Protesters, criticism greet Hong Kong democrat Martin Lee.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

Scuffles broke out between pro-democracy and pro-China demonstrators at the airport early this morning when former Democratic Party Chairman Martin Lee returned to the territory from the Washington where he appeared at a US Senate hearing on Hong Kong.

Mr Lee said the trip was successful. He said he had presented a truthful picture of Hong Kong to the outside world, a view consistent with that of President Hu Jintao and the premier, Wen Jiabao.

When confronted by pro-Beijing protesters who called him a traitor, Mr Lee said what he did was merely to protect the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people …