Tsang stays silent after thousands join democracy march

Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang (曾蔭權) maintained a wary silence yesterday after an estimated 58,000 people took part in a march demanding democracy for the former British colony.

Tsang has made no public comment since huge crowds carrying banners marched peacefully through the city center on Saturday in the biggest protest since he took office in June last year.

The march was spearheaded by charismatic former deputy leader Anson Chan (陳方安生), who is now seen as a potential challenger to Tsang in next year's chief executive election.

The turnout at Saturday's march was 58,000 according to organizers. Police, who have a tradition of underestimating turn-outs at pro-democracy events, put the figure at 28,000.

The numbers were well below the 500,000 who marched in 2003 and 2004, when Hong Kong was in the economic doldrums and led by the unpopular Tung Chee-hwa (董建華), but much bigger than last year's showing of 20,000.

Tsang, who prides himself on being a listening leader, was coming under increasing pressure yesterday to respond to Saturday's events after the government appeared to try to ignore the march.

"Mr Tsang should give a formal response. He should see for himself that nearly 60,000 people turned out in what he described as a harmonious society," Ronny Tong (湯家驊), a legislator with the pro-democracy Civic Party, said in yesterday's edition of the South China Morning Post.

Pro-democracy legislators were meanwhile preparing to hold detailed talks with Anson Chan in the coming days to discuss her role in the campaign for universal suffrage.

Hong Kong, which reverted to Chinese rule in 1997, is technically entitled to universal suffrage next year under the terms of its post-handover mini-constitution, the Basic Law.

However, China has ruled out democracy for the territory of 6.8 million in the short term and refused to give a timetable for the introduction of universal suffrage.