http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/06/international/asia/06hong.html
Flotilla Is Beijing's Message to an Unsettled Hong Kong
By KEITH BRADSHER
Published: May 6, 2004
HONG KONG, May 5 - Eight Chinese warships sailed slowly down Victoria Harbor
here on Wednesday, a rare show of force that comes as democracy advocates say
they face growing intimidation.
The lineup of two guided missile destroyers, four guided missile frigates and
two submarines was the first such show of military strength since the
territory's transfer to China by Britain in 1997, and represented a change of
tactics by Beijing.
The Chinese military has been a nearly invisible presence here. Soldiers are
required to wear civilian clothing when they leave their bases, and the main
base is tucked away on an island at the western end of the harbor. But on
Wednesday, sailors in dress whites lined the sides of the destroyers and
frigates. The People's Liberation Army described the visit as simply an
occasion to honor the navy's 55th anniversary. But there was no such visit for
the 50th anniversary in 1999, and Wednesday's display came as people favoring
popular elections here find themselves under growing pressure.
The city's best-known radio talk show host, Albert Cheng, a longtime supporter
of greater democracy and a critic of the local government, flew to Europe on
Sunday, the beginning of a vacation that he said would last for the rest of
this year.
He left behind a tape recording, broadcast Monday, in which he complained of
growing threats of violence against himself and his family and what he
described as an increasingly "suffocating" political atmosphere.
Raymond Wong, Mr. Cheng's co-host, said in a telephone interview that he was
also considering whether to resign. He described receiving many anonymous death
threats that, he said, had not troubled him but had alarmed his family.
Mr. Wong owns a noodle shop and Mr. Cheng owns a small trading company. Both
businesses have recently been vandalized with large quantities of red paint.
Beijing has made a series of moves in the past four months to block further
democracy here. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
announced last week that it would not allow the introduction of universal
suffrage in elections for the next chief executive in 2007 and for many seats
in the Legislative Council in 2008.
London and Washington denounced that decision as undermining the autonomy of
Hong Kong that China had promised to uphold. China rejected the criticism,
pointing out that the British had opposed democratic freedoms through most of
the century and a half in which this was a colony.
Martin Lee, the founding chairman of the Democratic Party, tried to amend a
nonbinding motion in the legislature last Friday to condemn Beijing's decision,
but Rita Fan, the president of the Legislative Council, who was appointed by a
Beijing-dominated committee, ruled the amendment out of order.
Ma Lik, the chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong
, the main pro-Beijing party, said that he opposed any threats against
democracy advocates. He questioned whether Mr. Cheng and Mr. Wong had really
been in any danger.
While noting that both men had frequently criticized him on the air, Mr. Ma
challenged them to identify those responsible for threatening them. "We want to
know who frightened them, and we will fight for their freedom of speech," Mr.
Ma said.
Mr. Lee said he doubted that Beijing would order any direct measures to harm
any democracy advocates here. "They kill your reputation, but not you," he said
.
Hong Kong has long had an extreme leftist, pro-mainland fringe that is not
under the control of either Beijing or the Democratic Alliance, but may have
been emboldened by recent strong criticisms of democracy advocates by
pro-Beijing news media, said Joseph Cheng, a pro-democracy professor of
political science at Hong Kong University who is not related to Albert Cheng.
In sailing the length of the harbor after a six-day visit at a naval base at
the harbor's western end, the Chinese flotilla clearly chose the most visible
route. Most ships sail in or out of the western harbor without going through
the central harbor, which is now limited mostly to cruise ships and occasional pleas
ure craft.
Joseph Cheng said that the flotilla's visit could prove a shrewd move by China
because the well-behaved People's Liberation Army forces evoke feelings of
patriotism among many Hong Kong residents.
Mr. Lee criticized the naval display as unnecessary. "Nobody here wants
independence, so there's absolutely no need for them to do this," he said.
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這就是一國兩制
50年不變!
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會長的真心告白.
http://www.feer.com/articles/2004/0403_04/image/Cover.jpg
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