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Tung withdraws anti-subversion bill

Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (董建華) said yesterday that he has withdrawn the anti-subversion bill that sparked a massive public protest in July, plunged his administration into crisis and fueled fears that China was trying to curb freedoms in the former British colony.

Tung said his decision was made amid worries among the public about the proposed legislation, which critics said would erode Hong Kong's Western-style civil liberties. Tung also said Hong Kong should focus more on economic recovery.

"I have listened to a lot of opinions, what our citizens care about the most at the moment are the economic matters," Tung said.

The government won't introduce a new version of the bill until it has consulted with the public and gained its support, Tung said. He said there is no timetable for launching a new bill.

Legislative support for the anti-subversion legislation unraveled following a 500,000-strong protest march against the bill on July 1, and the bill was put on hold.

The matter forced Tung's government into an embarrassing retreat and threw it into the biggest crisis since Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997.

Two key ministers -- the security and financial secretaries -- resigned amid the crisis.

Hong Kong is required to outlaw sedition, treason and subversion under the mini-constitution negotiated for the 1997 handover. But critics said the bill went too far.

It proposed giving police more powers and imposing life in prison for some offenses, stirring fears that it could lead to China-style controls on journalists, the Falun Gong spiritual group and others.

Tung said he has notified China's central government in Beijing about the bill's withdrawal.

"We won't begin a new legislative process if we do not have a thorough consultation or extensive support from the public," he said.

Although public fury has largely subsided for now, the highly unpopular Tung has continued to face numerous calls that he resign for mishandling the bill.

The controversy came at a bad time for the government. Hong Kong has never fully recovered from the 1997 to 1998 Asian financial crisis and is currently battling record unemployment of 8.7 percent and deepening deflation.

The SARS outbreak, which killed 299 people in the territory, prompted travel warnings that devastated Hong Kong's tourism and other business. The territory slipped into a recession during the second quarter.
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