Dear members,
In the early morning of September 28th, 2014, organizers of Occupy Central with
Love and Peace (OC) declared its official start. The civil disobedience movement is
aimed at pressurizing the Hong Kong government and the National People’s Congress
(NPC) Standing Committee to implement truly democratic 2017 Chief Executive
elections. Its organizers have consistently stressed the non-violence aspect of the
movement, although it has been conceded that OC is illegal.
The commencement of OC has followed a weeklong class boycott. The protests culminated on September 26th when secondary school students gathered in Tamar outside the Legislative Council and government headquarters.
At this juncture, we condemn any previous or future overreaction from parties which has resulted in, or may result, in unnecessary injury. CUHKCAS commends and respects the hard work from the Hong Kong police force. However, we implore the police to use proportionate means of maintaining order and to exercise restraint when dealing with protestors. Previous allegations of unnecessary violence have arisen from students who have not provoked the police.
As of today (28th September 2014), it has been seen that the reaction from the police has escalated to deploying launched tear gas grenade and pepper spray canons. Soon after, the police has threatened fire guns and it is later alleged that rubber bullets were used against the unarmed crowd. This is beyond reasonable force against most protestors who are armed with nothing more than their bare hands and voices.
Moreover, compared to the 2005 WTO Ministerial Conference held in Hong Kong, the disproportionality of the police’s reaction in this instant is blatantly obvious. In 2005, protestors were violent and actively attacked the police – police batons, bamboo rods and wooden carts were snatched and used as weapons. Even then, only tear gas, water canon and pepper spray were used – the police did not use rubber bullets at the 2005 Conference protest. The vast majority of protestors in the current protest are unarmed except for their bare bodies, voices and hopes to see a responsible government respond to the people that it pledges to represent and work for.
CUHKCAS would like to reassert its firm belief in democracy and human rights. The society was set up in the aftermath of the June 4th incident, which also involved large numbers of young people fighting for democracy, in face of oppression and violence from the government. The similarities between that and the current situation cannot be ignored. Our constitution clearly seeks to promote democracy through “rational and non-violent means”. We therefore speak out in support of and solidarity with all citizens who are concerned about democratic reform, regardless of their means of political participation (provided that it is not violent or provocative).
The commencement of OC has followed a weeklong class boycott. The protests culminated on September 26th when secondary school students gathered in Tamar outside the Legislative Council and government headquarters.
At this juncture, we condemn any previous or future overreaction from parties which has resulted in, or may result, in unnecessary injury. CUHKCAS commends and respects the hard work from the Hong Kong police force. However, we implore the police to use proportionate means of maintaining order and to exercise restraint when dealing with protestors. Previous allegations of unnecessary violence have arisen from students who have not provoked the police.
As of today (28th September 2014), it has been seen that the reaction from the police has escalated to deploying launched tear gas grenade and pepper spray canons. Soon after, the police has threatened fire guns and it is later alleged that rubber bullets were used against the unarmed crowd. This is beyond reasonable force against most protestors who are armed with nothing more than their bare hands and voices.
Moreover, compared to the 2005 WTO Ministerial Conference held in Hong Kong, the disproportionality of the police’s reaction in this instant is blatantly obvious. In 2005, protestors were violent and actively attacked the police – police batons, bamboo rods and wooden carts were snatched and used as weapons. Even then, only tear gas, water canon and pepper spray were used – the police did not use rubber bullets at the 2005 Conference protest. The vast majority of protestors in the current protest are unarmed except for their bare bodies, voices and hopes to see a responsible government respond to the people that it pledges to represent and work for.
CUHKCAS would like to reassert its firm belief in democracy and human rights. The society was set up in the aftermath of the June 4th incident, which also involved large numbers of young people fighting for democracy, in face of oppression and violence from the government. The similarities between that and the current situation cannot be ignored. Our constitution clearly seeks to promote democracy through “rational and non-violent means”. We therefore speak out in support of and solidarity with all citizens who are concerned about democratic reform, regardless of their means of political participation (provided that it is not violent or provocative).
Whilst CUHKCAS is not endorsing the OC movement, their aims to raise awareness
and lobby for increased citizen participation are respectable. We implore that the
movement continues to hold on to the principles of non-violence and that it will be
open to dialogue with various parties. The danger of the situation escalating into
further unexpected conflict is tangible.
We urge the police, being instructed by the government, to allow citizens to exercise their rights to free speech and protest through providing a safe environment. Any disproportionate response in terms of arrest, use of pepper spray or other crowd- dispersing techniques will be an infringement of citizens’ rights to protest since it inhibits free expression. CUHKCAS strongly denounces any such action.
Finally, we would speak out against the decision from NPC Standing Committee handed down in late August regarding the 2017 elections.
Although CUHKCAS is aware of the constitutional basis of Hong Kong governance, we also bear in mind the debatable legality of both the Beijing decision and the democratic proposal regarding universal suffrage. By keeping the nomination committee, requiring half of the votes in the committee before allowing a candidate to run and regulating the number of eligible candidates, this severely waters down public participation. Whoever is “elected” CE after these hurdles may not have the legitimate mandate a truly democratic system entails. We therefore implore the Hong Kong government to engage in increased and true dialogue with the people, respond to citizens’ demands and work towards a proposal that will scale down pre-selection procedures.
We hope our members will pause to realize the tumultuous unfolding of Hong Kong’s political development, and come to terms with where they stand. CUHKCAS once again appeals to the OC movement, the police force and all participating parties that they will remain non-violent and respectful of all parties’ rights. We hope our members will stay safe as they engage in the appropriate activities to voice out their opinions, be informed about the risks involved and take action sensibly. For those who have yet to take an interest in the current events, please do.
We continue to work for a better future for Hong Kong – one that belongs to this generation, not the last; one that we all have a stake in.
Executive Committee
Cambridge University Hong Kong and China Affairs Society 28th September 2014
We urge the police, being instructed by the government, to allow citizens to exercise their rights to free speech and protest through providing a safe environment. Any disproportionate response in terms of arrest, use of pepper spray or other crowd- dispersing techniques will be an infringement of citizens’ rights to protest since it inhibits free expression. CUHKCAS strongly denounces any such action.
Finally, we would speak out against the decision from NPC Standing Committee handed down in late August regarding the 2017 elections.
Although CUHKCAS is aware of the constitutional basis of Hong Kong governance, we also bear in mind the debatable legality of both the Beijing decision and the democratic proposal regarding universal suffrage. By keeping the nomination committee, requiring half of the votes in the committee before allowing a candidate to run and regulating the number of eligible candidates, this severely waters down public participation. Whoever is “elected” CE after these hurdles may not have the legitimate mandate a truly democratic system entails. We therefore implore the Hong Kong government to engage in increased and true dialogue with the people, respond to citizens’ demands and work towards a proposal that will scale down pre-selection procedures.
We hope our members will pause to realize the tumultuous unfolding of Hong Kong’s political development, and come to terms with where they stand. CUHKCAS once again appeals to the OC movement, the police force and all participating parties that they will remain non-violent and respectful of all parties’ rights. We hope our members will stay safe as they engage in the appropriate activities to voice out their opinions, be informed about the risks involved and take action sensibly. For those who have yet to take an interest in the current events, please do.
We continue to work for a better future for Hong Kong – one that belongs to this generation, not the last; one that we all have a stake in.
Executive Committee
Cambridge University Hong Kong and China Affairs Society 28th September 2014
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