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1、HongKongDemocracydeniedBeijingblocksopenelectionsinHongKonguntilatleast2017Jan3rd2008
2、 HongKong
3、FromtheprinteditionTODIMtheimpactofwhatithadtoknowwouldbeunpopularnews,China'sgovernmentwaiteduntiltheSaturdayeveningoftheNewYear'sweekendtorevealitslong-awaitedreactiontoHongKon
4、g'spetitionforademocraticgovernment.Theanswercameintwoforms.Therewasalong,muddled,pledgethatappearedtohonourtherequestbysettingatimetableforadirectpopularelectionfortheterritory's“chiefexecutive”.Andtherewasatoughunderlyingmessage:nosuchelectionuntiltwomorefive-yearchief-exec
5、utivetermshavebeencompleted,ie,until2017,ifthen;andallcandidateswillhavetobeapprovedbythecentralgovernment.Democracy,inshort,onlyinname.Similarly,itwillnotbeuntil2020,attheearliest,thatHongKong'scitizenswillhavetherighttoelectdirectlyallthemembersofthecity'slegislature.Thedec
6、isionfollowsalengthystudybytheHongKonggovernmentand,nodoubt,lengthyconsiderationinBeijing.LocalopinionpollsshowhugesupportamongHongKongcitizensfordemocracy.Arecentby-electionforoneofthedirectlyelectedseatsinthelegislatureresultedinasymbolicallyimportantvictoryforapro-democrac
7、ycandidate,AnsonChan,theterritory'smostseniorcivilservantduringthehandoverfromBritishruleadecadeago.ButtheChinesegovernmentanditssupportershaverecentlytakenanincreasinglychauvinisticline.Pro-mainlandpapershammeredMrsChan.Amildopinionpiecebyalong-timedemocracyadvocate,MartinLe
8、e,inthe WallStreetJournal,urgingcountriestopushforhumanrightsduringtheBeijingOlympicslaterthisyear,ledtohisbeingpilloriedintermsreminiscentoftheCulturalRevolution:“TraitorLee!”;“Runningdog!”InprotestatChina'selectoraltimetable,therewasalightlyattendedbicyclerallyonJanuary1st.
9、AbiggerrallyisplannedforJanuary13th.Butitisunlikelythattheturnoutwillmatchthehundredsofthousandswhoprotestedin2003againstproposedrestrictionsoncivilliberties.Atthetime, SARS,arespiratorydisease,wasraging,theeconomywasinafunkanddiscontentwidespread.Now,timesaregood.Restaurants
10、arepackedandunemploymentlow.Thepresentchiefexecutive,DonaldTsang,was
