China News Service reported on Hong Konger Front, and our protest against its defamatory coverage
Our Letter of Protest
Monday, February 7, 2005
It comes to our attention that yesterday the China News Service made inaccurate, defamatory coverage about the independence movement of Hong Kong and the Hong Konger Front. The Hong Konger Front (hereinafter the "Front") hereby strongly protests against the evil-minded coverage. The Front herein reiterates that the independence movement of Hong Kong is rightful, democratic, reasonable and reflecting Hong Kong people's free will, and that the Front's endeavor to encourage Hong Konger people to identify Hong Kong's statehood and the right to democracy is justified.
Among universal values are the pursuit of liberty, democracy and self-determination. A former British colony, Hong Kong is entitled to the right of self-determination. It is illegal and immoral for the Beijing regime and its accomplices to deprive Hong Kong people of the self-determination right and freedom of speech. The Front hereby petitions to the Beijing regime to recognize that 30% of Hong Kongers are in favor of the independence movement of Hong Kong, that the Beijing regime should respect our right to instil the Hong Konger identity and Hong Kong statehood notions into our fellow Hong Kongers.
The Front will continue to promote the independence movement of Hong Kong along with whatever democratic forces, whether local or foreign.
HONG KONG: Websites come under attack for pushing independence
Official news agency says sites agitate for independence by appealing for foreign intervention
South China Morning Post
Monday, February 7, 2005
By Martin Wong
Websites calling for independence for Hong Kong and criticising the central government came under fire from an official news agency yesterday.
In an angry report, the China News Service said these "subversive" websites were not only agitating for a Hong Kong independence movement but also trying to recruit Internet users to the cause.
Most of the sites were linked to English- or Chinese-language websites based in Taiwan or overseas, while some were linked to sites promoting the independence of Taiwan, Xinjiang and Tibet , according to the news agency. Many encourage surfers to post their opinions.
One site described Hong Kong's return to China in 1997 as an invasion, said China saw Hong Kong as a colony and that the Hong Kong government was merely a puppet.
It said policies put forward by the central government such as the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement and the individual traveller scheme were aimed at destroying Hong Kong's economy and "polluting" the city's society.
"The site also encourages the growth of an independence movement by agitating opinion on the internet to enable Hong Kong to become a country when the time is right," the article said.
Some websites went so far as to suggest the unique design of the Hong Kong flag and passport were all symbols of the city's independence.
"They even said the design of the flag should be based on the British flag, as Hong Kong would join the British Commonwealth as an independent country," the article said.
Political analyst from Lingnan University, Li Pang-kwong, said that Hong Kong's independence was not really an issue for Beijing, but such commentaries were aimed at deterring foreign countries from interfering in Hong Kong affairs.
"Since the June 4 incident, these people have developed a theory that Hong Kong would become a base for foreign powers to intervene [in] Chinese politics," he said.
"They understand clearly that Hong Kong lacks the conditions and support to gain independence. The attack is meant to alert foreign powers that they should not disturb Chinese affairs."