-15)
"It is disgraceful for Hong Kong to perpetuate a system in which a
small section of its people are entitled to enjoy the right to vote for
Chief Executive directly or indirectly. Equally disgraceful is the
system of functional constituency which gives roughly the same people
an additional vote or votes to return half of the Members of the
Legislative Council."
read the full text of Views on the restrictions on Constitution
Development imposed by
the authorities
US Congress released Congressional-Executive Commission on China
2004 Annual Report (2004-10-05)
Yash Ghai's comments on current Political Situation
From article Are Democracy and the Market in Conflict?, "To return
to Ms Tam. How do know that people are not driven to despair by the
nineteenth century economic and political system of Hong Kong? How do
you account for the anger of people manifested so dramatically on 1
July last this year and last week in Victoria Park?"
read "Are
Democracy and the Market in Conflict" in full details
(2004-06-14)
From article The Promise of
Autonomy, "What the Standing Committee’s interpretations and
other decisions of the last few days have done is to signal the absence
of genuine autonomy and Hong Kong’s total subordination to Central
Authorities. This is not how
the promise of autonomy was originally understood."
read "The
Promise of Autonomy" in full details (2004-05-03)
From article Interpreting the
Basic Law is not what it seems, "The contradiction is that
by the giving of power of interpretation
to the
NPCSC, the Basic Law destroys its capacity to act as the guardian of
Hong
Kong’s autonomy."
read "Interpreting the Basic Law is not what
it seems" in full details (2004-04-26)
The Constitutional Development Task Force released its Third Report
(11 May 2004)
HKHRM Statement: Positive contribution to
a futile exercise"Conference on Lessons to Learn: Governing Hong Kong"
Date: 8 May 2004 (Saturday)
Place: Room 301, Hong Kong
Exhibition & Convention Centre
(New Wing) , 1
Expo Drive, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Language:
Cantonese and
Putonghua
(with simultaneous interpretation of Cantonese, Putonghua and English
provided)
Registration:
Online
Registration or [ Download the Enrolment Form ] Deadline on 14 April 2004
Enqiury: Hong Kong Policy
Research Institute
Tel : (852) 2686-1166
Conference
URL : http://www.hkpri.org.hk/governinghk
NPC rules out universal suffrage for 2007 (26 April 2004)
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has ruled
out direct elections for the next Chief Executive in 2007 and lawmakers
the year after.
HKHRM statement: Progress at Orwellian
Speed (27 April 2004)
HKHRM statement: Universal Suffrage
request is betrayed (chinese only)
- NPC rules out HK general elections in 2007, 2008
- Chief
Secretary for Administration's statement in the 26th April Press
Conference
- Central authorities prudent in HK issues: Wu
- Full Text: NPC Standing Committee decision on issues concerningmethods for selecting HK Chief Executive and forming Legco
- China's top legislature favors modifying HK election methods, but rules out general elections for now
- British Foreign Office 'concerned and disappointed' over Hong Kong decision
- US Spokesperson: We are disappointed by the decision
- Foreign Media Coverage
Conference: Legal Perspectives of Constitutional Review
Date: Saturday 24 April 2004
Venue: Theatre 2, Meng Wah Complex, University of Hong Kong
Organiser: Centre for Comparative and Public Law, Faculty of Law, The
University of Hong Kong
for
full details, please refer to "Legal Perspectives of Constitutional
Review" web page
Chief Executive submitted a report to NPC Standing Committee and
Task Force released its Second Report (15 April 2004)
HKHRM statement: Little Place for Human Rights
& Public Opinion in Constitutional Review- Chief
Executive and the Constitutional Development Task
Force Meet the Media
(goverment archives of web casting) - Chief
Executive's transcript in the Press Conference
- Chief
Secretary for Administration's statement in the Press Conference
- Chief
Secretary for Administration's transcript in the Press Conference
- Report by the Chief Executive
- The
Second Report of the Constitutional Development Task Force:
Issues of Principle in the Basic Law Relating to Constitutional Development
NPC adopts interpretations of Hong Kong Basic Law (6 April 2004)
China's top legislature, the Standing Committee of the 10th National
People's Congress (NPC), adopted the interpretations of two clauses in
the Annexes of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region (SAR) as it concluded its five-day 8th meeting in Beijing on
Tuesday.
