Hong Kong security bill to proceed despite protests

THE watering down of reviled anti-subversion laws by Hong Kong’s government has done little to allay concerns, pro-democracy groups said yesterday, calling for the legislation to be postponed.

Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, struggling to defuse Hong Kong’s biggest political crisis in years, bowed to public pressure on Saturday and amended parts of the bill before its final reading this week.

But he ignored calls to postpone the legislation for more public consultation and pressed ahead with plans to present it to the legislature on Wednesday, when opponents expect tens of thousands to surround the building in protest.