Beijing behind security lockdown for Li's trip, Legco president says

Beijing behind security lockdown for Li's trip, Legco president says
South China Morning Post - AUGEST 29, 2011
By Peter So

Legco president Tsang Yok-sing said he believed the Hong Kong government and police were under pressure from mainland officials to keep the city in "complete quiet and total security" during Vice-Premier Li Keqiang's visit earlier this month.

Speaking on ATV's current affairs programme Newsline, broadcast last night, Tsang said it was obvious that mainland officials, who were responsible for arranging the visit, would expect their Hong Kong counterparts to keep protesters away from the vice-premier.

The police's heavy-handed security surrounding Li's visit has been much criticised, especially the handling of student protesters on the University of Hong Kong campus.

"I believe the police would have been under pressure to ensure the VIP did not see or hear anything he did not want to see or hear," Tsang said. "Whenever an important official from Beijing visits Hong Kong, those [mainland officials] in charge of the arrangements always require complete peace and total security."

Tsang said this reflected on a value gap between Hong Kong people and the central government.

He said it was unfortunate that the officials did not want state leaders to have a chance to see "another side of Hong Kong" - referring to the protests held during Li's visit.

However, Tsang refused to comment on whether the police went overboard during the visit, because the Legco security panel would meet today to discuss the matter.

But writing on his blog yesterday, Home Affairs Bureau chief Tsang Tak-sing, the Legco president's younger brother, said Hongkongers should focus discussions on what benefits would come from the economic measures Li offered, rather than being distracted by other issues.

Li announced more than 30 economic and financial measures to enhance links between Hong Kong and the mainland during his three-day visit. "[The measures] will improve livelihoods substantially and facilitate continuous social improvement; this is the big issue related to the people's well-being," Tsang wrote.

"Some issues are more important and some are less important. It would show the wisdom of the public if they could distinguish the importance and priority of those issues. We should not be distracted."

Emily Lau Wai-hing, vice-chairwoman of the Democratic Party, said Tsang's views reflected how out of touch the home affairs chief was with what Hongkongers were most concerned about.

Copied from SCMP.com

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