Wednesday July 9, 2:27 PM

AFP Photo

Thousands were preparing to attend a rally calling for Hong Kong's government to scrap a planned security bill as the former British colony battles its worst political crisis since its 1997 handover to China.

The demonstration comes on the day chief executive Tung Chee-hwa's administration had planned to begin enacting the controversial laws, which critics say will erode the territory's political freedoms and curb free speech.

Tung's government bowed to a protest by half a million people last week by first watering down some of its provisions and then deferring its consideration in the Legislative Council, without setting a timetable for its passage.

Tsoi Yiu-cheong, spokesman for the Civil Human Rights Front, told AFP, "the rally will be a reunion of participants of the July 1 demonstration.

"We estimate some 50,000 people will attend the rally of people's power," Tsoi said.

"It is because our demand to scrap the anti-subversion law has not been met by the government," he said. "We will continue to push on our demand until there is universal suffrage in Hong Kong."

Police have allocated four areas around the legislature building for holding the candle-lit vigil, a spokesman said.

He said organisers were told these areas could accommodate about 15,000 people, but if all these open space were filled up, police would implement "contingency measures".

"This will enable the events to be conducted safely and orderly in the interests of all parties," the police spokesman said.

Ahead of the planned rally, Tung's office issued a statement overnight saying "the government's functioning has not been affected by the recent incidents."

"The Chief Executive continues to have the full support of his team of principal officials and ExCo," it said.

The statement said the government was "fully aware of the concerns and aspirations" of the community and was taking these concerns "very seriously and are looking into them."

Tung has faced pressure to reshuffle his team after James Tien, chairman of the pro-business Liberal Party, with links to Beijing, on Sunday resigned from the cabinet, saying more time was needed to consider the security laws.

The Liberal Party would have joined the Democrats in opposing its early passage.

Pro-democracy lawmakers are planning to introduce a motion of no confidence against Tung in the coming weeks.

Legislators Lee Chuk-yan and Emily Lau of The Frontier told reporters they would pursue such a motion in the light of what they called Tung's failure to govern, which they said had led to the recent crisis surrounding the national security law.

The party on Tuesday handed to the government signed letters by more than 10,000 people gathered over the weekend demanding that Tung step down and pave the way for democratic reforms.

Meanwhile, some 30 Catholics began a 12-hour fast in a church. They were to join the candle-lit rally later Wednesday.

Some 300 members of the Falun Gong spiritual group, which is banned in China, is also planning to stage an overnight meditation after the protest rally, said Sophie Zhao, its spokeswoman here.

Hong Kong is required, under the terms of Article 23 of the constitution set after its return to China in 1997, to enact a national security law banning treason, sedition, subversion and the theft of state secrets.

Critics are concerned China's communist leaders could use the law to suppress freedoms, stifle reporting of official abuses, prevent protests against the government and block access to legal representation.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/030709/1/3cf3x.html