- HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong
Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa, struggling to defuse the territory's biggest
political crisis in years, bowed on Saturday to an outpouring of popular
protest and withdrew two controversial clauses of an anti-subversion
bill.
-
- "After repeated and detailed discussions, we have
decided to make amendments to further allay people's fears," Tung
told a news conference, looking weary after days of crisis talks with his
cabinet and senior advisers.
-
- "I hope that after making the changes it will gain
the acceptance of legislators."
-
- Tung said he would withdraw a provision which would have
given police sweeping search powers and scrap another which would have
allowed the banning of groups in Hong Kong if they were outlawed on the
mainland.
-
- The government will also strengthen safeguards on press
freedom. Journalists who report Chinese state secrets will be able to
defend
themselves if the news is in the public interest.
-
- But the bill itself will be presented for final reading
in the territory's legislature as planned, on July 9.
-
- Half a million protesters took to Hong Kong's streets
on Tuesday to denounce the anti-subversion law in the city's biggest
demonstration
since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
-
- Critics fear the law will trample basic human rights
and that dissent may soon be treated the same way it is in mainland China.
The Falun Gong spiritual group, for instance, practices freely in Hong
Kong but has been banned in China as an "evil cult."
-
- Many want the bill postponed outright to allow for more
public consultation on the most important piece of legislation in Hong
Kong since Britain returned it to Chinese rule in 1997.
-
- "Mr. Tung's three major concessions are good signs,
it augurs very well because he's finally woken up," said Martin Lee,
one of Hong Kong's most vocal democracy advocates.
-
- "The pity is, why go half the way but not all the
way?" he said, favoring more discussion on the bill.
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- CHINA APPROVES
-
- China backed Tung's moves to water down the bill but
said the legislation should now be passed.
-
- "The amendments to some articles are appropriate
and we believe the public will recognize and accept them," the
state-controlled
Xinhua news agency quoted an unnamed official at China's parliament as
saying.
-
- "We hope the SAR legislators and all circles of
society will actively support and cooperate with the government to complete
the legislation as scheduled," the official was quoted as saying,
referring to the Special Administrative Region, which is how Beijing
describes
Hong Kong.
-
- Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy after
its return to China, although critics say there has been a subtle erosion
of its freedoms since the end of British rule.
-
- Fearing Hong Kong could be used as a base for subversive
activities against it, China has been pushing Tung to enact the
legislation.
Hong Kong's post-colonial constitution, agreed to by Beijing and London,
requires a national security law to be passed but does not set out a
timetable.
-
- Analysts said the crisis over the bill could hurt
Tung.
-
- "I think that Tung has blown his last chance and
probably the campaign from now on will be directly aimed at him,"
said political commentator Andy Ho.
-
- Several legislators have demanded Tung and Security
Secretary
Regina Ip step down over their handling of the affair.
-
- Opponents said they would press ahead with plans to
surround
the legislature on Wednesday, when the bill will be presented for its final
readings. Commentators fear the atmosphere could be far more
confrontational
than Tuesday's peaceful demonstration.
-
- "Despite the best intentions of the organizers,
people are getting more frustrated. One can only expect their actions to
become more radical," Ho said.
-
- Just a week ago, passage of the bill appeared certain
as the Legislative Council is packed with pro-government and pro-Beijing
supporters.
-
- But the mass outpouring of public anger forced many of
Tung's staunchest allies to urge him to seek a compromise.
-
- Additional reporting by Vicki Kwong
-
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