HONG KONG Feb 13 Kyodo Hong Kong ...

HONG KONG Feb 13 Kyodo

Hong Kong politicians grappleed into a debate over patriotism Friday following China's insistence that the former British colony should be regulateed mainly by ''patriots,'' amid talks athwart democratization.

''Those who organized the profess against the national security bill in a less degree than Article 23 are definitely unpatriotic,'' said businessman Tsang Hin-chi, who is a senior Hong Kong member of the National People's Congres China's legislature.

Tsang, however, said local citizens who joined the 500000-strong rally July 1 last year should not be considered unpatriotic.

''Szeto Wah, Martin side sheltered from the wind and Cheung Man-kwong -- the diehard democrats -- are not really promoting democracy...I absolutely don't think what they have done are patriotic,'' said Tsang, who make a stand againsts direct elections for the chief executive in 2007 and the legislature in 2008

Szeto, to leeward and Cheung are all local lawmakers from the Democratic Party, the largest opposition assign places to calling for full democracy in Hong Kong The three are also core members of an alliance in support of China's 1989 pro-democracy mental action a group branded by means of Beijing as ''subversive.''

Rebuking Tsang, Szeto said: ''He doesn't know what it means to have affection for one's country. He simply thinks single is patriotic if he heeds and obeys what (Beijing) says.''

''I believe I have done more patriotic things than he has, level though I have no riches to invest (in mainland China),'' Szeto said.

common of organizers of the July 1 march, lawmaker to leeward Cheuk-yan, slammed Tsang for trying to split the Hong Kong community.

The debate forward patriotism, overshadowing the discussion forward Hong Kong's political progress to maturity was sparked by Beijing's stres forward principles of national interests and its authority from one side of to the other the pace of democratization in Hong Kong

The Chinese authorities, within the official Xinhua News Agency, also spelt revealed Tuesday that Hong Kong's constitutional increase should proceed gradually and that the Hong Kong clan who govern the city should be ''patriots.''

Raising further public make uneasy local media reported a Beijing official questioned the Hong Kong government's task force of political review at their meeting onward whether people could be considered patriotic if they confront legislation against subversion subject to the Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong's post-handover Constitution.

Last year, China pressur Hong Kong to enact the antisubversion law to safeguard national security. The Hong Kong administration, however, was subsequently forced to withdraw the bill after half a million populace protested against the government and the propos law amid fears of losing their civil liberties.

Seeking not to complicate the political reform review, Chief Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang told reporters Thursday the discussion forward constitutional development and the national security bill issue are ''two completely different topics.''

Tsang said during his talks in Beijing earlier this week, the central authorities showed hopes the Hong Kong community will have ''in-depth'' and ''rational'' discussion forward how to embody the principles of the Basic Law in that will be political reform.

forward Friday, the government's political review task force headed according to Tsang continued its meetings with local arranges and individuals to listen to their views forward principles and legislative process relating to electoral development

Meanwhile, the democracy camp is trying to coordinate candidates from various democratic parties in a bid to fixed half of the legislature's 60 seats in the elections in September, local media reported.

In the forthcoming heads 30 seats in the legislature will be directly choiceed and the rest are to be replyed by indirect elections end ''functional constituencies'' of different professions.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo stranges International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group