PROMINENT HONG KONG PROTESTANT DISCUSSES ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L HONG KONG 003208

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NOFORN
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DEPT FOR EAP AND EAP/CM
NSC FOR DENNIS WILDER



E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2031
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL HK CH KCRM SMIG
SUBJECT: PROMINENT HONG KONG PROTESTANT DISCUSSES ELECTIONS
AND TALES FROM INSIDE THE CITY'S DETENTION CENTERS

CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING E/P CHIEF JEFF ZAISER


1. (C) SUMMARY. ON JULY 31, REVEREND CHAN KIM-KWONG,
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE HONG KONG CHRISTIAN COUNCIL (HKCC)
AND FORMER CHIEF EXECUTIVE (CE) ELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBER,
PREDICTED TO POLOFF THAT IN THE UPCOMING CE ELECTION, 26 OF
THE 40 VOTES FROM THE RELIGIOUS SUB-SECTOR WOULD GO TO THE
CANDIDATE BACKED BY BEIJING, SEVEN VOTES FROM THE CATHOLICS
WOULD GO TO THE PRO-DEMOCRACY CANDIDATE, AND THE REMAINING
SEVEN PROTESTANT VOTES WERE UNDECIDED. CHAN, WHO AS A
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PAYS UNANNOUNCED VISITS TO DETENTION
CENTERS, SAID HE HAS OBSERVED AN INCREASE IN INDIVIDUALS FROM
SOUTH AMERICA, AFRICA, AND EASTERN EUROPE IN HONG KONG IN
THOSE FACILITIES. THE FOREIGN DETAINEES SOMETIMES
DELIBERATELY MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE POLICE TO ARREST,
IDENTIFY, AND ULTIMATELY DEPORT THEM TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES.
CHAN SPECULATED THAT ORGANIZED NETWORKS WERE TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF HONG KONG'S GENEROUS VISA REGIME, THE PROTECTION
OF DETAINEE RIGHTS, AND THE STRONG RULE OF LAW TO SEND MORE
FOREIGNERS TO HONG KONG TO WORK AS ILLEGAL DAY LABORERS OR
PROSTITUTES. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) ON JULY 31, REVEREND CHAN KIM-KWONG, EXECUTIVE
SECRETARY OF THE HONG KONG CHRISTIAN COUNCIL (HKCC) DISCUSSED

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HONG KONG POLITICS AND CHAN'S OBSERVATIONS GATHERED FROM HIS
WORK WITH DETAINEES INSIDE HONG KONG DETENTION CENTERS WITH
POLOFF. IN ADDITION TO HIS WORK WITH THE UMBRELLA PROTESTANT
ORGANIZATION, CHAN WAS A MEMBER OF THE SECOND CHIEF EXECUTIVE
(CE) ELECTION COMMITTEE, A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S
CONGRESS (NPC) ELECTION COMMITTEE, AND A JUSTICE OF THE
PEACE, A LIFETIME HONORARY DESIGNATION FROM THE HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT (HKG). ACCORDING TO CHAN, THE HKCC HAD A GOOD
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOVERNMENT, BUT UNLIKE HIS PREDECESSOR
C.H. TUNG, CHIEF EXECUTIVE DONALD TSANG HAD YET TO PAY A
COURTESY CALL ON THE PROTESTANT ORGANIZATION. HE SAID PEOPLE
IN HONG KONG GENERALLY WERE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THEIR ECONOMIC
SITUATION AND GAVE CREDIT TO CHINA FOR ITS MANY FAVORABLE
ECONOMIC POLICIES, BUT CHAN BELIEVED "POLITICAL FATIGUE" AND
DISSATISFACTION WITH THE DEMOCRATS' PERFORMANCE WAS
WIDESPREAD. THIS IS THE SECOND OF TWO CABLES REPORTING ON
POLOFF'S JULY 31 MEETING WITH CHAN.

