Hong Kong Groups to Protest During Chinese Vice-President's Visit
Posted on: Saturday, 5 July 2008, 06:00 CDT
Text of report by Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post website on 5 July
["Protests Planned for National Leader's Visit"]
Various groups plan to protest during Vice-President Xi Jinping's visit to Hong Kong next week.
Lee Cheuk-yan, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, said dozens of its members would protest on Monday outside the Island Shangri-La hotel in Admiralty, where Mr Xi will dine with guests, including legislators.
The protesters would call for democracy in China and vindication of the 1989 student movement.
Fermi Wong Wai-fun, director of the racial-equality advocacy group Unison, said it was planning a petition to Mr Xi to express discontent about flaws in Hong Kong's draft law against racial discrimination, to be tabled for its third reading in the Legislative Council on Wednesday.
The group yesterday presented a letter to Premier Wen Jiabao from Hong Kong-born Pakistani teen Fatimah Bibi, 13, to an official of the central government's liaison office.
Jackie Hung Ling-yu of the Civil Human Rights Front, which organizes the July 1 march for democracy, said it might also stage actions during Mr Xi's visit.
The Kowloon Poultry Transporter and Poulterer Association dropped plans to stage a protest involving 110 trucks outside the Sha Tin racecourse tomorrow. The rally had been planned to press for compensation for the loss of earnings amid curbs on the live- chicken trade.
Mr Xi will inspect facilities for the Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events and dine with Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam- kuen tomorrow when he starts his tour.
He will meet local deputies to the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and others, at the Harbour Plaza hotel in Hung Hom, and attend a dinner reception with lawmakers.
Mr Xi is also to meet ordinary citizens, representatives of mainland-based firms and Government Flying Service staff who took part in earthquake relief work in Sichuan.
Originally published by South China Morning Post website, Hong Kong, in English 5 Jul 08.
(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific
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