Re: [A-List] Thousands Rally in Hong Kong; the Answer Is a Rebuff

["Gary Santos" <evs@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks, Henry. I am tempted to go back to State Credit issues but will not.

Gary




----- Original Message -----
From: "Henry C.K. Liu" <hliu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <a-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 11:29 PM
Subject: Re: [A-List] Thousands Rally in Hong Kong; the Answer Is a Rebuff


> http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/EG04Ad04.html
>
> Gary Santos wrote:
>
> > Henry,
> >
> > Your thoughts on this, if you please.
> >
> > Gary
> >
> >
> >
> > Thousands Rally in Hong Kong; the Answer Is a Rebuff
> > By KEITH BRADSHER
> >
> >
> > ONG KONG, July 13 - Thousands of demonstrators occupied one of Hong
Kong's
> > most chic downtown avenues this evening to appeal for democracy, but the
> > Hong Kong government responded less than two hours later by announcing
that
> > it would not accelerate its four-year plan to review possible
constitutional
> > changes.
> >
> > The government statement tonight was the first official response to
calls at
> > a series of rallies that the general public be allowed to vote for Hong
> > Kong's chief executive and all members of the legislature.
> >
> > The statement was also the latest of several signs that Beijing and its
> > appointees here are hardening their positions as attendance at recent
> > rallies has fallen far below the 500,000 marchers who flooded Hong
Kong's
> > streets on July 1.
> >
> > Last Monday, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa reluctantly postponed his
plans
> > to enact stringent internal-security laws, one target of the protests
here.
> > But tonight his administration took a more unyielding position on
democratic
> > reforms.
> >
> > The statement issued tonight said the government would consult the
public
> > about constitutional changes in 2004 or 2005, and would pursue
legislation
> > in 2006. Changes will take effect after 2007, the statement also noted.
This
> > means that any changes that are made will not affect the selection of
the
> > next chief executive, who will be chosen in 2007 for a five-year term.
> >
> > Yeung Sum, the chairman of the Democratic Party here, said he was
> > disappointed that the government had not advanced its timetable.
> >
> > "The message is loud and clear from the people of Hong Kong: they want a
> > full democracy," he said in a telephone interview tonight.
> >
> > Hong Kong's Basic Law, the closest thing the territory has to a
> > constitution, vaguely calls for the government to pursue greater
democracy
> > by 2007, a schedule that in theory could allow changes that would affect
how
> > the next chief executive is selected. Currently, an 800-member Election
> > Committee, dominated by pro-Beijing businesspeople and professionals,
> > chooses the chief executive and 6 of the 60 members of the Legislative
> > Council.
> >
> > Industries and professions like insurance and the law select 30 more
members
> > of the legislature, while the general public is allowed to vote for only
24
> > members.
> >
> > The security legislation has drawn the greatest attention here. But
calls
> > for a broader democracy have been important from the start and have been
> > emphasized more in the days since Mr. Tung postponed the security bill.
> >
> > Organizers estimated that this evening's protest drew 20,000 people. The
> > police said that attendance peaked at 9,000, while adding that some
people
> > might have left early or arrived late. A pro-democracy demonstration on
> > Wednesday attracted 30,000 to 50,000 people.
> >
> > The Democratic Development Network, which organized today's rally, is a
> > smaller coalition than the Human Civil Rights Front, which organized
rallies
> > on July 1 and last Wednesday.
> >
> > A team of intelligence, security and diplomatic officials is visiting
from
> > Beijing to assess the mood here. Standing at the edge of the rally, Mr.
> > Yeung, the chairman of the Democratic Party, said members of the team
had
> > interviewed at least two politicians in his party, while adding that he
had
> > not been personally contacted.
> >
> > "They've asked us who organized the marches and why so many people
showed
> > up," he said in an interview at the rally.
> >
> > In an editorial on Thursday, the official China Daily urged democracy
> > advocates to go slow.
> >
> > "It is high time for the `democrats' to cool down," the English-language
> > newspaper said. "The rule of the game is to know where and when to stop.
If
> > they cling obstinately to their course of creating disturbance in Hong
Kong,
> > they will finally find themselves standing opposed to the people."
> >
> > It is a measure of how peaceful the rallies have been that a Van Cleef &
> > Arpels store displayed diamond jewelry today in its windows facing the
rally
> > on Chater Road, with the clerks making no move to pull down the store's
> > protective steel shutters. A Rolls-Royce showroom behind the stage here
was
> > similarly unprotected.
> >
> > The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Hong Kong, Bishop Joseph Zen,
> > stepped up his activism today by briefly addressing the rally and
endorsing
> > the calls for greater democracy. Bishop Zen held a prayer vigil with
> > Protestant leaders before the July 1 march but did not take part in the
> > march itself; he missed last Wednesday's rally because of a trip to
Rome.
> >
> > In nine days, Hong Kong will receive its first visit by a head of state
> > since the protests began. Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain will be
here
> > July 22-24, after meetings with China's leaders in Beijing and Shanghai
July
> > 21-22, the British Consulate here announced on Friday. British officials
> > have actively followed events in Hong Kong ever since Britain handed it
over
> > to China in 1997.
> >
> > At this evening's rally, Wong Hui-yan, a 46-year-old teacher, said she
had
> > never been to a public demonstration until July 1 but had attended each
one
> > since then. Asked why, she responded, "To fight for freedom."
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>