Exclusive Interview with Yip Kwok-wah: More tough measures will come if Article 23 is not enacted soon

(22 Apr)In the early days of the handover, Paul Yip Kwok-wah, who served as a special adviser to the Chief Executive accepted an exclusive interview. He pointed out that the central government seldom supervised the region government in the past, and he used to follow the principles of "Hong Kong affairs done using Hong Kong style" and "mind your own business" to deal with tasks entrusted by the Central Government.

Paul Yip Kwok-wah, political adviser to the first Chief Executive, Tung Chee-hwa, said that the Basic Law was intentionally left blank in the past, and meant to evolve with the society as it changes. Whether Article 22 of the Basic Law is binding on the Hong Kong and Macao Office or the Liaison Office of the Communist Party of China wasn't clearly stated. The "central supervision" written back then is nothing like what is here today. "The supervision I thought, the supervision I strived for at the time, was that (the central government) supervised the provinces and cities. It was not that they (the two offices) weren't allowed to interfere in Hong Kong. At least I didn’t think so, they needed to manage Guangdong, Fujian and the Ministry of Commerce not to mess up with the place (Hong Kong).”

Observing the recent controversy over Article 22 and the Central Committee's push to tighten national security laws, he believes that the Central government will get it done quickly and clearly, possibly before the election. "Don’t underestimate Xi Jinping’s efficient, clear, and bottom-line thinking. Bottom-line thinking is ‘what a total loss is‘. Once such a bottom line is drawn, many things will be quick. Will they consider that this may result in the establishment losing? They will, But it must have been calculated, this is not what they are looking for."

The tense atmosphere stood in great contrast to when he was in office. He said that the central government was very loose at that time, and many things were free for the Hong Kong government to decide, and there was little supervision. "The closest thing to supervision was the issue of hanging flags during the National Day of the Republic of China. The Central Government Liaison Office informed us to not hang the flag of Taiwan everywhere on the street on that day, back then these political issues were spread by word of mouth and didn't produce any official documents."

After taking over this political mission, Paul invited representatives from Taiwan in Hong Kong to talk and persuade them to hang the flag indoors instead of on the street. He was also invited to attend the occasion of the National Day.

Paul said: "Thirty years later, I met my friend from the Kuomintang at the scene. He told me: Mr. Ye, we set up a plan, As soon as you enter the venue, I will stand up, raise the flag, and sing the anthem. To be honest, we have grown up in Hong Kong since we were young. Raising the flag back then meant raising the flag of Taiwan, and singing the anthem meant singing" Three Principles of the People". I am way too familiar with these procedures. If they wish to see me do so, they better be ready to receive my opinions."

He said that afterwards, the central government blamed him for doing so while on a political mission. "I answered,I believed Beijing looked forward to me to do this the Hong Kong way, 'Hong Kong affairs done usingHong Kong style'.(Do you reckon if today's SAR officials still have the ability to handle matters concerning the exercise of supervisory power 'Hong Kong style'?) Without these people, without such experience, the people at the Central government are now different. There are also fewer and fewer people in Hong Kong who can participate in these work and accumulate such experience. Recently, in the last seven, eight to ten years or so, the phrase "Mind your own business" is omitted, and the phrase "Hong Kong affairs done using Hong Kong style" is not included. The less than beautiful direction the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office and the Liaison Office is taking Hong Kong towards and the continuous erosion of  'Hong Kong affairs done using Hong Kong style' has made them silent on the matter." He thinks that the various protest since the handover slowly pushed Hong Kong into the situation its in today. "whatever the youngsters have done, the elders and leaders should tolerate, guide, help and educate to transform an idea. leave the binary idea of 'You are either with me or against me.' this won't help anyone, we work for all Hong Kong citizens.".

Source: ICable News

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