Hong Kong (AsiaNews) At the beginning of the new year, people in Hong Kong marched downtown to rally for greater democracy. On Jan. 1 at 3:00 p.m. around 100,000 persons marched, starting at Victoria Park, arriving at 7:00 p.m. in the Central district. The manifestation took on the same tones and requests as demonstrated at a similar march held on July 1 2003, in which a half a million protestors criticized the government which was preparing to pass illiberal anti-sedition laws.
Honk Kong's citizens are still unsatisfied with the government and seek greater democracy, universal suffrage and the possibility to elect directly both their chief executive and legislative assembly. The massive participation by the people stupefied all, including the organizers of the event, who predicted a crowd of about 20,000 persons.
The spokesman for the group of organizers, lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan, hoped the march could serve to speed up the process of democracy in Hong Kong and said, "I don't believe there are doubts about what is in people's hearts." Another key figure in the organization, Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong, said the failure of Tung Chee-hwa, the current chief executive of Hong Kong, had brought people to the march: "We made history once again. Nobody can deny that people want full democracy."
The government responded by assuring that it will give maximum attention to the people's requests. An official spokesman assured that the next 3 years will be spent in efforts toward directing constitutional developments after 2007.
Some pro-Beijing leaders, instead, openly criticized the requests of democrats and predicted a negative landslide in the movement of investments.
Tsang Hin-chi, member of the Permanent Committee of the Peoples National Assembly (Beijing's parliament), said that the government is fully aware of the people's desire for democracy and that it has always been. However, he added: "Democrats have become very arrogant after victorious elections in district councils. People must realize that democrats are moved only by their own self-interests."
Even important business man, Stanley Ho Hung-sun, head of the Real Estate and Developers Association, expressed his opinion in opposition to the march: too much fuss and marches by the people, he said, will only make financial affairs more difficult for the island.