Raising Tsang the hard way

BEIJING - HONG Kong leader Donald Tsang believes that childhood beatings by a 'tough' father taught him to 'work hard and be humble' - his long-held motto in life.

During CNN's Talk Asia programme broadcast yesterday, the 62-year-old Chief Executive said that his father was by no means a 'unique' parent.

'He was a tough policeman, but a lot of parents then beat up their kids,' Mr Tsang told CNN's Anjali Rao while touring Hong Kong's Mid-levels area of Hollywood Road, where his childhood home was located.

He is currently on an election campaign trail, seeking a second term as Hong Kong's chief executive.

'When we went to school... each one of us displayed all our marks, on our feet and our hands,' he said.

However, he refrained from doing the same to his two sons, going no further than a slap on the hand. He said that 'violence doesn't do anyone any good'.

For the first time since Hong Kong returned to mainland rule in 1997, there is a challenger against the Beijing-backed incumbent in the chief executive race.

Mr Alan Leong, a well-respected lawyer and legislator is representing the pro-democratic camp.

But Mr Tsang, a career bureaucrat, is expected to easily win another term come election day on March 25.

A mainly pro-Beijing 800-member Election Committee will pick the next chief executive.

Yesterday, the Chinese authorities apparently blacked out parts of the CNN programme, when Mr Tsang began discussing moves towards democratic reform in Hong Kong.

Mr Tsang said he was anxious to address the issue of bringing full democracy to Hong Kong if he wins a second term.

The show was then suddenly cut to make way for commercials, after which the screen blacked out briefly.

When the programme resumed, Mr Tsang was speaking about the 'enormous warmth, rapport and affection from (President Hu Jintao) for Hong Kong...particularly for its people'.

'We are not aware that CNN's Talk Asia was indeed blocked during the Tsang interview,' an unnamed CNN spokesman in Hong Kong was quoted by Associated Press as saying. 'We are looking into the matter.'

The show will be broadcast again today as scheduled, the spokesman added.

The Beijing hotel where this reporter is staying said that there was nothing wrong with its cable reception.

The mainland authorities are said to routinely black out broadcasts on sensitive topics.

The 'one-man, one-vote' system is the most highly-debated political issue in Hong Kong, having triggered mass protests in 2003 and 2004 after Beijing ruled that its approval must be sought for any changes to Hong Kong's election laws.

China is seen to be reluctant to allow Hong Kongers to vote directly for their leader and full legislature, as that could lead to similar calls on the mainland.

Hong Kong, Mr Tsang said in parts of the interview that were broadcast, could still obtain universal suffrage by 2012, when it next picks a new chief executive.

China 'has not said that it is not amenable to universal suffrage', he said, responding to suggestions from Ms Rao that Beijing opposes full democracy for Hong Kong.

Mr Tsang said that Hong Kong has advanced politically and has 'proved to the rest of the world' that it is flourishing under Beijing's unprecedented 'one country, two systems' policy.

'Hong Kong has full autonomy and controls a large chunk of its political affairs,' he said, dismissing suggestions that Beijing exerts too much influence on the city.

'It's only when we change the Constitution that the sovereign has to be involved.'