2021 RBS MUNJAN 22. 23. 24
STUDY GUIDE The Historic General Assembly 2
Table of Contents:
1. Letter from the Chairs 2. The General Assembly 3. Introduction to the Agenda 4. Introduction to Hong Kong 5. Hong Kong-Mainland China Conflict Timeline 6. The Five Demands for Freedom 7. Areas of Concern a. Humanitarian Concerns b. Legal Concerns c. Economic Repercussions 8. Factions/People of Interest 9. Where does the World stand? 10. Paperwork a. Position Paper b. Communiques c. Questions a Resolution Must Answer 11. Final Remarks 12. Bibliography
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Letter from the Chairs
Dear Delegates,
The General Assembly this year looks not too far into the past, zooming back to 2019 in the special region of Hong Kong— fighting for its very soul. A fight for a free judiciary, democracy and human rights— as the GA, we are tasked with the responsibility of mitigating the dire consequences of the Extradition Bill on Hong Kong.
If the bill were ever to pass, the world would be looking at a fully Chinese state-run faux government, built on a simple premise of extraditing Hong Kongers to mainland China. Taking away the fundamental freedom rights inherent upon the population by their laws and batting down any form of protest as an act of malice against the government, the bill would turn Hong Kong into a state-controlled dystopia. Whilst the bill itself is simple, it’s implications are nuanced, and require not only a deep understanding of Chinese geopolitics, but also the international stance on the “Greater China.’’
We believe an ideal delegate would be the one keeping an eye out for the suttle detailsof the agenda. To us, the model delegate is one who conducts themselves with the utmost level of decorum, engages, and contributes generously through diplomatic discourse.
The dais panel consisting of us as chairs, Samman and Ashraya as your Vice-Chairs, and Sambriddhi and Swechha as your Moderators, looks forward to guiding you and seeing you flourish. While the pandemic has limited our worldviews to the confines of our laptops, we hope we collectively do not forget the recent past and foreseeable future. Whilst not in the same rooms we yearly visited, we hope to rekindle the flame of intellectual curiosity RBS MUN provided all of us. We look forward to seeing you all this winter, hopefully to a better year and indeed to an excellent three days.
We wish you all good luck! Stay safe!
Yours Sincerely, Larisha and Aaryavrath (Co-Chairs)
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The General Assembly
The General Assembly is the largest of the six organs of the United Nations Organization. It observes the presence of all UN member states and acts as a forum for discussion among them. The GA is mandated to do the following:
• Consider and approve the United Nations budget and establish the financial assessments of Member States. • Elect the non-permanent members of the Security Council and the members of other United Nations councils and organs and, on the recommendation of the Security Council, appoint the Secretary-General. • Consider and make recommendations on the general principles of cooperation for maintaining international peace and security, including disarmament. • Discuss any question relating to international peace and security and, except where a dispute or situation is currently being discussed by the Security Council, make recommendations on it. • Discuss, with the same exception, and make recommendations on any questions within the scope of the Charter or affecting the powers and functions of any organ of the United Nations. • Initiate studies and make recommendations to promote international political cooperation, the development and codification of international law, the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and international collaboration in the economic, social, humanitarian, cultural, educational, and health fields. • Make recommendations for the peaceful settlement of any situation that might impair friendly relations among countries. • Consider reports from the Security Council and other United Nations organs.
In the UNGA, each member country has one vote which they can choose to vote yes, no, or abstain during the resolution discussion. There is no veto power invested in any country. Under certain conditions, there might be observer nations or states who participate during committee discussions but do not have a vote.
Under the Historic General Assembly this year, we go back to August 5, 2019 to analyse the Hong Kong Extradition Bill and its consequences. In the first committee session, delegates are expected to place themselves on the freeze date. This applies to the stances of nations as well as any sources presented in the committee.
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Taking into consideration the urgency of the agenda at hand, delegates are allowed to make use of communiques that act as a call of action, either internally through closed communiques or as the committee itself through open communiques. The committee will try to move beyond the freeze date using crises that might consist of likely events of importance. A resolution that includes comprehensive solutions to different aspects of the bill as well as action plans introduced during crises, will be the final product of the HGA.
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Introduction to the Agenda Freeze Date: 5th August 2019
The power of extradition allows a jurisdiction to lawfully arrest a person convicted or accused of a criminal offense, and hand them over to the jurisdiction of the nation where the crime was committed.
International law creates no legal obligations for one state to process a request of extradition from another state. Extradition is seen more as a courtesy between nations, rather than a legal mandate. Yet, without obligation, the outcome of an extradition request is uncertain.
Even without formal extradition practices with China, Hong Kong enjoyed extradition relations with at least seventy-five states, their colonies, and dependent territories. With 2047 approaching and a legislature evolving to favour the CCP, Hongkong’s initial stance regarding extradition has been contested time and again.
The extradition bill, proposed in February 2019 and first read in April 2019, would amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance to create a system of mutual legal assistance between Hong Kong and areas outside it.
