Lee Chao-li (李兆立, back, second left) and Fan Yun (范雲, back third left)

Taipei, July 1 (CNA) Members from several of Taiwan's smaller political parties on Sunday joined with Hong Kong pro-democracy activists to protest Beijing's failure to deliver on its promise to allow a high degree of autonomy made when the territory was returned to China 21 years ago today.

A report on civil and political rights in Hong Kong was released Sunday to mark the 21st anniversary of the handover from Britain to China in 1997, at a press conference in Taipei held by political activists from Taiwan and Hong Kong.

“Hongkongers and Taiwanese are the two most unfortunate peoples in the world because their neighbor is ruled by an evil and mighty communist regime,” said Andy Chan (陳浩天), convener of the Hong Kong National Party who says he was barred from running in the 2016 Legislative Council election because of his "pro-independence stance."

“We are, however, the most fortunate people,” Chan, 27, went on, because “we are entrusted with the mission to do our share in safeguarding against the encroachment of civil liberties by that communist regime. We must strengthen unity against it.”

Chan was in Taiwan for the release of the report initiated by "International Monitor of Hong Kong Civil and Political Rights”a group led by Leung Man-to (梁文韜), a Hong Kong native and professor of political science at National Cheng Kung University.

The report details cases of activists being imprisoned or disqualified from standing for elections for exercising their freedom of expression, assembly and association, and of lawmakers being removed from office or being threatened for performing their duties.

“Hong Kong’s human rights record has deteriorated to the point where Beijing brooks no defiance by any individual or any force,” the group concluded in the report.

Leung said the group in future plans to publish reports on a semiannual basis as a platform to monitor human rights in Hong Kong.

Taiwanese political activists, including Fan Yun (范雲) convener of the Social Democratic Party; Lee Chao-li (李兆立), spokesperson of New People Party, and representatives of Green Party Taiwan, Taiwan Solidarity Union and the Radical Party, also attended the press conference to express their support for the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.

The erosion of human rights in Hong Kong shows that China has failed to deliver what it promised and reveals the true nature of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Lee said. “We should have no illusion about any promise made by the CPC.”

Fan said the 2014 Sunflower Movement in Taiwan that blocked a trade in services deal with China and Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement later that year, demanding universal suffrage, were of vital importance in preventing the expansion of Chinese authoritarianism in recent years.

Only when civil society becomes stronger can its sovereignty be safeguarded and the values of social democracy be put into practice, said Fan, adding that Taiwan’s civil society will always staunchly support those fighting for democracy in Hong Kong.



(By Shih Hsiu-chuan)
Enditem/AW