THE RELIGION VOTE
--------------


3. (C) CHAN EXPLAINED THAT THE HKG ALLOCATED 40 OF THE 800 CE
ELECTION COMMITTEE (CEEC) SEATS TO THE RELIGION SUB-SECTOR;
THOSE 40 SEATS WERE FURTHER SUBDIVIDED AMONG SIX MAJOR
RELIGIOUS GROUPS. THE HKG HAS DESIGNATED ONE ORGANIZATION TO
REPRESENT EACH RELIGIOUS GROUP, AND THOSE ORGANIZATIONS
SUPPLY THE NAMES OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES TO THE ELECTION
COMMITTEE. LISTED BELOW ARE THE SIX RELIGIONS REPRESENTED,
THE NUMBER OF ELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS ALLOCATED TO EACH
RELIGION, THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE THE NAMES OF
ELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND CHAN'S ANALYSIS OF THEIR
POLITICAL BIAS:

-- ISLAMIC (6) THE CHINESE MUSLIM CULTURAL AND FRATERNAL
ASSOCIATION (ONLY INCLUDES CHINESE MUSLIMS); PRO-BEIJING
-- DAOIST (6) THE HONG KONG TAOIST ASSOCIATION; PRO-BEIJING
-- CONFUCIAN (7) THE CONFUCIAN ACADEMY (ESSENTIALLY A HIGH
SCHOOL RUN BY A LOCAL FAMILY, WHO APPOINTED SEVEN FAMILY
MEMBERS AND/OR FRIENDS WITH BUSINESS TIES TO CHINA DURING THE
LAST ELECTION COMMITTEE ELECTIONS); PRO-BEIJING
-- BUDDHIST (7) THE HONG KONG BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION (LED BY
THE VENERABLE SIK CHI-WAI, WHO IS ALSO A NATIONAL PEOPLE'S
CONGRESS DEPUTY); PRO-BEIJING
-- CATHOLIC (7) THE HONG KONG CATHOLIC DIOCESE (ALL
APPOINTMENTS ARE MADE BY CARDINAL JOSEPH ZEN); PRO-DEMOCRACY
-- PROTESTANT (7) HONG KONG CHRISTIAN COUNCIL (SEE NEXT
PARAGRAPH FOR INFORMATION ON HOW THE HKCC CHOOSES ITS
ELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS); SOME MEMBERS ARE PRO-BEIJING,
SOME ARE PRO-DEMOCRACY


4. (C) UNLIKE THE OTHER RELIGIOUS GROUPS, THE HONG KONG
CHRISTIAN COUNCIL HAS ATTEMPTED TO ELECT ITS EC MEMBERS IN A
RELATIVELY DEMOCRATIC FASHION. DURING THE FIRST CEEC PROCESS
IN 1997, THE HKCC HELD AN OPEN ELECTION AND ALLOWED ANY
CHRISTIAN TO ENTER THE RACE, WHICH PROVED TO BE LOGISTICALLY
CHALLENGING. THERE WERE NO ACCURATE FIGURES ON THE NUMBER OF
CHRISTIANS IN HONG KONG, AND THE HKCC FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO
COORDINATE WHAT BECAME A POPULARITY CONTEST AMONG NUMEROUS
CHURCHES SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CITY. IN 2002, THE HKCC TRIED
TO SIMPLIFY THE INTERNAL ELECTION PROCESS FOR THE SECOND
ELECTION COMMITTEE BY USING A LOTTERY METHOD INSTEAD. THIS
PROCESS ALSO PROVED TO BE CHALLENGING AS HKCC SCRAMBLED TO
ENLIST VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING CHAN, TO MEET THE MINIMUM OF
E


