It's time the truth about the roles played by US-funded NGOs - NED and NID - during the 'Occupy' protests was made public, now that a US Congress delegation is meeting Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.

1. Article 23

The Basic Law is a constitutional document of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), which sets out clearly the country's basic policies regarding Hong Kong.

Article 23 of the Basic Law states:"The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People's Government, or theft of state secrets, to prohibit foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting political activities in the Region, and to prohibit political organizations or bodies of the Region from establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies".

In 2003, National Endowment for Democracy (NED) supported Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor (HKHRM) and Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) in opposing the enactment of Article 23 legislation, describing the leading role of the HKHRM in the Article 23 protests in Hong Kong as being an example of past and present NED programs and the efforts of the HKCTU in the Article 23 protests in Hong Kong as being an NED Event. NED grants to the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor increased from $60,000 in 2003 to $173,280 in 2004.

The NED is a "foreign political organization" under Section 2 Interpretation of the Societies Ordinance, CAP 151, Laws of Hong Kong, because it is funded by the US government and other governments and is subject to audit by the US government, which means if Article 23 had been enacted, none of the later NED or National Democratic Institute (NDI) activities could have been undertaken.

Question: Who authorized this attack on Hong Kong's Basic Law and was the reason for this attack to pave the way for all subsequent NED and NDI interference in Hong Kong's political affairs?

Question: Who authorized the increase of funds to the HKHRM and were these increases a reward for their leading role in the Article 23 protests?

2. Voter guides

In 2003 and 2004, NDI used NED grants to produce and support the distribution of voter guides in the 2003 district council elections and the 2004 Legislative Council elections in Hong Kong.

Question: Who authorized this interference in Hong Kong's elections?

3. Recruiting politicians, academics and journalists

On Dec 16, 2006, Christine Chung organized the conference on 'The Role of Political Parties in Hong Kong' with the Centre for Comparative and Public Law at University of Hong Kong (HKU), which in her own words was an NDI 'recruiting' exercise to identify political 'partners' in Hong Kong.

Question: Which politicians, academics and journalists were recruited, what role did they play then and now? We want their names, current positions held and details of remuneration or financial support given.

4. Targeted programs

In 2007, the NDI consolidated their activities in Hong Kong into four complementary programs, The Promise of Democratization in Hong Kong report series, public opinion polls, Youth Public Participation and Women's Political Participation.

In December 2007, the NDI partnered with the International Studies Department at Hong Kong Baptist University to launch an annual youth program to bring together students from all eight of Hong Kong' s universities in a politically focused forum. The focus of the debates was constitutional development and constitutional reform.

Question: What exactly did these four programs comprise and what was their intent?

Question: How does the Youth Public Participation Program work and how is it connected to the student protests?

Question: Were any of the student leaders or their supporters in the 'Occupy Central' protests or other anti-government protests trained in the Youth Public Participation Program? Is yes, who are they?

5. Conspiracy between the NDI and Hong Kong legislators

On Nov 15, 2009, Belinda Winterbourne, the NDI program manager in Hong Kong, conspired with legislators Cyd Ho Sau-lan and Gary Fan Kwok-wai and others to trigger the de facto 'civil referendum', which resulted in the resignation of legislators Albert Chan, Alan Leong, Tanya Chan, 'Long Hair' Leung Kwok-hung and Wong Yuk-man in January 2010. (See transcript of Winterbourne's comment in the open letter above.)

These are the words that effectively sealed Hong Kong's political fate, so when you consider the Aug 31 reform package decision, it is Winterbourne and some of our own 'pan-democrat' legislators who have ensured 'public nomination' is not available, not Beijing.

In simple terms, the US has infiltrated LegCo.

Question: Who authorized Belinda Winterbourne's involvement in this conspiracy? Who among the legislators were collaborating with NDI then and who are the present collaborators? We want to know who these legislators are. We want them named and shamed!

6. Support for 'Occupy Central' protests

In 2012 NDI received a grant of $460,000 from NED to foster awareness regarding Hong Kong's political institutions and constitutional reform process and to develop the capacity of citizens - particularly university students - to more effectively participate in the public debate on political reform. NDI worked with civil society organizations on parliamentary monitoring, and development of an Internet portal - the HKU Design Democracy website - which on Nov 1, 2014 carried a poll asking its members 'If the police cleared the 'Occupy' movement, will you re-occupy? Yes or No?'

Furthermore, the website has a link to the Design Democracy Hong Kong Facebook page, which was being used as a forum for 'Occupy'protesters and supporters to share information.

These posts are proof of US government funds being used in support of the 'Occupy' protests.

Question: Who authorized the funding?

Question: Why was US President Barack Obama not briefed on this prior to making his November 2014 statement and who lied to him or failed to brief him?

Question: What other support was given by NED, NDI or the US government to the 'Occupy' protests or any other anti-government protests in Hong Kong?

7. Choice of NDI program manager in 2012

In 2013, in the lead-up to the protests, NDI chose Kelvin Sit Tak-o as its resident program manager in Hong Kong, who used to run a Facebook discussion group opposing the pro-establishment party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB). The page has since been shut down by Facebook for abusive content.

Question: why would the NDI choose an abusive, politically well-connected, anti-establishment activist to run its Hong Kong office at a critical juncture in Hong Kong��s political development?

The NDI office in Hong Kong is said to have played a key role forcing a de facto 'referendum' in the city with the resignation of fi ve 'pan-democrat' legislators, who are shown here holding up their resignation letters in January 2010. Associated Press

Funding from NED and NDI is believed to have backed the illegal 'Occupy Central' protests that fl outed the law of Hong Kong with divisive occupation movement in the city's major thoroughfares for months in 2014.

Belinda Winterbourne (first right), NDI project manager in Hong Kong, met with Hong Kong legislator Cyd Ho Sau-lan (second right), in November 2009, a meeting that aimed to trigger a de facto 'referendum' in Hong Kong. Provided To China Daily

(China Daily 05/09/2015 page6)