Unofficial Hong Kong poll on right to vote angers Beijing
- 10 years ago
An unofficial referendum is underway in Hong Kong.
The ballot, organised by the protest group Occupy Central, is calling for the right to vote to elect the next leader of the territory in 2017.
The poll has infuriated Communist leaders in Beijing.
Organisers are hoping for a big turnout to send a strong message to China: “I feel disappointed. I thought there would be one country, two systems Hong Kong people want the right to vote after fighting for so many years. But now there is more and more suppression and tighter control. I think it’s really scary,” said one participant.
Campaigners claim that the website has come under cyber attack on two occasions.
Occupy Central say as many as 600,000 people have voted in the ballot which ends on June 29.
Hong Kong watchers believe this could be the start of a period of organised dissent against the government in Beijing.
The ballot, organised by the protest group Occupy Central, is calling for the right to vote to elect the next leader of the territory in 2017.
The poll has infuriated Communist leaders in Beijing.
Organisers are hoping for a big turnout to send a strong message to China: “I feel disappointed. I thought there would be one country, two systems Hong Kong people want the right to vote after fighting for so many years. But now there is more and more suppression and tighter control. I think it’s really scary,” said one participant.
Campaigners claim that the website has come under cyber attack on two occasions.
Occupy Central say as many as 600,000 people have voted in the ballot which ends on June 29.
Hong Kong watchers believe this could be the start of a period of organised dissent against the government in Beijing.