A group of about 15 protesters went to the Chinese Foreign
Affairs Office, Hong Kong to lodge a protest against the arrests of
Chinese workers by the Beijing government and the deterioration
of their living standards.
They chanted "Down with Li Peng" over a dozen times while on
their way marching from downtown Central District to the Mid-level
building that represents the presence the Chinese Central
Government in Hong Kong. They continued chanting that slogan,
among others, just outside the gates of the Office. The police
stood by and did not intervene even though various Chinese
officials had made it clear that such slogans amount to
subversion.
In a statement handed out to the press, the group demanded:
1. the union laws to be amended to safeguard the right of the
workers to form independent unions,
2. revision of the Chinese Constitution to reinstate the right of the
workers to strike,
3. to establish a comprehensive welfare system to look after the
workers who lost their jobs in recent years,
4. the release of all jailed union activists.
Leung Kwok-hung, who led the protest, said that they came to the
Foreign Affairs Office, Hong Kong to protest because during the
National People's Congress, the Beijing Security Bureau had
arrested a number of laid-off workers who came to Beijing to air
their grievances to the national representatives. "These people
had done nothing illegal. They were merely exercising their rights
as stipulated in the Constitution and yet they were detained",
Leung said.
Leung also pointed out that there were already 18 millions jobless
in China to date and the figure would probably rise to 30 millions
next year. He emphasized that the repressive measures targeting
these workers were clear indications that the Beijing would not
tolerate any moves on the part of the workers to lodge complaints
or to associate to form independent trade unions.
When asked why the group chanted "Down with Li Peng", Leung
responded by saying that Li-peng was designated to head the
National People's Congress and this was a slap in the face for
such a figure to purport to be the head of the representative
council of the Chinese people. |
