June 23rd, 2003

Crises of Confidence in HK Cause for Concern

According to Bloomberg News Service reports, a crisis of confidence is occurring Hong Kong as the result of the lack of transparency in reporting of the SARS situation in China. Confidence in China is further being eroded by the new anti-subversion laws. These new laws are expected to be approved in the largely Beijing-appointed legislature in July. These laws have drawn wide-spread criticism from lawyers, bankers, publishers and some legislators who see in them the curtailment of freewheel and information.

The fear is that the once-booming Hong Kong stock market that has remained stagnant, will further erode as free speech among economists, journalists, business executives, academics and medical professionals is curtailed. Free speech and liberty has always been important to investors, and consequently, as these freedoms erode and disappear, investors become nervous and withdraw from the market. Hong Kong has already lost much of the economic dynamism that once made it the envy of the world, and it is feared that muzzling free expression will accelerate the process. Bloomberg notes that the undemocratic way the laws have been handled should worry investors since they were written behind closed doors, with little room for public discussion about their contents or implications.

The effect of the new laws could mean that a doctor who raises concerns about the SARS epidemic could in theory be punished. A journalist who questions the government’s response to the virus could be silenced. A non-governmental organization could also find itself in trouble for speaking out. Some publications that reported truthfully on the SARS epidemic and other government scandals or sensitive issues have been warned to cease such reports or expect punishment for those who disobey. That also applies to investigative reporting.

China Monitor reports that according to the London Telegraph, the Communist Party in Beijing has banned China's Shakespeare Association and more than 60 other seemingly inoffensive academic and cultural groups. The web site of the Civil Affairs Ministry notes that these organizations had failed to fulfill “registration requirements.”

These restrictions are cause for concern in the Christian community as well since great tension already exists between the government and house churches that refuse to register with the government. These restrictions could possibly mean a return to more widespread punishment of those who resist government edicts, and the closing down of unauthorized groups. The gradual tightening of the noose that closes off free speech threatens every aspect of life and liberty in Hong Kong.

Make it a matter of prayer, and pray for the continued freedom of worship in Hong Kong and the fulfillment of it throughout China.