Hong Kong Victoria Harbour protection group vows to close if changes to reclamation law go ahead
- Society for Protection of the Harbour Winston Chu says government will become ‘judge of its own cause’ if development made easier
A green group that has fought to protect Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour for nearly 30 years has vowed to dissolve if the government pushes ahead with a proposed legal amendment that could pave the way for large-scale reclamation.
The Society for Protection of the Harbour said on Friday it would wind down its operations if the Legislative Council approved the change to the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance.
Authorities have said they will present a bill within the year to facilitate reclamation in Victoria Harbour.
Society vice-chairman Winston Chu Ka-sun said the group would be left with few options to continue its fight.
“If we lose the battle, there’s nothing left for the society to do … We will no longer have any say over the ordinance and we cannot control the government,” the 84-year-old said. “It will just be a waste of time. We shall put an end to our operation.”
The group sent a letter to Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok on Friday to demand the legal justification behind the proposed amendment, also taking out an advertisement in the print edition of the Post to publicise its move.
