Tuesday, July 1, 2003

Lau shows a T-shirt for sale urging Hong Kong's chief executive to stand down.

BEIJING, China (AP) -- CNN's broadcast into China was cut Monday night during an interview with a critic of a planned Hong Kong anti-subversion law that opponents say could stifle the media.

The network's programming was cut for about 20 seconds during a report featuring opposition Hong Kong lawmaker Emily Lau.

The report cut off as Lau began to criticize the legislation, to be enacted within days, and the broadcast resumed after the interview ended.

China's communist government prohibits ordinary Chinese from receiving CNN and other overseas satellite channels, restricting them mainly to hotels and residences and offices for foreigners. Reports on topics sensitive to the government are often interrupted with no explanation.

The anti-subversion bill designates life sentences for a range of crimes against the state. Hong Kong's government says it is necessary to protect the territory's security.

Over 100,000 people are expected to protest the bill on Tuesday, the sixth anniversary of Hong Kong's hand over from Britain to China.

Opponents fear the law will lead to suppression of free speech and assembly rights.

They say it could be used to restrict news reporting on topics forbidden in China and outlaw organizations such as Falun Gong, the meditation group banned in mainland China [...] but still allowed in Hong Kong.

The European Union on Monday criticized the anti-subversion law, saying it would blur the line between legal systems of Hong Kong and China and compromise the territory's autonomy.

U.S. lawmakers voted overwhelmingly last week to condemn the proposed law, after the White House expressed concern that it could curtail freedoms.

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/06/30/cnn.china.ap/