[Imc-asia] Reports on anti-globalisation protest in Hong Kong

[Kevin Yuk-shing Li]

South China Morning Post, Monday, October 29, 2001

EAST ASIA ECONOMIC SUMMIT
300 protesters defy police warning

Anti-globalisation demonstrators face threat of legal action after marching
down Nathan Road

CHOW CHUNG-YAN and FELIX CHAN

   About 300 demonstrators defied police warnings of legal action yesterday
as they took to Nathan Road in protest against globalisation, which they
said had robbed locals of jobs.

The protest was jointly staged by 21 local groups on the eve of today's East
Asia Economic Summit, organised by the World Economic Forum. Twenty
campaigners from 10 countries arrived over the weekend to join the march
from Yau Ma Tei to Tsim Sha Tsui.

Lam Chi-leung, spokesman for the Solidarity and Resistance Against
Globalisation Alliance, said it wanted to bring the voice of the working
class to the forum and protest against the widening gap between rich and
poor.

Police had wanted the protesters to march along Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.
But the demonstrators defied the order and marched along Nathan Road.

"It's completely unreasonable. The police want to confine us to a street
that is isolated and few people would visit. We want to attract the
attention of the public. We have followed required procedures and it was a
peaceful demonstration," Mr Lam said.

Wong Wai-hong, a police sub-unit commander, warned the protesters before the
march: "You have breached the condition for demonstration. We now warn you
that we will reserve the right to take legal action."

The protesters ignored the call, shouting slogans, singing and beating drums
on Nathan Road.

The march reached the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and proceeded along the
waterfront opposite the Convention and Exhibition Centre on the other side
of the harbour in Wan Chai, where the summit will be held.

There were traffic jams along Nathan Road, with more than 20 bus routes
affected. Police said an investigation would be conducted and they would
seek advice from the Department of Justice on whether to prosecute.

The groups will stage a rally at Polytechnic University in Hunghom tonight,
while the April 5th Action Group will protest in Wan Chai this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Secretary for Security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee said immigration
officers had been justified in using force to deport "unco-operative"
overseas anti-globalisation protesters on Saturday. Five activists from
Taiwan were ordered on to flights back to Taipei about 24 hours after
arriving at Chek Lap Kok.

One said he was carried to the plane wrapped in a blanket.

"Every day there are people being denied entry. Of course, we have the power
to ask them to leave," Ms Ip said. "If they don't want to leave voluntarily
and refuse to co-operate with us, we can use minimum force, which in this
case, involved wrapping them in blankets."

Tim Pringle, editor of Globalisation Monitor in Hong Kong, blasted the
Government's decision to bar the Taiwan delegates from entering Hong Kong.

"It infringed our rights of assembly and freedom of speech. These are
law-abiding people who want to come here to express their views."


Hong Kong iMail, 29/Oct/2001

Police back down over marchers' route
By Janny Leung

POLICE backed off yesterday from an expected confrontation with hundreds of
anti-globalisation protesters who marched in defiance of a route ban.

But an officer said the march was illegal and the police reserved the right
to take legal action against the organisers.

About 400 members of the Solidarity and Resistance Against Globalisation
alliance assembled at the Arthur Street playground in Yau Ma Tei at 3pm and
marched to Nathan Road about 4pm, where they were stopped by police.

After a few tense moments of negotiations, they were allowed to march down
one lane of the busy thoroughfare to the Cultural Centre.

Police had earlier told them to assemble at King George V Memorial Park in
Jordan and march down Canton and Salisbury roads. The protesters refused.

The march against poverty and the widening wealth gap took place on the eve
of the World Economic Forum's East Asia Economic Summit that begins in Wan
Chai today.

The protesters also expressed anger at the detention of five Taiwanese
labour activists at the airport on Friday, when they arrived to take part in
the march.

They were wrapped in blankets and put on a flight to Taipei on Saturday, in
what Secretary for Security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee said was use of ``minimal
force''.

Before the march, the alliance, which was established last month and brings
together about 20 local groups, displayed anti-poverty banners and posters,
including a large one with the slogan ``People before Profit'', in the
Arthur Street playground. Protesters also chanted slogans, sang and danced.

Inspector Wong Wai-hong of the Yau Ma Tei division warned protesters to obey
conditions relating to the march.

Officers scrambled to divert traffic and keep the protesters away from cars,
trucks and buses as they marched down Nathan Road. After causing traffic
jams in Yau Ma Tei and Tsim Sha Tsui, the crowd gathered near the Cultural
Centre and continued the protest.

The alliance also issued a statement to strongly condemn the
``unreasonable'' refusal of entry of the Taiwanese who were among 20
overseas activists hoping to make the march.

``They had come to Hong Kong before to interact with local civil groups, and
did not pose any threat to security,'' the statement said.

``It is absolutely unreasonable for the SAR government to refuse them entry,
and it infringes local citizens' rights to discuss problems with them.''

Accusing immigration officers of violence, it said: ``We condemn the
government for suppressing freedom of speech.''

The Taiwanese also issued a statement challenging Hong Kong's reputation as
a ``free port''.

They said their detention had aroused ``confusion and anger''.

``The incident has made it clear that the freedom is given only to
international enterprises, but not to citizens,'' they said.

Mrs Ip said minimum force would be used against anyone refused entry if they
refused to co-operate.

``Using blankets to wrap them in is a kind of minimum force,'' she said.

Refusing to comment on what she termed as individual cases, she said people
were refused entry every day.

The Director of Immigration had the ``perfect right'' to do so if he
considered arrivals as ``problematic'' or their entry as being ``against the
interests'' of Hong Kong.

There will be tight security at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan
Chai for the summit, which will be attended by business and political
leaders and will end on Wednesday.

Yesterday morning, police checked the roof of the centre, its outer glass
wall and a nearby hotel. The summit's opening banquet was held last night.