Twelve months on a roller coaster to maturity

The July 1 march last week was a defining moment for Hong Kong. It was a test of our determination to stand up for what we believe in. And we passed with flying colours. A new era has begun. Things could so easily have turned out differently. Over the past 12 months, we have been up and down on a political roller coaster. It would not have been surprising if people had no longer had the stomach for the ride. Last year's rally by at least 500,000 set us on an upward course. The dreaded national security bill was shelved, unpopular ministers resigned and Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa promised early consultation on political reform. Then the descent began. As winter turned to spring, we found ourselves hurtling downwards. People's patriotism was called into question and some of our more popular politicians were branded traitors and clowns. Universal suffrage was ruled out for 2007 and 2008. And then freedom of expression came under threat. This was the lowest point. Since then, this journey has started moving in an upward direction again. Peace has broken out between the democrats and the central government. There has also been a heightened sense of the need to defend our city's core values and freedoms. Also, over the course of the year, Beijing has continued to help Hong Kong's economy rebound. So by the time people came to decide whether they should march this year, they were well aware of the carrots and the sticks which had been waved in their direction. If our community had lived up to its traditional image, then hardly anyone would have turned up for the march on Thursday. After all, we are supposed to be uninterested in politics and obsessed with money. Hong Kong people, it was said, retained their colonial mentality. They were prepared to meekly knuckle down and accept their fate. Not any more. The indications that our society had changed in the seven years since the handover were evident last year, when so many people marched. But it was still possible that last year's demonstration was a one-off, not to be repeated. It could easily be put down to an extraordinary combination of events - economic woes, Sars, Article 23, and the unpopularity of certain ministers. For a time on Thursday it looked as if this might have been the case. A couple of hours before the demonstration began, the numbers gathering in Victoria Park did not appear to be on the same scale as last year. The conditions were unbearable - record temperatures, appalling levels of pollution. And even before the rally started, television pictures showed participants being carried away on stretchers, having succumbed to the scorching heat. But by around 2.30pm, it became clear that something remarkable was happening. The march began early, because a large number of people had already gathered in the park. As time went on, the numbers swelled. Three hours later, thousands were still patiently waiting to join the white river charting its course through the heart of the city. It soon became clear it was not necessary to worry precisely how many were there. The pictures on television and in newspapers the following day told their own story. This was, by any definition, an enormous demonstration. And this time, the message was crystal clear: Hong Kong wants democracy - and it wants it badly. No account of the demonstration would be complete without noting that the feelings - strong as they are - were expressed in typical Hong Kong fashion. This was a good-natured demonstration. The orderly manner in which it was conducted can perhaps best be gleaned from the statement issued by Xinhua. Apparently determined to find some evidence of disruption, the official news agency noted that bus and minibus routes had to be diverted. Hardly a sign of instability. The question which now arises is how to continue on our journey towards democracy without having to endure the peaks and troughs of the roller coaster. What Hong Kong needs is a smooth ride. We would like it to be as fast as possible - but free from bumps and jolts. It would help if both the Tung administration and Beijing accepted reality. The march has shown that the desire for democracy runs deep in Hong Kong and is shared by a cross-section of society. This does appear to have finally been recognised by the Hong Kong government. Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen gave the clearest indication yet, on Friday, saying: 'The message sent was clear: to defend freedom and demand democracy and improvement of governance.' Mr Tsang's comment suggests that last week's march represents a change in the 'actual conditions' in Hong Kong. He went on to say that the calls for democracy had been fully considered by Beijing before it blocked moves towards universal suffrage in April. But if this is true, it is not evident from the report prepared by the taskforce which Mr Tsang heads. That report, which formed the basis for Mr Tung's submissions to Beijing on democratic reform, did not even mention last year's march. And it played down our community's democratic aspirations. Instead, the report stated that a 'body of opinion' aspired to have more room in the political structure. And it added that a number of political groups had 'transformed' these aspirations into calls for direct elections. It is unrealistic to expect Beijing to change its mind on the reforms that can be made by 2007 - although such a step would be much to its credit. Sending a new report to the central government, however, could achieve one thing. It could formally convey the reality, which is now clearer than ever before. Hong Kong people want to preserve stability and prosperity - but they also want democracy. Indeed, they see free elections as the best way of achieving these other undisputed objectives. The protesters marched with a sense of great pride in our city. This time, their voices should be heard. Cliff Buddle is a senior writer for the South China Morning Post