HONG KONG -- It is now clear that China is quietly tearing up the fine promises it made in 1984 that Hong Kong would be permitted a high degree of autonomy when China resumed sovereignty over the city after 150 years of British colonial rule. Beijing is going to great lengths to ensure that prodemocracy politicians do not get a majority in the Sept. 12 elections.
Human Rights Watch on Sept. 9 claimed that China had created a "toxic political climate" in Hong Kong by using threats and intimidation to persuade people to vote for pro-Beijing candidates in the elections. It said the Hong Kong government was not responsible, but had not acted to prevent mainland intimidation.
With the tacit help of Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, a former shipping line executive, whose family firm had to be bailed out by China during colonial days, Beijing is using what it hopes is a potent mixture of weapons. Earlier this year it laid down the law that it is in charge by amending Hong Kong's mini-constitution and ruling out one-person, one-vote democracy in the 2007 and 2008 elections for chief executive and the legislative council, respectively, dashing hopes that Hong Kong might be allowed to make its own case for democracy.