Joint Press
Release from HKHRM & FIDH (7 April 2004)
HKHRM
Press Release: Interpretation
undermined democracy and autonomy
(6 April 2004)
- US Department of State speaks on Basic Law Interpretation during 6th April Press Briefing session
- Human Rights Watch Press Release:
Interpretation of Basic Law Serious Setback
for Electoral Reform (6 April 2004)
- Xinhuanet: Interpretations helpful for ensuring HK's prospeirty, stability: top legislator
- Xinhuanet: Top legislature interprets Hong Kong Basic Law
- Xinhuanet: Interpretations on HK Basic Law annexes by top legislature
- Explanations on Draft Interpretations of HK Basic Law Annexes
- China Daily Coverage (6 April 2004)
Article related to Functional Constituencies Election
HKHRM
1998 LegCo Election Report: Corporate voting and functional
constituencies
2004 US Hong Kong Policy Act Report (2 April 2004)
HKHRM meets the Task Force (31 March 2004)
HKHRM meets the Task Force today to our concerns for the
consitutional review.
Does Democratization Spur Social Welfare Spending:
The Case of Hong Kong, China (31 March 2004)
Social Welfare Practice and Research Centre Department of Social Work, The Chinese University of Hong Kong has investigated the relationship between Democratization and Social Welfare Spending.
Government task forces meets officials in Shenzhen
(30 March 2004)
Government task force on political reform has been meeting the deputy head of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Qiao Xiao-yang in Shenzhen. The three-member team - headed by chief secretary Donald Tsang - is submitting a report detailing views it collected on constitutional development. Mr Qiao is expected to meet local delegates to the NPC and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference this afternoon. (from RTHK news)
- Legco
Panel on Constitutional Affairs: Review on constitutional development
after 2007
- Briefing by the Constitutional Development Task Force on its meeting with the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on 30 March 2004 - Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Tsang's speech in a press conference after the meeting
- Chief
Secretary for Administration, Mr Tsang's trascript in the same press
conference
Pending Basic Law Interpretation (26 March 2004)
Xianhuanet: A signed article by Wang Zhenmin was
published on Friday to support interpretations by the Standing
Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature,
on Annex I and Annex II of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region.
Joint Press
Release from HKHRM & FIDH (5 April 2004)
HKHRM's statement: Undermining democracy at
all costs by a totalitarian regime
- Chief Executive's transcript on constitutional development
- Chief Secretary for Administration' statement
- Chief Secretary's transcript
- Xiahuanet: Interpretation of Basic Law aims at ending confusions
- Democratic Party's statement: Against oppressing Hong Kong People's opportunities to constitutional review discussion by using Basic Law Interpretation (chinese only)
- Liberal Party: Response to Standing Committee of the National People's Congress interpretating Basic Law (chinese only)
- US Spokesperson responsed to Consitutional Review in Hong Kong (26 March 2004)
- Yahoo news coverage (chinese BIG5 encoding only)
- China Daily: Law interpretation key to HK stability
- Chirstine Loh's Newsletter
- Article
45 Concern Group: Opinion #3
Voter Express website
Article 45 Concern Group set up the above website to promote voter registration.
Seminar: Functional Constituencies -- Public Perception and
Influence on Legislation
Date: Saturday, 27 March 2004
Time: 9:30am to 1:00pm
Venue: Council Chamber, HKU (8/F Ming Wah Complex)
read full
details
Voter Registration campaign
The Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor will launch a voter registration campaign from March to May 2004. There are three ways you may participate:
- Join us at our voter registration booth in different communities.
- Set up your own voter registration booth in your community.
- Distribute voter registration forms and leaflets to your friends and families.
