China Research Seminar public talk
February 27, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Mānoa Campus, Moore Hall 109
Announcing a Chinese Studies public talk
“Autonomy as a Form of Internal
Self-Determination: Why the United Nations
Should be Monitoring Implementation of ‘One
Country, Two Systems’ in Hong Kong and Macauâ€
by
Carole Petersen, J.D.,
Professor, William S Richardson School of Law, and
Graduate Chair, Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, 91ƷϳԹ Manoa
Wednesday, February 27, 2019, 12:00 pm,
Moore Hall 109, 1890 East-West Rd, 91ƷϳԹM
In 1972, Hong Kong and Macau were removed from the United Nations’ list of non-self-governing territories. This decision,
made without public consultation, set the stage for the application of the “One Country, Two Systems†(OCTS) model
of autonomy to Hong Kong (in 1997) and Macau (in 1999). When OCTS was first explained to the people of Hong Kong,
both the Chinese and British governments promised that Hong Kong would enjoy an extraordinarily high degree of autonomy,
including a separate legal system, a separate currency, and the enforcement of human rights treaties that do not
apply in Mainland China. Now, however, many commentators would agree that OCTS is in a state of crisis in Hong Kong.
Both Beijing and certain pro-democracy advocates have adopted unduly rigid positions, making it increasingly difficult for
moderates to bridge the divide. Beijing has also overreacted to the small independence movement and intervened in ways
that threaten civil liberties, rule of law and clean government. While the transition has been smoother in Macau, there
are also signs that Macau’s autonomy is eroding. Professor Petersen therefore proposes a new approach to preserve
autonomy, one that relies less on street protests and more on gaining international recognition of a right to practice internal
self-determination, particularly when the decolonization process was not completed in accordance with the normal
rules of international law. She also argues that the UN needs to take a more active role in monitoring the implementation
of OCTS in Hong Kong and Macau. Internal self-determination can provide a peaceful mechanism for resolving territorial
disputes. However, if OCTS ultimately fails to provide meaningful autonomy, then separatist movements will be less likely to
accept internal self-determination as an alternative to independence.
Carole Petersen taught in Hong Kong from 1989 to 2006, specializing in constitutional law, human rights, and anti-discrimination
law. She is a former Director of the University of Hong Kong’s Centre for Comparative and Public Law and
currently serves as a member of its international advisory board. She holds a BA from the University of Chicago, a JD
from Harvard Law School, and a Postgraduate Diploma in the Law of the People’s Republic of China from the University of
Hong Kong.
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Ticket Information
Free admission
Event Sponsor
Center for Chinese Studies, Mānoa Campus
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