Hong Kong - Thousands of people took part in a march in Hong Kong Friday to call for greater democracy in the former British colony and the freeing of jailed political dissidents in China. Police said at least 4,600 people joined in the New Year's Day march from the Central district to the city's Beijing Liaison Office, a lower turnout than the 10,000 hoped for by the organizers.
Chanting slogans and holding up placards and banners, the marchers demanded the immediate freeing of prominent dissident Liu Xiaobo, who was jailed for 11 years in China on December 25.
Marchers included veteran journalist Ching Cheong, released from a Chinese prison in 2008 after serving time for allegedly leaking state secrets, who said he hoped the march would help reduce the sentence given to Liu.
Protesters also called for full democracy in Hong Kong by 2012, a demand already ruled out by the Chinese government and the Beijing-appointed Hong Kong administration.
Roads and bus routes through central Hong Kong were shut down as the march snaked its way towards the Beijing Liaison Office from 3 pm (0700 GMT) onwards on Friday, a public holiday in the city of 7 million.
Hong Kong is the only place on Chinese soil where anti-China demonstrations can be staged because it maintains political and judicial autonomy under a "one country, two systems" arrangement.
The territory currently has limited democracy with only half its 60 legislators directly elected and no popular vote for the position of chief executive.
Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/301716,thousands-march-in-hong-kong-for-democracy-and-china-dissidents.html.
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