By Emily Lau

One of Hong Kong's most outspoken and popular politicians, Emily Lau leads The Frontier party.

Two recent pronouncements by the Chinese authorities made international headlines. The first was that Tibet would re-open to foreign tourists on May 1, a decision soon reversed. The second was that outspoken human-rights activist Hu Jia had received a 3.5-year jail sentence for inciting subversion against the state.

The sentencing of 34-year-old Hu drew criticism in Hong Kong and western countries. It came as Beijing faced global concern for its handling of Tibet.

Overseas, Hu’s case was followed closely. Critics see his conviction as part of a government crackdown to silence dissidents before Beijing stages the Olympic Games in August.

Several dissidents have been jailed, including Yang Chunlin, a former factory worker who collected 10,000 signatures after posting an online petition titled “We Want Human Rights, Not the Olympics”. His petition drive aimed to help farmers seeking legal redress for confiscated land. Arrested last summer, Yang received a five-year sentence on charges of subverting state power.

Chinese legal expert Teng Biao described the detention of dissidents as a coordinated cleansing campaign. He said “all troublemakers, including potential troublemakers, are being silenced before the Olympic Games”.

Hu’s supporters say he consistently worked within China’s legal system to protect fellow citizens’ rights. They argue that such activities support China’s efforts to institute the rule of law and should be applauded, not punished.

The court verdict said that Hu had spread malicious rumors and committed libel to subvert the state’s political power and socialist system. A leading human-rights advocate, he had volunteered to help AIDS patients. He maintained regular contact with dissidents and other advocates on issues like environmental protection and legal reform. Plus he acted as a one-man clearing house for information on peasant protests and dissidents, subjects often censored in the Chinese media.

In December, Hu was arrested and faced charges based on six articles and interviews in which he criticized the Communist Party. In one blog essay, he assessed the central government’s “one country, two systems” policy that allows Hong Kong a more democratic system. He suggested all of China should be democratic.

China’s subversion laws, like those for state secrets, stay deliberately vague. Prosecutors have lots of leeway to decide what constitutes subversive speech.

By all accounts, the jailing of Hu is a retrograde step. Last month, National People’s Congress chairman Wu Bangguo declared China’s development of a socialist legal system complete. Imprisonment of Hu and other dissidents shows Beijing’s lack of confidence and broadcasts that the rule of law and independence of the judiciary still face a long and difficult road.

Like many people, I believe that Hu shouldn’t have been charged for merely criticizing the government. Subversion charges infringe on free speech and don’t appear in the laws of civilized countries. As a rising power, China should encourage open debates, not use subversion laws to silence critics.

The Tibet crisis attracts attention too. Protests are said to have started peacefully in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, on March 10, the anniversary of a 1959 uprising. It’s unclear why they turned into riots four days later. Responding harshly, the Chinese government sent in thousands of soldiers and paramilitary police. They hunted down protest leaders, cordoned off Buddhist monasteries and warned away tourists and journalists.

Days ago, the Chinese authorities said that 800 people were arrested for the violence and that 280 surrendered after a police offer of leniency. Officials claim that 22 people died in the unrest, but exiled Tibetans count nearly 140 dead. Officials said that trials would happen before May 1. Hasty scheduling of the trials indicates the government’s determination to “close the book” well before the Olympics Games open on August 8.

Beijing accuses the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and his supporters of orchestrating anti-government riots to sabotage the Games and promote Tibetan independence. The Dalai Lama denies this, condemns the violence and urges an independent international investigation into the unrest and its underlying causes.

More arrests are reported in Kashgar, Xinjiang Province. News agencies say the police there arrested 70 people in anticipation of trouble when the Olympic torch arrives in June. Xinjiang, an autonomous region in Northwest China, has a large population of ethnic minorities, many of them Muslims. Chinese authorities say that protests by Islamic separatists there tried to foment a broader uprising.

The Olympic flame has left Beijing on a planned month-long global tour. Activists have disrupted the tour to bring attention to causes like the Tibetan situation and a crisis in Sudan.

On May 2, the torch arrives in Hong Kong. Local groups and overseas activists plan to stage protests that day. Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang and his advisers must be working overtime to ensure a smooth performance that will be acceptable to Beijing.

Despite Tsang’s anxiety, I hope he won’t pressure the police to crackdown on demonstrators. The Hong Kong police have wide experience with large demonstrations. I urge them not to over-react by trampling on protest rights.

A British newspaper says Beijing will hire an international public relations agency to help repair its image before the Olympics. Evidently, several British and US agencies were invited to interviews with Chinese officials to discuss a contract involving PR strategies, media training and market research. The newspaper said the hiring of outside consultants may signal that the Olympics are in danger of turning into a public-relations disaster for the country and its ruling Communist Party.

Hong Kong needs no advice from PR consultants. Tsang should leave security arrangements and the handling of protests to the professionals. He must realize that intervening won’t make the demonstrators stay away.

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