数万港人上街游行争取普选

灰鸦

Hong Kong democracy march fails to budge leader
Sun Dec 4, 2005 8:58 AM ET
By John Ruwitch and Wendy Lim


HONG KONG (Reuters) - Tens of thousands marched in Hong Kong on Sunday demanding a timeframe for direct elections, but the city's Beijing-anointed leader stood firm on reforms that his critics say are inadequate.

With organizers putting the number of protesters at quarter of a million, the march could irritate China's Communist Party leaders and embarrass Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang.

Police said the five-hour march drew 63,000 protesters, many wearing "Hong Kong loves democracy" stickers and waving placards as they crowded between skyscrapers in one of the world's main financial centers.

Tsang said he "heard the voice" of the protesters but insisted there was little scope to change his package of reforms, which he hopes the Hong Kong legislature will pass on December 21.

He said the reforms should proceed before any timetable is set for universal suffrage, which Hong Kong's post-colonial constitution, the basic law, allows for.

"I'm 60 years of age and I certainly want to see universal suffrage in Hong Kong in my time," Tsang told reporters.

"Our leaders in Beijing are fully aware of what's happening in Hong Kong and they're not against democracy as such," he said.

Despite widespread calls for full democracy, Beijing, which regained control over Hong Kong in 1997, has been unwilling to let the territory decide for itself when this should come.

Hong Kong's chief executive is approved by China's leaders and picked by a Beijing-backed committee of 800 electors. Only half the members of its 60-seat legislature are directly elected.

The Tsang administration's reform plan would double the size of the Chief Executive selection committee and add 10 seats to the Legislative Council, five of which would be directly elected.

"BIRD-CAGE REFORM"  

Sunday's protest evoked memories of July 2003, when an economic slump and disaffection with the then chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, drew half a million people on to the streets of the former British colony -- one in fourteen residents.

"Donald Tsang is a good leader, but he's only elected by 800 people, which means he only has to please them," said Andrew Wong, 40, who works for an export business. "I've brought my five-year-old daughter here to teach her what democracy is."

Walking among banners that read "You want a clown or a chief executive?" and "Oppose bird-cage political reform", Paul Tsang, 83, said Hong Kong lacked direction without a plan for democracy.

"Early in the morning, you wake up with a schedule, to eat breakfast and do things during the day," the retired army officer said. "It's ridiculous to do something without a schedule."

Anson Chan, who was Tung's powerful head of the civil service for four years after he took over from British governor Chris Patten in 1997, joined a pro-democracy march for the first time.

"I just feel there are moments in one's life when you have to stand up and be counted," she told reporters.

© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.

[ Last edited by 灰鸦 on 2005-12-4 at 22:22 ]

灰鸦

曾荫权：有生之年定能见到香港普选


香港特首曾荫权周日（4日）回应万人大游行时表示，会尽量完善政改方案，他相信在其有生之年定能见到香港普选。

香港市民周日发起大游行，争取在2007/08年实现普选。组织者称有25万人参加，警方则表示只有6万多。

曾荫权当晚召开记者会时指出，不应该把参与游行的人数当作一组数字。

他说："我觉得每一个人都有他的理想，代表他对香港的热诚，我对他们发出的声音，我是完全听得到的，我亦感觉到他们的诉求。"

中央重视

他表示，中央政府与特区政府现时正在积极地，而且有秩序地带领香港社会面向、迈进普选，当局对普选这个承担是永远不会改变的。

被问到可否再尽力向中央反映香港万人上街对普选的诉求时，曾荫权说，香港发生的事情，中央是完全理解的。

他说："中央领导对香港是十分关心的，一定会掌握到香港每一分钟发展的情况。当然我适当时会作出报告。"

香港报纸早前刊登了一份"震撼性"的广告，一位自称"78岁的香港人"问道："告诉我，我会见到普选的一天吗？"

回应广告

曾荫权在记者会上幽默地说："我已经过了60岁，我相信我一定可以见到香港普选的诞生，我的愿望与香港广大市民都是一样的，与在媒体上发表意见的长者一样，是没有分别的。"

他强调，市民落实五号报告书的建议，特别是对于07/08年的选举方法，以及制定普选路线图和时间表，是没有冲突而可以共存外，更是相辅相成的。

截止北京时间12月5日凌晨，中国三大官方媒体：新华社（中文）、《人民日报》、中央电视台的网页都没有报道香港周日的大游行。

只有新华社英文网页刊登了有关消息，篇幅还算不短，但是内文只引用了香港警方公布的游行人数（6万）。

BBC Chinese