A Test Lab For China.(Giving Globally)(The Last Word)(Anson Chan)(Interview)

Byline: George Wehrfritz

Hong Kong's iron lady is back. As deputy to the last British governor, Chris Patten, and then to Beijing-appointed chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, Anson Chan showed decisive leadership and candor -- particularly on Hong Kong's need for democracy as promised in its mini-Constitution, or basic law. At odds with Tung, she exited the cabinet and retired in arly 2001. Now she is running for a seat on the Legislative Council in a December by-election. Chan is campaigning against current Chief Executive Donald Tsang's Green Paper on political reform, calling it "a big disappointment." Her aim: push Beijing to allow direct elections for the city's top leader when Tsang's term expires in 2012. NEWSWEEK's George Wehrfritz spoke with Chan last week. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: Why does the December by-election deserve so much attention?

It comes at a time when there's more of a feeling among the community that things are going wrong. There's a gap between rich and poor, and we're in the midst of consultations on democratic reform. The government's Green Paper has a bewildering range of options; it is little wonder people are not interested. The government will say people are only interested in the economy. But survey after survey has demonstrated that that is just not true. For me, this is the right time. I want to rekindle hope in the people of Hong Kong and make the case that democracy concerns all of us, not just this generation but future generations.

You've criticized "self-styled guardians" of the basic law for blocking democracy. Who are they and what is their agenda?

For want of better words, they are people in the so-called Beijing camp. When logic and reason fail to persuade, their usual ploy is to fall back on this argument about whether you're a patriot or sufficiently nationalistic. That's what they do.

How much political reform has occurred since the 1997 handover?