HONG KONG - Two hunger strikes directed against the Chinese Communist regime were held on Monday in Hong Kong. At 9 a.m. in Chater Square in the shadow of the Bank of China tower and next door to the Legislative Council building, four members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council and the head of a prominent NGO joined with about two dozen other Hong Kong citizens in announcing a twenty-four hour hunger strike. This hunger strike is part of a world-wide effort aimed at defending those inside China who have themselves sought to defend human rights through relay hunger strikes.
Several members of the Hong Kong Epoch Times staff attended the press conference in Chater Square to show their support, but the Epoch Times staff also held a separate protest and 24 hour hunger strike of their own opposite the Liaison Office of the People's Republic of China. The Epoch Times staff were there to protest the break-in of the Epoch Times office and the smashing of a print machine by four Communist Party thugs on Feb. 28.
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The hunger strike at Chater Square was organized by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China. This Alliance represents over 200 organizations in Hong Kong that support democracy and human rights in China. Mr. Szeto Wah, the founder and chair of the Alliance, spoke at the event. Taking part in the hunger strike were Legislative Council members Mr. Albert Ho, Ms. Emily Lau, Mr. Li Cheukyan, and Mr. Choi Yiu Cheong.
Mr. Ho explained the purpose of the Alliance strike as being "to stage our protest against the oppression of the human rights defenders and lawyers in Mainland China."
This hunger strike is a response to efforts by the Chinese regime to put an end to the relay hunger strikes for human rights begun by Chinese human rights attorney Mr. Gao Zhisheng on Feb. 6. The movement he started with his own hunger strike on that day has spread to at least 16 provinces in China and to numerous countries around the world.
In mid-February the Chinese Communist regime began abducting several hunger strikers, in particular several human rights lawyers and associates of Gao's. These individuals are still "disappeared," and their family, friends, and supporters are very concerned for their safety.
According to the official statement of the Hong Kong Alliance's hunger strike, the hunger strike calls for the immediate, unconditional release of hunger strikers in China who have been illegally incarcerated, the immediate, unconditional release of all dissidents in China, and the restoration of the law licenses of Gao Zhisheng and other lawyers whose licenses the Communist regime have taken.
The hunger strike was scheduled to coincide with the meeting of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing.
Asked about the connection between the hunger strike and events in China, Mr. Ho said, "The NPC is meeting today. I hope our voices can be heard in China."
However, he continued in a somber mood, "In doing this we can't be attached to particular results. Even if things are difficult we will continue to be positive. We will continue to engage and continue to unite with all people, fighting for the best although we may have to face the worst."
Mr. Szeto Wah also spoke soberly of the relay hunger strikes, saying "This is only a beginning."
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He went onto explain that the hunger strikes "are something in which the ordinary people can understand and take part. It will also strengthen their political awareness of their own rights. Only when the ordinary people are all standing up will there be hope and this democratic movement will carry on to a larger scale."
'Very Dangerous Signal'
The attack on the Epoch Times office was very much on the mind of the hunger strikers at Chater Square.
Mr. Szeto said of the attack that it sends "a very dangerous signal."
Asserting that "everyone knew who did it," Mr. Szeto went on to say that "we have seen that some people go as far as using gangster acts in order to attack democracy. I hope that citizens in Hong Kong really pay attention to this, because this is a really significant event."
Mr. Ho said that as a lawyer he could not speak to who did the attack "without direct evidence." Nonetheless, he went on to assert that the motive for this attack was "the Epoch Times publication of the information that eight to nine million people have withdrawn from the Chinese Communist Party—this has really provoked the people in power."
Mr. Szeto concluded, "All the citizens of Hong Kong should stand up and support The Epoch Times and condemn this kind of gangster effort.
"Otherwise this kind of gangster activity and triad activity will sooner or later come to us."
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