Support for Democratic Rights in Hong Kong

New Zealanders in Auckland will gather on Wednesday to support the rights for universal suffrage in Hong Kong.

Hong Kongers have been fighting for their rights to have universal suffrage to determine their leader, as per Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Under the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kongers

"[...] has a high degree of autonomy and enjoys executive, legislative and independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication"; and that "The socialist system and policies shall not be practised in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the previous capitalist system and way of life shall remain unchanged for 50 years."

In addition, the Basic Law guaranteed that:

• Hong Kong residents shall have, among other things, freedom of speech, freedom of press and of publication; freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of procession, of demonstration, of communication, of movement, of conscience, of religious belief, and of marriage; and the right and freedom to form and join trade unions, and to strike.

• The freedom of the person of Hong Kong residents shall be inviolable. No Hong Kong resident shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful arrest, detention or imprisonment. Arbitrary or unlawful search of the body of any resident or deprivation or restriction of the freedom of the person shall be prohibited. Torture of any resident or arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of the life of any resident shall be prohibited.

• The provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and international labour conventions as applied to Hong Kong shall remain in force and shall be implemented through the laws of the HKSAR.

While the Chinese Government has offered universal suffrage for Hong Kongers in 2017, candidates are expected to be pre-approved by a nominating committee and have since sparked unrest.

New Zealand Hong Kongers and others are saddened and devasted by the current situation in Hong Kong where students were arrested and protesters were attacked with pepper spray and tear gas.

New Zealand Hong Konger, a Facebook group that was set up to bring all Hong Kongers living in New Zealand together, is organising a rally in support of the democratic rights of Hong Kong, this Wednesday 1st October 2014 from 12noon to 2pm outside Auckland Town Hall. We invite all New Zealanders to join us on this significant event.

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