A Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress believes the central government can reduce public anger by embracing the pro-democracy camp. Yesterday's comments by Ng Hong-mun came after more than 80,000 protesters turned up on Friday to commemorate the June 4 Tiananmen Square crackdown - the largest vigil since the handover. Mr Ng said public discontent and polarisation of society could be resolved if members of the Democratic Party - long snubbed by Beijing - were allowed to meet mainland officials. Mr Ng said more communication could narrow the differences over Hong Kong's constitutional reform. Li Gang, deputy director of the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong, said the democrats' views had already been heard during a trip by Qiao Xiaoyang, deputy secretary-general of the NPC Standing Committee, in April. Meanwhile, Maria Tam Wai-chu, a member of the Basic Law Committee, said Hong Kong's pace of democratisation was faster than its economic growth. Speaking at a seminar, Ms Tam said a balance should be made between the two elements. 'I have not seen anybody commit suicide by burning charcoal because there will be no universal suffrage in 2007,' she said. 'But what makes people totally despair is a bad economy.'
