The majority of people taking part in anti-war activities in the special administrative region (SAR) are expatriates, a phenomenon activists believe is a reflection of Hong Kong people's apathy to international affairs. Reverend Fung Chi-wood, spokesman for a coalition of anti-war activists in Hong Kong, estimated that only 40 per cent of more than 1,000 people who have protested this month were Chinese. 'We also have had two other rallies, one last November and one last month, when only a few of the participants were Chinese. I was shocked that the overwhelming majority were expatriates,' he said. He said the situation reflected Hong Kong people's indifference to international affairs. Rose Wu Lo-sai, director of the Hong Kong Christian Institute and a key anti-war activist, said: 'Hong Kong people are economic animals. Their perspectives are very narrow. They are only concerned about whether or not they can make money.' The activists were also disappointed by the results of a survey last week which found that 65 per cent of people were opposed to a US-led war on Iraq - but more than 70 per cent were worried that a war would affect Hong Kong's economy, especially the finance and banking industries. Sociologist Ho Kwok-leung, associate professor at the Polytechnic University, blamed the apathy of the masses on the indifference shown by their leaders. 'Many of our leaders have no concerns and no idea about anti-war issues. So what can you expect from the public when our politicians, educators and media are so indifferent?' he asked. The sociologist also said that while many groups did promote an anti-war message to the people of Hong Kong, they focused on the oil supply issue but failed to mention the humanitarian consequences.
