With the global war on terror staying top of mind, events in east Asia seem more remote than ever. But courageous citizens in Hong Kong stirred themselves to use New Year's Day to demand more freedom and democracy from their Communist overlords in China.
Tens of thousands of shouting, sign-waving protesters marched from Hong Kong's Victoria Park to the city's main government building on New Year's Day, the latest in a series of mass demonstrations aimed at persuading China's Communist leaders to allow full democracy in this former British colony.The march, which organizers said drew 100,000 people, five times more than they expected, was the largest protest in Hong Kong since July 1, when a half-million people filled the streets, embarrassed the city's Beijing-backed government and forced it to abandon a stringent anti-subversion bill favored by the Chinese leadership.
As in previous marches, the protesters appeared to represent a broad cross-section of Hong Kong society and were remarkably orderly, following directions from police and leaving the park where they had gathered almost entirely free of litter. But there was nothing subdued about their message. The most popular chant of the day was, "Tung Che-hwa, step down!"
Some pro-Beijing politicians have argued that the confrontational tactics of the democracy activists -- and their success at winning elections -- has eroded the high degree of autonomy China granted the territory in 1997 and made Beijing more nervous about approving political reform here.
But Audrey Eu, a pro-democracy legislator who was handing out brochures during the march, disagreed. "I think the opposite is true," she said. "If we sit here and do nothing, Beijing is not going to do anything on democratic reform."
via the Washington Post
China's tyrants have kept things fairly low-key in Hong Kong, saving their wrath for Taiwan and any notions there of independence. Taiwan's president was their focus on New Year's Eve.
China condemned Taiwan's president on Wednesday for saying he was waging a "holy war" against the mainland, calling him immoral and accusing him of fanning anti-Beijing sentiment to win votes. The condemnation came on the same day that the president, Chen Shui-bian, signed a bill to allow referendums in Taiwan.Tension has been simmering since Taiwan passed a bill in November allowing referendums, which China sees as a move toward independence. Beijing has threatened force if Taiwan declares statehood.
"We are resolutely opposed to any form of Taiwan independence," the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, said in a New Year's Eve speech. But he stopped short of repeating longstanding threats to invade Taiwan.