MCLC: rival protests over HK leader

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: rival protests over HK leader
***********************************************************

Source: NYT (1/1/13):
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/02/world/asia/thousands-protest-over-hong-ko
ngs-leader.html

In Hong Kong, Rival Protests Are Divided Over Leader
By KEITH BRADSHER

HONG KONG — Thousands of demonstrators in rival marches crowded through
Hong Kong’s main shopping district on Tuesday to praise or condemn the
city’s chief executive, who appears to retain the confidence of leaders in
Beijing despite facing criticism here over a series of actions.

The New Year’s Day marches underlined deep political divisions in Hong
Kong, a semiautonomous territory that Britain returned to Chinese rule in
1997.

Critics of the chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, accuse him of misleading
the public on a controversial real estate issue, and of being a puppet
installed by Beijing. Many of his critics also favor greater democracy for
Hong Kong, where the chief executive is now chosen by a 1,200-member panel
packed with Beijing loyalists; the general public elects half the
legislature, while the other half is chosen by business leaders and other
groups that also tend to follow Beijing’s wishes.

Mr. Leung’s backers, mainly organized by groups with lavish financial
support from Beijing, contend that he is beginning to address deep-seated
social issues here. They also tend to suggest that democracy is a Western
concept that may not be compatible with local culture or with rapid
economic development.

Supporters of Mr. Leung roughed up two local journalists at a separate
rally on Sunday; many Beijing loyalists accuse Hong Kong journalists of
being biased in favor of democracy.

But the events on Tuesday were largely peaceful. Organizers of two
follow-up rallies in favor of Mr. Leung gave crowd estimates totaling
62,500, while a police spokeswoman put the figure at 8,560. Demonstrators
seeking Mr. Leung’s resignation were more numerous, with rival groups of
organizers providing estimates for a march and a separate rally totaling
142,000 people, while police estimates totaled 28,500.

The police announced on Wednesday morning than nine protesters against Mr.
Leung had been arrested for disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly the
previous night after they tried to cross police lines to protest at the
front gate of Mr. Leung’s official residence.

 Mr. Leung, who took office as chief executive on July 1, has faced heavy
criticism for concealing during last winter’s election campaign that he
had secretly expanded his $64 million home without receiving government
planning permission or paying real estate fees due on the expansion.

Mr. Leung has been widely accused of hypocrisy because he won the election
partly by criticizing his opponent, Henry Tang, for the unauthorized
construction of a huge basement under a villa owned by Mr. Tang’s wife.
That construction was also done without government planning permission,
which is difficult to obtain, and without making a large payment to the
government, which owns virtually all the land in Hong Kong and collects
hefty lease payments based mainly on the square footage of developments.

Mr. Leung apologized this autumn for concealing his construction — he even
built a false wall to hide his extension right before running for the
territory’s top office. But he pointed out that he had not addressed his
own compliance with Hong Kong real estate laws during the campaign.
“In fact, in my memory, I did not say I had no illegal structure,” he told
the legislature.

Many Hong Kong residents blame growing immigration and tourism from
mainland China for driving housing prices to unaffordable levels, for
causing overcrowding in local schools and for making it harder for young
people to find jobs. Mr. Leung has addressed these issues in his first six
months in office by imposing steep taxes this autumn on short-term real
estate investments by anyone who is not a permanent resident. He has also
banned local hospitals, starting on New Year’s Day, from scheduling any
more births for mainland mothers.

Continued support for Mr. Leung from Beijing makes it likely that he will
remain in office. When the legislature took up a no-confidence measure
three weeks ago, a majority of the lawmakers elected by the general public
voted against Mr. Leung, but a majority of lawmakers representing business
leaders and other social groups supported him. To pass, a majority of both
groups was required.

In separate meetings with Mr. Leung nearly two weeks ago in Beijing,
President Hu Jintao of China and Xi Jinping, who became the general
secretary of the ruling Communist Party in November and is slated to
become China’s next president in March, each said separately that they
support Mr. Leung and his administration.
“You have a heavy workload and it is exhausting,” Mr. Xi said. “The
central government affirms your work.”

Sprinkled among the protesters against Mr. Leung were a few people
carrying the colonial Hong Kong flag that flew over the city during
British rule. Beijing officials have asked Hong Kong residents not to
display the flag, which they regard as a symbol of past foreign domination
and humiliation of China.

Steveny Chan, a young woman who identified herself only as an office
worker and carried a roughly 3-foot-by-2-foot colonial flag, said that she
did not favor the return of Hong Kong to British rule. She said that she
was displaying the flag as a nostalgic symbol of a time when the Hong Kong
economy seemed to offer more opportunities for young people, and when
Britain, before the return to China, was granting the people of Hong Kong
growing autonomy.

“We’re missing the golden old days of Hong Kong,” she said.