Too Soon to Celebrate in Hong Kong

With the Hong Kong government in disarray following the resignations of key officials last week, the 500,000 demonstrators who turned out on July 1 have managed what the students in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and other Chinese protestors over the years couldn't: This is the first group to succeed without suffering a terrible crackdown from Beijing since Mao Zedong established the People's Republic in October, 1949.

By virtue of the huge turnout -- given that Hong Kong's population is only 6.8 million people, a half-million people in the streets was significant -- the demonstrators caused acute embarrassment to the government of Tung Chee-hwa, Beijing's hand-picked chief executive of the Hong Kong government. For the moment, the protesters have derailed Tung's plans to push through unpopular anti-sedition legislation that Beijing wants. But the protests also accomplished a third result: On July 16, they forced the resignations of two of Tung's most trusted advisers, Financial Secretary Antony Leung and Security Secretary Regina Ip.

A few months from now, after passions have died down, Tung may try once again to push an Article 23 bill through the city's legislature. Or Beijing's leaders may still find the turmoil in Hong Kong too threatening to continue. Further tensions may lie ahead. But for now, the most effective antigovernment movement under communist rule is getting results.

<http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/jul2003/nf20030722_1690_db010.htm>