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AFP: US Urges Hong Kong to Strengthen Democratic Institutions
July 10, 2003 (Clearwisdom.net) WASHINGTON, July 10 (AFP) - The administration of US
President George W. Bush urged Hong Kong Thursday to strengthen democratic
institutions and broaden dialogue between the citizens of the Chinese enclave
and its authorities. "The United States cares about Hong Kong's future and looks forward to the
day when every citizen will be able to contribute fully and freely toward Hong
Kong's success," Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly wrote in The Wall
Street Journal. The comment came as Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa shelved an
internal security bill after 500,000 people took to the streets on July 1 in the
most spectacular protest in more than a decade. The bill would have given the local government broad authority to jail people
on charges of treason, sedition, subversion and theft of state secrets. "The government's 11th-hour decision to cancel the scheduled vote on new
treason and anti-subversion legislation was a sign of respect for the will of
the people of Hong Kong," Kelly wrote in his article. He argued that the dialogue now established between the government and
citizens should advance understanding between the two sides so that the
government could grasp the priorities Hong Kong citizens have expressed. "The July 1 march demonstrates the need for better channels of communication
between the populace and their government so that the people's representatives
can more accurately reflect their views," argued the assistant secretary of
state. "There is no more effective means of providing that better channel than
through the institutions of democracy." Kelly called on the Hong Kong authorities to trust their own people because
it was impossible to succeed without them. http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/dv/Qus-hongkong.Ri55_DlA.html Posting date: 7/11/2003
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