Many of our young people are being misinformed that Hong Kong is losing its political freedom under Chinese rule. This is the message of ambitious politicians who know this is untrue, but who hope to win votes from enthusiastic young people, and to rule Hong Kong. I feel compelled to tell the truth, as one who has lived in Hong Kong since 1951. This story I tell is absolute truth.

One Sunday, more than 20 years ago, and only a few years before the signing of the Joint Declaration between China and Britain concerning 1997, I was asked by a group of public-housing tenants and some social workers to join a demonstration, to take a letter to Government House concerning a complaint over rents. I explained that I could not attend, because such demonstrations under the colonial system were illegal, and I did not wish to lead the people into a situation where they would be arrested, and if found guilty, would at that time have had a police record for life.

As they insisted on demonstrating, I told them to contact me if they had any problem.

The protesters, about 70 persons including social workers, set off in two buses, but they did not reach Government House. They were intercepted by police as they emerged from the cross-harbour tunnel, and were taken to a police station to be charged.

When they telephoned me to say what had happened, I tried to find out where they were being detained, and after some anxious hours, the police phoned me to ask if I would go and bail out all the people involved. As it was Sunday, I explained that I could not bring enough money for bail, but the police said my signature would be enough.

Imagine my shock when I arrived at the police station and found that they were all being charged with "unlawful assembly", including children aged seven or over. I asked one policeman how a child of seven could understand such a charge, but was told (quite politely) that they had been told to charge everyone from the age of seven, the age of responsibility at that time.

When I questioned a boy of seven why he was on the bus, he said, "My mammy took me". He had no idea why he had been arrested.

Another boy of about 12 said quite simply, "I was told I must go to court tomorrow, but I cannot, because I must go to school". Nevertheless, all were ordered to appear in court the next day.

Thanks to a sensible magistrate (and not all magistrates were sensible in those days), the young children were ordered out of the court at once, the tenants were acquitted, but the social workers were put on bond, which meant, having a police record at that time.

In those days, Hong Kong had a "Detention and Deportation Ordinance". Trials were secret, without legal representation, and after detention, the victims could be deported. I dealt with over 20 such cases of injustice.

That law was abolished only in June 1995, just in time to make it ineffective after 1997, under the Chinese Government. The SAR government has never attempted to reinstate it, although I think the Basic Law (Articles 8 and 18) could have had it reinstated. Hopefully, that will never happen now.

Anyone can judge from this story that it is totally untrue to say that Hong Kong is losing its freedoms. Actually, Hong Kong is more free than it ever has been, as well as more democratic.

Unfortunately, other countries believe the lie because they never hear the truth. One former US senator, Jesse Helms (a hawk of hawks), once said that the only person he believed in Hong Kong was Martin Lee. Like some people, he hears only what he wants to believe.

The above story raises some questions.

Less than five years after that episode, we were informed that Hong Kong would be returned to China in 1997.

Suddenly, as if crawling out of the woodwork, we found a "democrat" movement, led by people who had never once spoken against the injustices such as I have detailed above. Most noticeable among these was Martin Lee. Being a lawyer, he must have known what was going on, but he never uttered a word.

Other lawyers who now do not support the "democrats" had actually assisted me in dealing with cases of injustice through the courts, but took no prize for their brave efforts.

No doubt they have noticed the sudden rise of a new breed of people calling themselves democrats, people who had never said a word about corruption, need for the rule of law, human rights, democracy, and all those slogans the politicians now use.

This is why I have always questioned the motives of some of them, though I do not question the fact that young people, knowing none of the past situation, are now enthusiastic about what they think will be democracy. They will certainly be disappointed if they go for it. It will be only a power struggle.

Unfortunately, most people in Hong Kong have no access to recent past history, which indicates that in most - if not all - developing countries, ambitious people, seeking political power, have called for assistance from the United States, which is most willing to give it - at a price.

The strings attached eventually put the developing countries into the economic claws of corporate America. There is proof that about 40 countries worldwide have suffered from this new economic colonialism. Poor countries have become poorer as a result.

My deepest worry now is that the same may be attempted in Hong Kong. George W. Bush made it clear only recently when he met Pope John Paul II that he was against communism. We should know by now that China is the only large communist state and Bush has repeatedly said he will not allow any country to rise above the United States economically.

China has chosen the peaceful way. It takes little imagination to see that the US has used its overwhelming military power to dispose of all who fail to adopt its version of democracy.

Democracy is now a term used for "rampant capitalism" under the name of "free trade", and has nothing to do with democracy or human rights.

I hope the Hong Kong people will think hard before they support phony democracy.

(HK Edition 06/14/2004 page8)