SEVEN NAMES, DAYS BEFORE THE LOTTERY DRAWING. SURPRISINGLY,
30 PEOPLE ADDED THEIR NAMES TO THE DRAW AT THE LAST MINUTE.
AT HKCC'S REQUEST A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL OVERSAW THE LOTTERY
AND SELECTED SEVEN ELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS, INCLUDING
CHAN, THE ONLY CLERGY MEMBER. FIVE MEMBERS WERE PRO-PRC LAY
INDIVIDUALS AND MOST OF THE MEMBERS WERE UNKNOWN AMONG CHURCH
CIRCLES. FOR THE THIRD EC, SCHEDULED TO BE CHOSEN LATER THIS
YEAR, THE HKCC WILL HOLD AN OPEN ELECTION IN SEPTEMBER OR
OCTOBER, WITH ANY CHRISTIAN PERMITTED TO RUN. WHILE THIS
AGAIN WILL BE LOGISTICALLY "MESSY," THE HKCC WANTED THE
PROCESS TO BE AS DEMOCRATIC AS POSSIBLE.


5. (C) FOR THE ACTUAL SELECTION OF THE CE BY THE EC IN MARCH
2007, CHAN PREDICTED THAT 26 VOTES FROM THE TAOISTS, THE
MUSLIMS, THE CONFUCIANISTS AND THE BUDDHISTS WOULD GO TOWARDS
THE CANDIDATE BACKED BY BEIJING. THE CATHOLIC SUB-SECTOR
WOULD LIKELY VOTE FOR THE PRO-DEMOCRACY CANDIDATE, BUT CHAN
SAID THAT THE PROTESTANT VOTES WOULD DEPEND ON THE OUTCOME OF
THE HKCC ELECTION.

UNSATISFYING ELECTIONS
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6. (C) CHAN SAID HE HAD BEEN FATIGUED BY HIS FIVE-YEAR TENURE
AS A CEEC MEMBER AND VOWED THAT HE WOULD NEVER AGAIN RUN FOR
THIS POSITION. THERE HAD BEEN LITTLE SATISFACTION
PARTICIPATING IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS WHEN ELECTION RESULTS
WERE SO "PREDICTABLE." HE ALSO EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT AT
THE "IMMATURITY OF POLITICAL CANDIDATES." ASKED IF CE
CANDIDATES HAD LOBBIED HIM BEFORE THE 2002 AND 2005
ELECTIONS, CHAN SAID THAT THIS HAD BEEN A PARTICULARLY
ANNOYING ASPECT OF THE JOB. CANDIDATES OR THIRD PARTIES
WOULD CALL AND INVITE CHAN OUT TO TEA, THEN LEAVE HIM WITH
THE BILL, CITING STRICT ELECTION AFFAIRS COMMISSION (EAC)
REGULATIONS ON LOBBYING.


7. (C) CHAN ALSO HAD BEEN DISILLUSIONED BY HIS EXPERIENCES
WITH THE EAC DURING LAST YEAR'S CE ELECTION. THE TWO-WEEK
NOMINATION PERIOD HAPPENED TO FALL IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS
PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED THREE-WEEK OVERSEAS VACATION. EVEN
THOUGH HE BELIEVED IT WAS A "PREDETERMINED" ELECTION, CHAN
WANTED TO BE A RESPONSIBLE MEMBER AND REQUESTED PERMISSION
FROM THE EAC TO SUBMIT AN ABSENTEE NOMINATION, BUT THE EAC
INSTRUCTED HIM TO SUBMIT A SIGNED NOMINATION BALLOT IN
PERSON. UNWILLING TO FOREGO HIS PLANS, CHAN MISSED THE
NOMINATION PERIOD -- NOT THAT DONALD TSANG NEEDED HIS VOTE.
NOT ONLY DID THE SIX REMAINING PROTESTANT VOTES GO TO TSANG,
BUT BY JUNE 15 TSANG HAD RECEIVED 710 NOMINATIONS OUT OF A
POSSIBLE 800, ENOUGH TO ENSURE THAT NO ONE ELSE COULD OBTAIN
THE 100 NOMINATIONS REQUIRED TO CONTEST THE ELECTION. THE
NOMINATION RECORDS INDICATE THAT CHAN ABSTAINED, AND HE
LAUGHINGLY OBSERVED THAT SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS LABELED HIM AS
"ANTI-DONALD" BECAUSE HE HAD NOT NOMINATED TSANG.

