Beijing loyalists have welcomed the news that Hunan provincial police are setting up a panel to probe the death of high-profile dissident Li Wangyang.
But pan-democrat Lee Cheuk-yan, chairman of the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, was sceptical of the move and feared Beijing was stalling for time.
Lee, who is also chairman of the Labour Party, said: 'This could probably be a gesture to show that the central government is doing something and to abate the public discontent in the run-up to the handover anniversary when President Hu Jintao will come to visit.'
Ip Kwok-him, of the Beijing-loyalist Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, called the investigation 'a good start'.
Ip, also a deputy to National People's Congress, said: 'I hope the probe will be as transparent as possible.'
Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, a member of the NPC Standing Committee, also welcomed it, saying the case had had a negative affect Hongkongers' impression of the mainland.
'It has been no good for the image of China at the international level either,' Fan said. 'Matters like these happen because the officials do not value the lives of the people, do not respect the rights of the people ... do not have an in-depth understanding of accountability to the people.'
