According to the organisers’ estimates, hundreds of thousands joined protests lasting more than 12 hours which brought the former British territory to a standstill on the sixth anniversary of the handover to China.
“Return rule to the people,” the demonstrators chanted in response to the proposed new law, known as Article 23, which will allow the Hong Kong Government to outlaw local groups with ties to any organisation banned on the mainland. It will also give police the power to conduct searches without a warrant and impose a ban on disclosing state secrets.
The Hong Kong Government and pro-Beijing legislators will move next week to enact the new law on civil liberties, which many fear could be used against political opponents.
The march in the Central district of Hong Kong, which had been expected to draw a crowd of 100,000, was the largest protest since the handover in 1997. Many demonstrators wore black in a gesture of mourning for lost liberties.
Protesters assembled peacefully at the Hong Kong Government offices where a small group had earlier burnt the flag of the Chinese Communist Party. The act was carefully calculated since it is illegal in Hong Kong to desecrate the Chinese national flag but the party flag is not protected.
In what are believed to be the first public comments by a senior Chinese leader on the issue, Wen Jiabao, the Prime Minister, repeatedly assured Hong Kong that its special status would be protected.
“The legislation on Article 23 will not affect the different rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people,” Mr Wen told reporters.
The European Union criticised the new law this week, saying it would compromise the territory’s autonomy. Last week the US Congress voted to condemn it after the White House expressed concern.
While this has been of concern to local media worried about freedom of the press, business people are also worried. “We feel that good business decisions are made on good information, so anything that impacts on the free flow of information is not good for business,” said Lucille Barale, of the Hong Kong American Chamber Of Commerce.
Yesterday’s march was supported by parts of Hong Kong’s conservative business establishment, which fears a loss of competitiveness with other Asian business centres.
The law’s supporters insist that Article 23 will not be abused. “I am not worried that the Bill when enacted will have an adverse impact on civil liberties,” said Albert Chen, a law professor and member of Hong Kong’s Committee for the Basic Law “Everything which people can now say or do they will be able to continue to say or do.”
Andy Ho, a political commentator, said that he was not surprised by the extent of public anger. “Those who have come out are . . . not only opposed to Article 23 but a host of government policies,” he said. “This should serve as a wake-up call for the Government.”
Freedom ‘eroded’
Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy after the handover but critics say that freedoms have been subtlely eroded since the end of British rule. Polls show that most Hong Kong residents oppose Article 23 and believe that Tung Chee-hwa, the Chief Executive appointed by Beijing to lead the territory, is not listening to public opinion.
Emily Lau, an Opposition legislator, said: “(The Tung administration) would like to have the tools with which they can hit the people and shut the people up, and I think Article 23 is one of those tools.”
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