選舉管理委員會就修改「區議會選舉活動建議指引」嘅諮詢，以下係本組提交嘅意見電郵（IT9 死性不改，deadline fighters，最後一日先至趕起 final version，晚上發出...）。有鑑於港府似乎嫌公眾上次「反送中」嘅反應太慢，所以今次我哋積極改善，將電郵同時抄送美國駐港領事館，務求一步到位，分秒不輸！
Subject: Confirmation Form? Not Again Please!
As a group of IT professionals working in Hong Kong and abroad, we are once again surprised by your daring proposal of introducing the Confirmation Form to the candidate nomination process (p.2, item Chapter 3 - Nomination of candidates) in the upcoming District Council Election.
This Confirmation Form is not lack of controversies. The Commission has demonstrated its use in the 2016 Legco Election and 2018 Legco By-election as a tool to disqualify candidates solely based on political views as judged by the Returning Officer, an arbitrary and unlawful exercise of powers by government officials. We hope the Commission does not need us to remind that such disqualifications of opposition candidates, legislators-elect and legislators since 2016 had led to strong criticisms by local and international communities.
Besides, we are in the midst of a political storm over the Extradition Law Amendment, of which there is still no end in sight of any closure. Why would any sensible government want to raise another highly controversial subject to the public now?
As we have warned before in our previous submission of comments to the Security Bureau re Extradition Law Amendment, any change that serves to weaken the autonomy and/or rights of the people of Hong Kong will face strong reaction from the U.S. By now, the U.S. further has the Hong Kong Human Rights & Democracy Act introduced to Congress. If our government continues to act irresponsibly, ignoring criticisms by international communities, we are one step closer to losing Hong Kong’s custom area privilege. Does the Commission aim to speed it up further?
If that is the purpose, we would like to offer our help again. Our group’s influence is tiny and resources limited but we will do our best with all other groups in the society to urge the U.S. Congress to take action as soon as possible. As you have witnessed in the Extradition Law Amendment fiasco, we are all tiny, all resources limited, leaderless and uncoordinated, but sometimes, we can make a big impact all together.
In case our government thinks that we were too slow to bring the matter to the attention of international communities last time, we have copied the U.S. Consulate General on this communication to speed up the process. We assure you that we can do better this time.
So, if the Commission insists, we are ready. Are you?
Patriotically yours,
Frontline Tech Workers
July 10, 2019
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後記：選管會網站上，「區議會選舉活動建議指引」好似成個 web page 唔見咗，我哋唔知係港府嘅習慣、機械故障、定係永久刪除... 有兩個原文嘅 link 失效，現補上 Google Cache。
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Original link p.2, item Chapter 3 - Nomination of candidates
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