In Chinese or English, Hong Kong Legislative Council (Legco) member Emily Lau, leader of The Frontier party, speaks bluntly to defend Hong Kong’s freedoms and human rights.
Lau’s new book, Up the Mountain of Many Tigers (2008, Ming Pao, 230 pages, HK$68), appears only in Chinese, but she gladly discusses it in either language. The title refers to her fearless habit of chastising powerful people in Beijing and those they install to lead Hong Kong.
“I’m not afraid when fighting for universal suffrage and the future of Hong Kong,” Lau said. “My voice is very loud so some in the media like to portray me as being fierce.
“Many politicians change their minds. They bend with the wind and say only what’s expedient. But I challenge you to check what I’ve written. I’ve stayed consistent.”
Up the Mountain of Many Tigers, Lau’s fourth book, presents highlights from political commentaries she has written. The chapters stress democracy, human rights and the rule of law, freedom of expression, economic issues, policies on poverty or the environment, and constitutional issues.
“I think integrity’s very important,” Lau said. “Sometimes tenacity, stubbornness and obstinacy are important too, especially on issues of principle like democracy, human rights and rule of law. On other things, when it’s about spending more money or a bit less, I’m willing to discuss and compromise.”
Lau urges the public to join a sixth annual July 1st march to demand long-overdue democratic reforms. “We want genuine democracy, not a fake one,” she said. “Hong Kong people demonstrate very peacefully, so we want them to come out for universal suffrage and human rights. It’s important. When we get tens of thousands of people on the streets for an annual protest march, it’s not a small number. Opinion surveys show that people want democracy. There’s no denying it. Even the Hong Kong administration won’t deny it.”
The central government designates 2017 as the earliest for universal suffrage in Hong Kong. “That’s nearly 10 years away,” Lau said. “I don’t think we should rule anything out by then, not even a democratic China. But the proposals before us are ones we can’t stomach so we must speak. There’s a danger of so-called universal suffrage with a high threshold for candidates so that some people can’t run. That’s false democracy.”
Long ago, Beijing banned Lau from visiting the Chinese mainland. The more she insists on “real” democracy, the more firmly she’s banned.
Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang likes to urge “pragmatism”, especially when dealing with Beijing. That’s not one of Lau’s favorite words. “Some people ask me to be more accommodating, to try harder to see the other side,” she said. “In fact, I do. I can be very fair and reasonable. For example, I never launch personal attacks. I always base my arguments on the issues.”
Probably the mainland authorities won’t welcome Lau’s new book either. It circulates mainly in Hong Kong. “Sometimes I give my books to friends who come from the mainland,” she said, “but I ask them not to blame me if they’re arrested.”
Lau holds degrees from the University of Southern California and the University of London. Before entering Legco in 1991, she worked as a newspaper and TV journalist. Her reputation for “straight talk” keeps her popular.
“Without universal suffrage, some people suggest that we’ve fought many years for nothing, but of course not,” Lau said. “Many things have become more transparent. We’ve progressed – just not enough.”
Up the Mountain of Many Tigers rings with honesty and conviction, rare qualities in government circles. Too many Hong Kong people abandon their ideals to appease Beijing, but Lau stands tall as a champion of freedom and justice. May she live a long life, always speaking loudly and writing freely!
For more information: www.emilylau.org.hk
(June 16, 2008)
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