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Overview of May Day marches in Hong Kong and Macau
Macau
The demonstration was organized by six main groups including Macau’s independent unions. The pro-Beijing Federation of Trade Unions (like its Hong Kong counterpart) stayed away from the march. An estimated 10,000 protestors (police say 2,400) turned up including mainly middle aged workers and retirees. Many were from the construction sector which is experiencing a boom but for many ordinary workers remain unemployed due to excessive and often illegal importation of cheap labour – primarily from mainland China. Other groups included many elderly women seeking the right of abode and family reunion. Corruption was also a central theme and was linked to rising house prices and a shortage of affordable housing in the wake of a huge embezzlement scandal involving the former secretary for transport and public works Ao Man-long. In April, investigators last month alleged that Ao had amassed a total of 800 million patacas (HK$777 million) in cash and assets –some 50 times his legal income. The official government response to the incident was that the action was a legitimate response to the “violation of law” and that “the Police had taken appropriate measure to handle to conflict in order to restore social order…and that all attempts to disrupt the Macao’s stable development would not be allowed.” They were later reported as having “praised the "resolute and restrained" attitude of the police and described the march as a "serious breach of the law". The police action “has resulted in an effective control of the situation and enabled society to resume its normal order…The SAR government will not tolerate any act to wreck the rule of law and Macau's stable development. We will definitely trace responsibility for any attempts to do so." (South China Morning Post 3 May 2007) However, according to union organizers, the shots fired were not to prevent a stampede of people crushing an elderly protestor, who had been inadvertently knocked down by the police and had already been helped to her feet before the majority of the shots were fired. The organizers and eye-witnesses testify that the shooting escalated the tension and the protest. Some 30 women protestors from the Association Promoting Family Reunions came forward to present the police some roses but were instead pushed back, in the course of which the elderly woman was knocked down. The march route had not been agreed before the demonstration as police insisted the marchers were kept away from the city centre. Eye witnesses testify that police kept the protestors to small alleys and segregated them from passersby. The police also kept halting the march to forcibly remove individual protestors despite the peaceful nature - up until then – of the march. Ten people were detained for a day including a union leader Li Kin Yun, from the Casino and Construction Workers’ union who was arrested together with another nine workers. Li Kin Yun was operating a loudspeaker at the protest and it is claimed that he had no physical contact with the police. They were released late on Wednesday and the police are currently considering charges against them. All were reportedly refused access to lawyers during their period in detention. The workers demonstration in Macau should come as no surprise given the current situation. While there has been sustained economic growth in recent years with a boom in casino and construction most ordinary citizens have not gained from the recent economic success. In addition there are serious concerns that the current system of import labour is being abused and that many workers are being hired from overseas at low wages and with poor benefits. This is resulting in the lowering of local wages and the use of unprotected and cheap labour from overseas. In an unusually critical editorial in the South China Morning Post (http://focus.scmp.com/focusnews/ZZZXHXXV51F.html -subscription required) the lack of government explaination on the action of the police was questioned. "The sound of gunfire among thousands of protesters remains the defining moment of Macau's violent Labour Day march. Discharging a firearm in public is a serious matter at any time. Except in strife-torn societies where law and order has collapsed, it usually results in prompt action by police to protect innocent lives. What sets the Macau incident apart is that the five shots were all fired into the air by one of the police officers assigned to control the march. Officers at the scene claimed he did it only to prevent a stampede after someone had fallen, although this is open to question. It is not yet clear whether one of the shots caused the projectile wounds to a motorcyclist 300 metres away. The Macau government's statement on events is extraordinary. It came at 4am yesterday, apparently after a long debriefing on the violent clashes; and it did not specifically deal with the discharge of a firearm by police. There is no doubt the protesters pushed the patience of police to the limit. But given the official description of police actions as resolute, restrained and appropriate, the failure to mention the shots was a glaring omission. The police have commented, but only to reiterate the dubious claim that the use of the gun was justified to prevent a stampede. A full inquiry is needed to find out precisely what happened and why. The government's statement did, however, reaffirm the public's right to protest in the streets, subject to the rule of law and respect for the rights of others. This raises a question mark over extreme action, such as the use of a firearm to restore order. When its use is intended as a circuit-breaker to prevent things getting out of control, it could just as easily have the opposite effect of panicking or provoking a crowd, with unpredictable and possibly tragic results." The growing willingness of people in Macau to speak up and express their views is a healthy development. No doubt, this will sometimes take the form of street demonstrations. Such protests should be peaceful and lawful and demonstrators must accept the part they played in Tuesday's violence. But this does not excuse the use of firearms by the police in such circumstances. Macau may have secured its economic future as the Las Vegas of Asia. It cannot claim, however, to be a stable and tolerant society until the plight of those left behind by the boom is tackled - and the right of people to protest without fearing a violent reaction by police is guaranteed. Background on Macau: IHLO Beginners trade union guide to Macau Coverage IMedia article on the Macau protest with eye witness accounts: http://www.interlocals.net/?q=node/787 The Hong Kong Standard with an analysis of the situation in Macau which led up to the protest; corruption, the scandal involving ormer secretary for transport and public works Ao Man-long and local worker unemployment and low wages: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=43576&sid=13422546&con_type=3 Coverage from EastSouthWestNorth The Gunshots in Macau: http://www.zonaeuropa.com/200705.brief.htm#010 Macau Disturbance – includes an article from the Hong Kong Standard as well as translation from the Chinese newspaper The Sun, Apple Daily and numerous photos (with link to various videos): http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20070502_1.htm Videos Youtube video of TVB coverage: This clip shows the elderly female protestors with red roses to symbolise the right to family reunion and shows the female who fell down ad the gun shots that occurred after she was helped to her feet. It later shows police surrounding a protestor and beating him with batons as well as the escalation of events that occurred after the police shootings. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKYSY8t9yDg Youtube video of Hong Kong Cable TV coverage of the demonstration, arrests, beatings and the shooting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZXg_zjBBuY Hong Kong In contrast, Hong Kong’s march was peaceful and well organised with the police maintaining a good distance. The mood was positive and at times joyful thanks to the music and singing of the (mainly) foreign domestic workers in the march. The March was primarily organised by the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions. Some 30 groups took part and an estimated 2,000 people marched from Victoria Park to the government headquarters. Concentrating on the campaign to implement a minimum wage the protestors also included calls for maximum working hours and the rights of foreign domestic workers. For an excellent report and interviews with some of the many groups who marched see this report from Inmediahk.net : http://www.interlocals.net/?q=node/786
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