Hong Kong currently has mutual extradition agreements signed with 20 jurisdictions— including with those that mainland China doesn’t have— and provides legal assistance to 32 others.
The current fugitive ordinance, passed just ahead of the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty, explicitly states it does not apply for extradition and legal assistance to “the Central People’s Government or the government of any other part of the People’s Republic of China.”
As per the Criminal Matters Ordinance, there is no requirement for the Hong Kong government to hold discussions with the Chinese government when it comes to requests of extradition from other countries. The proposed bill would bring amendments that would create a system of extradition through a case-by-case basis for states that are not involved in mutual
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agreements with Hong Kong. This would open the avenue for extradition to mainland China, which was previously unavailable due to the restrictions from the incumbent ordinance.
As the CCP’s reputation around the world exists as an autocrat, many nations have faced insecurity regarding their longstanding extradition practices with Hong Kong. Referencing the 2015 abduction of Hong Kong booksellers, many critics fear unauthorized Chinese involvement in the extradition process and prospect of transferring suspects to China would bring about possibilities of “legalised kidnapping.”
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Introduction to Hong Kong
Historically, a port and currently one of the world’s biggest business centers, Hong Kong has been a land of extreme international interest. For more than 150 years, it was occupied by the British Empire and has been a longstanding symbol of western excellency nestled amongst the east. After the decline of the British Empire, Hong Kong went through a procedural transfer of power to the Chinese Republic. With a treaty in 1977 returning the city, Hong Kong has been a part of China’s one country two systems policy.
Under the treaty, China’s eventual possession of Hong Kong is scheduled for 2047. However, China has repeatedly tried to speed up the process through radical changes such as changing the official language to Mandarin and obstructing universal suffrage. Chinese infiltration in Hong Kong begins in Hong Kong’s legislature, with 70 members making the parliament, 41 are pro-Beijing while others are independent.
While China might be trying to assimilate Hong Kong, the two couldn’t be any more different. Unlike the one-party system of the mainland, Hong Kong has an array of parties with different ideologies, including pro-Beijing parties, pan-democrats, and localists. Moreover, the most significant difference comes from an economic standpoint. Hong Kong has a free market, characterised by low taxation and high GDP. Dominated by the service industry, about 1530
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MNCs have regional headquarters located in Hong Kong. However, ranking fourth on the UN HDI, it also has one of the world’s largest income disparities.
Hong Kong essentially operates independently under the “Basic Law of Hong Kong,” giving them their own executive, legislative, and judicial power. Within the framework of basic laws, Hong Kong exists under the freedom to formulate its own monetary and financial policies, maintain a unique currency, as well as create unique social policies on education, culture, social welfare etc. The People’s Republic of China solely navigates foreign affairs and manages the national defense of Hong Kong.
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Hong Kong-Mainland China Conflict Timeline
2003: First Security Law Attempt titles about China’s leaders. The booksellers later appeared on TV in mainland China The first major protests to hit Hong Kong admitting to a variety of crimes. A billionaire after the handover were sparked by the local businessman also disappeared in 2016 and government’s attempt to pass a national later surfaced in mainland custody, charged security law. Article 23 of the Basic Law — with corruption. Hong Kong’s mini-constitution — says the city must create a law prohibiting “treason, 2016/17: Lawmakers Disqualified secession, sedition (and) subversion.” Between 2016 and 2017, it became clear 2012: Education Reform that certain political views would no longer be allowed. Two pro-independence and four In 2012, an attempt to usher in more patriotic pro-democracy lawmakers were disqualified classes sparked student protests. Led by from Hong Kong’s legislature for changing then 15-year-old activist Joshua Wong, their oaths of office to protest Chinese rule. In tens of thousands of students, parents, and a rare interpretation of the Basic Law, Beijing teachers rallied against the plan which was said an oath-taker who was not of “sincere eventually scrapped. and solemn” manner should be disqualified.
2014: Rise of Umbrella Movement 2019: Extradition Bill Under Hong Kong’s Basic Law, Article 45 February 12: Hong Kong’s Security Bureau stipulates that the “ultimate aim” is for the (Carrie Lam’s government) proposes city’s leader to be selected by “universal legislature changes to extradition law. It suffrage,” but this promise has never been suggests amending the existing Fugitive fulfilled. In 2014, Beijing offered its version Offenders Ordinance (FOO) and the Mutual of universal suffrage — Hong Kongers would Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters be able to choose from a small group of Ordinance (MLAO) in order to allow ad pre-vetted candidates. The announcement hoc extraditions to jurisdictions with sparked a 79-day occupation of major which Hong Kong does not have existing thoroughfares known as the “Umbrella rendition arrangements, allowing extradition Movement.” of criminal suspects from Hong Kong to mainland China, Macau, and Taiwan. 2015: Disappearing Booksellers Five people are taken into mainland custody March 27: Hong Kong scales back the working for a bookstore publishing salacious proposal, removing nine categories of financial crimes including bankruptcy,
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securities and futures, and intellectual May 11: Scuffles break out in the legislature property. But the concessions do little to between pro-democracy lawmakers and silence outcry: the law still covers offenses those loyal to Beijing. including murder, polygamy, and robbery, which are all eligible for at least a three-year jail sentence under existing laws.
