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HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
Mr. Wu Chi-wai (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, during the first half of Tuesday's Annual Conventional Debate, several Members who rose to speak remarked that the discussions of this Council were too political. But I have never heard them explain what they meant by 'political'. Did they mean that heated debates during meetings are political? What we value most about a democratic society is that government policies can be discussed and debated in an open and highly transparent environment before decisions are made. For years, whether under the Colonial Government or the present SAR Government, this system of policy-making has been well-known to our citizens and it is a system that they have come to expect. Do we really want our Council chamber to be as quiet as a graveyard? Do we expect our Chairman to read a policy document aloud, followed by a round of applause from Members? Is this the non-political environment that we want? I sincerely hope that this is not what Members want and I am sure this is not what the public want.
What were the topics that were often criticized for being too political during the last 2 years? Those that cropped up time and again were things like the choice of films for the Film Festival, the Pillar of Shame, the booking of venues during the Handover period, or the topic that was discussed at the Museums Select Committee's meeting this morning. Arguments are nothing new at these meetings. But I do not understand why the Democratic Party came under fire for being too political when it took a firm stand in defending freedom of speech and expression and upholding the position of Hong Kong as a highly diversified community. Miss Annie Wu Suk-ching said this morning that Hong Kong's history should be viewed from a Chinese perspective and we know that the point of reference behind this perspective is, in fact, the perspective of Taiwan's Kuomintang. Is this kind of statement not political? Members suggested that we provide the final vetting on the contents of the museum and the choice of words in the museum's literature. Are these not political discussions? In my opinion, when those Members talk about discussions being political, they should not use such generalized terms to cover all discussions.
Under the Colonial Government in the past, we, the Democratic Party would criticize and reproach the Government for any action that posed a threat to freedom. This, of course, was the natural thing to do. If our present SAR Government attempts to curb the civil rights of our citizens, we will also react accordingly. This is the political ethics that is expected of a party which is responsible to the people. To affirm what is right and denounce what is wrong this is the right attitude for discussions in a democratic society. 'The image of the Urban Council has deteriorated sharply and the Council has attracted much criticism since you, elected Members, joined the Council in the last 2 years.' Nothing was done to find out why there was so much criticism; only one simple comment was made: 'Of course, with political parties, things become political and the image has deteriorated.' Is the situation really that simple?
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