2010 Macau Labor Day Protest Ends in Violence

Macau May Day
The territory's restrictions on freedoms are sparking social unrest.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703339304575241311953601310.html

By JILLIAN MELCHIOR
May Day protests aren't all that unusual in places like Greece, but in China? The May 1 event in Macau brought around 1,000 protestors out into the streets. What began as peaceful assembly turned confrontational when demonstrators attempted to march past a barrier toward the business and tourist district. Police pushed back with water cannons and pepper spray. In the end, 41 people were injured. Yet no one should be surprised that the Macanese are unhappy.


European Pressphoto Agency

Policemen protects themselves from protestors during a Labor Day rally.
.Freedoms of speech and assembly have suffered since the former Portuguese territory was returned to Beijing in 1999. Days before the handover, six Falun Gong practitioners were seized from their hotel rooms, interrogated by police and deported to Hong Kong, even though the religion is not banned in China's so-called "special administrative regions." Public critics have suddenly found themselves unemployed or bankrupted. More recently, pro-democracy politicians from Hong Kong have been barred from entering the territory.

The Macanese don't have many avenues to express discontent with government policies. The government subsidizes several local newspapers and considers them as a "public service," not a watchdog. Many publications practice self-censorship, also fearing loss of advertising from the territory's powerful casino industry. The international media doesn't pay much attention to the tiny territory of 542,000 people best known for its gambling dens.

Add to all this a political system that's controlled by Beijing, heavily influenced by big business interests and dominated by a few local families, and citizens start to feel disenfranchised.

Despite these headwinds, the Macanese have courageously continued to protest for more rights. Common complaints over the past 10 years have largely centered around the same things: housing costs, illegal immigration, unemployment, weak social-security nets, alleged government corruption and lack of suffrage. Most protests are small, but they occur frequently.

The first post-handover administration, led by Edmund Ho, responded to the protests with a mixture of carrots and sticks. On the one hand, he sent police in to quell the protests and often used heavy-handed measures. But he also tried to win public support by paying cash subsidies to the unemployed and creating a worker retraining program.

The current government, led by Fernando Chui, has continued the same policies. Although he has continued subsidies and similar social-welfare measures, he has also demonstrated his control over society. His government's overwhelming use of force to shut down this year's May Day protest suggests an intensified version of his predecessor's approach—one that is harder line and more appealing to his bosses back in Beijing. Since the passage of Article 23 antisubversion legislation last year, he has a freer hand to legally suppress public protest.

As the May Day event showed, the protest movement in Macau is diverse and disparate. Pro-democracy groups, labor unions and students often have a hard time finding a common platform. But one thing is for sure: Until the people of Macau are given real freedoms, expect the same cycle of demonstrations, suppression, subsidy and entitlement bribes, and social unrest to continue into the foreseeable future.

Ms. Melchior is the assistant online editor for Commentary. She covered Macau's politics as a Robert L. Bartley fellow at The Wall Street Journal.












Macau Labor Day Protest Ends in Violence, 41 Hurt, SCMP Reports
By Frederik Balfour

May 2 (Bloomberg) -- Demonstrators in Macau protesting illegal labor and high living costs clashed with police during a May Day rally, leaving at least 41 injured, the South China Morning Post reported today.

Water cannon and pepper spray were used against protestors who charged a police cordon during a rally of about 800 people the paper said.




HK RTHK news
http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/egreaterchina/news.htm?egreaterchina&20100502&56&665142

Protesters clash with Macau riot police
02-05-2010

Riot police in Macau have used water cannon and pepper spray to disperse a crowd taking part in a May Day protest march. Clashes erupted after protesters tried to force their way through police barricades. There were injuries reported on both sides.

Riot police used pepper spray on protesters, after the crowed forced their way through police barricades blocking access to a major road. Water cannon was also deployed. The protesters fought back with rocks and bottles.

The clashes were triggered after the protesters attempted to march through Almeida Ribeiro Avenue, where major tourist attractions are located. Several hundred people were involved in the clashes.

Nearly 1,000 people had turned up for the May Day protest march, which was held to demand job protection and firmer action against illegal workers. Those taking part also demanded firmer action against corruption, better government housing and more financial assistance to help offset the impact of inflation.