Advertisement
HK bookseller disappearances
OpinionComment

Given concerns over missing bookseller Lee Bo, it’s vital for all sides to respect Hong Kong’s Basic Law or confidence will crumble

Ho Lok Sang says it is in the interests of the Hong Kong and central governments that the SAR’s mini-constitution is upheld, and Beijing must act quickly to restore faith in ‘one country, two systems’

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
No Caption Available.
Ho Lok Sang
If Hong Kong people’s trust in the central government is further eroded, there will be little peace in Hong Kong.
If Hong Kong people’s trust in the central government is further eroded, there will be little peace in Hong Kong.
The Basic Law is the foundation of “one country, two systems”. All parties, regardless of their political stance and their background, need to give it their full respect. This means that aberrations, for whatever reason, should not be tolerated. Only in this way can it command the trust of Hong Kong people. Only in this way can the integrity of the “one country, two systems” framework be preserved.

READ MORE: Hong Kong is right to worry about the disappearance of bookseller Lee Bo and his associates

Given the importance of this matter, I hope that legislators of all stripes, including those from the pro-establishment camp, can unite to request a clear directive from the central government to ensure that law enforcement agencies throughout the country which do not have jurisdiction in Hong Kong respect the Basic Law and stay away from the special administrative region.

Advertisement
A protester wearing a mask of missing bookseller Lee Bo stands in a cage during a protest in Hong Kong against the disappearance of five booksellers. The sign in front reads “Missing men”. Photo: AP
A protester wearing a mask of missing bookseller Lee Bo stands in a cage during a protest in Hong Kong against the disappearance of five booksellers. The sign in front reads “Missing men”. Photo: AP
It is now more than a year since the turmoil of the “umbrella movement”, a time when tens of thousands of Hong Kong people occupied the streets in Admiralty, Mong Kok and Causeway Bay, demanding political reform in ways that sidestep the Basic Law. I was among the first to point out the silliness of the action. Not only were the occupiers abusing their powers as citizens, depriving other people of their legal rights and hurting their welfare, but their demands were also illegal.

Since the rule of law is basic to the cause of democracy, it is ironic that these occupiers claim they are pro-democracy. In truth, they are trying to dictate their wish to others and arbitrarily trespassing on other people’s legal rights.

A Hong Kong police officer stands outside the central government’s liaison office among placards showing some of the missing booksellers from the Mighty Current publishing house, known for books critical of Beijing. Photo: AFP
A Hong Kong police officer stands outside the central government’s liaison office among placards showing some of the missing booksellers from the Mighty Current publishing house, known for books critical of Beijing. Photo: AFP

By the same token, it has come to light that mainland police officers have reportedly taken custody of suspects in Hong Kong and shipped them to the mainland.

Advertisement

According to a report in the Southern City News, dated December 3, 2013, businessman Pan Weixi was captured by Guangdong police in Hong Kong and eventually charged and convicted on the mainland for economic crimes.

Pan may well have committed a crime and may well have deserved to be convicted and jailed. Indeed, he had been convicted of fraud in Hong Kong and sentenced to 21 months’ jail in 2001. The Guangdong police could and should have asked the Hong Kong police for help.

Advertisement