Friends and Comrades,

PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY
As you may have heard, the anti-WTO protests in the
Wan Chai district of Hong Kong got pretty heated on
December 17th evening. Police dispersed us using
pepper spray, tear gas, and water cannons.

Nine hundred Korean activists have reportedly been arrested
and there are at least 41 people in hospital at the
moment. They are threatening to revoke the permits for
the legal march tomorrow as well.

At the end of the police violence, around 1000-1500
other activists, from Korean groups and Via Campesina,
as well as individuals from Hong Kong, other parts of
Asia the US, and Europe were involved in an all night
standoff with police who had surrounded them. They
sang, danced, and chanted, while police fired more
tear gas and threatened them with rubber bullets.

I got a phone call a couple of minutes ago and it
seems that ALL 1000 or so people are going to be
arrested. Hong Kong jails will be in pandemoneum with
so many people needed processing, but any extra
pressure you can apply from wherever you are will be
GREAT! Let's get these people out ASAP!!!

I suggest that anyone who can call, email, fax the
following addresses and tell them that you oppose the
detention of activists and urge that they are released
as soon as possible!! Sorry I don't have time to write
a sample letter... but at least let them know that
they should:

- Release all WTO related protestors immediately.
- Drop all unjust charges against protestors.
- Respect people's democratic rights to free speech
and protest.
- Do not deport any demonstrators from overseas.

Here are the addresses and phone numbers:

Mr Kevin Ho
Wan Chai Police Headquarters
Tel: (852) 2828 7509
Fax: (852) 2507 2020

Mr. Ambrose S K Lee
Secretary for Security
Tel: 2810 2712
Fax: 2877 0636
Email: <sbenq [at] sb.gov.hk>

Ms. Ada Wong Ying-kay
Chairperson, Wan Chai District Council
Tel: (852) 2835 1984
Fax: (852) 2834 9667
Email: <wcdcadm [at] wcdc.had.gov.hk>

Mr Dick MK Lee
Commissioner of Police
Tel: 2860 2001
Fax: 2865 6546
email: <cp [at] police.gov.hk>