HONG KONG's pro-democracy activists yesterday accused Britain and the US of kowtowing to Beijing in deciding not to go ahead with a planned boycott of inaugural ceremonies for a non-elected provisional legislature next week.
Members of the Democratic Party, the largest in the territory are planning a protest from a balcony of the colonial-style legislative building during ceremonies on Monday night marking the transfer of Hong Kong to China.
The incoming chief executive, Mr Tung Chee-hwa, indicated he was not opposed to demonstrations against the dissolution of the current legislative assembly but was strongly against using the balcony, as this was too "high-profile". The Democrats may now lock themselves in the building over the weekend to ensure they can hold their protest.
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, will attend the ceremonies marking the return of Hong Kong to China at midnight on Monday, but they will stay away from the swearing-in of the provisional legislature which takes place immediately afterwards, in protest at the scrapping of the partly-elected legislative assembly it replaces.
However, they have now decided to send their consuls instead, drawing sharp criticism from outspoken democrats like Ms Emily Lau who said the two countries were "disgusting and contemptible". Ms Lau and other members of the party led by Mr Martin Lee will be replaced in the provisional legislature by several figures defeated in the 1995 elections to the legislative council.
Mr Lee said that the boycott, which would have sent a very strong message that Britain and the US did not accept the legitimacy of the new hand-picked legislature, is "much watered down, if not contradicted".
As the Legislative Council wound up its final session, he said to reporters of the US action: "On the right hand, it is boycotting the provisional legislature. On the left hand, it is engaging them. We want to work with the future government but we certainly do not want to work with the provisional legislature."
Mr Szeto Wah, leader of a pro-democracy mass movement in Hong Kong, said: "The British government has never cared for Hong Kong's well-being and has been striking deals with China to protect - their commercial advantages."
The South China Morning Post, Hong Kong's main English-language newspaper, said that by attempting to have their cake and eat it, Britain and the US had lost the moral high ground with "shilly-shallying edging towards hypocrisy".
Beijing has all along said it would scrap the Legislative Council because it was part of reforms introduced by the Governor, Mr Chris Patten, without consultation with China. Some prominent British figures like Sir Percy Craddock, architect of the joint agreement returning Hong Kong to China, have accused Mr Patten of wrecking the chances of a "through train" transition by his action.
British officials said that the consuls were being sent because the ceremony also included the swearing-in of Mr Tung as chief executive of the Special Administrative Region of China and of the territory's judges. However, the U-turn came when it was obvious that Washington and London had not attracted support from other countries for their boycott.
A Foreign Office spokesman in London insisted: "This in no way implies approval of the provisional legislature to which we are adamantly opposed." Mr Patten warned against the use of a heavy hand against any protests. "It's in everybody's interests to ensure that the arrangements for the handover are able to confirm Hong Kong's reputation for moderation and responsibility," he told the Financial Times.
Mr Tung has unveiled a new honours system rewarding those with a love for the Motherland. Among the first to receive the "Grand Bauhinia Medal", named after Hong Kong's new emblem, will be his fellow tycoon Mr Henry Fok, who joined a China-backed rescue of the Tung shipping company in the 1980s.