The writing is on the wall

Sponsored by Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, the weekend event in the harbour-side Tsim Sha Tsui district included speeches, petitions, book sales and fund raising.

The Democrats are the biggest political party in Hong Kong’s outgoing Legislature, but they’ll lose their lawmaking voice once a new body set up by China begins work on Tuesday.

Party vice-chairman Yeung Sum, speaking to a milling crowd of several hundred people, vowed his party would bounce back when new elections are called.

Siu Cheung-Ling, 39, out with her family, stopped in front of one of the papered-over boards where the public was invited to record thoughts about the handover.

Cheung Ling picked up a felt-tipped marker and wrote: “Returning to one’s country is right. But how can we be happy about returning to a mother who has a record of killing her children?”.

“We have a fear in our hearts. … I don’t like the society in mainland China, I don’t like that kind of society,” Siu said, adding she supported the Democrats’ quest to enhance democracy in Hong Kong.

But 32-year-old Liu Jun, who said he came to Hong Kong from China three years ago to do business, said the Democrats were “too extreme” in their criticism of China. The end of British rule should be celebrated by all Chinese, he said.

“It’s most important not to be insulted by foreigners. For more than a hundred years we have been insulted not only by the British, but by many countries,” he said.

Au Yiu-Leung, 35, a sales executive, said he supported the Democrats.“I have just these few words: Struggle for democracy,” he said.