March 31: The Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), comprising dozens of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy groups, calls the first protest against the extradition amendments; thousands march to the government headquarters in admiralty. May 17: U.S. Secretary of State Mike April 3: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam’s Pompeo expresses concern that the Hong government introduces amendments to the Kong government’s proposed extradition extradition laws that would allow criminal amendments would “threaten Hong Kong’s suspects to be sent to mainland China for rule of law.” He also expressed support for trial. (Critics warned the bill could undermine Hong Kong’s long-standing protections of Hong Kong’s legal freedoms and might be human rights, fundamental freedoms, and used to intimidate or silence dissidents.) democratic values, which are guaranteed under the Basic Law. April 8: Mr. Zhang Xiaoming, the director of the Chinese office responsible for Hong May 20: The government, bypassing normal Kong, backs the legislation. procedure, withdraws the bill from the Bills Committee and schedules the second April 28: Tens of thousands march on Hong reading in a full legislative session on June Kong’s Legislative Council to demand the 12. scrapping of the proposed amendments. May 21: Chief Executive Carrie Lam says April 29: A Hong Kong court convicts “the LegCo (Legislative Council) needs to pass Valentine’s Day murder” suspect of money the extradition bill before summer. laundering and sentences him to 29 months in prison, but his potential early release in May 24: Under the direction of Secretary October fuels government calls to pass the for Security John Lee Ka-Chiu, the House extradition bill. Committee, with a pro-Beijing majority dismisses the Bills Committee.
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May 30: Secretary for Security John Lee protections and warns that delaying its announces measures to limit the scope of passage could be more divisive. Opponents extraditable crimes, including raising the urge a general strike the next Monday, days threshold for extradition to crimes punishable before the legislature plans to finish debate by seven or more years of imprisonment. on June 20.
June 4: Petition against the extradition law is signed by over 120,000 students, alumni, staff, and parents from 185 secondary schools, while hundreds attend the annual vigil for 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre victims.
June 6: Dressed in black, 3,000 Hong Kong lawyers take to the streets to protest the extradition law. June 12: Protesters take over the streets around Hong Kong’s legislature, known as Legco, and prevent lawmakers from entering to debate the extradition bill. Officers used tear gas to disperse the crowds in what will become a common practice in the months ahead.
June 9: Thousands of people demonstrate against the proposed amendments to Hong Kong laws that would allow suspects to be extradited to China to face trial.
June 11: The Legislative Council schedules June 13: More than 200 members of the debates amidst calls for further protests Chief Executive Election Committee call on and unprecedented strikes. Mrs. Lam, with Mrs. Lam to step down and withdraw the bill. a fresh statement of support from Beijing, says the bill provides enough human rights
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June 14: Debate on the bill is delayed yet July 21: Men in white T-shirts, some armed again, as opponents aim for another massive with poles, storm a train at rural Yuen Long rally on June 16. station, attacking passengers, after several thousand activists surrounded China’s June 15: Lam gives in, indefinitely postpones representative office. The pivotal attack the reading of the proposed bill to change triggers a massive backlash against the the extradition law. police who were accused of being slow to respond.
July 1: Protesters smash their way into the legislature building on the 22nd anniversary July 24: Protesters disrupt metro services of the handover from British to Chinese while China’s Defense Ministry announces rule, spray-paint slogans on the walls, tear troops stationed in Hong Kong may intervene down the portraits of legislative leaders and to help maintain public order, if necessary. deface the Hong Kong city emblem in the main chamber.
July 9: Lam says the extradition bill is dead and that government’s work on it had been a “total failure.”
July 26: Over a thousand protesters staged a sit-in at the Terminal 1 arrival hall of the airport in Lantau, holding up signs with protest slogans to reach foreigners visiting the city.
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July 30: Forty-four activists are charged with rioting, the first time the charge has been used during the protests.
August 2: Thousands of civil servants, supposedly politically neutral, joined millions in demonstrations.
August 3: Protests take place for the ninth consecutive weekend.
August 4: Protests take place across the region with demonstrators calling for a mass strike the next day. Lam invites student leaders to a meeting.
August 5: People observe a general strike with civil servants walking out and joining protests. Violence escalates as police use tear gas and rubber bullets to clear crowds. Large bonfires are set outside police stations around Hong Kong. Protests delay more than 200 flights in and out of Hong Kong. Nearly 148 protesters were arrested while 800 tear gas rounds were fired by the police
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The Five Demands for Freedom
1. The withdrawal of the extradition bill, 2. The end of the misappropriation of peaceful protesters as rioters, 3. The inquiry and investigation of cases of police brutality against protesters conducted through, government-independent bodies, 4. The dropping of all charges placed on protesters and release of those falsely accused and held in contempt, 5. The implementation of the promise of Universal Suffrage for the Legislative as well as the Chief Executive bodies in Hong Kong.
