Appearing before a designated three-judge panel at the West Kowloon Law Courts on Tuesday, Lee explained that the Alliance advocated an end to one-party rule, as such a form of governance stood in opposition to democracy.
He also said that basic civil rights, including freedom of speech, assembly, and the press, must be granted in order for civil society to organise and thrive. Only then would society at large be able to consider democratisation, he added.
“The freedom that arises [from ending one-party rule] allows people to participate in society through their own independent groups and political organisations. If you can’t even speak up, how can you talk about democracy? One-party rule… is a very, very big obstacle to democracy,” Lee said.
“Once you have a civil society, be it the intellectuals, the students, workers, women, businesspeople, or farmers, they will be able to discuss what political system works best for China. There must be a foundation for discussion before they can enter the political system,” he added.
Judge Alex Lee then asked the activist whether he meant to say that the CCP should not be in power.
The defendant replied that he was opposed to one-party rule, not the CCP’s leadership. He believed the CCP could lead the nation if the people saw it fit, he added.
One problem with Hong Kong’s old-style pan-democrats is that they saw democracy as an ideal and an end in itself rather than a means to better governance. The CCP, meanwhile, is on a different wavelength. It does not want a civil society that ‘organizes and thrives’. Note what happened to volunteers collecting food and promoting a petition after the Tai Po fire, or to a bookshop hosting Spanish lessons. The whole point of a Leninist one-party system is to ensure there are no ‘independent groups and political organisations’ in which people can participate.
It seems absurd that these are matters before a court, and people face prison terms as a result.
Update on the Taties
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/international-sports/come-get-me-andrew-tate-reacts-as-fresh-extradition-talk-surfaces-and-hong-kong-stay-raises-new-questions/articleshow/129665723.cms
The respoonse from the adminstration re approving entry to HK is at odds with the many folk turned back in recent years. Immigration usually trots out the ‘we do not comment on individual cases’ justification.
Boosting tourism numbers and revenue obviously outweigh the perv factor
From the article posted by @Mary Melville
“Joe Chan Cho-kwong, a lawmaker with a background in policing, said clearly, “There are still mechanisms, as they could reach out to Hong Kong police through Interpol. If the UK and Romania do not do so, there is nothing that Hong Kong police can do.” His statement made it clear that Hong Kong cannot act on its own in such matters.”
Yes, but immigration department could have refused the Tates from entering similar to Australia. They’ve certainly done it before over extremely mild criticism of “the constitutional order” here. But I guess rapists are a much lower priority since they are harmless to CCP.
The admittance of the Tate brothers to Hong Kong is further proof, if any were needed, that the reversion of sovereignty to China in 1997 has introduced more enlightened security policies to Hong Kong.
The hated racist colonial Brits would have classified the Tates as undesirables straightaway and refused them entry to Hong Kong.
Governance in Hong Kong just keeps getting better and better.
Note no table thumping from Holden, Junius, etc re the impact on our legendary ‘family values’ of allowing infamous lechers like the Taties to roam around our city and prey on “chaste” local lasses, distracting them from the mission of reversing demographic decline.
@Mark Bradley: Well, you know the old adage that China hands like to repeat…”You can do almost ANYTHING in China. Just don’t get political.”
@Wang Jingwei
I suspect the Tates wouldn’t have tried to come to Hong Kong if the hated racist colonial Brits were still in charge, because they would definitely have be allowed in, if only to stand trial for extradition to the UK for rape and human trafficking.
Luckily for us though, under the good governance of patriots, rapists and human traffickers are now welcome, and the Tates feel free to come and rape and traffick Hong Kongers, expanding the city’s reputation as a world-class rape and human trafficking hub.
I think we can all look forward to the upcoming government-backed development project for a dedicated rape and human trafficking park up in the New Territories near Shenzhen, to further develop this exciting new economic hub opportunity.