DEMONSTRATORS MARK HONG KONG ANNIVERSARY

Published on July 3, 2009 by brooks | This story has been viewed 82 times

Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents took to the streets on Wednesday to march over issues ranging from democratic elections to better governance of banks as the city marked the 12th anniversary of return to Chinese rule.

Braving the sweltering heat, organisers said 76,000 people joined the annual democracy rally. Police estimates put attendance at 26,000.

“I am disappointed at the government. I want to elect my leader because the present government is not accountable to us, but to Beijing,” said 52-year-old Kum Lee, who marched with her four daughters.

While marching on July 1 has been an annual event in Hong Kong since 2003, organisers said this year’s protest drew a bigger turnout than 2008’s 47,000 because of the economic downturn.

Hong Kong is facing its steepest economic decline in more than a decade. Exports fell for a seventh month in May while the unemployment rate stood at a more than three-year high.

Some marchers tied their participation to discontent towards the government led by Donald Tsang, chief executive.

Mr Tsang, elected by an 800-member election committee without public participation, recently faced heavy criticism after he claimed that he represented Hong Kong people when he said that there should be an “objective assessment” of the June 4 crackdown in view of China’s economic development.

China has said Hong Kong will not be able to directly elect its chief executive until 2017 while full elections for the legislature will not happen before 2020.

Among those taking part in Wednesday’s march were civil servants who complained about salary cuts and heavy workloads. Domestic helpers protested for higher pay while the unemployed called for the government to create more jobs.

Demonstrators also demanded the release of Liu Xiaobo, the veteran Chinese dissident arrested by Beijing in May, while students complained about local education policies.

The rally followed a smaller protest attended by thousands of angry investors who had brought into complex structured products marketed as “minibonds” and issued by Lehman Brothers.

Possibly Related Posts:


Filed under: China