CHEAT SHEETS DURING AN ELECTION?
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8. (C) CHAN ALSO WAS A MEMBER OF THE 953-PERSON NATIONAL
PEOPLE'S CONGRESS (NPC) ELECTION COMMITTEE, WHICH ELECTED
LOCAL DEPUTIES TO THE NPC IN DECEMBER 2002. MEMBERS WERE
GIVEN A BALLOT WITH 54 NAMES, FROM WHOM TO SELECT 36. DURING
THE VOTING, CHAN OBSERVED SEVERAL NPC ELECTION COMMITTEE
MEMBERS USING A CHEAT SHEET -- PRESUMABLY A PRO-BEIJING LIST
-- TO VOTE. RUMORS OF THE USE OF CHEAT SHEETS WERE REPORTED
IN THE MEDIA AT THE TIME, BUT NO LIST WAS EVER PUBLISHED.
EVEN THOUGH THE GREAT MAJORITY OF CANDIDATES WERE CONSIDERED
PRO-BEIJING, CHAN SAID THAT SOME CANDIDATES WERE RELATIVELY
MORE DESIRABLE. THIS, HE SAID, WAS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF
"PREDETERMINED" VOTING THAT WAS CONTRARY TO A FREE ELECTION.

HONG KONG DETENTION CENTERS -- TALES FROM INSIDE
-------------- ---


9. (C) IN HIS CAPACITY AS A JUSTICE OF THE PEACE AND AS A
REVEREND, CHAN OFTEN PAYS UNANNOUNCED VISITS TO VARIOUS
DETENTION CENTERS, AFTER WHICH HE REPORTS ANY ISSUES OF
CONCERN DIRECTLY TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE. ONE ISSUE IS
OVERCROWDING; ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT HAD PROPOSED
CONSTRUCTION OF A "SUPER JAIL," THE LEGCO DEMOCRATS REJECTED
THE PROPOSAL.


10. (C) APPROXIMATELY TWO TO THREE YEARS AGO, CHAN OBSERVED
INCREASING NUMBERS OF DETAINEES FROM SOUTH AMERICA, AFRICA,
AND EASTERN EUROPE. EIGHTY PERCENT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WITH
WHOM HE SPOKE SAID THEY "CLAM UP" AFTER ARREST AND CLAIM TO
HAVE NO IDENTIFICATION PAPERS. MANY SAID THAT THEY WERE
AWARE OF THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS (I.E. THE RIGHT TO AN ATTORNEY,


THE RIGHT TO ASK FOR TRANSLATORS, ETC.),BUT THEY WANTED TO
MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE POLICE TO ARREST, IDENTIFY, AND
ULTIMATELY DEPORT THEM TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES. CHAN
SPECULATED THAT HONG KONG POLICE ALSO MIGHT BE LOATHE TO
ARREST AND DETAIN FOREIGNERS, DUE TO THE EXTRA PAPERWORK AND
COSTS THESE ARRESTS GENERATE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE GOVERNMENT
PAYS HKD 500-2,000 PER HOUR (APPROXIMATELY USD 64 - 256) FOR
TRANSLATION SERVICES, IN ADDITION TO ARRANGING AND PAYING THE
DETAINEES LEGAL COSTS. MOREOVER, THE HIGH COST OF
DETENTION, AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT MIGHT TAKE
WEEKS TO IDENTIFY AND PROSECUTE THESE INDIVIDUALS, DETERRED
THE POLICE FROM TARGETING FOREIGN NATIONALS, SOME OF WHOM
COULD HAVE OVERSTAYED THEIR VISAS OR BEEN INVOLVED IN
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. IN COMPARISON, IT WAS FAR EASIER FOR THE
POLICE TO FILL THEIR QUOTAS BY ARRESTING MAINLANDERS, WITH
WHOM IT WAS MUCH EASIER TO COMMUNICATE AND WHO COULD EASILY
AND CHEAPLY BE DEPORTED ACROSS THE LAND BORDER.


