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Hong Kong leader condemns railway protesters
Hong Kong (AFP) Jan 18, 2010 Hong Kong's leader on Monday condemned protesters who clashed with pepper spray-wielding police at the weekend over a controversial 8.6-billion-dollar express rail link with southern China. The protesters' "irresponsible behaviour infringed on the core values of the Hong Kong society, the spirit of the law, and our collective interests", chief executive Donald Tsang told a press briefing. It also deprived people of the chance to express their views in a peaceful and sensible manner, he said. Tsang's comments were aimed at about 1,000 protesters who staged a sit-in outside the city's Legislative Council on Saturday after lawmakers approved funding for the high-speed railway. The group -- mostly students and young professionals -- surrounded the council building and refused to let transport chief Eva Cheng and other government officials leave. Officers used pepper spray when protesters tried to break through police barricades. The city's security chief Ambrose Lee said he "strongly condemned" the behaviour of the protesters, adding that pepper spray was the minimal force authorities could use to control the situation. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link will form part of China's national high-speed rail network, cutting travel time between Hong Kong and the southern city of Guangzhou to 48 minutes, just under half the current duration. Officials say the project is important for fostering economic ties between Hong Kong and major cities on the Chinese mainland. Construction is expected to be completed by 2015. But critics said the public had not been properly consulted and that the scheme was over-priced. They also said it would only benefit developers while forcing villagers along the route to relocate. On Friday night, another 1,000 protesters gathered outside Tsang's home to demand a dialogue with him on the project. The group dispersed peacefully after midnight when he did not show up.
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