"Clowns": Chinese officials launch scathing personal attacks on democrats' visit to States

As Democratic Party legislators Martin Lee and James To, Union lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan and Law Yuk-kai of the HKHRM prepare to address a US Senate subcommittee tonight, Beijing has launched a series of personal attacks against the pro-democracy politicians, branding them as "clowns", "dreamers" and "traitors".

Vice-Minister for Commerce An Min accused the democrats of "[begging] foreign forces for favours", calling them "clowns". He insisted that "under the 'one country, two systems' policy Hong Kong's affairs can only be solved within the big family of China. But there are a few people who always rely on foreign forces and beg under their breath for some favours." He warned that Beijing would not tolerate international interference in their internal policy, and urged Hong Kong people to stay rational and to not be drawn in to any "undesirable plot" against the country. "As a Chinese citizen, I don't wish to see that Hong Kong is turned into an arena of political rows and turmoil by the plot of a minority," he said.

A local delegate to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Lee Cho-chak, said, "Why should they invite foreign interference in China's internal affairs? It is very clear this is an act of betraying the country", he said. He described the democrats, whom he believed to be exhorting foreign forces of interfering in the internal affairs of China, as "traitors". He has warned that he will urge the National People's Congress to set up a mechanism to monitor whether legislators have breached their oaths of allegiance to Beijing and the Basic Law.

Central government Liaison Office director Gao Siren derided Martin Lee's offer to cancel his US visit if Beijing invited him to discuss political reform. "Is he still fast asleep in his dream? He is actually daydreaming!" he mocked. Gao added, "Before the handover, wasn't there someone who said Britain was handing over 6 million people to the Nazis? Will these people be able to respect their own nation's race and support the resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong?" This was a clear reference to Martin Lee, who in June 1989 told a human rights hearing by American congressmen that Hong Kong's handover was "like handing over 5 million Jews to Germany."

Xu Chongde, a former Basic Law drafter, also commented that "Mr Lee's trip to Washington is reminiscent of the behaviour of some notorious figures in [the] modern history of China." He referred to ex-Taiwan president Lee Teng-hui, for seeking Japan's support for the independence of the island, and Wang Jingwei, a senior Chinese official during the second world war, for claiming he wanted to protect the country from war atrocities by going to Japan.

The Hong Kong government also joined in the attack. Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung commented, "We consider that it is inappropriate for lawmakers to join [the hearing of] a foreign legislature to discuss Hong Kong's constitutional development. We are disappointed at their decision to do so," he told the Legislative Council on March 3.

In response, Martin Lee hit back at Beijing's refusal to allow him to enter the mainland. "I have two dreams," he said. "My dream of democracy and my dream of returning to the homeland. We are elected according to the rules in the Basic Law and yet we are not allowed to return to our own country. Is that one country?" He proceeded to comment that his remarks about the Nazis were aimed at fighting for the interests of Hong Kong people.

Lee Cheuk-yan, speaking before his departure for the US early yesterday, said it was up to the Liaison Office in Hong Kong to arrange a meeting between democrats and Beijing. "The office's responsibilities and duties are to encourage the communications between the central government and Hong Kong people. And that includes those in favour of democracy," he argued. "If the office is responsible for encouraging communications, why did it act as an obstacle? Why did he [Gao Siren] perceive this communication as daydreaming?" he asked.