In December, authorities in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou executed convicted gangster Cheung Big Spender Tze-keung and four henchmen for kidnapping two Hong Kong tycoons and other violent crimes. Critics in Hong Kong said Cheung should have been tried in Hong Kong, where his most serious crimes occurred, and accused Hong Kong authorities of surrendering the territory s judicial independence to China by not seeking Cheung s extradition. Hong Kong authorities said they did not seek extradition because the victims had never filed charges. Police abuse of suspects is a continuing problem. The Basic Law requires Hong Kong to enact laws on treason, secession, sedition, subversion, and theft of state secrets.
Chinese authorities use such laws to imprison dissidents and journalists.
Tung called the new legislation inadequate. In 1998, the government said new legislation on sedition and treason would be introduced, along with secession and subversion laws, but not until at least 1999. All are required under the Basic Law. In March, senior pro-China politician Xu Simin stirred a debate on press freedom by attacking RTHK as a remnant of British colonialism, and calling on the station to stop criticizing the government and instead promote its policies. Chief Executive Tung defended freedom of speech but also said RTHK should present government policies in a positive light.