ONE News: Protest set for HK anniversary
Jun 29, 2003 Hong Kong will mark its sixth anniversary under Chinese rule on July 1 with a
huge protest march over proposed national security legislation which many fear
will restrict fundamental freedoms. "It will be a mass protest against the legislation of the security laws, with
some estimated 100,000 people participating," Tsoi Yiu-cheong, spokesman for the Civil Human Rights Front, a coalition of
more than 40 pro-democracy, religious and human rights groups, told AAP. The mass demonstration is timed to coincide with anniversary celebrations to
mark the former British colony's reversion to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Despite planned festivities, Tsoi said people were in no mood to celebrate
because of the imminent enactment of a national security law that is feared
could curtail freedoms previously guaranteed for 50 years under the "one
country, two systems" principle under which the city was returned to China. There is mounting fear the new law banning treason, sedition, theft of state
secrets and subversion, which Hong Kong is required to pass under Article 23 of
the Basic Law, its mini-constitution, could also stifle freedom of speech and
strangle the free flow of information. The legislation is expected to be passed on July 9. "This is a critical time," said Tsoi. "It is our freedom that is at stake.
"We want to show the central government in Beijing that what people in Hong
Kong want is full democracy." Protesters will vent their grievances, from religious groups to professionals
dissatisfied with the state of the economy in the wake of the severe acute
respiratory syndrome outbreak, he said. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is to attend the handover celebrations, in his
first visit to the territory since assuming the post in March. Wen will attend the signing of the first bilateral trade agreement on the eve
of the anniversary - a "birthday gift" seen as a sweetener from Beijing to
appease growing discontent in the city over the sluggish economy and the new
law. The 13-week SARS crisis caused 296 deaths from 1,755 infections, and also
wrecked Hong Kong's efforts to revive the economy which has struggled since the
1997 Asian financial crisis. "There is a general feeling of dissatisfaction, ranging from politics to the
economy, although people in general have accepted the return to China without
resentment," noted Joseph Cheng, a political commentator from City University.
"Hong Kong's malaise is now a political one arising from concerns China's
communist regime is gradually taking hold of the city with the legislation of
so-called anti-subversion laws." With chief executive Tung Chee-hwa's popularity at an all-time low following
the economic slump and his perceived poor handling of the SARS crisis, more
people were calling for a fully-elected government, said Cheng. Director of Hong Kong Christian Institute, Rose Wu, estimated some 6,000
Christians would turn out for the march. "It is not just our freedom of religious belief, but our fundamental freedom
(that is at stake)," she said. "We will not give up, even if the proposed bill
is passed into law. We will fight for amendments." Hong Kong's outspoken Catholic head, Bishop Joseph Zen, will lead a prayer
meeting before the march. Sophie Zhao, a spokeswoman for the Falun Gong spiritual group, which is
banned in mainland China, said some 300 practitioners will join in the march.
"We are against the legislation that will eventually curtail our rights," she
said. United States and Britain have joined international human rights and press
groups to condemn the planned laws. http://onenews.nzoom.com/onenews_detail/0,1227,201658-1-9,00.html
Yearly Archive
Printer Version
feedback@clearwisdom.net