11. (C) CHAN SPECULATED THAT ORGANIZED NETWORKS WERE TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF HONG KONG'S GENEROUS VISA REGIME, THE PROTECTION
OF DETAINEE RIGHTS, AND THE STRONG ENFORCEMENT OF THE RULE OF
LAW, BY SENDING INCREASING NUMBERS OF FOREIGNERS TO HONG KONG
TO WORK AS ILLEGAL DAY LABORERS OR PROSTITUTES. WITH MORE
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR ILLEGAL AFRICAN AND PAKISTANI DAY
LABORERS IN THE SHAMSHUIPO AREA, FOR EXAMPLE, FOREIGNERS
COULD BLEND MORE READILY INTO HONG KONG. MOREOVER, MANY
AFRICANS AND PAKISTANIS OFTEN COULD FIND ASSISTANCE FROM
THEIR ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IN HONG KONG. AS FOR
PROSTITUTES, IN THE PAST MOST WERE OF HONG KONG, MAINLAND
CHINA, OR PHILIPPINE ORIGIN, BUT IN RECENT YEARS CHAN HAD
NOTED GROWING NUMBERS FROM MOLDOVA AND THE UKRAINE; HE
BELIEVED THE EASTERN EUROPEAN PROSTITUTES CATERED PRIMARILY
TO MAINLAND TOURISTS. (NOTE: THE "SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST"
ALSO REPORTED AN INCREASE IN SPANISH-SPEAKING PROSTITUTES
FROM VENEZUELA AND COLUMBIA. END NOTE.)

PASSPORT SCAMS
--------------


12. (C) ANOTHER AREA OF CONCERN NOTED BY CHAN WAS THE SALE OF
PASSPORTS IN HONG KONG AND MACAU. HE EXPLAINED THAT EVEN IF
A NIGERIAN NATIONAL, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS DEPORTED BACK TO
NIGERIA AND BANNED FROM ENTERING HONG KONG, HE COULD BUY A
NEW NIGERIAN PASSPORT IN HIS HOME COUNTRY FOR USD 500 AND
REENTER HONG KONG ON THE NEW, GENUINE PASSPORT. ANOTHER
PASSPORT SCAM INVOLVED HONORARY CONSULS: IN BOTH HONG KONG
AND MACAU, SOME INDIVIDUALS HAVE VOLUNTEERED OR BOUGHT THEIR
WAY INTO HONORARY CONSUL POSITIONS OF SMALL ISLAND NATIONS OR
AFRICAN COUNTRIES. THE HONORARY CONSUL THEN COULD ISSUE OR
SELL PASSPORTS, INCLUDING DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS, TO INTERESTED
BIDDERS, REGARDLESS OF NATIONALITY OR BACKGROUND. CORRUPT
MAINLAND CADRES HAVE ALSO EXPLOITED THIS PASSPORT SCAM TO
LAUNDER ILL-GOTTEN FUNDS IN MACAU, EXPLAINED CHAN. A CORRUPT
MAINLAND CADRE MIGHT APPROACH A "SPECIAL COMPANY" IN MACAU,
WHICH WOULD HELP TO ARRANGE OR BUY A PASSPORT FROM A FOREIGN
COUNTRY, MOST LIKELY A FORMER PORTUGUESE COLONY SUCH AS
MOZAMBIQUE, FOR HIS SPOUSE. THE SPOUSE WOULD THEN CONTINUE
TO INVEST AND/OR LAUNDER FUNDS IN MACAU AND WOULD EVENTUALLY
QUALIFY FOR RESIDENCY; EVENTUALLY, THE MAINLAND CADRE WOULD
ALSO QUALIFY FOR RESIDENCY IN MACAU.
SAKAUE