Led by Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa and senior government officials, more than 10,000 people stood in silence to pay tribute to tsunami victims in Asian countries at the opening of a fund-raising show Saturday.
The fund-raising show was organized by the Hong Kong government and five international relief organizations, which are the Red Cross, World Vision, Oxfam, the United Nations Children's Fund and the Salvation Army, to assist victims in the tsunami catastrophe in Asia.
"Under such a cold weather, people of Hong Kong are gathering to present love and care towards victims of the tsunami catastrophe, showing the spirit of obligingness," said Tung at the Hong Kong Stadium where the show was held.
Director of Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Gao Siren, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in Hong Kong Yang Wenchang, and Commander of thePeople's Liberation Army (PLA) Garrison Troop in Hong Kong SAR Wang Jitang were also present at the show.
The show featured local pop stars Miriam Yeung, Andy Hui and Leo Koo etc. Doctors from the Hong Kong Medical Association, students, youngsters and Indonesian Chinese also joined the performance.
Fund-raising boxes were put all around the venue and a donation hotline has been set up for donors. Over 30 million HK dollars were collected within the two-hour show. Funds raised will go to the relief work being mounted by the five international relief organizations.
A number of communities also organized their members to attend the show.
(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2005)
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