Taiwan must learn from HK
The Hong Kong Legislative Council on Tuesday last week speedily passed an amendment to Article 23 of the Basic Law and it came into effect on Saturday.
The bill, passed without adequate public consultation, covers almost all acts deemed to pose a threat to national security — from treason and sedition to establishing ties with foreign political organizations — all of which would be severely punished. Hong Kong’s freedoms of speech, assembly and even thought are being curtailed.
The Chinese Communist Party once again broke its promise of a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong. From the handover of Hong Kong by the UK in 1997 to the present, Hong Kongers have been striving for a freer and fairer society. With the implementation of this vicious law, Hong Kong’s freedoms are being further constricted. This is not only a sad moment for Hong Kong, but also a wake-up call for democracy and freedom around the globe.
Taiwan should not just sit back and do nothing, because Hong Kong’s today could well be Taiwan’s tomorrow. Taiwanese should learn from Hong Kong’s experience and stay firmly on the path of democracy and freedom, and should not allow foreign forces to destroy its precious democratic system and way of life. They should actively cooperate with the international community in the fight against any form of authoritarianism, and should provide support and assistance to Hong Kongers in their pursuit of freedom and democracy.
Over the past few years, Hong Kong’s international rankings in terms of freedom of speech and rule of law have declined. Its economic vitality has also been hard hit by political factors, with many international enterprises and businesspeople gradually leaving. This has caused huge damage to the territory, as well as destabilizing the economic and political landscape in Asia and the world.
At this critical moment, Taiwan should strengthen its alliances with democratic nations to contribute to both the maintenance of regional security and the promotion of democracy. Through international forums and multilateral organizations, Taiwanese should raise their voices to rally the international community to resist any form of authoritarian oppression, and to defend our common values and ideals.
Taiwan should pay close attention to the development of the situation in Hong Kong, prepare corresponding measures, provide humanitarian assistance, support the democracy movement in the region and also protest against the oppression of Hong Kong through diplomatic means.
Taiwanese society should discuss the situation in Hong Kong to enhance the public’s understanding of the situation through education, media coverage, public forums and other means. By doing so, it could then form a “Taiwan consensus” to ensure that Taiwan would never repeat Hong Kong’s mistake.
Chueh Li
Taipei
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