New Hong Kong government1
plans to roll back freedoms
HONG KONG (AP)—In the most
detailed blueprint yet of the limits that
could be put on Hong Kong’s free
doms, the government-in-waiting un
veiled plans Wednesday to require
police approval for protests and allow
political parties to be banned.
Hong Kong’s future government
said it wanted to “strike a balance be
tween civil liberties and social stabil
ity.” But Hong Kong’s current Demo
cratic Party, which is often critical of
China, called the proposals “flagrant
violations of basic human rights.”
Outgoing British Gov. Chris Patten
said they would “undoubtedly tighten
the screw on Hong Kong’s civil liber
ties.”
The proposed changes, outlined in
a document released for public com
ment, stem from recent moves by a
China-appointed committee to roll
back Hong Kong’s civil liberties.
The incoming government, which
assumes power when the British
colony returns to Chinese sovereignty
on July 1, defends the moves needed
to bring Hong Kong’s freedoms into
line with the constitution China has
written for it.
The important test that lies ahead,
however, is whether the future gov
ernment is willing to compromise on
the extent of the proposed rollbacks
after the public consultation it has
promised.
Patten told reporters that the case
for amending the laws “has not been
demonstrated and cannot be demon
strated.”
People wanting to hold demonstra
tions after July 1 must seek police per
mission seven days beforehand, or 48
hours in special circumstances, said
Michael Suen, policy coordinator for.
the future government.
Demonstrators now must notify the
police, but do not have to apply for
permission.
Another change would prohibit
political groups from forming links
with foreign political organizations.
Political parties would be barred
from soliciting overseas donations,
and could be banned altogether “in the
interests of national security or public
safety, public order or the protection
of public morals.”
Coupled with China’s determina
tion to disband the elected legislature,
such changes would set back Hong
Kang's democratic development to the
beginning of the decade, when the
British governor had sweeping pow
ers to silence critics.
Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong’s
leader-in-waiting, says the changes are
necessary to prevent Hong Kong from
becoming a base for destabilizing
China.
The concept of “political organi
zations” and “political links” is “so
wide that it will simply catch a lot of
people in its net,” said Democratic
Party vice chairman Yeung Sum.
Mindful of the Democrats* strong
following in Hong Kong, and their
ability to mobilize foreign opinion,
Tung met with their representatives
immediately after the proposals were
published.
Democrat Albert Ho said Tung
“made positive responses” to their
objections, but declined to reveal de
tails of the one-hour meeting.
■ftr'g-TXy,
Mffon/World^
Social Security web she pulled for privacy reasons
WASHINGTON—Accused of putting Americans’ privacy at risk,
the Social Security Administration on Wednesday suspended an Internet
service that gave taxpayers access to their earnings and benefits records.
Acting Social Security Commissioner John J. Callahan said the
online service will be disabled fra* at least 60 days while he holds a
series of forums across the country with privacy and computer security
experts and the public about how to ease fears.
Advice also will be sought from banks that provide electronic fi
nancial services.
lauanan said requests irom lawmakers earner tnis week, questions
raised by computer experts interviewed in news repeals and phone calls
from the public all convinced him to pull the service.
Blocking cell protein may protect against AIDS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Researchers say they have found a way
to genetically prevent the formation of a key protein that allows the
AIDS virus to infect some cells, offering promise for a radically new
treatment.
Recent studies have shown that the HIV virus must link with spe
cific proteins on the surface of cells before it can infect the cell. These
surface proteins are called receptors.
One of the receptors, CD4, has long been known. Studies last year
showed that the virus must also link with one of two other cell recep
tors, CCR5 or CXCR4.
Generally, the virus uses the CCR5 receptor to invade cells early in
the infection. After the virus mutates, it also uses CXCR4.
Scientists at the Naval Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, Md.,
announced this week that in laboratory experiments they are now able
to prevent T-cells, the primary HIV target, from making die surface
protein CCR5. This, in effect, shuts down the ability of the virus to
infect the T-cells, said Dr. Carl H. June of the institute.
New tests on
James Earl Ray could
get a new trial based on
the results.
MEMPHIS, Term. (AP)—A state
appeals court Wednesday allowed for
new tests on the rifle and bullet be
lieved used to kill the Rev. Martin
Luther King Jr., keeping alive Janies
Earl Ray’s quest for a trial.
The State Court of Criminal Ap
peals said a judge has the authority to
order new tests on the bullet and the
.30-06 hunting rifle found with Ray’s
fingerprints on it near the Memphis
hotel where King was slain in 1968.
Ray, who is 69 and suffering from
liver disease, wants the tests to fur
ther his decades-old attempt to reverse
his guilty plea in the assassination. He
I
contends die rifle in court custody
since the 1960s is not the murder
weapon.
Memphis Judge Joe Brown ruled
in February that new technology ex
ists to prove once and few all if Ray’s
rifle killed King. Ray’s lawyers must
now formally ask the judge for per
mission to conduct the tests. Brown
tried to give that permission in 1994,
but was overruled by the appeals court.
If tests jwove Ray’s rifle was not
the murder weapon, he can ask the
court few a hearing on his claim of in
nocence.
The FBI and the U.S. House Se
lect Committee on Assassinations
tested the rifle in the 1970s, but could
not establish beyond a scientific doubt
that it was the murder weapon. The
tests showed King was killed by the
same kind of weapon.
Ray contends the rifle found near
the murder scene was put there by con
spirators trying to flame him. Ray said
he brought the rifle to Memphis on
instructions from a shadowy gun run
no* he knew only as Raoul. Authori
ties have never established Raoul ex
isted.
Ray’s attorney, William Pepper,
was in England Wednesday and not
immediately available for comment.
Prosecutors were skeptical about the
ruling’s effect.
“Other than the fact that it’s going
to continue the circus atmosphere,
whether this is going to produce any
thing, who knows,” prosecutor John
Campbell said.
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