Hons James TO's Motion: Respecting and complying with
the principles prescribed in the Basic Law (17 Mar 2004)
Polling result
Geographical Constituencies & Election Committee: 15 for YES, 10
for NO, PASSED
Functional Constituencies: 10 for YES, 8 for NO, 6 for ABSTAIN, NEGATIVED
Conclusion: NEGATIVED
Article 45 Web Radio
Starting from 12th March, Audrey Yu, Ronny Tong, Alan Leong,
Margaret
Ng and other members of Article 45 Concern Group will meet the public
thru the Article 45 Web Radio on every Friday 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm.
(Note: The radio programme will broadcast in chinese.)
HKHRM at US Hearing on “Democracy in Hong Kong” (4 Mar 2004)
Director of the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor (HKHRM), Mr. LAW Yuk
Kai, will testify before the United States Senate Foreign Affairs
Committee at 2:30 pm on Thursday, 4 March 2004 (Washington D.C. time;
i.e. 3:30am, Friday, 5 March 2004 Hong Kong time) in the hearing on
“Democracy in Hong Kong”.
Listen to the
sound clippings
Street Forum on “Politicial Development and
Basic Law”
(28 Feb 2004)
Date:
Saturday,
28
February 2004
Time: 2:30pm to 4:30pm
Venue: Causeway Bay Pedestrianization
read full details
US Dept. of State's Country Report on Human Rights Practices (Hong
Kong Section, 25 February 2004)
- Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Press Conference (26 February 2004)
- read
full details
UK Government: Six-monthly report to Parliament on Hong Kong
(February 2004)
Deng Xiaoping on "one country, two systems"
- China Daily Opinion: One country guarantees HK stability (23 February 2004)
- China Daily Opinion: Looking to the past to ensure the future (23 February 2004)
- Xia
Yong: "One country" is the premise and basis of "two systems" (22
February 2004)
- China Daily Opinion: Process vital for democracy bid (21 February 2004)
- China Daily HK Edition: Why it's vital to recall what Deng said about HK (20 Febraury 2004)
- People's Daily stresses "one country, two systems"for HK's prosperity, stability (19 February 2004)
- Xiahua
Net: Deng Xiaoping on "one country, two systems" (19 February 2004)
Constitutional Development Task Force Meeting the Public
- Hong
Kong Bar Association's views on constitutional development (11
March 2004)
- Hong Kong Law Net's
submission to the Task Force (Chinese only; 8 March 2004)
- SynergyNet's meeting with the Task Force (13 February 2004)
- Hong Kong Democratic Foundation's submission to the Task Force (13 February 2004)
- DAB's response to Task Force's 12 questions (Chinese only; 13 February 2004)
- Hong
Kong General Chamber of Commerce: Views on the Constitutional
Development Process (4 February 2004)
- The 12 questions asked by the Constitutional Development Task Force (February 2004)
- Progress made in meeting the public by the Constitutional Development Task Force (31 January 2004)
Article 45 Concern Group: Opinion No. 2 -- Towards
Consensus
(5 February 2004)
The SAR Government raised 5 questions on procedure. What are the
Concern Group's answers to them?
download
PDF file
Constitutional Development Task Force’s First
Visit to Beijing
(8 to 10 February 2004)
| 8 Feb 2004 |
Arrive Beijing |
| 9 Feb 2004 9am |
Meeting with the Hong Kong and
Macao Affairs Office (led by Mr. Xu Ze) |
| 9 Feb 2004 afternoon | Meeting with the legal experts |
| 10 Feb 2004 morning |
Meeting with the members of the
Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the
National People's Congress (including Mr. Li Fei) |
- CS'
transcript (10 Feb 2004, at the airport, Chinese only)
- CS' transcript in Beijing (10 Feb 2004, after meeting with the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress)
- CS'
transcript in Beijing (10 Feb 2004, Chinese only)
- CS' transcript in Beijing (9 Feb 2004, after meeting with the Mainland legal experts)
- CS' transcript in Beijing (9 Feb 2004, after meeting Mr. Xu Ze at the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office)
- CS’
transcript (8 Feb 2004)
- CS'
transcript (7 Feb 2004)
- Task
force departs for Beijing tomorrow (7 Feb 2004)