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Areas of Concern i) Humanitarian Concerns: Hong Kong is provided constitutional protection on various fundamental human rights and freedoms. Specifically, these rights are covered in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and international labour conventions which are implemented under Article 39 of the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance.
The question of humanitarian intervention is one much-debated internationally. Humanitarian intervention entails military presence in an already vulnerable state, raising questions of state sovereignty and rights of individuals. However, it may be a fair bargain to intervene when violations against the civilians during conflict can only be solved through international pressure.
Internationally, grounds for legal concerns come from the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified through the General Assembly resolution 2200A. The Covenant grants human rights protection based on civic discourse, as well as protecting political and civil rights. Freedoms such as freedom of assembly and association, freedom of speech, and numerous other clauses are said to have been obstructed throughout the Hong Kong protests. The obstruction of human rights globally is solved through processes of reconciliation due to the almost immediate response by vulnerable citizens through retaliation. However, the ability to reconcile lies on the prerequisite of both parties having equal ground, this is not found in Hong Kong due to the CCP’s influence.
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ii) Legal Concerns: Since its secession under the British Rule, Hong Kong has had a relatively uneventful transition of governments and policy structures in terms of how tumultuous a system modelled after Great Britain’s western laws fit and transition into China’s more conservative laws. This smooth transition endorsed by world leaders under the name “One Country, Two systems” is what provides Hong Kong special status in the global community. Unlike fellow secessionist nation Taiwan, Hong Kong eased into and strived for the idea of “universal suffrage” promised by the Chinese delegation. However, it is in the articles on national security, judiciary, and freedom rights of this legal system that the crux of the committee’s problems lie.
Hong Kong, which has repeatedly failed to enact a security law required under Article 23 of the Basic laws to be formed for the land, now sees it’s part-democratic soul challenged by the Extradition Bill. The Hong Kong pro-democracy movement sees the bill as a direct contradiction to the Basic Laws and policies of amnesty agreed upon by the Chinese delegation.
The situation turns grave for Hong Kong protesters and pro- democracy activists who find themselves looking to the courts to acquit them of false crimes or preserve their basic human rights. Although the courts in Hong Kong, as of Article 158, are bound to interpret the Basic Laws independently and protect its constituent members, the judiciary finds itself helpless when it comes to laws passed by the standing committee. This is due to a third clause in the article that defines matters “concerning affairs which are the responsibility of the Central people’s Government”— the judiciary must follow the interpretation of these laws from the standing committee itself. While this gaping loophole in the judiciary has sparked more conflicts, a bill as such, if ever implemented, would render an independent judiciary unattainable.
With mounting pressure on Carrie Lam, the process of passing the extradition bill is halted for now, and amendments have been put forth to soften its severity. With a high likelihood of the bill being scrapped altogether, the committee now must contemplate the potential of yet another bill pertaining to the extradition and security laws that the Beijing-influenced administration may put forward in the coming months.
The disappearance of the booksellers spreading anti-China messages and their mysterious reappearances in April of 2016, has already left a sour impression on world leaders and the citizens of Hong Kong on what life under the extradition bill may entail. The battle against
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these legal loopholes and contradictory bills must be handled with great delicacy and with the citizens’ sentiments in mind. The 2016 Fishball Riots are one of many examples demonstrating how tensions in Hong Kong need the smallest push to turn into a global crisis of unprecedented levels. iii) Economic Repercussions: Since entering the scene as an independent region, Hong Kong has quickly become one of the economic hubs of the world. However, the nationwide protests threaten Hong Kong with economic impacts more severe than the recession it is battling due to US-China trade wars. The Dutch Bank ING predicts the Hong Kong GDP to go down for the first time by about 3 %, only to further deplete by around 6% in 2020.
The nationwide protests have had severe impacts on the middle-class economy of the nation, with the retail sales of all constituencies reported to be plummeting every month. The retail market that makes up the backbone of the Hong Kong economy, contributing to 65% of the nation’s GDP, has reports a decline of 45 billion Hong Kong dollars since the start of the fiscal year. With local markets mostly closed due to protests and police imposed shutdowns, the local economy of Hong Kong finds itself in a precarious stage.
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City-wide, Hong Kong has been severely impacted by the decline in tourism, with figures from the Immigration Department estimating a decline of nearly 5 million tourists since the beginning of the year. Hotels in Hong Kong report an estimated 60% vacancy, while Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific reports tremendous losses amounting to tensof millions.
The only saving grace in this economic graveyard is its booming stock market. Despite public disputes and government clashes, potential investors continue to funnel money into Hong Kong since it is a direct gateway into the budding Chinese economy. The lure of the Chinese market keeps the Hang Seng index well above water and on its upward trend despite recessions.
