New York—On May 19, famous Hong Kong political commentator Raymond Yukman Wong held a public forum about "the political changes in Hong Kong over the past decade" at the LinSing Association of East America.
Wong was a successful radio talk show host known for his sharp and outspoken style, but had been silenced by the communist regime in 2004. He formed the League of Social Democrats and again started his talk show through an Internet radio station, My Radio late in 2006.
The forum is part of his North America tour that began April 15. In this one and half month tour, Wong visited San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and New York. He made speeches, appeared on talk shows, and was interviewed by media. His visits aroused enthusiastic responses among overseas Chinese people.
Growing Poverty and Political Isolation
During the forum, he severely criticized the communist regime's corruption and tyranny. He also said the current bureaucrat isolation caused a huge gap to form between the poor and the rich and over one million people are now living under the poverty line in Hong Kong.
Wong said that some overseas Chinese people think that they become more patriotic after going abroad. They think China's economy has now developed so that they can earn more esteem from foreigners. Thus, they cannot tolerate negative comments directed toward the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Wong said, "However, if there were no CCP, the Chinese people would have had better lives long ago. Those people have mental problems."
Wong said that July 1, 2003 was the darkest day for Hong Kong. Five-hundred thousand Hong Kong people marched on that day to express their dissatisfaction with their rulers. On that day Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao joined in the sixth anniversary of the reunification celebration in Hong Kong.
He later visited a Hong Kong family in Amoy Garden in Ngau Tau Kok, Hong Kong, where one family member had died from SARS. Wong disclosed that when Wen was informed of the large-scale demonstration, he asked the former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa Tung about the protest. Tung told him there were only 30,000 people in the demonstration. However, even the police report stated that at least 300,000 people joined in the demonstration.
Wong also commented about the conflict over the Taiwan Strait. He said that the CCP on one hand opposes Taiwan's independence, but one the other hand, it is speeding up Taiwan's independence, because it oppresses Taiwan in every aspect in the international community.
Warped Party Culture Spreads
As for the Tiananmen Square Democratic Movement in 1989, some overseas Chinese believe that if Deng Xiaoping had not suppressed it with an iron fist, there would not be stability and development in China today. Wong thinks those thoughts are too ridiculous and not worth refuting.
"This is a poisonous factor of the Chinese culture in their thoughts. It is servility. No matter what, killing people is the greatest crime, let alone killing its own people." Wong said that some people want to return to China to have a career, so they dare not offend the CCP. They restrain themselves and even carefully study the CCP's thoughts. This is also the Chinese people's servility.
More than 100 Chinese people attended the forum held on May 19. The chairman of LinSing Association of East America, Justin Yu said that Wong's speech represents the basic public opinion of Hong Kong's people in the decade following its returned to China. It is also the common people's attitude and opinion towards "one country, two systems." A consultant of LinSing Association of East America, Zhao Wensheng said that Mr. Wong is courageous. He expressed his admiration for Wong's courage and said Hong Kong needs more people like this.
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