Helsingin Sanomat (Finland): Hong Kong filled with Demonstrators

July 2, 2003

(Clearwisdom.net) As many as hundreds of thousands of people in Hong Kong were packed in the city's streets opposing the new security law and demanding democracy.

It was impossible to measure the size of the crowd that were dwelling several hours in the downtown area, but the estimates were between 200 000 and 500 000. The protest were the biggest since 1989 when Hong Kong's people supported students who got into massacre in the Tiananmen square in Beijing.

The target for the big protest was the new security law, which is most likely going to be passed on July 9^th.

The law forbids demagogy and other activities against the government , so called "subversion". It enables life sentences and secret trials for dissidents, and also extends the power of police to engage in house search.

According to opponents the law threatens the freedom of speech, belief, press and assembly. With the help of the law the central government of China can reinforce its grip on Hong Kong and it can weed out unpleasant elements for it.ááá
When Hong Kong was transferred from Britain to China in 1997, " the one country, two systems policy" of the constitution of SAR ensured, that China will respect the rule of law of Hong Kong for at least 50 years. However, the article 23 of the SAR constitution demands Hong Kong to block "subversive" activities.

"We believe that the real target for the government is groups like that of Falun Gong and dissidents", Sophie Xiao, spokeperson for Hong Kong's Falun Gong said. Over 300 members of the spiritual movement were gathered in the Victoria Park before the start of the march. "We are going to continue with our daily exercises and peaceful appeals after when the law has come into force." Sophie stated.
"The law isn't clear enough", Dona Mek, 26, volunteer worker of the NGO Civil Human Rights Front said. "Most frightening is that it doesn't clearly differentiate, from which kind of cases they can put us to jail... everything is possible."ááááá

People were especially angry about the way how the security law has been jammed through in haste.ááááá

http://www.helsinginsanomat.fi/uutiset/artikkeli/1056721044134

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