The CCP’s takin’ names

If you are now or ever were a member of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Civic Party, Hu Jintao wants to know about it. From the unlinkable SCMP:

Beijing is seeking a membership list for the newly formed Civic Party, fearing “hidden members” could join this year’s Election Committee poll.

Sources close to the central government said officials from its liaison office in Hong Kong had been asking veteran professionals and businessmen from the city over the past month whether they had joined the new pro-democracy party. The Civic Party, launched in March, has kept its membership list confidential, as do all parties in the city, because of privacy concerns.

Bernard Lim Wan-fung, a former president of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, said an official from the liaison office asked about his political affiliation three weeks ago during a study trip in Guangzhou.

“He asked whether I had joined the Civic Party. I just told him that I hadn’t,” he said.

A member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, who did not want to be named, said Beijing was concerned “hidden members” from the Civic Party could join the Election Committee poll later this year. A date for the election has still to be set.

“Beijing is very much concerned because the Civic Party is stronger than the Democratic Party. I know people from the liaison office have been asking around about the membership list.

Look under your bed. If a Civic Party member is hiding there, let the party know.

The Discussion: 2 Comments

More on the CCP’s campaign to destroy people trying to empower Chinese in today’s Guardian:
“Despite Beijing’s promises of electoral accountability, rural voters are facing violent intimidation.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,,1765669,00.html

May 2, 2006 @ 6:40 am | Comment

China’s own McCarthyist witchhunt. How ironic.

May 2, 2006 @ 12:43 pm | Comment

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