ILLEGAL WORKERS PROMPT MAY DAY PROTESTS IN MACAU

C O N F I D E N T I A L HONG KONG 001818

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP AND EAP/CM
NSC FOR DENNIS WILDER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2031
TAGS: PGOV PREL ELAB SOCI CH HK MC
SUBJECT: ILLEGAL WORKERS PROMPT MAY DAY PROTESTS IN MACAU


Classified By: E/P Section Chief Simon Schuchat; Reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Summary: On May 1, an estimated 1,500-2,000 Macau
residents participated in anti-immigrant labor demonstrations
that turned violent, resulting in four arrests and injuries
to 25 police officers. The main theme of the march was
"drive out illegal workers, cut imported labor." Many of the
protesters reportedly were middle-aged Macau residents who
felt "short-changed" and excluded from Macau's recent
economic growth and development. The protests were organized
by eight small labor organizations, but Macau's principal
(and pro-Beijing) union declined to participate. According
to a Macau journalist who witnessed the events, the violence
has alienated many Macau residents who previously were
sympathetic to the concerns of the demonstrators. End
Summary.


2. (SBU) According to May 2 Hong Kong press reports, on May 1
more than 5,000 Macau residents participated in street
demonstrations largely focused on labor issues. The main
theme of the march was "drive out illegal workers, cut
imported labor." These "illegal" and/or "imported" workers
are primarily from mainland Chin, although some have arrived
via Hong Kong. At everal locations, including the
Government Headquarters building, the demonstrations became
violen, resulting in ijuries to about 25 police officer
and several protesters, as well as four arrests Legislator
Jose Coutinho, who took part in themarch, compared it to
Hong Kong's July 1, 2003 prtest against proposed national
security legislation. Similarly, democratic legislator
Antonio Ng told the press that the growing prevalence of
imported labor was undermining the inteests of local
workers. The protests reportedly were organized by eight
small independent labor unions, including the Macau Workers
Union and the Macau Public Cleaners Association; the
pro-Beijing Federation of Trade Unions, an umbrella group
encompassing most of Macau's workers, did not participate.
The pro-government "Macau Daily News" accorded low-profile
coverage to the events.


3. (C) On May 2, Director Harald Bruning of the "Macau Post"
newspaper told poloff that the issues prompting the
demonstration were concerns about imported and/or illegal
labor, rather than more general political topics. Bruning
said the actual number of participants probably was about
1,500-2,000, including large numbers of middle-aged Macau
residents who felt "short-changed" and excluded from Macau's
recent economic growth and development. A secondary issue
for the marchers was family reunification: the PRC Government
has not allowed the families of some Macau residents to
immigrate from the mainland. Bruning said this has become a
"very emotional" issue in Macau.


4. (C) According to Bruning, who witnessed most of the
demonstration, the clashes with police occurred when the
marchers deviated from their approved route. At that point,
as the police attempted to control the protesters, Bruning
said the situation "turned pretty ugly." As a result, he
believed most Macau people, who previously had been
sympathetic to the concerns of unemployed workers, now may be
less so.
Cunningham