Bloomberg: Hong Kong Protest Against Security Law Draws 400,000

July 1 (Bloomberg) -- Tens of thousands of people marched through Hong Kong on the sixth anniversary of the city's handover to China, protesting a national security law they say will stifle freedom and a government they call unresponsive.

The event drew more than 400,000 participants, Agence France- Presse reported, making it the biggest since 1989, when about 1 million people protested China's repression of democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. Four hours into the march, in temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius (91 Fahrenheit), crowds were waiting to depart on the 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) walk from Victoria Park in Causeway Bay to Government House in Central.

Protesters want the government to dilute a proposed law against treason, subversion and sedition, known as Article 23. Much of their anger was aimed at Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa.

"It's terrible, horrible,'' Wong Kai Fan, 55, said of Article 23. "It will shut people up. The Hong Kong government is doing a terrible job. They should all be replaced.''

Article 23 has been criticized by business groups, the U.S. and British governments, civil libertarians and religious groups. Their concern is that the law will erode freedoms guaranteed under the British-Chinese agreement that led to the 1997 handover of sovereignty. The bill is expected to be passed in eight days.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, in Hong Kong to mark the anniversary of the handover, said China would uphold the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong. He boarded a plane for Beijing shortly before the demonstration was due to begin. China blacked out coverage of the event by Cable News Network.

'No Respect'

"Article 23 is for protecting those in power, and those in power don't understand democracy,'' said Frank Lee, 19, a student. "Tung wants respect from people but he doesn't respect people.''

A Swedish tourist, on his fourth day in Hong Kong after spending almost four months in China, said he was marching because freedom of speech is important.

"The Chinese government doesn't care about people until it affects the economy,'' said Tor Johnson.

Before the protest, Secretary of Security Regina Ip disparaged reports that more than 100,000 people would march. "Some people are going because it's a day off,'' she said Sunday, referring to today's holiday. "We don't take a certain number of people rallying in the streets as pressure.''

China's Influence

The government's stand fueled criticism that Tung listens to China's Communist leaders but not to Hong Kong residents. Public confidence in Tung, who is selected by a committee controlled by China's leaders, is near all-time lows. The most recent public opinion poll by Hong Kong University found only 19 percent of those surveyed were satisfied with the government's performance.

"What's in it for investors?'' said David Webb, an investor, shareholder activist and stock exchange director. "Freedom of information, which is threatened by Article 23, is the cornerstone of free markets.''

Tung, the 66-year-old heir to a shipping empire, has borne the blame for most that has gone wrong in Hong Kong since it left British hands: record unemployment, the collapse of the real estate market, the rise of Shanghai as a rival regional financial center, an ethics scandal involving his financial secretary, and the SARS virus that infected 1,755 people and killed almost 300 in the city.

Under Hong Kong's mini-constitution, called the Basic Law, the city is required to adopt a statute covering sedition and treason, common in many countries. Opponents in Hong Kong say there's a risk that China, which considers the number of AIDS patients and prisoners state secrets, will limit what Hong Kong's 6.8 million people can say and write.

British Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell yesterday criticized provisions of Article 23 that allow any group banned in China to be banned in Hong Kong. The Falun Gong and the Roman Catholic Church are groups that cannot operate freely in China.

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