1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 502 Asking for orders for the people
“Mr. Tang Mingzhi, as the Secretary for Justice, according to our understanding, you have been committed to promoting human rights bills and focusing on advancing the modern rule of law in Hong Kong in recent years.”

Last night, after meeting several gentry friends from the New Territories for the first time,
The next morning, Zhai Yuan, in his capacity as a newly elected member of the Legislative Council, sent a motion to the Department of Justice to question the Secretary for Justice, requesting that the Secretary for Justice attend the hearing.

After receiving the draft of the representative government system from the Legislative Council, Tang Mingzhi's eyebrows were almost knotted together.

Oh no, they're after me.

In terms of structure, the Legislative Council is similar to the parliamentary cabinet system.

Although subject to the Governor, the procedures allow for accountability of the Governor and other Hong Kong government officials.

Summoning Department of Justice officials to the Legislative Council for questioning usually requires the support of more than half of the members. In this case, the accountability bill submitted by Zhai Yuanfa to the Department of Justice received support from as many as 29 members out of the 57 seats in the Legislative Council, which was enough to allow Tang Mingzhi to attend.

Of these 29 councilors, Councilor Zhai's friends, along with City Council member Du Yip-sze-yan and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals member Ho Sai-chu, already occupy 15 seats.

The remaining councilors were almost all watching with a sense of schadenfreude and supported summoning Tang Mingzhi to the scene.

Regardless of the proposal's content or whether it passes, Zhai Yuan, a rising political star, dared to target the Secretary for Justice upon taking office, which is a morale boost for the Legislative Council.

The afternoon sunlight streamed in at an angle.
A horseshoe-shaped table in the center of the Legislative Council hall gleamed in the sunlight.

Members of parliament, journalists, local gentry, and legal advisors filled the seats.

As the initiator of this hearing, Zhai Yuan sat on the bench, flipping through the documents handed to him by He Zilang and Shen Wei, and said in a calm tone: "Of course there is no problem with talking about human rights. Since 1976, Hong Kong's civil rights have been moving closer to international conventions in all aspects, including the economy, society and culture. At the same time, the joint statement also guarantees that these bills will still be in effect in 1997."

Zhai Yuan paused here, looked up at the Secretary for Justice sitting on the dais, and smiled.

He said, "Therefore, on behalf of the Legislative Council, I would like to ask Mr. Tang Mingzhi to answer this Council: Does the New Territories belong to Hong Kong today?"

Tang Mingzhi smiled and dialed the microphone in front of him: "Yes, Mr. Councilor."

"second question."

As soon as Tang Mingzhi finished speaking, Zhai Yuan immediately spoke again: "In the Basic Law drafted in 1985, Article 40 stipulates that the legitimate rights and interests of the indigenous people of the New Territories will continue to be protected even after 97, whether it is the right to vote or the right to inherit."

“As an indigenous resident of Ha Wan Village in the New Territories, I personally support this ordinance. Even if you do nothing, you will get a piece of land after you turn eighteen. But what’s strange is that in the decades after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong Island and Kowloon abolished the Qing law long ago and followed the human rights and rule of law spirit advocated by the Department of Justice, but the New Territories still uses the old system of succession from the feudal dynasty?”

"Therefore, this Bureau would like to ask Mr. Tang Mingzhi to answer directly whether the Hong Kong government's submission of this bill to the mainland is essentially an attempt to buy off the conservative forces in the rural areas of the New Territories in order to maintain its colonial stability and, after 97, remotely manipulate local gentry to instill and shape a positive memory of Hong Kong's colonial rule?"

After these words were spoken, there was a moment of silence in the Legislative Council.

The reporters exchanged glances, all looking toward the six New Territories rural gentry who had accompanied Zhai Yuan on this occasion, who were also the chairmen of the New Territories Rural Committee.

What's happening here?
The Ding right system in the New Territories Ordinance, from any perspective, was entirely detrimental to these New Territories gentry.

As everyone knows, this is indeed a preferential treatment that the Hong Kong government has consistently given to the New Territories in order to stabilize the situation.

Now that Zhai Yuan has exposed their lies in court, why are these local gentry not at all displeased? Instead, they are leisurely crossing their arms, looking like they are watching a show.
As for the other councilors present, they were all sitting around eating melon seeds and enjoying the show.
Despite his young age, this legislator Zhai asked some very pointed questions and was quite bold. The broadcast of this hearing will definitely boost the Legislative Council's reputation, which is something we should all learn from!
All eyes turned to Tang Mingzhi, the Secretary for Justice.

"The questions raised by the Legislative Council are very important and reflect the historical complexity and social tensions of Hong Kong."

