Hong Kong's Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (
Tung said he would not ask China to review an edict issued in April that snuffed out hopes of a swift transition to democracy in the territory.
"I understand that the public are disappointed by [Beijing's] decision but as chief executive I have no authority to change that decision," Tung said after an hour-long meeting with 20 pro-democracy legislators.
The meeting was the first contact between the government and the pro-democracy lobby since an estimated 500,000 people marched last Thursday to demand the right to directly elect the territory's leaders.
Tung said he would pass on the views of pro-democracy groups to Beijing but stressed he would not ask China to review its ruling.
Last week's march was fuelled by anger over China's ruling and fears for freedom of speech in Hong Hong. The huge turnout raised hopes China might re-address the reform issue and Tung has been under pressure since to raise the matter in China.
In yesterday's meeting, legislators led by Democratic Party chairman Yeung Sum (
A disappointed Yeung said after the meeting that Tung had flatly turned down both requests.
"He said it was not a new situation ... he doesn't see a need to review the decision," said a grim-looking Yeung, flanked by Lau and Martin Lee (
"He said he heard [the public demand] but he hasn't ... I can see clearly that he doesn't believe there is a need to have universal suffrage in 2007 and 2008," Yeung said.
He said the march had encouraged democrats to keep on pushing for change.
"The chance of seeing universal suffrage is always there. If we can keep on the fight in a peaceful and collective manner, it will come," he said.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
RSS