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Factions/People of Interest
1. Occupy Central with Love and Peace
Known as the Umbrella Movement, the Occupy Central movement was a civil disobedience campaign led by pro-democracy figures Chu Yiu-ming, Benny Tai, Chan Kin-man, and the Hong Kong Federation of Students. The movement demanded election processes in Hong Kong to match the standards of universal voting rights, and no individual was to be restricted from standing for elections. While the Umbrella Movement failed to create a new system of universal suffrage, it did succeed in blocking the electoral reform package that would have created a nomination committee to block certain individuals from standing for elections.
• Chu Yiu-ming, the minister of the Chai Wan Baptist Church believed that political freedom held more significance than loyalty to the state. He has been a figure in the pro- democratic movement since his early years, notably during his Operation Yellowbird, where he helped individuals persecuted in mainland China escape to foreign lands through Hong Kong. • Benny Tai, an associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong, wrote an article known as “Civil Disobedience’s Deadliest Weapon,” which presented a seven-step peaceful protest method to put pressure on the government for a genuine democracy. It presented a plan proposing the removal of the super seats in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong to Beijing, which would lead to protests if Beijing rejected the proposal. After the rejection, the Umbrella Movement began. Tai would later create Operation ThunderGo, which was a plan wmapped to ensure a democratic majority in the legislature. While young democrats close to losing the election were able to land seats through the operation, veteran democrats were unable to retain their positions. In 2019, the government arrested Tai and sentenced him to 16 months in prison for “public nuisance.” • Chan Kin-man, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Hong Kong founded the Hong Kong Democratic Development Network alongside Chu Yiu-ming. Chan, during his involvement in the Umbrella Movement fervently promoted and supported the younger generation. He noted that a survey conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong showed 80 percent of young participants wanted equal voting and election rights.
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2. Hong Kong Federation of Students
The Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS) is an organization of student unions from higher education institutions created to increase the involvement of the student body in society. During the Umbrella Movement of 2014, the HKFS led a class boycott movement after Beijing’s proposal for a nomination committee.
Notable members:
• Alex Chow, then secretary-general of the HKFS, actively participated in the Umbrella Movement of 2014. He was one of the students nominated for negotiations with the government, which ultimately never happened. The government banned Chow from travelling to mainland China when he and two other students attempted to travel to Beijing to petition the government. On 21st July 2016, Chow and other students were arrested for unlawful assembly during the movement. After a year, his term was extended to 7 months. In 2018, Chow and his friends were able to overturn their sentences at the Court of Final Appeal.
• Lester Shum, then deputy secretary-general of the HKFS, was among the students nominated for holding talks with the government for negotiations, which brought no resolution. After the HK Police Force used tear gas on protesters, Shum demanded the Chief Executive of Hong Kong CY Leung to step down. Shum was among the students arrested alongside Alex Chow.
• Nathan Law, then representative of Lingnan University Student Union, was among the students nominated for talks with the government. Law would go on to be the next secretary-general of the HKFS. Law formed the political party Demosistō alongside Joshua Wong in 2016 with the goal of self-determination of HK citizens after the one country, two systems policy expires. He ran in the 2016 legislative council election and was elected at the age of 23, making him the youngest councillor. His stances were deemed controversial by the government and were disqualified in July 2017.
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• Joshua Wong, was another student nominated to participate in negotiations with the government. Wong was one of the prominent students who were arrested during the Occupy Central movement. He has spoken about the police resorting to brutality at the time of his arrest. Wong formed Demosistō alongside Nathan Law to protect the identities of HK citizens after the expiration of the one country, two systems. Wong also wanted to run for the legislative elections but was too young to do so. He was among the students arrested alongside Alex Chow and after his release, he was involved in the protests against the National Security Law of 2020.
3. Carrie Lam served as the Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong from 2012- 2017 and is serving as the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. During her time as Chief Secretary for Administration, she led the task force for constitutional reforms for the 2016 legislative elections. These reforms were what led to the Umbrella Movement. Lam was the official who held negotiations with the HKFS, which availed no resolution. After being elected as the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Lam made controversial decisions of disqualifying pro-democracy candidates and parties for the elections. Her administration also branded the Hong Kong National Party as criminals, and was responsible for the formulation of the Hong Kong extradition bill.
4. Roy Kwong Chun-Yu Member of the Democratic Party and the Legislative Council through the super seats, Chun-Yu has been a popular pro-democracy councillor since 2007. Before Nathan Law, he was the youngest elected legislator at the age of 24 in 2007. Chun-Yu was elected in 2016 with a record-breaking number of votes through Benny Tai’s Operation ThunderGo. He is frequently seen in the extradition bill protests, calling for both protesters and police to remain calm.
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5. Silent Majority for Hong Kong The pro-Beijing political group endorsed by the government was formed in 2013 by former radio host Robert Chow. Silent Majority for Hong Kong supported the electoral reform package of 2014 that would allow the exclusion of pro-democratic parties. Robert Chow had established a telephone hotline to gain information on schools that allowed the absence of students to participate in the Umbrella Movement protests, which was widely condemned. A survey from the University of Hong Kong showed that 25 percent of the people believed the movement would succeed, but Chow would go on to publicize this as 75 percent of Hong Kong citizens supporting Beijing.