Tang Mingzhi, a seasoned veteran, hesitated for only two seconds without changing his smile before answering again: "Mr. Councilor, the reason why the New Territories inherited the Qing Dynasty legal tradition is due to the agreement signed between the British and the indigenous people when the British took over the New Territories in 1898. We respect the customs and land use practices of the indigenous people, so it cannot be described as mere 'colonial manipulation' or 'buying off power'."

Furthermore, the Hong Kong government currently has no intention of seeking any political gain through this ordinance, nor has it ever attempted to 'remotely control' local forces after 97. On the contrary, we believe that the introduction of the New Territories Ordinance is a necessary step for Hong Kong society towards greater fairness, human rights, and the modern rule of law. In this regard, the Department of Justice will fully cooperate with the Legislative Council in its lawful deliberation.

This statement is overly rational and bureaucratic. In reality, even the old lady selling vegetables knows exactly what the New Territories Ordinance is all about.

However, the New Territories is located in the countryside. Just like in the movie "Young and Dangerous", when Chan Ho-nam told Crow to "go back to Yuen Long", one sentence broke Crow's defenses. This is also why urban citizens always feel that it is not a big deal even though the indigenous people of the New Territories hold the right to have children. After all, no matter how big the land is, it cannot create economic value.

Tang Mingzhi refuted Zhai Yuan's two questions in a row, but still did not explain why the Hong Kong government insisted on maintaining the preferential treatment of New Territories indigenous people who are born with land after 97 in the drafting of the bill after the 1985 Joint Declaration.

However, Zhai Yuan didn't care whether he answered or not.
Representative Zhai came here with a big entourage today, but what he wants to criticize is not these issues at all.

"This bureau heard that Mr. Tang Mingzhi repeatedly mentioned the words fairness, human rights and modern rule of law."

Zhai Yuan patted the documents in his hand, glanced around at the surrounding seats, and exchanged brief glances with several New Territories gentry.

He looked at Tang Mingzhi on the podium again and smiled, “Speaking of human rights, I can’t help but think of Mrs. Tang, Lydia Dunn. As the first Chinese woman in British history to be knighted, I believe that both Director Tang and Mrs. Tang must feel deeply honored by this.”

Tang Mingzhi frowned slightly, then smiled and said, "Of course, Ms. Lydia Dunn is not only a source of pride for Chinese women, but also a great symbol of human rights and equality in the British constitutional tradition."

"That's right~"

Zhai Yuanshen agreed, then changed the subject: "But why is it that in today's Department of Justice, where everyone talks about equality and the rule of law, we, the indigenous women of the New Territories, cannot even enjoy the most basic rights of inheritance, male rights, and voting rights?"
“They were born into the same clan, but since the Qing Dynasty, the Hong Kong government has institutionally deprived them of their eligibility to build houses. Not only are they denied a share in village representative voting or land inheritance, but even the appeal channel is blocked by custom.”

"Even in the New Territories Ordinance required by the Hong Kong government in 1985, which you, Secretary, claim to uphold human rights and the rule of law, still no one has considered the relevant issues for these indigenous women of the New Territories!"

Zhai Yuan raised his voice several octaves, stood up, tapped his fingers on the table, and asked with righteous indignation, "Is this the modern rule of law that you, Mr. Tang Mingzhi, mentioned? Or is this the right and dignity that we rural women of the New Territories silently sacrifice behind the glory enjoyed by your wife, Deng Lianru? Please give me a direct answer, Secretary!"

In an instant, all the reporters turned their cameras toward Zhai Yuan.

Zhai Yuan stood up from his seat, his posture upright. He slowly and methodically buttoned his cuffs, slightly raised his head, and stared directly at the podium.

Tang Mingzhi, seated on the dais, clearly hadn't expected Zhai Yuan to pick up the knife wielded by the New Territories female aboriginal; a look of astonishment flashed across his face. Suddenly, the sound of camera shutters clicked rapidly all around.
What a perfect composition that shows fearlessness in the face of power and gives voice to women!

…………

“My speech in the Legislative Council today aims to make it clear that although the middle-income citizens of Hong Kong all feel that they enjoy human rights and freedoms, we might as well look at the lower classes—the migrant workers who live in rooftop tin shacks and cramped subdivided rooms, the seamstresses who work day after day in factories on sewing machines…and of course, the indigenous women in our New Territories who still live in the cracks between customs and systems.”

After leaving the Legislative Council
Facing a row of microphones in front of him, Zhai Yuan said in a serious tone: "More than 20 years ago, as an indigenous person from the New Territories, I witnessed the discrimination suffered by women in walled villages from a young age. When I was a child, there was a family in Xiawan Village where the man divorced his wife because he had a daughter, and went to find a second woman to have a son with in order to obtain the so-called 'male rights'. This kind of situation was common in the New Territories."

"Twenty years later, I returned to Ha Wan Village and was elected as a village representative. The environment has not changed. So this time, after I was elected as a legislator, my first proposal was to ask for a discussion on the land ownership of female indigenous people in the New Territories. This is not a denial of the Basic Law, but a supplement to the existing system."

