LONDON (Reuters) – Hong Kong pro-democracy activists are discussing a plan to create an unofficial parliament in exile to keep the flame of democracy alive and send a message to China that freedom cannot be crushed, he told Reuters on activist Simon Cheng.
Simon Cheng, a former British Consulate employee, poses for a photo in London, Great Britain, on July 2, 2020. REUTERS / Hannah McKay
Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, was convulsed by months of often violent pro-democracy and anti-China protests last year against Chinese interference in its promised freedoms, the biggest political crisis for Beijing from Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.
Hong Kong police fired water cannons and tear gas and arrested more than 300 people on Wednesday when protesters returned to the streets in defiance of sweeping new security legislation introduced by China to eliminate dissent.
The law pushes China’s freest city and one of the world’s brightest financial centers onto a more authoritarian path. China, which denies interfering in Hong Kong, has warned foreign powers not to meddle in its affairs.
Cheng, a Hong Kong citizen, worked for the British consulate in the territory for almost two years until he fled after saying he was beaten and tortured by the Chinese secret police. Cheng, who has been granted asylum by Britain since then, describes himself as a pro-democracy activist.
“A shadow parliament can send a very clear signal to Beijing and the Hong Kong authorities that democracy need not be at the mercy of Beijing,” he told Reuters in London. “We want to establish unofficial civic groups that surely reflect the views of the Hong Kong people.”
He said that while the idea was still at an early stage, such an exile parliament would support the people of Hong Kong and the pro-democracy movement there. He declined to say where parliament could sit.
“We are developing an alternative way to fight for democracy,” said Cheng. “We need to be smart to deal with expanding totalitarianism: They are showing more powerful muscle to suppress, so we must be more subtle and agile.”
He said more and more people were “losing hope that going out or running for elections would be effective” to the Hong Kong Legislative Council, or the mini-parliament.
“We should support the people of Hong Kong and support those who remain in Hong Kong,” he said.
‘VERY GOOD SIGNAL’
Asked about HSBC (HSBA.LCheng said that the British government should speak to the leading British capitalists so that they understand the importance of democracy.
After Prime Minister Boris Johnson offered millions of Hong Kong residents the path to British citizenship after China’s law was imposed, hundreds of thousands of people would come to the UK, Cheng said.
“The UK has given a very good sign,” said Cheng. “At least hundreds of thousands of people will come.”
Almost 3 million Hong Kong residents are eligible for the so-called British national passport (abroad). There were 349,881 passport holders as of February, Britain said.
“One day we will return to Hong Kong,” said Cheng.
Hong Kong returned to China 23 years ago with the guarantee of freedoms that are not enjoyed on the continent, including its independent legal system and the rights to assemble and protest, under a “one country, two systems” formula.
Huge protests for democracy, especially on the anniversaries of the Tiananmen crackdown of June 4, 1989, were common and paralyzed the main streets for 79 days in the 2014 Umbrella movement.
National security law punishes crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with life imprisonment, will see mainland security agencies in Hong Kong for the first time and allow extradition to mainland for trial .
Reports of Natalie Thomas, Guy Faulconbridge and Stephen Addison edition
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