Pro-democracy Camp Told To Refrain From Radicalism

Pro-government lawmaker Paul Tse is urging his pro-democracy colleagues who have decided to stay on in the Legislative Council for the coming year to refrain from adopting radical tactics, saying the camp's move towards radicalism was what prompted Beijing to adopt a tougher line on the SAR.

The pan-democratic camp has vowed to improve their tactics in the legislature after most of them decided to serve for another year, despite a public opinion poll they commissioned showing almost equal support for a boycott.

Critics from within the pro-democracy camp say lawmakers have accepted Beijing's extension of the Legco term, with some saying that traditional pan-democrats had not been doing enough to block objectionable moves by the government.

But Tse said pro-democracy legislators should focus on easing tensions within society, rather than pretending to be radical to appease supporters and gain support in future elections.

Speaking on an RTHK radio programme, Tse, who chaired the council's committee on rules of procedure, noted that Beijing only enacted the national security law after the pro-democracy camp adopted a more radical approach.

But Democratic Party lawmaker James To, who was on the same show, rejected Tse's premise, saying his camp and citizens only reacted to the central and Hong Kong governments' suppression of dissent.

To’s party mate Wu Chi-wai, who is the new convenor of pro-democracy legislators, also said their supporters are expecting more from them.

He said the camp will fight back when the government and pro-establishment lawmakers try to push through controversial changes and projects, such as alterations to election laws and the Lantau Tomorrow Vision reclamation project.

“Some of the pro-establishment members have already said that they are going to tackle the hurdles that they consider as significantly affecting the government's administration. They want to intervene in the education and welfare areas, and also in the judicial area. And definitely we will fight back,” he said.

Wu also said his camp will fight back if authorities make any move to remove from the extended council four legislators who were disqualified from running in the now-postponed Legco elections.

This came after Hong Kong's sole representative to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee Tam Yiu-chung said the Civic Party's Alvin Yeung, Kwok Ka-ki and Dennis Kwok, as well as the accounting sector's Kenneth Leung should quit the extended council.