Both Sides Mark Countdown to Hand-Over of Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s defiant pro-democracy forces counted off the seconds as today arrived, beginning the one-year mark until the British colony will be handed over to China.

“Five, four, three, two, one, support democracy, support Hong Kong,” they chanted as the hands of the clock swept past midnight.

Illuminated by candles spelling out the Chinese character for democracy, a crowd of between 100 and 300 Democratic Party activists sang “We shall overcome” and spent the evening huddled in a square outside the Legislative Council, where early Sunday a much larger crowd had rallied to herald the coming reunification with China on July 1, 1997.

Meanwhile, eight Hong Kong activists flew to Beijing today with a 50,000-signature petition protesting China’s plans to replace the legislature with an appointed body. But Chinese officials prevented them from leaving the plane in Beijing. “Nothing can stop us,” pro-democracy legislator Andrew Cheng had said before the flight. The Beijing government had warned the group to call off the trip.

The range of events held Sunday by China supporters suggested a concerted push to gain support among Hong Kong residents. Thousands of people turned out for music, children’s games and other festivities in Victoria Park.

The mood among pro-democracy activists mixed anxiety and defiance. But in a speech likely to inflame Beijing, Democratic Party leader Martin Lee painted a gloomy picture of the future and urged supporters to fight for democracy in Hong Kong and in China.

“We see Beijing-appointed puppets ruling Hong Kong with a high degree of control, that’s what we see,” Lee said. But he called it inevitable that democracy will eventually spread to China.