6. Hong Kong Police Force The HK police have been a very controversial organization. During the Umbrella Movement, the police were able to turn into the people’s enemy overnight following the brutal beating of a protester and 87 instances of tear gas use. Several officers supported by the pro-Beijing camp were imprisoned. Amnesty International reported 14 counts of misconduct from the HK police, mainly during their handling of the 2019-2020 protests. They in numerous incidents refused to show their identification or warrants and in June 2019, were recorded beating a legislative council member as well as a protester without making any arrests.
7. Chan Tung-Kai Chan Tung-Kai, at age 19, murdered his girlfriend on 17th February 2019 in Taipei, Taiwan. The legal system of extradition was complicated as Taiwan and Hong Kong had no extradition treaty, since the Chinese Government does not recognize the government of Taiwan. Hong Kong also does not have an extradition treaty with mainland China due to the one country, two systems policy. This case presented Beijing with the loopholes and thus went on to become a catalyst for the proposal of the extradition bill. This proposal sparked protests all over Hong Kong.
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Where does the World stand?
United States of America: “United in the fight for democracy and freedom” is a stance the United States of America and its closest allies have built their foreign policies around; this holds true for their take on Hong Kong as well. The case of Hong Kong and America is rather odd. Despite being administered and heavily influenced by China and its policies, Hong Kong has been specially recognized by the United States of America due to its Basic Laws and the One Country Two Systems policy that aligns it with its democratic policies. This has opened the door for economic and diplomatic ties to be established between the two. With the proposal of the Extradition Bill steering Hong Kong against U.S ideals, the United States’ Secretary of State had condemned the extradition bill as an invitation to Chinese impunity. The United States in dealing with Hong Kong have always looked for active dialogue between Chinese leaders and protesters to find solutions, but have also vehemently opposed the inhumane bill. A fractured relationship with the U.S could see Hong Kong not only level its economy to rock bottom, but also lose trade deals and diplomatic ties with most western allies.
United Kingdom & The European Union: The UK and the European Union, much like its farther western neighbours, have vehemently condemned the extradition bill and called for its withdrawal. Having continuously provided asylum to Hong Kongese refugees, the UK and The EU want the democratic rule of law to prevail in Hong Kong. Their remarks have been met with condemnation by Beijing itself.
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Threats of possible economic sanctions by the USA, the UK, and the EU raises serious questions in the Hong Kong region, given that the EU remains its second-biggest trade partner. Since the issue first raised European eyebrows in 2014, any serious action has yet to be taken by the United Kingdom and its EU counterparts
African Nations: With the conception of the African initiative by China, African nations have become allies of the nation. China is the African continent’s largest trading partner (involvement topping $200 billion every year) with massive BRI projects underway, these projects include: building railroads, hospitals, universities and stadiums. As a result, many African nations hold blind allegiance to Chinese practices. While few nations like Uganda have shown out-right support, others like Liberia, Malawi, Zimbabwe have had conversations with their counterparts admitting compliance to any action taken by China, and others such as Ethiopia, Nigeria and Kenya do not question Chinese actions as a result of remaining under debt. While the freeze date pertains to a situation without official support, the African bloc must understand its compromised position in the committee.
Asia & other Nations: Majority of the Asian nations have maintained a general stance of neutrality, referring to the incidents as “isolated events” under China’s internal conflicts. While nations such as Pakistan, Nepal support the pro-Beijing factions in mainland China, no Asian country has taken any significant action to impact the situation in Hong Kong or the global political sphere.
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Paperwork a. Position Paper:
The Position Paper is the culmination of your knowledge on the agenda, research into the problem, and ability to think critically, summed up in a 2-page document that entails (keeping respective national foreign policies in mind) your nation’s stances on the agenda, the problems your nation identifies and the solution your nation can provide to help mitigate the problems. The position paper is your first impression on the dais as a delegate and essentially lays the foundation you build your case on throughout the committee.
Sample Position Paper:
COMMITTEE: United Nations Security Council COUNTRY: The United Kingdom TOPIC AREA: The Bosnian War
The rising tensions between the Yugoslav nations, delicate political situations among member nations, threat to life to ethnic groups, and the prospect of an all-out war;
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: With the end of the world war in 1945, the fall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic a.k.a the USSR left a major power vacuum in the Eastern European region of the continent. Once under influence of the Soviet premiership, the Eastern European nations in the Yugoslavian region seek for independence and sovereign rule of their own nations. Hence the clashing ideologies and the race to fill the void of a major power in East Europe threaten to unleash an unforeseen war in the Balkan region.
