A number of overseas Hong Kong groups, ex-councillors, and individuals who initiated the “Hongkongers refuse to recognise John Lee Ka-Chiu as the Chief Executive” petition, issued a statement on July 1, 2022, the 25th anniversary of the CCP’s takeover of Hong Kong and when Lee became the Chief Executive. The statement, titled, ”Dispersed Hongkongers overseas, mock the ‘71’ declaration,” directly denouncing the CCP’s actions to infringe upon the world, and called on the public to participate in the joint signature programme. This is planned to be submitted to their respective local governments on Oct. 1, 2022, asking them to jointly oppose totalitarian rule and continue to support the people of Hong Kong.
The statement mentioned that July 1 this year (2022) marks “25 years of the CCP’s ravages under which Hong Kong people were deprived of their choice.” This is also “the 101st anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party.” On the eve of July 1 this year, Hong Kong people could no longer organise demonstrations and rallies. Various ways, emulating the CCP’s method of controlling mainland Chinese democracy activists, were introduced. In that way those fighting for democracy in Hong Kong were placed under residential surveillance. They even interviewed their family members as to threaten and prevent them from doing any actions in public. The statement continues further to criticise the CCP that they no longer try to avoid suspicion, mercilessly cancelling “one country, two systems,” and also deploying ways to cancel Hong Kong’s existing international status, with the ultimate aim to force Hong Kong people to “compromise their identity.”
