Hong Kong Postpones Subversion Bill Vote

In a last-ditch effort to defuse an escalating political crisis, the Hong Kong government today postponed the vote on a controversial anti-subversion bill that critics say would undermine the civil liberties that set the Chinese territory, a former British colony, apart from the Communist mainland.

The announcement followed the surprise resignation Sunday of a key government ally. Liberal Party Chairman James Tien had urged the Hong Kong government to delay the vote on the bill after returning from discussions with officials in Beijing. Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa insisted on pushing ahead with the bill but agreed to water it down, taking out some of the most biting provisions affecting press freedom and the right to assemble.

That was apparently not enough to gain Tien’s support. By resigning, Tien took away other pro-government swing votes, making passage of the law during Wednesday’s scheduled vote in the Hong Kong legislature unlikely.

“In light of the position of the Liberal Party, we have decided

Opponents of the bill consider the delay a significant victory. Half a million people poured into the territory’s streets to protest the measure last week on the sixth anniversary of the hand-over from British to Chinese rule.

Much of the public anger has been directed at Tung, the Beijing-appointed chief executive, whose days in power may be numbered, many say, because of his inept handling of the controversy and a host of other social and economic problems plaguing the metropolis of 6 million.

Ivan Choy, a political commentator at the City University of Hong Kong, called Tung’s delay “just power politics.”

“It does not mean he respects the Hong Kong people,” Choy said. “If he respected the Hong Kong people, he should have made these announcements the day after the July 1 protest.”

As for Tien, Choy said it was a deft decision to save his own political career. When he returned from Beijing last week and revealed that the central government in fact did not have a specific timetable to enact the bill, it was seen as a slap in the face to the Tung government, which had insisted that the time had come to pass the measure.

Opponents of the anti-subversion law said they will press ahead with a protest set for Wednesday at the government center because the measure could still be revived. “The war is not over,” said Richard Tsoi of the Civil Human Rights Front.