DATE=6/3/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43563
TITLE=HONG KONG / TIANANMEN
BYLINE=GRACE CUTLER
DATELINE=HONG KONG
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THERE HAS BEEN A WHIRL OF ACTIVITY IN HONG KONG IN
PREPARATION FOR THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JUNE FOURTH TIANANMEN
SQUARE CRACKDOWN. LOCAL ACTIVISTS ARE USING HONG KONG'S CLOSE
TIES AND PROXIMITY TO THE CHINESE MAINLAND TO TRY TO KEEP CHINA'S
DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT ALIVE. BUT V-O-A'S GRACE CUTLER REPORTS SOME
EXPERTS SAY THE ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IS NOT AS MUCH OF A CONCERN
TO PEOPLE IN HONG KONG AS IT WAS A DECADE AGO.
TEXT: IN BRIGHT RED LETTERS, THE BANNER HEADLINE ACROSS
(THURSDAY'S EDITION OF) THE "SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST" NEWSPAPER
READS -- 10 YEARS AFTER TIANANMEN". THROUGHOUT HONG KONG THERE
ARE LECTURES, PHOTO EXHIBITS, AND THE RETELLING OF STORIES OF THE
VIOLENCE THAT TOOK PLACE AROUND TIANANMEN SQUARE A DECADE AGO.
TODAY, IN TIANANMEN SQUARE THERE ARE FEW PEOPLE. THE SPRAWLING,
PUBLIC GATHERING PLACE IN BEIJING IS BLOCKED OFF. THE SQUARE IS
UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THERE WILL BE NO COMMEMORATION OF THE JUNE
FOURTH EVENTS THERE.
BUT AT HONG KONG'S VICTORIA PARK, THE SITE OF THE ANNUAL
CANDLE-LIGHT VIGIL MARKING THE DAY, ORGANIZERS ARE EXPECTING
LARGER THAN NORMAL CROWDS ON FRIDAY.
ALBERT HO IS A LEADER OF "THE HONG KONG ALLIANCE IN SUPPORT OF
THE PATRIOTIC DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT IN CHINA", ONE OF THE
ORGANIZERS OF THE VICTORIA PARK VIGIL. HE SAYS HUMAN RIGHTS
PROTESTS AND RALLIES IN HONG KONG KEEP CHINA'S DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT
ALIVE, BY SETTING AN EXAMPLE FOR PEOPLE ON THE MAINLAND.
// HO ACT //
WHEN THE PEOPLE ACROSS THE BORDER ARE AWARE OF THE FACT
THAT THEIR COMPATRIOTS ARE ENTITLED TO CRITICIZE THE
GOVERNMENT, THEY ARE ENTITLED TO DEMONSTRATE, ENTITLED
TO MARCH, TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEW, THEN THEY SAY WHY CAN
NOT WE DO IT.
// END ACT //
MR. HO SAYS HONG KONG PEOPLE HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF IDENTITY WITH
CHINA. THEY SEE THEIR FATE AND FUTURE TIED WITH THAT OF THE
MAINLAND. HE SAYS IN 1989, MANY PEOPLE SAW THE TIANANMEN SQUARE
CRACKDOWN AS FORESHADOWING OF UPCOMING EVENTS IN 1997 -- WHEN THE
THEN-BRITISH COLONY WAS HANDED BACK TO CHINESE RULE.
NATIONALISTIC SENTIMENT AND FEAR SPARKED A MASSIVE SHOW OF
SUPPORT FOR THE PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS. HONG KONG STAGED ITS
LARGEST EVER DEMONSTRATION IN 1989 AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
CASH, FOOD AND SUPPLIES WERE DONATED TO ACTIVISTS CAMPED-OUT IN
THE SQUARE.
SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR CHAN KIN-MAN, AT HONG KONG'S CHINESE
UNIVERSITY, SAYS AT THAT TIME THERE WAS A MUTUAL DISTRUST BETWEEN
HONG KONG PEOPLE AND BEIJING. PEOPLE IN HONG KONG TOOK TO THE
STREETS TO EXPRESS DISAPPROVAL OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT POLICIES.
IN TURN, CHINA WORRIED THAT HONG KONG WAS BECOMING A BASE OF
SUBVERSION. MANY HONG KONG ACTIVISTS WERE SUBSEQUENTLY BANNED
FROM EVER ENTERING CHINA.
PROFESSOR CHAN SAYS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA
HAS GROWN CLOSER SINCE THE HANDOVER. HE SAYS ISSUES HAVE SHIFTED
FROM DEMOCRATIC REFORM TO ECONOMIC REVIVAL. HE SAYS CHINA'S
SUCCESS FENDING OFF THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC CRISIS IMPRESSED PEOPLE
IN HONG KONG.
// CHAN ACT //
IN THE PAST FEW YEARS BECAUSE OF THE SUCCESS IN THE
ECONOMIC REFORM, THE PRESENT CHINESE REGIME ENJOYS
BETTER LEGITIMACY WITH THE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG.
// END ACT //
IN ADDITION, HE SAYS PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ARE TOO PREOCCUPIED WITH
THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN TO WORRY ABOUT DEMOCRACY IN CHINA.
// CHAN ACT //
MOST PEOPLE WOULD THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS TO FACE
IN HONG KONG RIGHT NOW. MOST PEOPLE SEE THERE IS NO
IMMEDIATE EFFECTS, THEY WOULD RATHER CONCENTRATE THEIR
EFFORTS IN SOLVING OUR OWN PROBLEMS.
//END ACT//
BUT THE HONG KONG DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST, MR. HO, SAYS BUILDING A
MORE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY IN HONG KONG AND PRESERVING THE RULE OF
LAW WILL HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON MAINLAND CHINA.
// HO ACT //
I THINK THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD BECOME MORE AND
MORE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THE HONG KONG ACTIVISTS ARE
NOT ONLY CONCERNED WITH THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, THEY
HAVE A VISION FOR THE COUNTRY. ALL OF US ARE CONCERNED
TO SEE DEMOCRACY, RULE OF LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS WILL BE
NURTURED IN CHINA.
// END ACT //
MR. HO AND OTHER LOCAL PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS HAVE PLEDGED TO
CONTINUE TO SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA AND HONG KONG. THEY
SAY THEY WILL USE THE FREEDOM THE TERRITORY AFFORDS THEM TO
EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO DISSENT. (SIGNED)
NEB/GC/FC/RAE
03-Jun-99 7:34 AM EDT (1134 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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