"Whether it's the Governor or the three Secretaries, the principle for all civil servants is to serve the citizens, not to manage them. Citizens pay taxes to the Hong Kong government not so that civil servants can manage them. Do the female indigenous people in the New Territories pay taxes? The answer is of course yes. Due to the lack of the right to have children, a large number of them need to go to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon to work, and to some extent they pay more taxes than the indigenous men. Even so, the Hong Kong British government still insisted on circumventing the female indigenous people in the continuation of the New Territories Ordinance. I think this should not be a problem that should exist in a modern society."

Zhai Yuan rarely spoke at length in front of the camera, and he answered all the reporters' questions without reservation.

In short, we are speaking out for the people!
The Legislative Council's hearing on motions and inquiries, as well as Zhai Yuan's speech at the Legislative Council entrance, were subsequently broadcast to various media outlets, including television and print media.

The public was immediately in an uproar.

In the 148 years since Hong Kong opened as a port, even though the feminist spirit from the East has gradually spread, no one has ever discussed the topic of women's equality in the Legislative Council.

The fact that Lydia Dunn was awarded a medal by the UK was enough to make the Hong Kong government talk about freedom, equality and human rights, but today Zhai Yuan ruthlessly exposed that.

…………

What do you think are the chances of this proposal passing?

After dealing with the reporters outside, Zhai Yuan got into the car and asked He Zilang a question.

"The most important thing is to see the attitude of the mainland."

After a moment of contemplation, Ho Chi-long said, “The Basic Law is still under revision, and everything is open to discussion. The New Territories Ordinance is neither a tradition nor a legitimate right of the indigenous people; it is merely a policy. Therefore, we have many options in Hong Kong.”

Shen Wei nodded and added, "In fact, the 'Ding House' policy grants special privileges to indigenous residents of the New Territories while simultaneously depriving female indigenous residents of their 'Ding House' rights. Both of these points violate the Human Rights Act, which the Hong Kong government has consistently emphasized. Using their own methods against them, we are already in an invincible position under Hong Kong law. The only remaining issues to resolve are media opinion and..."

As Shen Wei spoke, he glanced at a middle-aged man sitting opposite him and chuckled awkwardly.

"Of course, it's us country gentry."

The middle-aged man's surname is Liao, and he is Liao Shuren, one of the five major families in the New Territories. He currently serves as the chairman of the Sheung Shui Rural Committee.

Sitting in the car, 51-year-old Liao Shuren cleared his throat: "Councilor Zhai's remarks in the Legislative Council today have exposed a long-standing problem in the New Territories, namely the collusion between rural gentry and real estate developers."

"Actually, no one cares whether women have the right to have children or not, but if the New Territories are to develop, we can't keep letting these real estate developers flock here, all of them get land but don't develop it, what's the point of hoarding it?"

Liao Shuren, dressed in a Tang suit, was overweight and had a bloated smile on his face: "So on this matter, I and several other gentry share the same opinion: we will definitely support Councilor Zhai in pushing forward the reform of the New Territories Ordinance... However, that's all we can do. In short, once Councilor Zhai has dealt with those scoundrels like Lau Wong-fat and Tang Siu-tong, we will continue to support you on the future development of the New Territories."

Zhai Yuan smiled, glanced at Liao Shuren, and nodded, saying, "That's enough."

Whether it's China Communications or Kuaibo Technology, both were strategic moves made with advance notice between Zhai Yuan and Hong Kong Governor Wei Yixin.

However, looking at the present and future development in the New Territories, one issue that must be faced is land development.

Is there a lack of land in Hong Kong?

If fully developed, it would surpass even Shenzhen in scale.

However, a group of real estate developers colluding with local gentry and celebrities to hoard land has already affected the current progress of China Communications in the New Territories. Even if Wei Yixin steps in, he may not be able to handle all the mess.

Therefore, Zhai Yuancai was elected as a member of the Legislative Council.

Since real estate developers are hoarding land, let's use the female indigenous people as an excuse to drive down the price of Ding rights!

This is the reason why Zhai Yuan played the feminist card for the first time today...

The next day,

The Sing Tao Daily's front page headline reads:
'Is there no feminism behind Dame Lydia Dunn? Zhai Yuan's Legislative Council speech sparks controversy'

The Ming Pao opinion column bluntly stated:

"A hearing rarely seen in Hong Kong politics in a century exposes the lingering effects of a century of feudalism."

The September 1st Daily News used even sharper language:
'A law that cannot protect the most marginalized people is not worthy of being called a law.'

The core of all articles,
It directly addresses the allocation of female reproductive rights.

This not only drew the attention of the local gentry and natives of the New Territories, but also made major real estate developers, led by Li Ka-shing, restless...

(End of this chapter)