Hundreds of Hong Kong Catholics join march for universal suffrage

Published: 2005-12-06

HONG KONG (CNS) -- Hundreds of Catholics of all ages sang hymns, chanted prayers and carried banners as they joined a pro-democracy march calling for more autonomy in Hong Kong elections which they say is missing from the government's proposed political changes. Police estimated that about 63,000 people joined the Dec. 4 march through the downtown area. Organizers put the number at 250,000, while analysts estimated more than 100,000, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. Hong Kong, which came under Chinese control in 1997, has been given only partial freedom to govern itself. Currently, citizens of Hong Kong do not have universal suffrage -- the chief executive is picked by a Chinese-backed committee and only half the legislature is directly elected. Just before the march began, Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong and a Protestant pastor led about 800 Christians in a prayer session. The bishop, an outspoken democracy advocate, also addressed the Christians.

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