NATIONAL POLICIES: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland fully recognized and supports the nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Croatia in its vie for freedom from the Yugoslavian mainland. The United Kingdom condemns the actions of Serb nationalists under the influence of various political figureheads in the mass killings of the innocent killing of hundreds of Bosnian Muslims in the regions of Doboj and its underlying Bosnian borders. The United Kingdom however believes that the solution to the rising tension shall not be reached upon by the conflicting nations through means of violence. The United Nations calls upon Resolution 713(25th September 1991) and reiterates its full support towards the arms
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embargo enforced on the Bosnian mainland and shall continue to do so as per its nationals interests and under the UN guidelines. It also calls upon the Resolution 724 and Resolution 743 pledging full support to the United Nations Protective Force (UNPROFOR) deployed in the Bosnian region and is open to the contribution of more military troops for the mission in Bosnia. The United Kingdom as a member of NATO believes NATO shall uphold the aforementioned resolutions to full effect and maintain a steady presence in Eastern Europe until the problem is well solved and peace returns to the mainland. It shall also along with NATO help the United Nations Security Council further enforce various litigation and “No-Fly” zones in the region of Bosnia.
SOLUTIONS:
The United Kingdom believes a most effective solution to the problem at hand is only possible when;
1. The Serbian nationalists along with its allies agree to a temporary “ceasefire and no advancement” pact in the Bosnian region, 2. Peace talks and negotiations to be held in the region among the two parties under the supervision of related UNO agencies and representatives of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 3. Deployment of a Peacekeeping mission in the nation of Serbia possibly an extension of the UNPROFOR, 4. Full recognition and integration of the nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Croatia into the European Union, 5. The Nations of Bosnia, Slovenia, and Croatia to be instated as sovereign states with its inherent population, 6. Strict Penalization or action to be taken against any nation found to be in violence of the arms embargo or any treaty signed henceforth per the UN Charter and international laws, 7. Proper investigation and court trials of the accused in the incidents of various genocides and massacres that have taken place, 8. Deployment of specialized UN agencies and non-governmental organizations into the Bosnian region to ensure and maintain and provide basic human rights and necessities in war and violence hit areas, 9. Enforcement of a “No Fly Zone” by a major organization such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization with respect to UN Guidelines and national interests of its member nations, 10. Proper reconstruction and development of war hit regions in the Bosnian region through foreign aid under the jurisdiction of the government of the nation and the UN.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:
• UN-“Resolution713”–25thSeptember-https://documents-ddsny.un.org/doc/ RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/596/60/IMG/NR059660.pdf?OpenElement • UN-“Resolution724”https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/ NR0/596/49/IMG/NR059649.pdf?OpenElement • Marr,Andrew-“Britain set to break with US over Bosnia: Major ready for air strikes but will veto any move to lift arms embargo” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ britain-set-to-break-with-us-over-bosnia-major-ready-for-air-strikes-but-will-veto-any- move-to-lift-1458172.html • “Operation Grapple”-https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060020933 • Lampe, John R -“Bosnian War”https://www.britannica.com/event/Bosnian-War b. Communique:
Although not branded as a conventional crisis committee, the Historic General Assembly still allows its delegates to exercise the power of writing communiques with meticulously planned policies and courses of action. A communique, known to many as the Excalibur of any delegate’s arsenal, allows the delegate or a group of delegates to execute their plans and take decisive actions that have implications in the real-time scenario of our committee proceedings. Communiques allows delegates to play the ‘Deus Ex Machina’ to the narrative of the committee, steering it in the direction of their country’s best interest. However, this year, the dais panel shall be extremely persnickety on the communique’s touch with realism.
There are two major types of communique that can be passed by the dais during committee sessions:
i. Open Communique: As its name suggests, an open communique, if ratified by the dais, shall have its contents read out to the entire committee as actions taken by the author(s) of said communique. Once readout, the document in question and its content shall be held as official and liable actions taken by the author nation(s). It shall be treated as admissible evidence within the committee if needed.
ii. Closed Communique: On the other hand, a closed communique is passed in secret with the dais members’ permission. Once passed, the document and its affirmative actions shall be carried out without information to the committee members. The committee shall only receive word of actions taken in the closed communique once a significant update is presented to the committee through the dais.
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While communique does not have to be under a specific format, we advise delegates to use the format below. As the communique is called to action, we advise the committee to be extremely specific with the actions they are to take. A detailed communique with less room for interpretation is to be preferred.
Sample Communique:
Barisha Government Plans 1.3 Authors: The United States of America Sponsors: The United Kingdom, The Republic of France To: The Dias
The Senate has……………………….
Signed, The Delegation of the United States of America c. What we expect from a Resolution:
1. How are cases of police brutality to be handled in the mainland? 2. How and who is to be held accountable for the violation of the basic laws of Hong Kong? 3. Does the west still grant special privileges to Hong Kong despite its deviation from the democratic One Country, Two Systems legislation? 4. How is the committee to address present and any future bills violating current Basic Laws in the region of Hong Kong? 5. How are investigations and extradition processes to be handled among the special regions of China? 6. What actions are to be taken by nations and the IC if any party is found guilty of violating any state and international laws? 7. How does the committee address fugitives taken in for protesting? 8. How is the international community to define and fulfill its role as foreign emissaries in the conflict-laden, zone if deemed necessary by the committee?
