Thousands march in Hong Kong over Manila hostage tragedy

Tens of thousands of people rallied in Hong Kong yesterday to demand justice for victims of the Manila hostage bloodbath, as the city’s large Filipino community staged its own memorials for the dead.

Demonstrators voiced their anger over the Philippine government’s handling of the siege in the heart of Manila last Monday which left eight Hong Kong tourists dead amid widespread complaints of police bungling.

“It’s too late for the governments to do anything, but Hong Kong people hope that, at the very least, the Philippine authorities could tell us the truth,” Daisy Kwong, a telecoms firm project manager, said.

“I cried for hours after watching the tragedy played out live on TV,” she said.

The sea of demonstrators observed three minutes’ silence as they gathered in a Hong Kong park, many wearing yellow ribbons and carrying white flowers, the traditional Chinese colour of mourning.

The Hong Kong political parties organising the rally had said it could draw as many as 50,000 people. No official figures were released on the actual number.

“I am furious,” 56-year-old Law Wai-hing said. “I don’t think we will ever be told the truth when the (Philippine) President (Benigno Aquino) is as appalling as he is.

“I hope the Chinese government and the United Nations can exert pressure on the Philippine government.”

Members of the city’s 200,000-strong Filipino community, the vast majority working as low-paid domestic helpers, have voiced fears of retribution.

Rally organisers asked demonstrators not to carry racially charged placards or chant discriminatory slogans, while several hundred Filipinos turned out to a candlelight vigil, one of several memorial services held yesterday.