Hong Kong commemorates Tiananmen crackdown amid fears

HONG KONG -- More than 20,000 people turned an urban park into a sea of candlelight Wednesday, marking the 14th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown with hopes for democracy in China and fears about crumbling freedoms in Hong Kong.

They sang patriotic songs and chanted "fight against the dictatorship," in a blunt attack on China's one-party political system. Some worry such protests will be harder to make after Hong Kong passes an anti-subversion bill in coming weeks.

Hong Kong's planned law carries life prison sentences for many crimes against the state, and critics charge this former British colony could find itself subjected to mainland-style suppression of unpopular views, although Hong Kong insists this is not an issue.

"Hong Kong is actually going backwards," said John Mak, a teacher and devout Christian who said he might have to use his Canadian passport to get out if leaders here ever roll back religious freedoms.

"If you say something bad -- not bad, something the government doesn't like -- you could go to jail or be fined," said his sister, Donna Mak, a legislative assistant.

Secretary for Security Regina Ip has called such fears unfounded and insists Hong Kong's civil rights are untouchable.

Ip says the law is intended to stop people from attempting to violently overthrow the central government or to undermine China's national security -- not to stifle political or religious views that can be freely expressed in Hong Kong.

But after watching China deploy troops and tanks to crush its student pro-democracy movement on June 4, 1989, many in Hong Kong find it difficult to trust the Beijing leadership.

Hundreds if not thousands were killed as China stopped the pro-democracy movement, and many in Hong Kong vow they will never forget.

"A democratic China is something that I've wanted since the massacre," said Pauline Wong, a clerk. "But it's going to be a long road before it can become a reality."

Her 8-year-old son, Ernest, agreed.

"The people who died on June 4 were heroes," the boy said.

Thousands turn out each year for the Tiananmen Square commemoration, and organizers said 50,000 people had attended on Wednesday. The crowd filled four and a half soccer fields but appeared like it might be half of what the organizers claimed. Police said they had no estimate.

This year, many in the crowd wore surgical masks as a precaution against the SARS crisis that has devastated Hong Kong although it has been easing.

Asked for an opinion of Hong Kong's move to ban subversion, import-export businessman David Ko wrapped his hands around his neck like a noose.

"This is going back 50 years and choking us," Ko said. "It's unacceptable. We should be an inspiration to the whole of China on the road to democracy, but we have a local government that is oppressive."

Activist Law Yuk-kai of the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor predicted the new legislation will discourage dissent and will eventually be used to silence critics.

"The problem is, the water's being heated up only gradually," Law said. "At one point, the frog will notice it's cooked."

Hoping to ease such fears, Ip on Tuesday announced changes to the legislation, making some crimes harder to prosecute -- for example by imposing a three-year statute of limitations for any prosecution of publishing seditious materials.

The Tiananmen crackdown stirred massive protests in Hong Kong, fueling worries in Beijing that Hong Kong could develop as a "base for subversion."

Some people here say they remain deeply angry and want to see change in China.

"Someday we need to be the Palestinian people and fight," said truck driver Simon Mok.