HK citizens angered by prosecution of RI Chinese

HK citizens angered by prosecution of RI Chinese

HONG KONG (AP): More than 1,000 protesters marched to the Indonesian consulate in Hong Kong yesterday to demand the apprehension of looters in Indonesia and protection of the ethnic Chinese.

The demonstrators called on the government in Jakarta to stop human rights abuses and sexual assaults targeting ethnic Chinese, who often are scapegoats in Indonesia in times of unrest.

Marchers carried banners saying, "Protect human rights. No violence," and "Punish rapists."

"Strongly condemn violence in Indonesia. The Indonesian government must stop the violence," the protesters chanted during a 15-minute march from a public park to the consulate.

Deputy Consul General Suhadi Salam received the protesters' petition demanding that President B.J. Habibie apprehend the looters, curb further violence and protect the Chinese community.

Police said there were 1,200 protesters, although the organizers, the Hong Kong Overseas Chinese General Association and the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong - a major grassroots party, claimed 3,000 people turned out.

Party chairman and lawmaker Tsang Yok-sing said the ethnic Chinese fear more violence against them is possible next month when Indonesia celebrates its independence day holiday.

The Chinese "don't know when they'll have a safe home to go back to. We demand that the Indonesian government take immediate action to punish the looters and curb the violence," Tsang said.

"I was very angry. They're trampling on our human rights," said a protester, H.Y. Lee, an Indonesian Chinese who moved to Hong Kong in 1953. "This is a country that wants to extinguish the minority races."

The Democrats, the territory's largest party, also planned an evening candlelight vigil later yesterday night.

The party's chairman, Martin Lee, said earlier he had written to United States President Bill Clinton to express concern. The legislature's house committee also agreed last week to write to Habibie.

An unidentified person threw several raw eggs above the consulate entrance, but protest organizers immediately stopped further acts of vandalism.