Seeking to ease rising political tensions, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (
Tung called the session "useful" and said he looks forward to "more communication and less dispute" with the pro-democracy lawmakers. But Tung declined to take questions from reporters.
PHOTO:AFP
Lawmakers who met with Tung in his office said he had refused to give them any timetable for starting discussions on political reforms. They attacked his decision a day earlier to send a recommendation to Beijing on the matter without reflecting the will of the Hong Kong public.
"The spirit of this meeting was polite but unhappy," said Yeung Sum (
"He himself is an obstacle to full democracy," said lawmaker Frederick Fung (
Tung angered many in Hong Kong on Thursday by sending a report to Beijing that suggested the territory's electoral systems should be reformed in time for the leadership election in 2007 that will choose his successor, as well as the 2008 Legislative Council elections.
Critics say he acted hastily and without consulting the public -- just days after Beijing asserted control over any political reforms here by saying it must approve any changes in advance.
Tung recommended nine guidelines for political reforms that his opponents claim have effectively killed any hopes of full democracy in the near term.
Yeung said the pro-democracy lawmakers "can't accept" the way Tung handled the matter. They urged him to send Beijing a supplementary report that would outline the public's democratic aspirations, but he refused.
Tung's proposal on Thursday contained no specifics for change, but he said there was no point in going into any details unless the Chinese government agrees it will be possible to modify Hong Kong's electoral methods.
The English-language daily The Standard said: "Tung roadblocks blunt vote hopes." However, Bei jing's allies defended Tung.
The pro-China daily Ta Kung Pao said that by taking an initiative within days of Beijing's ruling, Tung had shown he was "handling the issue on political reform with an active attitude, with no delay."
The Wen Wei Po daily lashed out at pro-democracy politicians, saying their pleas for more consultation were a delaying tactic to help them "fish in troubled waters and gain votes in the September elections."
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by