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117674
MDHIAN 5974
4. ON 21 MAY THE PAPERS, INCLUDING THE LEFT-WING WEN WEI AND TA KUNG, ACCORDED PROMINENT COVERAGE TO A MASS RALLY AND PARADE BY SOME 40,000 TO 50,000 PEOPLE AT VICTORIA PARK ON SATURDAY IN SUPPORT OF CHINA'S STUDENT MOVEMENT. TWENTY-SEVEN OMELCO MEMBERS, INCLUDING THREE EXCO MEMBERS, ISSUED AN OPEN STATEMENT CALLING ON THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP TO RESPECT THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND INFORMATION. THE PAPERS REPORTED THAT LOUIS CHA ANNOUNCED HIS RESIGNATION FROM THE BLDC AND BLCC. THE BLCC SECRETARIAT ANNOUNCED THAT THE SCHEDULED VISIT OF ANOTHER GROUP OF MAINLAND DRAFTERS TO HK FROM MAY 23 WOULD BE POSTPONED INDEFINITELY.
5.
IN HK, A MASS PARADE ROUND THE CITY AND A RALLY AT THE RACECOURSE ATTENDED BY QUOTE ONE MILLION UNQUOTE HK PEOPLE IN SUPPORT OF CHINA'S STUDENT MOVEMENT ON SUNDAY RECEIVED PROMINENT AND EXTENSIVE COVERAGE. THE PARTICIPANTS CAME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE RALLY WAS A STATEMENT READ OUT BY A STAFF MEMBER OF THE LOCAL BRANCH OF THE NCNA DENOUNCING THE CRACKDOWN ON THE STUDENTS
AND THE NEWS BLACKOUT.
6. ON 23 MAY WEN WEI PO AND THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL PUBLISHED AN
EXTRA EDITION TO COVER THE LATEST SITUATION IN CHINA. WEN WEI PO REPORTED PROMINENTLY THAT MORE THAN 40 DEPUTITES TO THE NPC HAD PUT THEIR SIGNATURES TO A REQUEST CALLING FOR A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE. IN HK, SOME 30 HK DELEGATES TO THE NPC AND CPPCC HAD ISSUED AN URGENT STATEMENT URGING THEIR COUNTER- PARTS IN CHINA TO IMMEDIATELY CALL A GENERAL MEETING OF THE NPC TO HANDLE THE SITUATION. THE PAPERS REPORTED THAT NEARLY 20,000 SECONDARY STUDENTS FROM 70 SCHOOLS MARCHED TO THE NCNA HK OFFICE
LAST NIGHT IN SUPPORT OF THE PEKING STUDENTS.
7 A SHARP FALL OF 339 POINTS IN THE HANG SENG INDEX YESTERDAY WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE PAPERS. HOWEVER, THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA REPORTED AT NOON THAT THE INDEX BOUNCED BACK THIS MORNING, GAINING 168 POINTS, AS REPORTS CAME IN FROM PEKING THAT THE TROOPS BEGAN TO WITHDRAW
FROM THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY THIS MORNING.
COMMENTARIES
8.
THERE HAD BEEN NUMEROUS EDITORIALS IN THE PAPERS CRITICISING
CHINA'S WAYS OF HANDLING THE STUDENT MOVEMENT. THE COMMUNIST WEN
WEI CAME OUT WITH ONLY FOUR BIG CHINESE CHARACTERS IN ITS EDITORIAL
ON SUNDAY (21.5)
''TONG XIN JI SHOU'
MEANING DEEP SORROW. THIS WAS REPORTED IN THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA AND THE OTHER PAPERS AND
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