HK Protesters Angry at HSBC's Laura Cha for Comparing Pro-Democracy Demand to Slave Emancipation

Nov 01, 2014 07:02 AM EDT

(Photo : Reuters / Tyrone Siu) Pro-democracy activists clash with the police during a protest outside the hotel where China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Deputy General Secretary Li Fei is staying, in Hong Kong September 1, 2014.

A quote by Laura Cha, board member of HSBC Holdings, comparing the demand of protester in Hong Kong for democracy, has angered residents and led thousands of demonstrators to sign an online petition to denounce her remarks.

So far, as of Friday night, 6,000 have signed the petition on an English-only website created by a Jeffrey Chan from Hong Kong.

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Addressed to the HSBC board of directors, the petition states: "We, the Hong Kong public, will not stand these remarks likening our rights to slavery, now will we stand the kind of voter disenfranchisement her and her associates attempt to perpetrate on the Hong Kong public."

The petition also pointed to Cha's alleged "lack of understanding of American history" that the full ratification in 1870 of the 15^th Amendment granted full voting rights and full emancipation of the African-American slaves.

The petitioners sought an apology from Cha, who is likewise a member of Hong Kong's Executive Council, chairs the Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) and an MP in China's legislature.

She was quoted by Standard as saying, "American slaves were liberated in 1861 but did not get voting rights until 107 years later. So why can't Hong Kong wait for a while?"

For Cha, democracy is not achieved in just one step and the push by protesters places investor confidence in Hong Kong at risk. In response to the petition, Cha explained that she did not intend to disrespect the protesters and apologized for her comment.

Both HSBC Asia-Pacific and the FSDC declined to comment on the issue since it is a political matter, while Michael Yu, spokesman of the Executive Council, said that Cha's statement is proof that "every country's path to democracy was evolved in its own historical context."

But at the same time, Yu said that Cha did not intend to disrespect and regrets "that her comment has caused concerns."

New York Times reports that Alex Chow, one of the student leaders, is mulling going to Beijing to talk to Chinese officials since discussions with local officials appear futile. Chow wants to time the planned move Beijing's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum which opens next week and will close on Nov. 12. Among those attending the gathering is U.S. President Barack Obama.