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Final Remarks
This study guide barely serves as an introduction to the complex web of politics in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. Upon further research on your country’s stance, you shall find isolated policies on sovereign states and may devise strategies beforehand. The dais panel expects you to be prepared for anything in the committee including a crisis. This year, the HGA committee shall test not only the depth of your research but also your spontaneity and strategizing skills.
The dais panel believes that work without an end product is no work at all— delegates must ensure they are able to come to a consensus and prevent the possibility of several working papers and resolutions failing. Hence, we expect the delegates to handle the fragile situation in Hong Kong with caution, atmost diplomacy, effective lobbying, and craft detailed resolutions that satisfy the needs of the committee and more importantly, address the problem at hand.
All information or paperwork presented to the dais or the committee, if derived in part, or taken from the internet, must provide appropriate citations (in MLA format) to the site the information has been obtained from. While the dais will tolerate a certain degree of similarity within the submitted documents to those available on the internet, any instance of plagiarism shall be met with a harsh penalty along with an automatic disqualification from any committee award.
Those delegates looking to familiarise themselves with the new normal in online committee sessions would find perusing through the RBS MUN Delegate Handbook extremely useful.
If any form of confusion persists, please feel free to contact the dais or the organizing committee at the respective email addresses below.
Dais: [email protected] Organizing Committee: [email protected]
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Bibliography
1. “The People of Hong Kong versus the China Extradition Bill · Global Voices.” Global Voices, https://globalvoices.org/specialcoverage/2019-special-coverage/the-people-of-hong- kong-vs-the-china-extradition-bill/ 2. Chan, Holmes. “‘Trojan Horse’: Hong Kong’s China Extradition Plans May Harm City’s Judicial Protections, Say Democrats.” Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, 31 Mar. 2020, https:// hongkongfp.com/2019/02/13/trojan-horse-hong-kongs-china-extradition-plans-may- harm-citys-judicial-protections-say-democrats/ 3. Ives, Mike. “What Is Hong Kong’s Extradition Bill?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 June 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/06/10/world/asia/hong-kong-extradition- bill.html. 4. Extradition and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. scholarlycommons.law. case.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1700&context=ji 5. Corissajoy. “Human Rights Violations.” Beyond Intractability, 5 July 2016, www. beyondintractability.org/essay/human_rights_violations. 6. editor, AT, and AT editor. “Hong Kong, Africa and the One China Policy.” Africa Times, 29 Oct. 2019, https://africatimes.com/2019/10/06/hong-kong-protests-africa-and-the-one- china-policy/ 7. Shepard, Wade. “What China Is Really Up To In Africa.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 3 Oct. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2019/10/03/what-china-is-really-up-to-in- africa/?sh=6c939de55930. 8. “United Nations, Main Body, Main Organs, General Assembly.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/en/ga/about/background.shtml. 9. “External Trade - Overview: Census and Statistics Department.” External Trade - Overview | Census and Statistics Department, 12 Nov. 2020, www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/ so40.jsp. 10. “Labour - Overview: Census and Statistics Department.” Labour - Overview | Census and Statistics Department, 17 Nov. 2020, www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/so30.jsp. 11. YenNee_Lee. “5 Charts Show How Protests in Hong Kong Have Affected the City’s Economy and Stock Market.” CNBC, CNBC, 26 Dec. 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/12/26/ hong-kong-protests-impact-on-economy-stock-market-in-five-charts.html. 12. editors, The. “What Are the Five Key Demands of Hong Kong?” SupChina, 30 June 2020, https://supchina.com/2019/10/23/what-are-the-five-key-demands-of-hong-kong/ 13. Lev Nachman and Brian Hioe for The Diplomat. “Friends from Hong Kong: Taiwan’s Refugee Problem.” – The Diplomat, For The Diplomat, 19 Nov. 2019, https://thediplomat. com/2019/10/friends-from-hong-kong-taiwans-refugee-problem/
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14. “Hong Kong Exports1952-2020 Data: 2021-2022 Forecast: Calendar: Historical.” Hong Kong Exports | 1952-2020 Data | 2021-2022 Forecast | Calendar | Historical, https:// tradingeconomics.com/hong-kong/exports 15. Grossman, Derek. “One Country, Two Systems, Lots of Problems.” Foreign Policy, 21 June 2019, https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/06/21/one-country-two-systems-lots-of- problems/ 16. Times, Global. “US Double Standards on Domestic Riots and Hong Kong Turmoil Mocked on Chinese Internet.” Global Times, www.globaltimes.cn/content/1190110.shtml. 17. “Hong Kong Protests: The Key Players.” BBC News, BBC, 2 Dec. 2014, www.bbc.com/ news/world-asia-china-29408476. 18. UCL Asiatic Affairs. “The ‘Hong Kong Crisis’: The Key Players and Figures.” UCL Asiatic Affairs, UCL Asiatic Affairs, 3 June 2020, www.uclasiaticaffairs.com/publications-list/ the-hong-kong-crisis-the-key-players-and-figures.
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