Robert Chow (inset) is among the anti-Occupy stalwarts invited to Beijing to attend the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Photos: Xinhua, HKEJ
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying is leading a 287-strong Hong Kong delegation to attend the large-scale military parade in Beijing on Thursday.
Alliance for Peace and Democracy spokesman Robert Chow Yung, former police commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung and assistant police commissioner for operations Jacob Cheung Tak-keung are among the delegates, Ming Pao Daily reported on Wednesday.
The military parade will be the highlight of celebrations on the mainland marking the 70th anniversary of end of World War II.
When asked whether his invitation to this year’s celebrations has something to do with his role in the anti-Occupy movement, Chow said: “I don’t know why, but I would go as I am invited.”
Chow had been invited to attend the 60th anniversary parade back in 2009 as a journalist.
Also on the invitation list are other pillars of the anti-Occupy movement such as Zheng Chi-yan, Wong Kwan-yu and solicitor Maggie Chan Man-ki who represented a minibus operator in obtaining an injunction order to clear the streets of Mong Kok during the 79-day Occupy protests.
Ivan Choy Chi-keung, a senior lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the stalwarts of the anti-Occupy movement were invited obviously in recognition of what they had done during the protests in support of the establishment.
During the 2009 celebrations, only high-ranking Hong Kong government officials such as then security chief Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong and then immigration director Simon Peh Yun-lu had been invited.
Even Tang King-shing, the police commissioner at the time, was not invited.
This time around, a number of police officials are on the invitation list, including incumbent police commissioner Lo Wai-chung and his predecessor Andy Tsang Wai-hung.
Also invited to Beijing were Democratic Party vice chairman Tik chi-yuen, Ronny Tong Ka-wah, who earlier quit the Civic Party and resigned from the legislature, and Joseph Lee Kok-long, an independent lawmaker representing the health services, along with legislators from the pro-establishment camp.
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