Thu July 03, 2003

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Unpopular Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa faced growing pressure on Thursday to withdraw parts of a planned anti-subversion bill, with even some of his staunchest supporters urging him to make concessions as public anger grows.

Pro-Beijing lawmakers and political commentators called for Tung to listen to the city's seven million residents after a massive street protest on Tuesday, the largest demonstration in more than a decade. Organizers plan more protests.

Victor Sit, a Hong Kong delegate to China's parliament, told local television he had requested Beijing to ask Tung to shelve the legislation.

"The circumstances now are not suitable for passing the law urgently, because 500,000 people have come out to march and protest and some of them don't have enough understanding of the law," he told the television station.

Tsang Yok Sing, the head of Hong Kong's largest pro-government party and a member of Tung's inner cabinet, said Tung had no choice but to respond to demands to at least amend the security law.

"I believe very soon the chief executive will tell the public how the government is responding to the public's calls," Tsang said. "The government has to respond to people's requests."

Tung is facing his biggest political crisis since he became leader of the former British colony when it was handed back to China in 1997 and is under pressure from his Beijing bosses to push through the bill.

Hong Kong's post-handover constitution requires the city to pass a national security law, though it doesn't give a timetable.

The law has stoked concerns that any dissent may soon be treated the same way it is in China. Beijing fears that without the law, Hong Kong will be used as a base for subversive activities against it.

The Falun Gong spiritual group for instance practices freely in Hong Kong but has been banned in China."

FRIDAY DEBATE

Tsang said the government could amend the most contentious parts of the bill to address the concerns of people living in one of Asia's top financial centers.

One such amendment would allow journalists accused of disclosing state secrets to defend their work on the basis that it was in the public interest, he said. And changes could be made on the mechanism of proscription of organizations linked to groups banned in mainland China.

On Friday, lawmakers will debate a non-binding motion on how Hong Kong should deal with the huge public anger over the legislation. Government officials are expected to join in the debate with the legislators.

Opponents are threatening to surround the legislature when it meets for final readings on July 9, with protest organizers expecting another large turnout.

The chamber, in central Hong Kong, is stacked with pro-Beijing figures, and defeat of the bill is probably out of the question.

But the sheer size of Tuesday's street protest rattled Hong Kong's political elite and underscored how much credibility Tung's government has lost with the public.

Several key pro-government blocs in the legislature are now reviewing their positions after the demonstration. While no one expects dominant pro-government groups to join democrats and vote against the bill, analysts say the outcome could be close if Tung does not offer some goodwill gestures.

"It now boils down to the votes of about five or six people...but I don't think it will be voted down," political commentator Andy Ho said on Thursday.

http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=3033513