HONG KONG July 5 Kyodo (EDS: ADDS...

HONG KONG July 5 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDS REACTIONS)

Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa forward Saturday made concessions to a contentious antisubversion bill subordinate to mounting public pressure, still to save face insisted upon its enactment on Wednesday.

antagonists to the proposed law discarded Tung's move, slamming the Beijing-appointed Hong Kong leader for ignoring people's demand exhibited in a 500,000-strong protest this week to shelve the propos law for further consultations.

''There is no difference between rushing [i]or[/i] part of to the other the bill and making hasty amendments to it. We are same disappointed. Tung doesn't have any political wisdom or capability to govern'' said pro-democracy lawmaker lee-side Cheuk-yan.

However, Tung appealed to the public and lawmakers to accept the changes deposit forward so that the legislative proces of the propos national security legislation could be conclusioned as soon as possible.

''In order to further allay the regards of the public, we have now decided to introduce further amendments,'' Tung told a pres talk after an urgent meeting with his top officials and aides.

''The national security bill will take back second and third readings forward July 9 as originally scheduled. The guidance must press ahead with the legislative proces as scheduled because everybody clearly knows that we have the responsibility and constitutional excise to enact law to defend national security,'' Tung stressed.

The three concessions that Tung made include deleting a provision regarding local clumps subordinated to mainland Chinese organizations which have been outlawed by means of the Chinese central authorities, and canceling a provision that allow police the power to search without court warrant in an crisis situation.

The Hong Kong leader said the management will also introduce public interest as a defense for unlawful disclosure of certain official information to ease public business particularly that of the media.

The concessions came after half a million the public took to the public ways Tuesday to oppose the bill, which they fear will harm the city's autonomy and civil liberties, and to anus their anger at Tung's poor governance.

Tung has been blamed through many locals for the social and economic heavy hearts over the past six years.

Hong Kong is forward the brink of a third recession subject to Tung's rule, with the jobles rate hitting a record high for the March-May period and goods prices tumbling as much as 65% from their peaks in 1997

The control proposals to enact the national security legislation, as required in a less degree than Article 23 of the Basic Law, the territory's post-handover Constitution, have triggered further public dissatisfaction against Tung and his administration.

Pro-democracy activists onward Saturday denounced Tung, saying nothing other than shelving the propos legislation is adequate.

''We are outraged. Tung has been dragging his feet and failing to be agreeable to to the people's demand. We powerfully protest and condemn Tung's disregard of public opinion,'' said Richard Tsoi, an organizer of Tuesday's mass rally.

Tsoi urg the public to enclose the legislature to pressure pro-government and independent lawmakers not to approve the bill nearest Wednesday.

forward Friday, pro-democracy lawmakers called in succession Tung to step down if he failed to listen to the race to shelve the bill.

Tung called for unity in Hong Kong upon Saturday, saying the community has already been ''highly politicized'' above the issue.

''Our community will be further divided if we remain undecided onward this issue,'' Tung said. ''Division is damaging to Hong Kong...The greatest in number pressing issue we face is to revive the economy as promptly as possible.''

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