Journalist Benedict Rogers responds to Hong Kong’s Regina Ip over comments about Hong Kong’s descent into illiberal authoritarianism.

Democracy in Hong Kong was never fully tried and what had begun has since been “killed” by the Chinese Communist Party regime, argues human rights activist and writer, Benedict Rogers.

Responding to claims made by longtime sparring partner, Regina Ip, an outspoken pro-Beijing politician, convenor of the executive council (Hong Kong’s de facto cabinet) and a legislative council member, Rogers writes:

Democracy in Hong Kong did not “fail”. It was killed, by Beijing and its quislings like Ip. Indeed, arguably democracy in Hong Kong was never fully tried. Although under British rule and the first two decades after the handover Hong Kong had the institutions of a democratic society – a free press, an independent judiciary, the rule of law and basic human rights – it was only ever a partial electoral democracy.

Speaking during the trials of democracy campaigners prosecuted under Hong Kong’s controversial national security law, Ip is reported as saying democracy is alien to the “Chinese tradition”. In an interview with The Times, Ip elaborated further: “People don’t vote for the common good,” she said. “People vote for whatever serves their interests.”

Following the popular will, she told The Times, “is dangerous”.

In his written counterpoint to Ip’s remarks, Rogers cites Taiwan as an example of what China “could be if the CCP loosened its grip and paved the way to democracy.” He continues:

The only point on which Ip is right is that China is “a one-party state” and that is “the political reality”. That is unarguable. And the tragedy is that that political reality has now consumed Hong Kong, in flagrant breach of China’s promises made in an international treaty, the Sino-British Joint Declaration, with woefully inadequate reaction from the rest of the world – all facilitated by Ip and her ilk.

To read the full-text of Benedict Rogers opinion piece, see here.