Hong Kong Watch Publishes Briefing on Electoral Reforms and the Erosion of Democracy in Hong Kong
Today, Hong Kong Watch published Electoral Reforms and the Erosion of Democracy in Hong Kong: A Briefing.
It follows from last week’s news that the number of registered voters in Hong Kong has declined by nearly 80,000, marking the second consecutive year that the number of registered voters has decreased.
The briefing examines the electoral system in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) since the handover of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1997, including the promises made under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and assesses the implications of recent reforms to the electoral system.
It specifically covers the reforms made to the Chief Executive, Legislative Council, and District Council elections in the HKSAR and analyses how, with every electoral reform, the HKSAR is less democratic and more directly controlled by the PRC. Furthermore, this is a part of Beijing’s global narrative on human rights and democracy and an injustice to the people of the HKSAR.
The briefing also includes a timeline and highlights key events and reforms that have eroded democracy, human rights and freedom in the HKSAR, and how these have violated the HKSAR’s international legal obligations.
Anouk Wear, Research and Policy Advisor at Hong Kong Watch and the author of this report, commented
“The HKSAR is learning from Beijing to frame institutional erosion of democracy and human rights as alleged reforms and improvements to the electoral system. This briefing analyses Beijing’s narrative on democracy and its implementation in the HKSAR and refutes it.
It shows how each reform has specifically eroded democracy in the HKSAR by reducing direct representation, resulting in a system that is less democratic and more directly controlled by the PRC.
I hope that we can use this to better understand and respond to Beijing’s strategy, specifically ensuring that they cannot adopt the language of democracy and human rights to violate the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong.”