|
|
|
Events >> The Democracy Award >> 1997 Democracy Award
|
 Biography Acceptance Speech |
Martin C.M. Lee, founder and chairman of Hong Kong's first political party, received NED's 1997 Democracy Award. This award is presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to advancing democracy in their native countries. Mr. Lee, a member of the now-dissolved elected Legislative Council, has vigorously supported freedom of the press, full democratic elections, the rule of law, and human rights. He was instrumental in the passage of Hong Kong's Bill of Rights and has been unyielding in his defense of the principle of "one country, two systems." Moreover, Mr. Lee hopes that Hong Kong's system--with its emphasis on the rule of law, human rights, and free markets--will be extended ultimately to China.
On 9 April 1997, hundreds attended the awards ceremony on Capitol Hill to honor Martin Lee's accomplishments. Those senators and representatives who addressed the group spoke in a common voice in praise and admiration for the tireless democratic activist. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Lee spoke about the democratic spirit in Hong Kong: "The flame of democracy has been ignited now, belatedly, and it's burning in the hearts of all the men and women of Hong Kong. An iron fist cannot extinguish it." Mr. Lee tempered his optimism and clear faith in the people of Hong Kong with an acknowledgment of the formidable challenges that face a democratic city within an authoritarian system. These obstacles, however, far from discouraging him, fuel Mr. Lee's guiding philosophy: "It is only when I give up that I lose." |
|
| |