Protesters, police scuffle as Hu visits Hong Kong

HONG KONG, June 30 (Reuters) Democracy activists scuffled with police in Hong Kong today as they sought to air their grievances with Chinese President Hu Jintao, visiting the former British colony on the 10th anniversary of its return to China.

Several dozen protesters pushed and shouted at police in heavy rain as they tried to advance on Hu's hotel to hand in a petition demanding democracy, protection of human rights and atonement from Beijing for the June 4, 1989 crackdown in Beijing's Tiananmen Square that saw hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people killed by troops.

Shouting slogans and carrying banners, the protesters marched to within a few blocks of the hotel but were blocked by more than 100 police officers.

Hu arrived yesterday and during the trip -- his first to Hong Kong as president -- he has lauded Hong Kong's progress over the past 10 years, praised its prospects, urged the city's leaders to heed the public more and called on Hong Kong's nearly 7 million people to be more patriotic.

At a banquet this evening, Hu made oblique comments that the city's pluralistic society needed to ''closely unite'' and ''seek common ground, while reserving differences''.

''No matter what kind of doctrine you believe in, or religion, you must, under the flag of loving Hong Kong and loving China, closely unite together,'' he said.

Hu has avoided addressing the issue of democratic reforms -- and how the city might reconcile growing calls by the public and a vocal pro-democracy camp for direct elections.

Hong Kong's post-handover constitution says universal suffrage is the ultimate goal, but is vague on a timetable, giving Beijing scope to dictate the pace of reform. Beijing's parliament has ruled out direct elections until at least 2012.

CHARM OFFENSIVE The normally buttoned-down leader has been on a charm offensive to try to win over Hong Kong's citizens and stir up patriotism.

Earlier in the day, Hu donned a green ''Mao suit'' and inspected army troops. A ceremony was also held to mark the gift of two ''handover pandas'' to Hong Kong.

Hu dispensed with suit and tie yesterday, meeting families in their homes and presenting them with gifts. He even played an impromptu game of table tennis with a 13-year-old boy.

When Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, many feared Beijing would curtail the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kongers but not available on the mainland.

Amnesty International, however, said in a yesterday report that such fears ''have not been borne out''.

Nevertheless, it added, ''the authorities have missed several key opportunities to take concrete steps to enhance protection of the basic human rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong over the last 10 years.'' Yesterday night, Hu will participate in a bell ringing ceremony to mark the minute Britain returned Hong Kong to China after 156 years as a colony.

At the same time, pro-democracy lawmakers plan to re-enact a protest many staged a decade ago on the balcony of the city's legislative council building, calling for universal suffrage.

Tomorrow, Hu will swear in Hong Kong leader Tsang and his cabinet to a new five-year term.

Pro-democracy legislators and other activists plan an annual democracy protest march tomorrow with tens of thousands of people expected. Hu will likely be gone by then.

REUTERS SBC PM1938