VZCZCXRO2264
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHHK #2321 3551003
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211003Z DEC 09 ZDS
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9220
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS HONG KONG 002321 
 
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y //PARA CLASSIFICATION SHOULD READ BLANK 
VICE SBU// 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM, 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL HK MC
SUBJECT: HU JINTAO SWEARS IN MACAU'S NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE 
 
¶1. On December 20, Macau celebrated the 10th 
anniversary of its return to mainland China and saw the 
transfer of power to a new Chief Executive (CE).  Chinese 
President Hu Jintao presided over the swearing-in ceremony of 
Fernando Chui Sai-on, the former Secretary for Social Affairs 
and Culture, as Macau's third-term CE, along with key 
government officials and members of the Executive Council. 
Heeding earlier central government calls for Macau to 
diversify its economy, Chui pledged to "actively develop the 
appropriate diversification of the economy," with increased 
emphasis on convention, exhibition, logistics and cultural 
industries, while strengthening oversight of the gaming 
industry.  Chui also promised to improve governance, listen 
to public sentiment, build a clean government, and enhance 
quality of life for Macau citizens. 
 
¶2. In a 16-minute speech, President Hu Jintao praised 
Macau's success and the progress achieved during the past 
decade but urged the Chui Administration to further 
strengthen rule of law, improve people-based governance, and 
facilitate a clean and effective government. Hu spelled out 
five "musts" for the new government: 1) must fully and 
correctly understand and implement the "one country, two 
systems" principle; 2) must strictly abide by the Basic Law; 
3) must focus its efforts on sustainable development; 4) must 
safeguard social harmony and stability by all means; and 5) 
must nurture different types of talents to increase Macau's 
long-term competitiveness.  Hu also mentioned Hong Kong in 
his speech, a move local analysts saw as unusual and which 
has raised alarm bells in Hong Kong's democratic circles. 
Some Hong Kong democrats took Hu's comments about the 
importance of "one country, two systems", along with his 
praise for Macau passing Article 23 national security 
legislation earlier in the year, as signs Beijing wants to 
see Hong Kong pass Article 23 legislation.  Hong Kong 
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam 
subsequently stated the Hong Kong government had no plans to 
introduce Article 23 legislation. 
 
¶3. Meanwhile, and mostly hidden from participants in 
the celebrations, about a thousand demonstrators joined the 
proto-democratic New Macau Association (NMA) in a largely 
peaceful march calling for universal suffrage, the protection 
of people's livelihood, an end to government corruption, and 
the right for mainland-born children to settle in Macau.  NMA 
submitted a petition with over 10,000 signatures to a Macau 
government representative.  It had hoped to meet with the 
newly-appointed Chui administration to discuss their demands 
for democratic reforms, particularly for the CE to be elected 
by universal suffrage in 2019.  NMA told local media the 
turnout was better than expected, claiming the government had 
"done a lot to control the scale" of the protest.  NMA had 
earlier criticized the government for denying the group's 
request to display banners at various locations to advertise 
the protest. The group was only permitted to display one 
banner at the starting point of the march. 
 
¶4. Other planned protests did not take place as two 
groups of Hong Kong activists were barred from entering 
Macau.  Fourteen campaigners, including League of Social 
Democrats legislator Leung "Long Hair" Kwok-hung, who planned 
to petition President Hu Jintao for universal suffrage in 
Hong Kong, were stopped at the Macau ferry terminal and 
placed on ferries back to Hong Kong.  Two activists from the 
Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic 
Movements in China also were turned away at the border, 
preventing them from petitioning Hu for the release of 
Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. Hong Kong media also reported 
two Hong Kong journalists were refused entry December 19. 
Although one of the reporters was planning to cover the 
anniversary celebrations, the other was traveling to the 
territory on holiday with her family. 
MARUT