Developments in Hong Kong and Macau

Hong Kong's current electoral system, the proposed changes, and the compromise solution

On April 14, 2010, Hong Kong Chief Secretary Henry Tang presented the government's Package of Proposals for the Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive and for Forming the Legislative Council in 2012, according to a press release issued by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in the United States. Some Hong Kong citizens reportedly have grown frustrated with the pace of democratic reform. As reported in a January 27 New York Times article, "The political system in Hong Kong is increasingly paralyzed, and street protests are growing more confrontational as public dissatisfaction on economic issues and a lack of democracy is rising."

Hong Kong's current electoral system and the proposed changes

On April 14, 2010, Hong Kong Chief Secretary Henry Tang presented the government's Package of Proposals for the Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive and for Forming the Legislative Council in 2012 according to a press release issued by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in the United States. Some Hong Kong citizens reportedly have grown frustrated with the pace of democratic reform. As reported in a January 27 New York Times article, "The political system in Hong Kong is increasingly paralyzed, and street protests are growing more confrontational as public dissatisfaction on economic issues and a lack of democracy is rising."

The Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) passed a new National Security Law on February 25, 2009, as it was required to do under Chapter II, Article 23 of the Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China that was adopted in 1993 and went into effect in 1999. The new law includes provisions detailed below regarding treason (Article 1), secession (Article 2), subversion (Article 3), sedition (Article 4), theft of state secrets (Article 5), and acts by foreign political organizations or Macau groups that endanger state security (Articles 6 and 7).

Tens of thousands of protestors calling for universal suffrage marched in Hong Kong on December 4, according to a December 5 report in the Washington Post. The march was organized by opponents of the reform proposals contained in the Hong Kong Constitutional Development Task Force's Fifth Report issued in October. The report recommends doubling the size of the 800-member committee that picks Hong Kong’s chief executive, and expanding the 60-member Legislative Council (LegCo) by 10 seats.