02 juillet 2004 06:55
Hong Kong wants freedom
Isabelle Hontebeyrie
Approximately 530 000 people protested on July 1st, demanding China allow the city-state a full return to democracy.
The protest marked the seventh anniversary of the former British colony's handover to China.
Chinese media reported the news, but failed to mention that it involved a half-million demonstrators demanding more democracy.
The omission highlighted Beijing's sensitivity over any expansion of democracy rights in Hong Kong that might challenge Communist Party authority — and potentially spread to the rest of China.
Beijing promised to maintain Hong Kong's western-style civil liberties and give the territory a "high degree of autonomy" when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
A similar march last year took Beijing by surprise and state media didn't mention it. (AP via Yahoo!)
Hong Kong blogs reporting the news:
The Gweilo Diaries - Unpatriotic Demonstrators Mar Celebration, Block Traffic
Simon World - Hong Kong March, Aftermath and More aftermath
The Asia Pages - Power to the People
Main Daai Tou Laam Diary Page - 1 July 2004 March: Some Thoughts
Paul Frankenstein - At The Tone, The Time And Temperature Is and 530,000, not 300,000
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