News: HONG KONG: UN rights concerns greeted with scorn

HONG KONG: UN rights concerns greeted with scorn

UN Human Rights Committee's issues recommendations on press freedom after two-day hearing

South China Morning Post
Sunday, April 2, 2006

By Niki Law

The government last night issued an angry rebuttal to a set of recommendations made by the United Nations Human Rights Committee following a two-day hearing on Hong Kong.

In a long statement, the Home Affairs Bureau brushed aside concerns over the lack of universal suffrage, transparency of investigations of police misconduct and fears for media freedom.

"It remains a fact that unlike international laws, the recommendations made by the United Nations' treaty monitoring bodies are of an exhortatory nature rather than legally binding," said a spokesman for the department.

"We implement... recommendations, either wholly or in part, where they are feasible, practicable, affordable and in line with local circumstances."

The response followed an ultimatum issued by the UN committee early yesterday calling for Hong Kong to make progress on issues it highlighted within one year.

The committee said it was not satisfied with electoral arrangements and said "all necessary measures should be taken whereby the Legislative Council is elected by universal and equal suffrage".

Another recommendation -- believed to be focusing on the future of RTHK -- told Hong Kong "to take vigorous measures to prevent and prosecute harassment of media personnel to ensure that the media can operate independently and free from government intervention".

Concern over the lack of transparency on investigations of police misconduct and Hong Kong's responsibility towards families seeking right of abode were also singled out.

"In accordance with rule 71, paragraph 5, of the committee's rules of procedure, the HKSAR should submit within one year information on the follow-up given to the committee's recommendations," the report said.

Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor director Law Yuk-kai said the unusual "within one year" request reflected how angry the UN was with Hong Kong.

"Usually the UN would not require them to submit anything until 2010 -- [in time for Hong Kong's next periodic report] -- but now they are demanding information by next year," he said. "The government has really ticked off the UN. It can choose to ignore the UN but that's not what it has been doing. It has chosen to play the game, so it's only fair it follows the rules."

Mr Law said the anger could be explained by the committee already ruling in 1995 that electoral arrangements breached Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. But more than a decade later the Hong Kong government remained adamant that the rule did not apply to Hong Kong.

"Not only did they not follow the recommendations last time, they decided to be belligerent and pick a fight during the hearing this year," said Mr Law. "The UN is angry and is sending out a warning not only to Hong Kong, but to the mainland government this time."

The Frontier legislator Emily Lau Wai-hing said the government must listen to the recommendations.

Date Posted: 4/2/2006

Comments

[someone]

Hong Kong was never a democratic place, not even before 1997. I don't understand why all of a sudden everyone, including the UN, is calling for universal suffrage. As I see it, whether there is universal suffrage or not, HK will still be controlled by China.

And what does UN know about running a region or a country? There are a lot of things involved other than the governing body. As far as I am concerned, if the people, especially those so-called democrats, continue to be so anti-government, HK is due to be doomed.

Anyway, just my point of view. Better shut up now.

[anarchy]

Anti-government? No government has ever done anything FOR anyone. The business of government is restriction.

[Raj]

Good for the UN - it's nice when they try to put pressure on governments to live up to their obligations to protect and care for their citizens, rather than just piss on their rights.

someone, the reason the UN is interested is that after 1997 the mainland started to shit on HK citizens' rights, as well as interfere with their affairs. There wasn't full democracy under British rule, but the freedoms they gave were a lot tougher than they are today.

BTW, sorry for the bad language, Yan :)

[N8Ma]

"someone" has got it all wrong. The British contemplated giving Hong Kong democracy after World War II (the Young plan), but realized that if they did the Chinese civil war would spill over into the colony and the Nationalists and CCP would use the elections to destabilize the place. Also, they realized that if there were real elections, they would probably be voted out of office--South Africa will never again have a white President.

So fine then, the British were evil colonial oppressors. But lo and behold Deng Xiaoping appears on the scene to save HKers from their subjugation, and coined the phrase "Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong" (gang ren zhi gang); finally, after 1997, Kongers would be masters of their own house. And now, has that really happened? If a majority of HKers support universal suffrage, saying they can't have it because they've never had it is simply ridiculous. Furthermore, we're fast approaching ten years since the Handover, and the top leadership is still being chosen by Beijing, with Xu Chongde having the gall to say publicly that Hong Kong can have elections, but only if it is guaranteed that a "patriot" will win them. In other words, Beijing wants to pick the CE in just the same way that London picked the Governor.

And so, really, what's there to celebrate on July 1st? Freedom from foreign domination? Fine. But freedom to choose your own destiny?Think again...

[Hong Kong things]

Hi, I read about this in newpapers. But reading this issue in online as post is interesting and different. I